CAIRO - The Arab League said on Sunday is was astonished and offended by a U.S. House of Representatives resolution calling on the league to recognise the conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan as genocide.
Doesn't make me think any better of the Dhimmicrats, but if they managed to aggrevate the Arab League they can't all be bad.
The House resolution, passed on April 25, also accuses the 22-member Arab League of obstructing the deployment of U.N. forces in Darfur or seeking to reduce the mandate of the forces. The secretariat of the Arab League expresses its extreme astonishment at the resolution ... at a time when no international or regional organisation has used this designation (genocide), a league statement said.
"What's the big deal? We routinely kill thousands of our own people!"
The league also expresses its indignation at the resolution saying the Arab League has obstructed the deployment of U.N. forces in Darfur. This shows that incorrect information has been submitted to the U.S. Congress on which to base resolutions which are far from reality, it added.
The Arab League statement defended the organisations diplomatic record on the Darfur conflict.
"We've been at least as good as the EU!"
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Strange how the Arab League's protest over this House resolution is far louder than any they've lodged about Darfur itself.
#3
From what i see Sudan sponsored by Saudi etc are trying to spread Arab culture/Islam throughout Africa.Of course they are going to object when their plans are foiled!!!!
#9
It's just a little Christian housecleaning for the Muslims in the area. No big whoop. They had been unable to recover Spain yet, so they're starting small with Darfur.
I am waiting for news when cries for Sharia startup and the protests in support of a Islamic Republic. Maybe then, the Moonbats and Lefties will take notice; then again, maybe not.
#10
We again see the truth about islam in another facet of how they deal with the rest of the world. The only TRUE muslim is an Arab muslim. If you're not Arab, you're a third-class person, down there with infidels and other non-believers. The people being killed in Darfur are BLACK muslims. Only Arab muslims count for anything.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/30/2007 14:16 Comments ||
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Only Arab muslims count for anything.
Especially when it comes to priority targeting coordinates. Right, OP?
(SomaliNet) Somalias interior minister Mohamed Mohamud Guled Gamo-dhere said Sunday the national reconciliation conference is open for all Somalis including clan leaders, religious men and civil society groups as the security forces deployed in key streets of the capital search for arms.
He said that he is particularly asking for Hawiye leaders to avoid inciting violence in the country. I encourage for all clan leaders to join the peace process and attend the conference to heal all rifts among us.
Mr. Gamo-dhere who is now in Kismayu, the southern port city in lower Juba region in Somalia, told the local media that his government is welcoming all parts to attend the coming national conference which is due to be held in mid June. I call for all opposition members to give up the negative position and work with the government to establish peace and stability in the country, said Gamo-dhere. He said that he is particularly asking for Hawiye leaders to avoid inciting violence in the country. I encourage for all clan leaders to join the peace process and attend the conference to heal all rifts among us.
Earlier, the transitional federal government in Somalia accused Hawiye leaders of supporting the remnants of the ousted Islamic Courts, which the government and western countries believe has ties with Al-Qaeda network.
Meanwhile, Mogadishu remains calm for the third day as people began to return to their houses after two weeks of heavy clashes which killed 1,500 people mostly civilians and wounded thousands more according to reports.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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Via EU Referendum
I met with Sandmonkey (at an undisclosed location) and commiserated. He is as charming and clever as you might expect from the "writer of an extremely cynical, snarky, pro-US, secular, libertarian, disgruntled sandmonkey." Fabulous. But his words of premonitory warning gave me great pause. He has scorn for the "new Democrats" that sold out reformers and activists and destroyed fledging movements of democracy.
Upon learning of his blog departure, I was heartbroken. Look, the blogosphere and the fighters for liberty and democracy lost a warrior when Sandmonkey backed away from the keyboard, signed off on his blog and wrote his last post here.
One of the chief reasons is the fact that there has been too much heat around me lately. I no longer believe that my anonymity is kept, especially with State Security agents lurking around my street and asking questions about me since that day. I ignore that, the same way I ignored all the clicking noises that my phones started to exhibit all of a sudden, or the law suit filed by Judge Mourad on my friends, and instead grew bolder and more reckless at a time where everybody else started being more cautious. It took me a while to take note of the fear that has been gripping our little blogsphere and comprehend what it really means.
Saudi Arabias King Abdullah turned down a request to meet with Iraqs Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Baghdads foreign minister said on Sunday, denying that the refusal was an outright snub.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that Abdullah refused to receive Maliki before the regional summit on Iraq security, which is set for next week, because the Sunni leader is skeptical of Malikis Shiite government. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, however, said the report was not true, although he acknowledged a requested visit had been denied. The Saudi kings schedule was not suitable at this time, Zebari told CNN. They [the Saudis] did not decline it but they said the king has an internal tour which he does occasionally. So we couldnt agree on the timing, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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Must be out waxing his surfboard.
Well, if Maliki would stop releasing every Shiite terrorist, perhaps they might have something to talk about.
#4
If Maliki could ever get his act together and draw Iraq into a coherent, stable entity the Soddy king might have reason to beware. The day could come when somebody decides that it's time to make the Arab penninsula safe for democracy.
Suspects linked to Al Qaeda have obtained sensitive jobs in vital industries that could be the target of terrorist attacks, The Telegraph reports. The individuals were uncovered by police and the security services in operations designed to protect key British sites such as transport hubs, power stations and the water supply.
Security chiefs believe that they may have become radicalised while already in employment, thus evading the strict vetting procedure for applicants for security-sensitive posts. Following the discovery, the British government is to draft new guidelines for companies to strengthen systems for monitoring staff. Employees will be encouraged to report any concerns they may have about suspicious behaviour by colleagues. The government has also drawn up plans to defend telecommunications, food supply, finance, key health facilities and the emergency services.
A senior Whitehall source told The Telegraph: Police and the intelligence services are coming across more names - Im not saying a huge number, but more cases - where they are identifying people they are concerned about that are working in jobs of some sensitivity.
British intelligence agency MI5 is understood to have unmasked Al Qaeda sympathisers who joined its ranks during a recruitment drive aimed at young British Muslims, following the London bombings. At least three Metropolitan Police officers have also been investigated over visits they made to Pakistan, according to the Association of Muslim Police.
This month, a former employee at Americas biggest nuclear power plant was charged with taking access codes and layout plans to Iran. Mohammed Alavi, 49, a US citizen, is accused of downloading sensitive information about Palos Verde Nuclear Generation Station while on a visit to Teheran. He denies wrongdoing but could face up to two years in prison if convicted.
Global leaders of Al Qaeda have called on the organisations followers in Western countries to adopt tactics that include the infiltration of key industries, known in security circles as the critical national infrastructure. A tactical manual published in 2004, The Management of Savagery by Abu Bakr Naji, urges Al Qaeda supporters to infiltrate the police forces, the armies, the different political parties, the newspapers, the Islamic groups, the petroleum companies, private security companies, sensitive civil institutions.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Abu, Muhamhead, Samir, Omar, etc. Even an Alzheimer's patient could figure the solution here.
#2
Here's a few simple questions: How likely is it that the two people required to key a nuclear launch will ever both be Muslims? How likely is it that the Football (launch codes) will ever be carried by a Muslim? How likely is it that a SAC nuclear-armed bomber or submarine will ever be captained by a Muslim?
I believe our country's military still has the brains to ensure that the answer to all of these questions is a resounding "NOT!" Given that, how is it that our country is so incapable of acting against further Muslim immigration, the influence of pro-terrorist organizations like CAIR and the continued spread of Wahabbist controlled mosques?
If one set of these issues is so clear cut, how is it that the others are not?
#3
Meanwhile, as a US CIT I flew from the ME to Germany, thence CONUS last week, produced my passport 7 times, orders once, bags search 3 times, security screening 3 times, Q&A twice.......
#4
I tried to contact the Telegraph yesterday, they don't want you to contact them.
It's very hard, after much searching the only contact given was "Letters to the Editor"
Bullshit Bastards.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/30/2007 6:10 Comments ||
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Expect CAIR sponsored anti-discrimination in employement suit, Zenster.
#6
The military and national security has the republican party on their side.
The enemy has the democrats on theirs.
Remember this, because every November you will be tested on this simple explanation.
Sarajevo, 27 April (AKI) - Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf arrived in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on Friday for an official visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The two countries signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement, the Bosnian ministry of foreign trade and economics said in a statement. Musharraf met with chairman of the rotating Bosnian presidency, Nebojsa Radmanovic, and prime minister Nikola Spiric. Muslim majority Bosnia and Pakistan enjoy 'fraternal' ties.
Musharraf was also due to address a joint session of the Bosnian parliament in Sarajevo late on Friday.
"The Islamic people look upon the war in Bosnia as an attack on Muslims and Islam. It was one of the tragic events caused by the same problem - the unsolved issue of Palestine," Musharraf told Bosnian Dnevni avaz on Friday. The ISI cracked the case: The Bosnian War was instigated by the Serbian Zionist Entity.
Muslims are desperate especially the Middle East and the Gulf. The whole Islamic world is in turmoil and the main reason for it is Palestine," he said. He cited the Arab-Israeli conflict, al-Qaida's 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, the war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon as examples.
"We wept over the scenes of war in Bosnia The underlying problems have not been resolved but only pulled wide open. That is why we need to put our efforts into tackling the root of the problem, Musharraf explained. So after spending several minutes blaming 9/11, the war in Afghanistan, the Balkan wars, etc. on Israel, "We" will now "put 'our' efforts into tackling the root of the problem"? What, exactly, is Musharraf saying?
The Pakistani president stressed that his country would always and fully support and help Bosnia. We have strong fraternal feelings towards your country," he added, saying that he had served in Bosnia during the war as Pakistan's general for military operations.
Musharraf wrote details of his fighting in 1993 in his autobiography, saying at one point Pakistani soldiers were not welcomed by UN troops at that time, because of the preferences of some countries."
The world should not forget the problems in BH. That is why I call upon European Union especially to stay engaged in maintaining the peace and seeing justice done, Musharraf said.
Commenting on relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Musharraf said the situation was not good since the authorities in Kabul claim that Pakistan holds Taliban headquarters. The real truth is that Talibans are in Afghanistan and that is the place to fight them. I do not know where Bin Laden is, therefore I cannot say if he is or is not in Pakistan," he stressed.
Musharraf said he is also strongly opposed to possible US military intervention in Iran. "It would be a great mistake for president George Bush to order such an attack," Musharraf pointed out, saying such an event destabilise the globe.
#8
Back in the days when NATO moved to occupy Bosnia, and Clinton said U.S. troops would only be there a few months, the MSM never said a word about jihad or Zionism or anything like that. It was all about how those monstrous Serbians were being so mean.
"The Islamic people look upon the war in Bosnia as an attack on Muslims and Islam. It was one of the tragic events caused by the same problem - the unsolved issue of Palestine," WTF??? What did Palestine ever have to do with it except that they are all members of the same death cult?
#9
What did Palestine ever have to do with it except that they are all members of the same death cult?
I dunno. My two guesses are :
- it's an arab obsession, and the arabs are the "strong horses" of islam, with the re-islamization of the Ummah, the OIL money, them being the Master Race of the Master Religion and all... So, the paks follow the lead of their role-model tone setters
- Israel is an abomination that goes against the islamic worldview itself, a land that was once muslim now ruled by the despised joooooos... and add to that the fact that the jooooooos who are dhimmis by essence (while christians were ennemies) keep on besting on any levels the Master Race/Religion... (must be a plot, they must be kept afloat by the Great Satan).
Thus, its existence alone is a never-healing wound and a reminder/explanation for the underachievements of the Master Religion.
#11
anonymous5089, the article you mention lacks the reference of Serbian terror and murder campaign against other nations of former Yugoslavia. The terror started in 1918, with the formation of kingdom of Yugoslavia, with serbian king, and finally ended in 90's of last century.
Yes, it is true, Croatian people were ready to support anybody just to break free from serbian terror.
Interesting that Pervert does not mention other nations in Bosnia, Croat and Serbian people, as if they don't exist. They are not minorities but the constitutional part of the state.
I live in Croatia, just west of Bosnia, and remember the war very well. Far as I know, there was no connection with Palestine ever.
There was another significan event in Bosnia, a slaughter of some 8000 Moslem civilians, which contributed very much to Al-Qaeda recruiting effort. Serbs had no benefit from it, except satisfaction for their instincts, and the rest of the world is having problems today, at least partly, because of it.
#12
Yes, you're absolutely right, I agree with the idea that serbs were culprits as well (cf the sbrenica massacre you describe), and the initiators of the yugoslavian breakapart civil war through the horrid milosevic, but the point that izetbegovic was not a run-of-the-mill politician, but rather a jihadi ideologist, remains true nonetheless.
#14
The Serbs were right all along, and I consider it an abomination that my nation (USA) took the side of the muslim terrorists' takeover of Bosnia. Sept 11 was our thanks for that mistake, yet another failure that can be traced to Clinton. I don't give a shit about Croatians one way or the other, but it seems clear that Croats were Nazi sympathizers of the worst sort (see Ustashi). IMNSHO Serbs are definitely the BEST Yugoslavia had, and were the only ones in that fight deserving of our help - yet Clinton did the opposite.
#15
In Yugoslav wars there were many irregulars, that were hard to control. I agree that Izetbegovic welcomed jihadists when he needed them. It was the Serbs that created that need. Most of bosnian Muslims were atheists before the war, they were, perhaps, the only ones truly loyal to the idea of Yugoslavia.
Srebrenica has shown the way to Al-Qaeda. They noticed correlation between number of dead civilians and the number of terrorists recruited. From that time they are trying to provoke violence against their own people to get more recruits. They are stupid enough not to see that it can only lead to eradication of Islam on this planet.
#16
Scooter, your country supported Muslims in Bosnia not because of Clinton, but because your allies wanted you to. I mean Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait. It is the same Saudi Arabia whose citizens finance every terrorist operation in the world, and government not doing a thing about it.
For the same reason you are protecting Sunni Arabs from Shia and Kurds now in Iraq. Let me remind you that in 2003 you had Shiite and Kurds as allies.
Those are the same Sunni Arabs that support Al-Qaeda, Saddam Hussein, and the same ones that terrorized Shiite and Kurds for centuries. I don't think that Iraq has anything to do with Bill Clinton. If it was just about Al-Qaeda, you could just let Shiite finish the job. They would do it with pleasure, and then they would try their own extremists in court, like Sadr, for war crimes against civilians.
As for the Croats, Ustashi was not the only faction fighting in WWII. There was a quite strong anti-fascist movement, too. Serbian pro Nazi faction was called "Chetniks", they were very active, too.
#17
Thank you for the perspective you bring us from beautiful Croatia, trenchsol. You live in a difficult part of the world. When Mr. Wife played football/soccer in high school, the boys elected him team captain -- not because he was the best player (he most certainly was not!) but because the rest were immigrants from Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia; only Mr. Wife was a neutral, being American born and of Polish decent, so they all voted for him.
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joe Biden (D, Del.) said Sunday he doesn't agree with fellow Democrats who want an iron-clad Iraq war funding deadline.
Biden, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," said he does not support language that calls for no spending for the U.S. military deployment in Iraq beyond March 31, 2008, because it may prevent Iraq from saving itself. Biden says he wants to see Iraq develop a decentralized government that can secure its borders and allow U.S. troops to be re-deployed.
"It may get so bad that we do not have that option, and (the only) option we have available to us is to withdraw and try to contain the civil war inside Iraq," Biden said. "We are not there yet, and until we reach that point, I am not prepared to say there are no circumstances under which, after a date certain, we would not have a single troop inside of Iraq." It seems he actually paid attention to the briefings.
"We've got to get the world community in on owning part of this by calling an international conference to put pressure on the regional powers," he said. But he still has stupid moments like this. Still, an improvement over his fellow Democrats.
#1
Article: "It may get so bad that we do not have that option, and (the only) option we have available to us is to withdraw and try to contain the civil war inside Iraq," Biden said.
I think all the lefties (and some conservatives) are expecting al Qaeda to win in Iraq after an American withdrawal. As far as I'm concerned, though, al Qaeda and the Baathists have lost. The only thing still left in the air is who delivers the coup de grace - Uncle Sam or Iraq's Shiites. If Uncle Sam leaves, the big question is what happens if the Shiite majority wins by killing hundreds of thousands of Sunnis (given that they are probably much less squeamish than Uncle Sam). Do the Democrats blame Bush?
#3
"It seems he actually paid attention to the briefings."
More likely Slow Joe is paying attention to polling data.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/30/2007 8:36 Comments ||
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[span class=moonbat]
So the neocons got to you, eh, Mr. Biden? How much did Rove pay you to say that?
[/span]
Posted by: Mike ||
04/30/2007 9:38 Comments ||
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#5
Maybe he plagiarized the wrong crib sheet.
Posted by: ed ||
04/30/2007 9:43 Comments ||
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#6
The Dems have gotta be worrying about the possibility of the tide really turning.
At some point, they have to be prepared to say, "Well, the Democratic pressure for accountability, and the removal of Rumsfeld, and other changes inspired by the Democrats, have finally overcome Bush's sad, mismanaged, ill-conceived war, and our brave fighting lads and lasses just might have a chance to triumph over our enemies.
Just as I predicted."
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/30/2007 12:28 Comments ||
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withdraw and try to contain the civil war inside Iraq
??? Aren't these two actions mutually exclusive? ???
#8
Considering that it's as much a proxy war armed and financed by Saudi Arabia and Iran as it is a civil war? The honourable senator isn't the sharpest knife in the block -- I wonder if he hasn't quite gotten as far as scissors, actually -- but at least he's trying to recognize and respond to external reality.
James Taranto, "Best of the Web," The Wall Street Journal
Saturday afternoon found us at UCLA for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, where we had been summoned from New York to sit on a panel discussing "the future of news" with L.A. Times editor Jim O'Shea and ABC-TV's Mark Halperin. The moderator was the Times's foreign editor, Marjorie Miller. All agreed: The future of news is uncertain, though the Web is likely to be an important factor.
The audience questioners, though, were a hoot. One woman brought up the famliar left-wing trope about the dangers of corporate control of the media. She told Halperin she worried that Disney, which owns ABC, dictated the network's news coverage, especially during the run-up to the war in Iraq. After Halperin assured her that this was not the case, we chimed in: "Why the hell would Disney want to go to war in Iraq? It doesn't make sense." She looked chastened and returned to her seat.
Then there were the "truthers," members of a cult that believes 9/11 was a government conspiracy. They are easy to spot because they all wear black T-shirts with pictures of the twin towers and slogans like INVESTIGATE 9/11. (We encountered some of them near Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2006.)
Two truthers, a man and a woman, were standing in line to ask questions. The man prefaced his by saying, "I'm not going to ask the 9/11 question again." (We don't remember what he did ask.) When it was the woman's turn, she went into a long disquisition about how FDR had advance warning of Pearl Harbor, and "buildings don't fall at 10 stories a second," and finally she asked, "Where is our Bob Woodward to bring the story out?"
Our answer: "Rosie O'Donnell."
The woman started speechifying again and finally was shouted down by the crowd, which was strongly left-leaning but apparently not insane.
When you think about what the truthers are saying, it makes even less sense than the Disney-invaded-Iraq theory. They want us to believe that the government staged 9/11 and is now using totalitarian means to cover it up. But if the government were really suppressing dissent, these people would be in prison, not walking around in public wearing T-shirts identifying them as dissidents.
Unless. What if the truthers themselves are in on the conspiracy? Maybe they are agents of the government who deliberately act crazy in order to discredit the idea that it is a conspiracy.
As one of our fellow panelists put it, "So far, it's working."
Posted by: Mike ||
04/30/2007 12:46 ||
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But if the government were really suppressing dissent, these people would be in prison, not walking around in public wearing T-shirts identifying them as dissidents.
Or put another way: if Bush WERE Hitler, they'd all be lampshades by now.
#2
Unless. What if the truthers themselves are in on the conspiracy? Maybe they are agents of the government who deliberately act crazy in order to discredit the idea that it is a conspiracy.
Wheels within wheels within wheels within wheels within wheels...
#3
Unless. What if the truthers themselves are in on the conspiracy? Maybe they are agents of the government who deliberately act crazy in order to discredit the idea that it is a conspiracy.
The government can't even plan a goat orgy with any amount of success. Remember that when people talk about how the government is trying to control everything.
#4
Notice how they snuck in the corporate media oligopoly with the kooky conspiracy theories, as being a left-wing fantasy? Hah.
That's a debate trick. Put something real in a list of silly fantasies, as if it were a silly fantasy, too. Takes away from its credibility with "guilt through association."
"That's ridiculous, like Bigfoot, Hillary being elected President, the Loch Ness Monster, and UFOs!"
#5
I went to the truth 911.org site and watched a video of one of their idiots being shouted at to "Shut up and Sit Down" after ranting about a conspircy. This is presented as proof positive of the coverup/conspiracy. Too funny.
#8
PS: Truthers are intellectual bottom feeders. Only previously digested and decomposed matter can enter the narrow inlet of their mental scope. They are a pinnacle of victim culture thought and could not exist without the shelter provided by more functional and productive entities.
Everything falls at 32 feet per second per second. If I did my calculations right, the top of the WTC hit the ground at 300 feet per second (ignoring drag). That's (roughly) twenty stories per second.
#10
Angie, 204 mph, if my calc is correct. Certainly possible but I would have thought terminal velocity was much less.
Actually, I suspect the actual last thirty or so floors were not visible due to the dust cloud.
What these loons need is to climb in to some turnout gear and SCBA and crawl around a room at 1000 degrees F for ten minutes or so. Somewhat nervous making for me, but other firefighters manage it all the time.
#11
What if the truthers themselves are in on the conspiracy?
Most likely paid dissenters from MoveOn.org to make the LA Times and other liberals present look moderate.
#12
Occam's razor - the simplest answer that satisfies all the aspects of the question is usually the correct one. One thing most of the moonbats don't think about (if they think at all, which is doubtful) is that if someone was planning to crash four jets into the WTC on 9/11/01, the planning would have had to have begun around June, 1999. There was no way anyone who started planning in 1999 would have known that George Bush would be elected President in November, 2000.
Our answer: "Rosie O'Donnell."
THAT's got to hurt!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/30/2007 17:55 Comments ||
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#13
I don't think of Truthers as "strange" so much as just the natural-- and intended-- product of an education system which is not merely broken, but which has been intentionally vandalized so that it churns out an endless stream of ignorant, gullible idiots with little understanding of the world around them, little mental discipline and a high degree of susceptibility to demagoguery.
We've gone from having schools that provided a liberal education, to schools that turn out good little liberals.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/30/2007 19:34 Comments ||
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#14
Angie, 204 mph, if my calc is correct
This would be maximum velocity if there were no upwards forces from the ground transmitted into the building, which you know can't be the case. Collapsing those floors that are hitting the ground takes force: Upward force from the ground, which is transmitted into the rest of the building, competing with downwards force from the weight of the intact portion of the building. This upwards pressure is about constant - equal to whatever it takes to crush the lowest floor- but the building downwards force diminishes as the weight of the remaining intact portion of the building diminishes. I wouldn't be surprised if the top floor had reached at about half of this maximum velocity, which would work out to be roughly 10 floors/second if you have a story height of about 10-12 feet or so. Just a rough calculation based on my feel of the situation, no real expertise.
One disclaimer: This assumes that Rosie O'Donnel is not on the top floor of the building, in which case we could ignore the effects of the diminishing weight of the portion of the building remaining intact because it would be insignificant compared to Rosie's weight. And of course even this is ridiculous and sort of an ideal calculation because everyone knows that Rosie could not have heaved her bulk up there anyway because the building wouldn't support her weight, the elevator cables would have snapped, she can't fit through the door, and a Skycrane helicopter would have snapped its rotor off trying to lift her. Hmph.
#15
I'm waiting for the Truthers to claim that a controlled demolition caused the collapse of that I-580 highway section in Oakland, the tanker truck fire being part of the government coverup.
More than a fifth of the approximately 385 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been cleared for release but may have to wait months or years for their freedom because US officials are finding it increasingly difficult to line up places to send them, according to a report in the Washington Post on Sunday.
Boy howdy that Ethel makes a great chili ...
The report says that since February, the Pentagon has notified about 85 inmates or their attorneys that they are eligible to leave after being cleared by military review panels. But only a handful have gone home, including a Moroccan and an Afghan who were released on Tuesday. Eighty-two remain at Guantanamo and face indefinite waits as US officials struggle to figure out when and where to deport them, and under what conditions, the report says. The WP report says the delays illustrate how much harder it will be to empty the prison at Guantanamo than it was to fill it after it opened in January 2002 to detain fighters captured in Afghanistan and terrorism suspects captured overseas.
It said that in many cases, the prisoners countries do not want them back. Yemen, for instance, has balked at accepting some of the 106 Yemeni nationals at Guantanamo by challenging the legality of their citizenship.
The report says that US laws that prevent the deportation of people to countries where they could face torture or other human rights abuses, as in the case of 17 Chinese Muslim separatists who have been cleared for release but fear they could be executed for political reasons if returned to China were a major obstacle in the deportation of the detainees. Compounding the problem are persistent refusals by the US, its European allies and other countries to grant asylum to prisoners who are stateless or have no place to go, it adds.
Since they're terrorists and furriners to boot, it would seem logical not to give them asylum, nor give them access to our civilian courts, but what do I know?
In general, most countries simply do not want to help, said John B Bellinger III, legal adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Countries believe this is not their problem. They think they didnt contribute to Guantanamo, and therefore they dont have to be part of the solution.
The holdup is a mystery to me, frankly, said Katznelson, senior counsel for Reprieve, a British legal defense fund. If the US has cleared these people and they want to go back, I dont understand why they cant just put them on a plane.
Because you need a landing clearance. You're counsel to what, again?
The 82 cleared prisoners who remain stuck in limbo come from 16 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, according to defence attorneys who have received official notification of their clients status. The 17 Chinese Muslim separatists make up the largest contingent. Other countries with multiple prisoners awaiting release include Afghanistan, Sudan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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US officials are finding it increasingly difficult to line up places to send them, according to a report in the Washington Post on Sunday.
Find the key words and root cause of the difficulty above.
#6
Kick 'em out the front gates naked & empty-handed, let the Cubans deal with them. Hey, think of it as payback for Mariel.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
04/30/2007 10:46 Comments ||
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#7
"US laws that prevent the deportation of people to countries where they could face torture..."
Seems easy enough to me; change the law. Or ask all the Demo/Kooks the yes / no question: is GITMO the place for terrorists? And when they say no, send these losers to their house. And then bust them for having undocumented personnel living there.
#9
Send them to Hugo. He seems to like thumbing his schnozz at the US, let him accept these "homeless waifs" that the US has "scurriously mistreated". Then when they boom something in Venezuela, we can all laugh.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/30/2007 17:59 Comments ||
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#10
If the US has cleared these people and they want to go back, I dont understand why they cant just put them on a plane.
"Because you need a landing clearance."
The plane doesn't necessarily need to land....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/30/2007 18:32 Comments ||
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Either Aftab Khan Sherpao or Leslie Nielsen, we're not sure which.
Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said on Sunday that the terrorist attack would not weaken his determination and he would continue his mission of serving people with renewed dedication and commitment. Talking to various delegations that called on him at the Peoples House to inquire about his health, Sherpao said, I was the prime target of the suicide bomber but with the grace of God and the prayers of people I am safe. He said the incident was not new for him as his brother Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao was also killed in a bomb blast.
The interior minister said Islam was a religion of peace and did not teach violence.
The interior minister said Islam was a religion of peace and did not teach violence. He appreciated the warm feelings of party workers and people who were coming in large numbers to inquire about his health. I get further courage and strength from the love expressed by the party workers and people following the tragic blast at Station Korona, he added. While terming the suicide blast a cowards act, Sherpao said he was deeply grieved over the loss of innocent lives and expressed sympathy with the members of the bereaved families.
Sherpao said the Charsadda attack had strengthened his determination to work for the establishment of democracy, economic equality, interfaith harmony, elimination of sectarianism, prosperity, employment creation and provision of all basic necessities to people. He added that he would continue his struggles for the accomplishment of these objectives. Earlier, Sherpao attended the funeral prayers of the victims of Charsadda bombing at Shabqadar tehsil, Umarzai, Tarangzai and Station Korona.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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The interior minister said Islam was a religion of peace.....
The former prime minister of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayyum has admitted there were and could still be terror camps in the part of Jammu and Kashmir usurped by Pakistan at the time of Partition. [His baring] all has the embarrassing effect of contradicting almost thirty years of official Pakistan state policy denying the existence of any such camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
"D'oh!"
India has been claiming for several years now that Pakistan's intelligence agency the ISI had been operating terror camps in PoK with a view to training militants to carry out a Jehad against India. In 2000, the then Home minister L K Advani had even submitted a white paper to Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf detailing the exact locations of terror camps in PoK, but even then Islamabad steadfastly refused to accept Indian claims.
"Nope. Nope. Nope."
Qayyum's revelations are exceptional because he has ruled over PoK for decades and was in the fore-front of launching what was later seen as a Jehad against India. In fact, Qayyum has also told TIMES NOW it would be wrong to call the camps in PoK terror camps when they are according to him 'freedom camps'. The use of the word is instructive because New Delhi has always claimed the eventual aim of Pakistan state sponsored terror was to negate India's claims over united J&K. Following was Qayyums quote or rather an embarrasing admission that nails Pakistan's lie.
There were never any terrorist camps, there were camps of freedom fighters -- legitimate freedom fighters and some terrorist activity was attributed to them and those camps have been demolished. There were two kinds of camps, Qayyum continues, One was Pakistan based militant activity comprising of Pakistani people and the other was of indegenious Kashmiris. One must realise and know that a number of people were operating inside Kashmir -- they are still there and there is no mechanism to deal with them.
Jehadis react strongly
Meanwhile, Pakistan based Jehadis have not taken the remarks kindly. United Jehad Council or the UJC -- the umbrella organisation of several militant outfits in J&K said, "It seems, he (Qayyum) apprehends that freedom of Kashmiris will bring an end to his family rule. Though Qayyum is terming armed resistance as an impediment in the so-called peace process, we need to remind him that he has the distinction of being the first mujahid and firing the first bullet, which enabled him to enjoy power for past 59 years. He further pointed that in the beginning Qayyum had formed an outfit Al-Jehad force and had accumulated huge amounts on the name of the outfit from Europe and Islamic countries.
India stands vindicated
Qayyum's remark has triggered quick reactions in foreign policy circles and political parties. Former diplomats and politicians claim Qayyums remark vindicates India's stand. Former Indian Envoy to Pakistan G Parthasarthy pointed that Qayyum's statement exposed Pakistan's hypocrisy. Indirectly, Pakistan has acknowledged that there were terror camps in the past. Moreover, it's clear that the infrastructure for Pakistan sponsored terrorism still exists, united Jehad council still exists, the LeT under the name of Jamaat-ul-Dawa still exists -- so, I think we should be prepared for certain level of terrorism.
Terming it as a vindication of Indias stand, Former foreign secretary Shashank said, The PoK leadership had been so far denying the existence of any training camps, but for the first time we are finding that the divide between Pakistan government and PoK leadership is becoming sharp and clear and the PoK leadership has decided to go public.
Former foreign secretary Lalith Man Singh on the other hand stressed that Qayumm's statement only confirmed what the world already knew. Pakistan has always been in a state of denial regarding this. I recall that in Washington we put it across to the Americans. We also indicated the number of camps, their locations and now that the peace process is on, there will be more and more confessions from the Pakistan.
Defence Analyst Brahma Cheelany maintained that Pakistan had perfected the art of not telling the truth
The BJP too reacted to the story by claiming that the Indian government and the NDA has raised this issue time and again and Qayyum's revelations only go to substantiate the claims. If the terrorism is continuing then peace talks have no meaning, lashed out a visibly angry V K Malhotra, a senior BJP leader.
Posted by: John Frum ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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papa smurf
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/30/2007 0:28 Comments ||
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#2
Chia Smurf.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/30/2007 1:21 Comments ||
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The Arab "man in the street" living under the Hamas-ruled Palestinian Authority government is starting to realize that voting for the terrorist organization has not brought the shining salvation it promised.
Thousands of Muslim worshippers living in PA-controlled territories are trying to flee their increasingly violent surroundings. Their religious leaders are doing what they can to force them to stay.
Sheikh Hamad Al-Bitawi, a Muslim religious leader and Hamas member, has announced that Arab Muslims are forbidden to emigrate from Israel.
Israel? Things are pretty good for Arab Israeli citizens. They can worship, work and vote. Where are they going to go? Lebanon? They're hated there. Kuwait? They're hated there. Iraq? They're hated there. Saudi-controlled Arabia? They're hated there. Oman? They're hated there. Egypt? They're hated there. Jordan? They're hated there. Hmmm, I sense a pattern.
Al-Bitawi ruled recently that Muslims must remain in order to counteract the fast growth of the Jewish population. Thousands of Jews arrive in Israel each month, Al-Bitawi said. It "makes the heart weep," he told PA residents.
Despite Muslim leaders protests, however, thousands of Arabs are abandoning their homes and flooding out of Israel every month, particularly from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
That isn't Israel. Oh, now it's clear.
PA Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Suboh told reporters at a news conference in Ramallah last November that 10,000 Arabs had received permits from foreign and Arab diplomats to enter their countries since July 2006.
There's a hundred thousand Paleos sitting on the Syrian-Iraqi border because the Iraqis don't want them anymore (gee, wonder why), and the Syrians aren't so stoopid as to take them. Ditton on the Jordanian-Iraqi border. 10,000 from the West Bank and Gaza is a drop in the bucket.
Suboh added that some 45,000 more had requested permission to emigrate since the deterioration in the economic situation and constant violence between the Fatah and Hamas terrorist groups.
Firefights between factions have continued to pour blood into the streets, particularly in Gaza. And the frequent so-called "ceasefires" between Hamas and Fatah and the recent cobbling together of a "unity government" have done little to stem the violence.
So now the West is recognizing the idiocy of the Trucefire. If they can't stop shooting at each other why would anyone expect them to quit shooting at the Zionists? And if they can't, why should the Israelis be compelled to hold their fire?
On Sunday, a 55-year-old man was killed in Gaza City by members of a rival clan. Two Arab residents of Gaza were moderately wounded in a shooting attack near Khan Younis. Several gang members were also arrested in Gaza City after attempting to kidnap a child outside of a local school; the members confessed that they planned to hold the child for ransom.
Sheikh Hamad Al-Bitawi, a Muslim religious leader and Hamas member, has announced that Arab Muslims are forbidden to emigrate from Israel.
How refreshing appalling to see even the clerics begin to turn upon their own flock. This is what happens when sheepdogs acquire a taste for mutton. Hamas governance is the best thing that ever happened to the Palestinians. Little else could have finally connected the dots for these morons other than extending their terrorist philosophy to its logical conclusion. That would be, the terrorists terrorizing the terrorists. Priceless!
#4
Usually in a democracy if the voters make a mistake they wait until the next election and "vote the rascals out". We'll have to wait and see if Hamas will ever allow another election. In the meantime the people are voting with their feet.
#5
DV: Thanks for reminding me of that tsunami of waste. It actually brought a smile to my face remembering that.
Posted by: Charles ||
04/30/2007 17:02 Comments ||
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#6
Sheikh Hamad Al-Bitawi, a Muslim religious leader and Hamas member, has announced that Arab Muslims are forbidden to emigrate from Israel.
Their own religious leaders believe the same thing that Ahmadinejad and the Saudi princes do - the Palestinians are pawns to be sacrificed for propaganda advantage and the cynical jihadist goal of demographically destroying the "Zionist entity".
#7
Sheikh Hamad Al-Bitawi, a Muslim religious leader and Hamas member, has announced that Arab Muslims are forbidden to emigrate from Israel
Despite Muslim leaders protests, however, thousands of Arabs are abandoning their homes and flooding out of Israel every month, particularly from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
notice that Sheikh Dickwad has admitted that the West Bank and Gaza are part of Israel? Oooooooo the Paleo gunnies are gonna be SO mad!
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/30/2007 18:46 Comments ||
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#8
Unfortunately, the West lets them immigrate.
Posted by: ed ||
04/30/2007 19:31 Comments ||
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On Sunday, 29 April 2007, a man was killed and his brother was wounded in an armed interfamily dispute in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 14:00 on Sunday, 30 April 2007, a dispute among members of the Abu Jabal family in al-Mansoura Street in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City escalated to the use of firearms. As a result, Fares Ibrahim Abu Jabal, 50, was killed by a gunshot to the chest, and his brother Khaled, 45, was wounded by a gunshot to the right leg. Probably arguing over who was the better shot. Winner: Khaled.
At approximately 03:30 on Sunday, 9 April 2007, 4 masked gunmen beat and fired at Majed Ali Tanneera, 43, near his house in Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip. He was wounded by a gunshot to the left thigh. The Four Masked Gunmen of the Gaza Apocalypse. Foot Wounder, Mysterious Object Mishandler, Wedding Shooter, and Mishandler of Weapons...
At approximately 23:15 on Friday, 27 April 2007, Mohammed Khalil Hamdan, 25, and Zaher Mousa Hamdan, from Beit Hanoun, were wounded by shrapnel throughout the body, when a hand grenade, which the former mishandled, exploded. The two were evacuated to the hospital, but medical efforts to save Mohammeds life failed. So it's.."Throw pin, pull grenade?" That doesn't sound right, Zaher. But if that's what it says...
Earlier on the same day, at approximately 19:00, Mahmoud Tayseer Saleem, 18, from al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, was admitted into Shifa Hospital as he was wounded by shrapnel throughout the body. He was wounded in al-Nasser neighborhood in Gaza City, when a mysterious object he mishandled exploded. Ah, Ye Olde Mysterious Object. A lotta them in Gaza...
At approximately 14:30 on the same day, 7-year-old Ahmed Ziad al-Haitham was wounded by a gunshot to the head coming from an unknown source, when he was near his home in al-Nasser neighborhood in the north of Gaza City. Sounds like Gaza Wedding Karaoke to me...
At approximately 22:20 on Thursday, Emad Fayez al-Daoudi, 33, a police officer, was admitted into Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as he was wounded by a gunshot to the face. According to police sources, he was wounded when a bullet was unintentionally unleashed from his colleagues gun, when the were on duty guarding the house of the Minister of Interior in al-Jalaa Street in the center of Gaza City. Okay, ready? One...two...three...draw!
At approximately 20:00 also on Thursday, Ahmed Ussama al-Li, 20, was admitted into Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as he was wounded by shrapnel to the face and the hands, when a mysterious object he mishandled near his house in al-Sabra neighborhood in the center of Gaza City exploded. Advice to Gaza residents. Leave Ye Olde Mysterious Objects alone! This message brought to you by Mutual of Gaza and Bulletproof Shoes R' Us...
At approximately 15:30 on the same day, Yousef Mohammed Aashour, 18, was wounded by shrapnel throughout the body, when a mysterious object he mishandled exploded in al-Tauffah neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Once again, Leave Ye Olde Mysterious Objects alone! Trust me on this...
At approximately 15:00 on the same day, Ahmed Mohammed Hijju, 18, and his brother Abdul Wahab, 28, from Deir al-Balah, were admitted into al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah town, as each of them was wounded by a gunshot to the left foot. According to police sources, the two brothers were shot by their father, and investigations are still ongoing. Wow. I wonder if pops is considered, "tough, but fair"?
But thanks, pops. People think I'm making this stuff up if nobody in Gaza gets shot in the feet.
#1
I've wondere lately about how one mishandles a mysterious object and it blows up. Maybe it's supposed to blow up when it's handled. If it's mysterious, how do they know it's being mishandeled?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
04/30/2007 14:16 Comments ||
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#2
Deacon, I think PCHR calls it a "mysterious object" because they don't want to admit Paleos are obsessed with making bombs.
;-)
#4
OK, muslim reporters, a few words about the English language:
1) Bullets are not released or unleashed. They are fired. It signifies that the bullet has no free will of its own, and is controlled entirely by the will (or more likely in your case ignorance) of the person mishandling the gun.
2) How does one mishandle a "mysterious object"? The logic goes that if you don't know what it is, there is no prescribed way to handle it. If you insist on using the word mishandling, perhaps you should just go ahead and use the words "bomb he was working on" instead of "mysterious object". Don't think we don't know what's going on. It doesn't work with us because we aren't as stupidrabid illogical.
#5
gorb, along those lines, I've always been bothered by the term "stray bullet". A Bullet rarely strays, it usually follows the specific trajectory in which it was fired. If you didn't want the bullet to go in that direction, you oughn't have fired it there.
Special Consultative Status: ECOSOC
Affliate, Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droita de fHomme
Affliate, International Commission of Jurists
Member, Euro-Mediterranian Human Rights Network
Does that impress ya or what????!!!!
ECOSOC is the UN Economic and Social Council.
Euro-Mediterranian Human Rights Network is a group of NGOs and GOs and so forth that advocate human rights in the area. They have websites. I am not going to link them. Just more bloated bureaucracies, like the UN. I need fresh air.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/30/2007 19:06 Comments ||
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Advisors of Defense Minister Amir Peretz said for the first time on Sunday evening that he should step down, Channel 2 reported. Peretz insisted that he did not plan to implement their advice and leave his post. Peretz, along with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Dan Halutz, are set to receive harsh criticism in Monday's release of the Winograd Committee's interim report on the Second Lebanon War.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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FWIW, I recommended the same thing last summer and he did not listen to me either. His background makes him like the 5 millionth most qualified Israeli to have the defense portfolio.
#2
for all practical purposes he as a social activist union player to the left of communist... (IMHO after looking at his bio)
Its worse than Kerry as Sec Defense.
Hamas said on Sunday that its military wing plans to kidnap IDF soldiers if Israel decides to conduct a large-scale ground-invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Spokesperson of the Popular Resistance Committees, identified as 'Abu Abir,' made the belligerent statements in response to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. -Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi's suggestion earlier Sunday to begin a large-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip. Ashkenazi, speaking at Sunday's cabinet meeting, said that sending in ground forces was the only means to stop the firing of Kassam rockets into Israel.
In an interview with A Shams radio station, the spokesman said "we are waiting to meet the enemy in Gaza so that we can kidnap more soldiers. If the enemy comes into Gaza, he should be afraid, his Merkava tanks will turn to rubble."
Meanwhile, a top Egyptian security official launched a scathing attack on Palestinian armed groups on Sunday for continuing to fire rockets at Israel and warned that the Palestinians will pay a heavy price if the IDF invades the Gaza Strip.
The statements by Gen. Burhan Hammad of the Egyptian General Intelligence Force drew sharp criticism from some of the armed groups in Gaza.
Elsewhere, Syria-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal also announced that his movement was planning to kidnap more Israeli soldiers, with the intention of trading them for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Addressing supporters in a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus, he said: "Hamas is determined to release all the Palestinian prisoners, whether by capturing more Israeli soldiers or through other means.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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WAFF.com > "HAMAS-IRAQ" group established inside Iraq.
#4
Meanwhile, a top Egyptian security official launched a scathing attack on Palestinian armed groups on Sunday for continuing to fire rockets at Israel and warned that the Palestinians will pay a heavy price if the IDF invades the Gaza Strip.
Sounds like the Egyptians want a cut of the popcorn concession...
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has no intention of resigning over the expected harsh criticism of his leadership during last year's inconclusive war in Lebanon, an aide told AFP on Sunday. "The prime minister has no intention of resigning, he will remain at the head of the government," the aide said on condition of anonymity a day before publication of an initial report on the war's failures by a government inquiry, headed by retired judge Eliahu Winograd. That's what Halutz said just before he departed the scene.
Government spokeswoman Miri Eisin told AFP that Olmert, who is expected to be harshly criticized over his handling of the 34-day war, "will not react to partial leaks in the media."
"We will wait patiently for the report to be published on Monday afternoon before reacting," Eisin said. Olmert made no mention of the report in his opening statement at the weekly Cabinet meeting. Defense Minister Amir Peretz also had no comment on the report, which is expected to criticize his leadership as well.
Although the five-member Winograd commission, appointed by Olmert last year to stave off calls for a full-scale judicial inquiry into the government's performance during the summer 2006 war, has no authority to order resignations, a harsh report could be the final blow to Olmert's grasp on power.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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a harsh report could be the final blow to Olmert's grasp on power
With his 2% approval rating, everyone is praying that this is the case!
#4
No, I didn't do it. I'm conservative so I don't know how to run photoshop. Liberals would never villify Ahmanutjob like that. So I guess it's probably just a real picture. Perhaps the pictures where he is standig erect are all photoshop jobs . . . .
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Sunday that Israel would be forced to act if Palestinian militants continue to fire rockets, as Egypt suspended negotiations on a prisoner swap in an attempt to salvage a truce between the two sides. Violence at the Israel-Gaza frontier has increased in recent days since militants of the ruling Hamas faction declared a five-month cease-fire to be over last week after Israel killed nine Palestinians in clashes in the occupied West Bank. On Sunday, soldiers killed three Hamas members in a clash near the Gaza Strip border fence and Palestinians fired one rocket at Israel.
After consulting with top security officials during the week, Olmert said he decided against a large offensive in Gaza, giving one last chance to preserve the truce.
"We are not interested in an escalation but will by no means refrain from taking the necessary steps to stop those who try to harm Israeli residents," Olmert told reporters before a Cabinet meeting Sunday.
Major-General Burhan Hammad, an Egyptian officer shuttling between Gaza and Israel in a bid to stop the violence, said the rocket fire and Israel's shootings have "led to a retreat" in efforts to finalize an anticipated prisoner swap.
"The issue of the cease-fire made us focus on that instead ... and so we halted discussions (on a prisoner swap) because it is not possible to do both at once," Hammad said.
Hammad said the Egyptian security delegation would not restart negotiations on a swap until all Palestinian factions abided by the truce. "We haven't set up another meeting yet, because there's still not a cease-fire," he said. "Let's stop rockets first." Hammad told reporters he was "exerting intensive efforts to prevent Israel from carrying out a violent reaction that would severely harm Gaza Strip."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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YNETNEWS > IDF Officers claim Israel created Hizbullah + 2006 Lebanon War BY ITS MANY YEARS OF INACTION. HAARETZ > OLMERT DENIES IRAN ATTACK COMMENTS. Denies alleged comments inferring that 10-day, 1000-missle strike on high-value selected targets will push back Iran's nuke ambitions-schemes.
#2
Actually, now that Udi needs to improve his approval ratings, we may --- finally --- see something. And since he remembers Lebanon, he may let military professionals (which Halutz the fly boy wasn't, IMHO. But Gabi Ashkenazi is) to plan it.
BRUSSELS - The United States is succeeding in its drive to choke off export credits to Iran from European governments or investments by European companies, the senior US official behind the policy says. On export credits, the trend line in Europe has been very much in the direction of reducing credit exposure to Iran and reducing it largely because of the illicit conduct in which Iran is engaging, Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt said.
He told Reuters in an interview at a Brussels Forum on transatlantic cooperation that European Union leaders and firms were becoming more aware of country risk associated with Iran because of its nuclear and missile programmes and behaviour. If you take look at the statistics, how many fewer export credit applications are being approved in Italy, in Germany, in France, elsewhere in the EU, I think its pretty clear what the direction is for Europe, Kimmitt said.
European officials say Kimmitt has spearheaded a crackdown on credit and access to the international financial system for Iran that goes far beyond the relatively modest sanctions adopted by the U.N. Security Council so far. The Americans are applying strong pressure to dry up European trade credits and investment despite the fact that neither the United Nations nor the European Union has adopted such sanctions, an EU official said. Whatever you think of it, the numbers show its working, he said.
Excellent! Promote that man!
Kimmitt gave no figures and the EU does not keep a central register of export credit guarantees by member states, but the EU official said state-backed lending to Iran from Germany, for example, was running at less than half last years level.
Since the United States own trade with Iran is negligible after a 27-year embargo that followed the 1979 hostage-taking at the occupied US embassy, US officials say European economic relations with Teheran are a key lever. Kimmitt said the Europeans need to go further, and he cast a broad suspicion on most credit-backed trade with Iran. Europe needs to look very carefully at any credit application to make sure that Iranian counterparties are not in any way involved in proliferation activities, he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/30/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Good job, Treasury boys. This sort of thing is effective. They've been the unsung heroes ever since this whole thing started.
#3
Not necessarily the "absence of tangible gains". More of asymmetrical warfare. Hit them on all fronts. Political, economical, spiritual and militarily.
I do see Iran becoming more and more isolated, thanks to political and economic pressure. The question is, will it work quickly enough to break the current government before they make nukes and push the button?
#5
I figure it's like a chess game. They are trading position for pieces. The piece they want is the nuclear bomb, at which point they are thinking they will control the world, and they can regain the position they gave up earlier.
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.
CAIRO - The Arab League said on Sunday is was astonished and offended by a U.S. House of Representatives resolution calling on the league to recognise the conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan as genocide.
Saudi Arabias King Abdullah turned down a request to meet with Iraqs Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Baghdads foreign minister said on Sunday, denying that the refusal was an outright snub.
Sarajevo, 27 April (AKI) - Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf arrived in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on Friday for an official visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The two countries signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement, the Bosnian ministry of foreign trade and economics said in a statement. Musharraf met with chairman of the rotating Bosnian presidency, Nebojsa Radmanovic, and prime minister Nikola Spiric. Muslim majority Bosnia and Pakistan enjoy 'fraternal' ties.
More than a fifth of the approximately 385 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been cleared for release but may have to wait months or years for their freedom because US officials are finding it increasingly difficult to line up places to send them, according to a report in the Washington Post on Sunday. 
Jehadis react strongly
The Arab "man in the street" living under the Hamas-ruled Palestinian Authority government is starting to realize that voting for the terrorist organization has not brought the shining salvation it promised.
On Sunday, a 55-year-old man was killed in Gaza City by members of a rival clan. Two Arab residents of Gaza were moderately wounded in a shooting attack near Khan Younis. Several gang members were also arrested in Gaza City after attempting to kidnap a child outside of a local school; the members confessed that they planned to hold the child for ransom.
On Sunday, 29 April 2007, a man was killed and his brother was wounded in an armed interfamily dispute in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 14:00 on Sunday, 30 April 2007, a dispute among members of the Abu Jabal family in al-Mansoura Street in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City escalated to the use of firearms. As a result, Fares Ibrahim Abu Jabal, 50, was killed by a gunshot to the chest, and his brother Khaled, 45, was wounded by a gunshot to the right leg.
Advisors of Defense Minister Amir Peretz said for the first time on Sunday evening that he should step down, Channel 2 reported. Peretz insisted that he did not plan to implement their advice and leave his post. Peretz, along with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Dan Halutz, are set to receive harsh criticism in Monday's release of the Winograd Committee's interim report on the Second Lebanon War.
Hamas said on Sunday that its military wing plans to kidnap IDF soldiers if Israel decides to conduct a large-scale ground-invasion of the Gaza Strip. 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has no intention of resigning over the expected harsh criticism of his leadership during last year's inconclusive war in Lebanon, an aide told AFP on Sunday. "The prime minister has no intention of resigning, he will remain at the head of the government," the aide said on condition of anonymity a day before publication of an initial report on the war's failures by a government inquiry, headed by retired judge Eliahu Winograd.
BRUSSELS - The United States is succeeding in its drive to choke off export credits to Iran from European governments or investments by European companies, the senior US official behind the policy says. On export credits, the trend line in Europe has been very much in the direction of reducing credit exposure to Iran and reducing it largely because of the illicit conduct in which Iran is engaging, Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt said.
