(SomaliNet) Ex-Ghana leader and the African Union (AU) Chief John Agyekum Kufuor has rebuffed reports that AU is sending more peacekeepers to Somalia. "I never said immediately, I said the AU wants to send 8,000 peacekeepers as soon as possible but we are having trouble finding the troops," Kufuor was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency in Pretoria, capital of South Africa Tuesday.
He was reacting to leakages on Monday that the 53-nation bloc is sending an extra 8,000 peacekeepers to Somalia, a statement attributed to Kufuor. But on Tuesday he said he was referring to the original deployment of AU troops, not any new ones.
The AU is struggling to find African countries willing to contribute troops to the peacekeeping force. Thus far Uganda has sent 1,400 troops as part of an AU peacekeeping mission to replace Ethiopian troops who entered Somalia last year to help the interim government drive out insurgents. Ongoing fighting between Somali insurgents and Ethiopian troops has left more than a thousand dead.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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Egypt's Parliament on Wednesday stripped two Muslim Brotherhood lawmakers of their immunity as parliament members, clearing the way for their arrests, a spokesman for the group said. The two, Sabri Amer and Ragab Abu Zeid, were briefly detained last month as part of an ongoing crackdown against the country's most powerful opposition group. They were not questioned by prosecutors while in detention and were released the following day. Twelve other members of the Islamic group were arrested with the two in the northern Nile Delta province of Menoufiya. They were ordered detained for 15 days, pending further investigation, accused of spreading Brotherhood propaganda.
Under Egyptian law, lawmakers often enjoy immunity from prosecution unless the Parliament gives the clearance for a legal investigate.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
And this little turn of events took exactly how many decades of violence?
Kuwait's government on Wednesday briefed legislators on contingency plans to face a possible outbreak of Iran-U.S. hostilities over Tehran's nuclear program, officials said.
A government emergency team briefed parliament's foreign relations committee on the possibility of Kuwait being attacked or targeted by terrorists if Washington strikes Iran, committee chairman Mohammed al-Sager told reporters. The meeting was held at the request of parliament and attended by several ministers including Defense and Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah, who heads the emergency team. "We have briefed MPs about all the preparations we have taken for any future emergency or catastrophe," Sheikh Jaber said in a statement.
Sager said the discussion also tackled issues like a possible influx of refugees into Kuwait and nuclear fall-out from neighboring Iran. Asked if there were indications of a military confrontation that prompted the meeting, Sager said: "There are three (US) aircraft carriers in Gulf waters. They are here either to strike, or to deter Iran."
Sensible fellow. Three carriers should get anyone's attention.
Both Sager and parliament speaker Jassem al-Khorafi however said the preparations were precautionary in nature and played down the possibility of war, expressing hope the U.S.-Iran standoff will be resolved through diplomacy. "I don't think there is a danger of a war being waged on Iran ... I believe Iran is very keen on preserving stability in the region and is ready to exert every effort for this," Khorafi told reporters.
Sager who recently visited Iran said he was optimistic that no war will break out. "The Iranians are confident that nothing will happen," he said.
Two weeks ago, the cabinet formed the team, which includes representatives of the defense, interior, oil and health ministries as well as the fire and civil defense departments.
Sager said MPs were pleased with the government's preparations which are "much better than during the Iraqi invasion of 1990," when Iraqi troops rolled over the emirate within a few hours. "I can say the government has understood the lesson from the Iraqi invasion," he said.
Washington has said it would prefer to address its concerns about Tehran's nuclear program diplomatically but refuses to rule out the option of military action. It has beefed up its military presence in the Gulf and has a second aircraft carrier stationed in the strategic waterway for the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Kuwait served as the launch-pad for that invasion and remains the main staging point for U.S.-led troops in Iraq. Around 15,000 U.S. troops are stationed at several bases in the emirate.
#2
'moose: as part of the thunover, it is typical that the departing CV do exactly that. How much depends on what follow-on missions are scheduled. People, parts, planes and ordnance. You can anticipate that there was much ordnance moved.
#3
THEY SHOPULD BE USED TOO TERRORISTS SINCE THEY ARE RELATED TOO MOST AND IF THEY SURVIVED SADDAM TAKING OVER THEN THEY SHOULD FARE WELL DURING THE NEXT CONFLICT
Abu Nasir Al-Qahtani, most famous for being one of Al-Qaeda suspects who escaped from the US-run Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, was at one point just a normal child, who grew up in the southern region of the Kingdom. Abu Nasirs story is a sad one. He was a decent, young man who suddenly turned into a troublemaker. He was born and raised in Wadi Jash, and lived the life of a simple, bedouin man. He later joined the military, which was a turning point in his life. He was later imprisoned for six years and was even given 3,000 lashes. While in prison, Al-Qahtani became an ascetic, and rigid in both the interpretation and practice of the Islamic faith. His father, Jafaar Qahtani, tried to change his views and encouraged him to go back to his job. All attempts to change his sons mind failed, and Abu Nasir then joined the private sector and accompanied his father.
In 2001, while in Jeddah, Abu Nasirs father gave him a car, and money to go to Riyadh to be with his mother and sisters. Twenty days after the 9/11 attacks, Al-Qahtani sold his car and went to Afghanistan with the money. While in Afghanistan, he joined the anti-American militias. Soon, the American military arrested him and he was imprisoned at Bagram. He spent two years there. While in prison, he was able to send letters to his family through the International Red Cross. Though his family received his letters, it was evident that the content of the letters had been tampered with. In his letters, Al-Qahtani asked his parents to forgive him. However, Al-Qahtani was able to escape from prison along with three other prisoners.
His family denied that they knew anything about his escape, and said that they knew about his escape through TV. Four months later, Al-Qahtani contacted his family, and told them that he was looking for a way to surrender himself to the Saudi authorities and return to the Kingdom. Following these events, Al-Qahtanis father received a call telling him that the American authorities had arrested his son. The most recent news came about a month ago, when his father received a call from the Red Cross telling him that his son was in good health.
However, last Sunday was a turning point in the life of the Al-Qahtani family. It was both shocking and surprising news to learn that their son was back in the Kingdom. Jafaar asked for help from the Saudi authorities to ensure that the judgment is according to Islamic law, since his son has been convicted. Jafaar was able to meet his son at Muhail prison in Riyadh. It was an emotional reunion for the two. Al-Qahtanis father expressed his gratitude to all those who helped his son and made it possible for him to return to the Kingdom. The list of those who made it possible stretches all the way from local authorities, to the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad.
The father also said that people who encouraged his sons behavior were misguided individuals. We will all stand against those who want to harm this country, its leader, its people, or its property, said Jafaar.
Abu Nasirs mother was extremely happy. With eyes full of tears, and a smile on her face, she described her son as being back to life again. Al-Qahtanis son, Nasir, was happy to finally see his father. The last time he saw his son, now seven, was when Nasir was only three months old. Jafaar was told last Monday that his son was back in the Kingdom. I remained in a state of shock for more than 15 minutes. I then promised to tell his mother. She fainted, said Jaafar, adding that he then arranged to meet his son.
When I entered, he fell on the floor crying and kissing my feet, because he did not expect that I was coming. I felt surprised, and happy. There he was, in front of me, Jafaar said. He then added, We then talked for more than two hours, and he talked to me about the punishment and torture he received in the American prisons, especially the psychological torture, said Jafaar.
Jaafar also said that his son told him that while in Pakistan, the authorities asked him to change his clothes. Al-Qahtani thought that he would be transferred to the US. However, he said that he felt extremely happy when he saw the Saudi plane landing in Pakistan to take him back to his country. Jaafar also added that he, along with 23 of their relatives, met their son. His mother and siblings cried for more than half an hour. We got the chance to stay with him for three hours. His son refused to leave and only agreed after we promised to come back, said the father.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"a simple, bedouin man"
Yep, that's the problem entirely. Arab + Bedouin + Muslim fanatic = Giant pouch of shit, useless to the entire world.
#2
We will all stand against those who want to harm this country, its leader, its people, or its property, said Jafaar while the microphone was turned on.
#3
There was an article about a month ago saying that Saudi government is offering rehabilitation to arrested jihadists. Looks like they doon't care if their citizens commited terrorists acts in other countries.
#4
In the old days, wealthy American and English families sent their sons to sow their wild oats in Europe. It sounds like the Saudis think of a bit of beyond-the-borders terrorism as much the same.
#5
He later joined the military, which was a turning point in his life. He was later imprisoned for six years and was even given 3,000 lashes. While in prison, Al-Qahtani became an ascetic, and rigid in both the interpretation and practice of the Islamic fait
sounds like he got Olde Tyme Religion earlier on than they admit
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/10/2007 8:25 Comments ||
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#6
Noticed that? The "ashamed" father has asked he is judged according to Islamic law. In othr words he will be at best given a slap on the wrist (after all he killed mere untermschen infidels ) while behind the scen,es he will be congratulated and even rewarded.
(AKI) - A Saudi Arabian newspaper has published fresh revelations on an anti-terror sweep by the authorities late last month, claiming that at least one of the 172 suspects arrested received flying lessons abroad, most probably in the United States. The al-Watan daily also reported that many of the suspected militants netted on 27 April trained in guerrilla warfare in camps located in Yemen. Two of the those arrested, the newspaper said, including the suspect who allegedly underwent flying lessons in the US, worked for a private airline in Saudi Arabia that operates a fleet of small aircraft for domestic flights.
The objective of the suspects who, according to Saudi authorities, belonged to a terrorist cell was to lauch an attack on one of the kingdom's largest oil facilities using one or more aircraft.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is encouraging his Latin American allies to expand ties with Iran, which is offering trade concessions and financial incentives and winning influence in the region.
During two recent visits to Venezuela, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed more than $17 billion worth of economic agreements with Mr. Chavez.
The Iranian economy is beginning to collapse, and Venezuela isn't far behind. And they have economic agreements with each other. Priceless.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega last month received Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki while Bolivian President Evo Morales announced a new trade deal with Iran.
"The struggle for justice and truth in the framework of economic development is the principle objective of the government in Nicaragua and of our friends in Iran," said Mr. Ortega when Mr. Mottaki arrived after stopping in Venezuela for talks with Mr. Chavez.
Mr. Ortega called Iran a "victim" of the U.S., which he accused of "supporting terrorism."
Sounds like he still has a lot of Sandinista in him.
Speaking in the rural Bolivian community of San Julian on the same day, Mr. Morales told peasant supporters to grow soybeans to export to Iran. "In the last meeting I had with the ambassador of Iran, he told me that his country will buy all the production that we generate," Mr. Morales said in announcing the imminent arrival of an Iranian trade delegation.
Bolivian officials say that they need new markets for agricultural products, which may lose U.S. tariff preferences over Mr. Morales' refusal to sign a free-trade agreement with Washington and eradicate coca plantations that supply international cocaine traffickers. Officials also credit Iran with offering much needed aid and investment.
The Iranian people would like to see some of that aid and investment themselves.
But some analysts warn of broader consequences from economic ties between the region and Iran. "Exporting soya to the people of Iran should be purely commercial. But as the proposal derives from a mutual cooperation agreement between the governments of Iran and Venezuela, it does have political connotations," said a leading Bolivian international analyst, Ximena Costas.
With Mr. Morales sitting next to him on his Sunday TV talk show, "Alo Presidente," Mr. Chavez called on Iran to "analyze ways" of incorporating Bolivia and other members of his Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) into existing economic agreements with Venezuela. ALBA is a communist socialist common-market initiative originally formed between Venezuela and Cuba, which has recently incorporated Bolivia and Nicaragua.
Mr. Chavez, Mr. Morales, Mr. Ortega and Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage met in Caracas last week to coordinate trade policies.
Mr. Chavez has been vocal in his support of Iran's nuclear ambitions and has openly asked for aid to help build a Venezuelan nuclear reactor.
'cause when you think nuclear reactors, you think Iran.
There have been Venezuelan press reports about the presence of Iranian scientists at uranium mines located in the lower Orinoco River basin. Some analysts speculate that current talks between Iran and Bolivia may also involve mining concessions for uranium reserves in Bolivia's eastern lowlands where Venezuela is stationing troops, according to local authorities.
Venezuelan troops in Bolivia? Just happen to be guarding a uranium mine?
Not all Latin governments are happy about growing ties between Latin America and Iran. Argentine President Nestor Kirchner stayed away from the inauguration of Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa because Mr. Ahmadinejad was invited. Argentina has recently issued indictments against Iranian diplomatic officials reportedly linked to the 1996 truck bombing against a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 100 persons.
Kosovo has been shocked by the arrest of four Islamic radicals of Albanian origin who were allegedly plotting to attack the US military base at Fort Dix, close to New Jersey. You're welcome.
News of the arrests has caused something of a furore in Kosovo, with politicians and institutions strongly condemning the alleged plotters and offering to help the US government with their enquiries.
"We are disgusted by the fact that any Albanian anywhere in the world could be involved in such acts against a nation which has been so generous to us."
In a letter that Agim Ceku, Kosovo's prime minister sent to Tina Kaidanow, head of the US Office in Pristina, on Wednesday, he condemned the incident and reaffirmed Kosovo's full support and eagerness to help in the on-going investigation. "We are disgusted by the fact that any Albanian anywhere in the world could be involved in such acts against a nation which has been so generous to us," said Ceku. Albanian's an Indo-European language. It has a word for 'gratitude.'
Kosovan political parties said the alleged plot damaged the image of Albanians. Hashim Thaci, head of Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, the main opposition party in Kosovo, said in a statement released yesterday that "Kosovo and Albanians in general have always and continue to take an active part in the war against global terrorism". Which is a true statement. There are Albanian troops in Iraq, or were the last time I looked.
More than 100 civil society organisations and media condemned the Albanians implicated in the planned attack, saying they were in no way representative of the Albanian people. Civil society activists will on Wednesday organise a petition against terrorist acts and in support of the American people and government.
Relatives in the ethnic Albanian-populated town of 15,000 said they had not seen the brothers in more than two decades, but expressed disbelief Wednesday that the three would attack the United States.
"We all have been supporters of America. We were always thankful to America for its support during the wars in Kosovo and Macedonia," said a cousin, Elez Duka, 29.
"These are simple, ordinary people and they've got nothing to do with terrorism. I expect their release and I expect an apology," he said, waving his hands. "I see injustice. These are ridiculous charges."
Moderate Republicans gave President Bush a blunt warning on his Iraq policy at a private White House meeting this week, telling the president that conditions needed to improve markedly by fall or more Republicans would desert him on the war.
The White House session demonstrated the grave unease many Republicans are feeling about the war, even as they continue to stand with the president against Democratic efforts to force a withdrawal of forces through a spending measure that has been a flash point for weeks.
Participants in the Tuesday meeting between Mr. Bush, senior administration officials and 11 members of a moderate bloc of House Republicans said the lawmakers were unusually candid with the president, telling him that public support for the war was crumbling in their swing districts.
One told Mr. Bush that voters back home favored a withdrawal even if it meant the war was judged a loss. Representative Tom Davis told Mr. Bush that the presidents approval rating was at 5 percent in one section of his northern Virginia district.
Several of the Republican moderates who visited the White House have already come under political attack at home for their support of Mr. Bush and survived serious Democratic challenges in November.
Representative Charles W. Dent of Pennsylvania, a co-chairman of the Tuesday Group, an alliance of about 30 moderate Republican lawmakers, helped arrange the meeting. He said lawmakers wanted to convey the frustration and impatience with the war they are hearing from voters. We had a very frank conversation about the situation in Iraq, he said. Even so, the Republicans who attended the White House session indicated that they would maintain solidarity with Mr. Bush for now by opposing the latest Democratic proposal for two-stage financing of war, which is scheduled for a vote on Thursday in the House.
...Theres a sense here certainly by the Democrats and growing among Republicans that there has to be some progress, significant progress to sustain it beyond September, said Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican. Lawmakers said there was strong emphasis that they would be formulating their future position on the war on the basis of what Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander in Iraq, says in a report this summer.
I think people want to hear what the general says, said Representative Gerlach, of Pennsylvania. We will all go from there.
This is what happens when you have a Democratic Party which views public opinion as something to be molded, managed, manipulated, and exploited-- and is damned good at doing it-- and Republicans who only know how to follow polls. Not one leader among them.
Frankly, it's starting to look to me like America is going to cede this round of the war, and bug out even before the end of Bush's term. I hope not-- but that's what it's beginning to look like.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
05/10/2007 08:25 ||
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#1
GOP moderates, be advised you are targets. Every minute we search and plan to run conservatives against you in primaries. You are not the enemy, you are the maggots in the rice.
#2
The only Republicans I will listen to who want to pull out of Iraq are Jacksonians who will clearly state they want to leave radioactive glass behind. Retreat is defeat unless it is couple with the new policy that rubble does not make trouble.
#5
Frankly, it's starting to look to me like America is going to cede this round of the war, and bug out even before the end of Bush's term. I hope not-- but that's what it's beginning to look like.
Sadly, I agree. I'm utterly fed up with these RINOs: craven, spineless, opportunistic weasels. They're starting to turn me against the Reps almost as much as I'm against the Dems. Why can't they take a page from Joe Lieberman's book? He's been absolutely steadfast in his support for the objectives of this war - in one of the bluest states and in the face of withering criticism and a serious electoral challenge he won a resounding victory.
#6
"Why can't they take a page from Joe Lieberman's book?"
Because to do so they'd have to be the same calibre of individual.
Posted by: RJB in JC MO ||
05/10/2007 13:59 Comments ||
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#7
Exactly, Dave D. - not a leader among them. It would help to be 200 years old, so as to have first-hand perspective on how good/bad, new/familiar much of this. From my considerably younger age, I can only say that I've never been as disgusted and furious in my life at the cowardice, cluelessness, and narcissism of the chattering, political, and opinion-molding classes (all qualities on display by members of all communities, and substantial portions of all persuasions and tribes).
I'm in regular contact with some of my old colleagues back in Baghdad. A few are starting to share my new and disturbing feeling that anyone volunteering to serve is a sucker.
With "leadership" this reckless and cowardly, it's simply impossible to see why one should go in harm's way (or do any more than warm a seat and maximize one's retirement benefits, as seems to be the prime motivation for so many current govt. employees) when no one else is serious.
#9
As said times before, Dubya is entrenching - any decision to pullout or withdraw will be for his GOP-DEM POTUS successor after January 2009, not him. NPE-MSM POLITIX > LA-LA LAND "SUCCESS" AND "PROSPERITY" IS FOR THE DEMOLEFT, REAL-WORLD PROBS + SOLUTIONS IS FOR THE GOP-RIGHT. The Dems want the WH in 2008, even iff it means taking 1990's BillClinton-style credit for any GOP success in the ME + economic expansion, etc. Dubya is all but daring Moud to "blink" and to do something to cause the USA to attack Iran. So-called "GAINS" is notsomuch measured by Iraq but the weakness, accomodation and response of Radical Iran and other International State sponsors of Terror vv Global Democracy-Libertarianism-Capitalism. IN ANY CASE, WOT > ANTI-US/ANTI-AMER WAR TO THE DEATH, even iff at times it doesn't look like it or Pols-MSM won't admit it. The Dems are sadly mistaken iff they think its "POLITIX AS USUAL" - despite the heavy damage/losses inflicted by Dubya, Radical Islam has not YET shown any sign of giving up its Globalist or Empiric ambitions. ANY NEWFOUND NATIONAL ISOLATIONISM, ESPEC AFTER 2009?, SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A SIGN AMER WILL BE SAFE FROM NEW ATTACKS. As long as Dubya continues to ENTRENCH wid out stop, every day Radical Iran will find it harder and harder to remove the US influence from the ME = Muslim World, by diplomacy or by force. It will be worse for Iran and other International sponsors of Terror-Radicalism iff Dubya's GOP-DEM successor as POTUS after January 2009 continues to entrench. Whether Iran = Radical Islam attacks the USA wid new Terror before 2008 or after 2009 will depend on their beliefs on what the 200m elex holds for their agendas - RIGHT NOW, ALL THINGS EQUAL, MOUD-MULLAHS MUST BE WORRIED THAT A DEM = ISOLATIONIST OR "GLOBALIST" POTUS IN 2009 WON'T DO ANYTHING FOR THEM.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush would veto any bill drafted by House Democratic leaders that would fund the Iraq war only into the summer months, his spokesman said Wednesday. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a Senate committee that such short-term funding would be very disruptive and ``have a huge impact'' on contracts to repair and replace equipment. The Defense Department, he said, just doesn't ``have the agility to manage a two month appropriation.''
Gates also told the Senate Defense Appropriations panel that if the military begins to see progress in Iraq later this fall, including political reconciliation within the Iraqi government, the U.S. could begin withdrawing troops. The Pentagon, he said, is ``looking for the direction of events - we don't have to have it all locked in place and everything complete ... If (we) see some very positive progress and it looks like things are heading in the right direction, then that's the point at which I think we can begin to consider reducing some of those forces.''
He added that ``getting the level of violence in Iraq to point where the political process can go forward and seeing some progress in reconciliation sets the stage for us to begin withdrawing our units ... and allowing those security responsibilities to be assumed by the Iraqis.''
Gates has said commanders in Iraq will provide as assessment of the conditions in Iraq in September. And he said Wednesday that the Iraqis are assuming more security responsibilities day by day, but the U.S. cannot abandon the country prematurely. Doing so, he said, would allow al-Qaida terrorists to use Iraq's western Anbar province as a base to plan operations against the United States.
The Democrats' proposal would pay for the war through July, then give Congress the option of cutting off money after that if conditions do not improve. Bush requested more than $90 billion to fund the war through September.
``There are restrictions on funding and there are also some of the spending items that were mentioned in the first veto message that are still in the bill,'' White House press secretary Tony Snow said on Air Force One traveling with Bush. Asked directly if Bush would veto the House bill in its current form, Snow said, ``Yes.''
Good. Now stick to it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"Abandon the country" > as said before, JUAN WILLIAMS + ALAN COLMES had both stated that the US Dems only mean for an end to US-led, active combat/ground operations in Iraq, NOT A TOTAL OR COMPLETE US PULLOUT = WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ-ME, although JUAN changed his mind later on. * INCONSISTENT IFF NOT HYPOCRITICAL + LYING? PHRASES like the above only serve to [wilfully?]confuse mainstream America and [wilfully?]degrade the US voters-beliefs in our national leadership + institutions + VALUES! WOT > THE TERRORISTS + COMMIES-GOVTISTS + POLITICISTS HAVE WON WHEN AMERS CAN NO LONGER DISCUSS IMPORTANT ISSUES, INCLUD BUT NOT LIMITED TO OWG-SWO, etal. ON THEIR OWN MERITS. BUT HAVE TO HIDE TRUE INTENTIONS FROM THE VOTERS = THE PEOPLE.
#2
A 90 day requisition system, an Emergency bill, no support, where is the Grace? Give the military what they need now please and use theatrics afterward.
#4
KOMMERSANT > NORTH KOREA and Banco DA > RUSSIAN AND ITALIAN BANKS REFUSE TO ACCEPT NK's MONEY, despite US$13.0 Milyuuhn already being there in separate accounts. No $$$ no NK shutdown.; + NORTH KOREA WANTS USA TO LAUNDER ITS MONEY - NK now demanding $$$ be set up in a NEW YORK, USA bank. * WORLD NEWS > IRAN BEGINS PRODUCING NUCLEAR/URANIUM FUEL UNDERGROUND. Back to KOMMERSANT > RUSSIAN STRATEGIC MISSLES TO HAVE "SPLIT WARHEADS" IN 2010, aka MRV-MIRV's.; + RUSSIAN GENERAL : NO LINK BETWEEN US-SOVIET CFE TREATY AND RUSSIAN FORCES IN FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS. START I Treaty due to expire in 2009, Russ troops to stay put in former SSR's iff Russia and only Russia wants them to. *WORLDNEWS > US Pert > BUSH'S/AMERICA'S POLICIES MAY BE FUELING TERRORISM. CHINA DAILY Op-Ed > IRAN's alleged intention that it wants only nuclear energy is INCOMPATIBLE/INCONSISTENT wid its failure to publicly declare any and all of its nuke activities under UNIAEA + NPT guidelines.
UNTIL IRAN DOES SO, CHINA > WORLD HAS RIGHT TO SUSPECT IRAN'S NUCLEAR MOTIVES.
HAMAS + "MICKEY MOUSE" icon > FOX + CNN's > show segments as shown clearly mention GLOBAL AGENDA of anti-ISRAEL, anti-WESTERN ISLAM.
#6
FREEREPUBLIC/WORLDNEWS > UNO: MOST INTERNATIONAL SURVEYS WANT UN TO HAVE MORE WORLD AUTHORITY. See also WND for various artiiiiiickles for or against alleged NORTH AMERICAN UNION, NORTH AMER INTEGRATION, and now NORTH AMER COMMUNITY. Move along, boyz, obviously no OWG here.
#7
YNETNEWS > Spanish-language TELEMUNDO TV [Florida] > HIZBALLAH PLANS US ATTACKS, from new bases in South Ameirca; + MUSLIM CLERIC THREATENS TEL AVIV.
#12
Here's part of the text that I can not find in any coverage of his statements:
And the second part of your question was about benchmarks. Look, let me talk about this recent effort by Congress to fund our troops. The idea that the House of Representatives put forward is one that we will fund our troops by piecemeal.
Secretary Gates was very strong about why that's a bad idea. And the American people must understand that if you fund our troops every two months, you're in a -- put in a position where we have to delay certain procurement, or that military contracts must be delayed -- there's a lot of uncertainty in funding when it comes to two-month cycles. So we reject that idea. It won't work.
I find it odd that the Congress is -- I find it ironic that the Congress is ready to fully fund unrelated domestic spending items, and only one-half of the money requested for our troops. They provide 100 percent of the money for the special interest projects that don't have anything to do with fighting the war on terror, and 50 percent of the money to go to those who wear our uniform. They got it wrong. They ought to provide 100 percent of the money for people who wear the uniform, and leave these special pork projects out of the bill. And so I'll veto the bill if it's this haphazard piecemeal funding. And I made that clear.
Christians in northwest Pakistan have received threatening letters warning them to shut their churches and convert to Islam, officials said Thursday, the latest sign of how religious extremists are trying to police society.
Copies of the handwritten letter were delivered to two churches and several Christians' homes in Charsadda, a northwestern Pakistan town where the federal interior minister last month escaped a homicide attack that killed 28 people.
Christians have alerted police to the letters and security has been stepped up at churches, said a local police official, Ali Haider. Police are investigating who sent the unsigned notes, which gave the Christians 10 days to convert, Haider said.
He said the letter did not say what consequences they might face if they did not comply with the ultimatum, which expires May 17.
ISLAMABAD - The United Nations has skedaddled suspended aid operations in a Pakistani district for security reasons after a house where two UN staff were living was burnt down, a UN official said on Wednesday.
Unitarian countries generally don't chase aid workers away.
Some people in the conservative Muslim rural communities have objected to the presence of women aid workers and the hiring of women by aid groups. Others have been angered because they failed to get jobs or contracts.
The United Nations has been heavily involved in rehabilitation efforts in the mountains of northern Pakistan where a 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed 73,000 people in October 2005.
No one was hurt when the house in the Bagh district of Pakistani Kashmir burnt down on Monday, apparently after being set on fire, said UN information officer Raabya Amjad.
Some people in the conservative Muslim rural communities have objected to the presence of women aid workers and the hiring of women by aid groups. Others have been angered because they failed to get jobs or contracts, aid workers in the area say. We dont know who did it but there have been a number of disgruntled elements in the community, Amjad said.
Bi'hai communities generally don't let disgruntled elements burn down houses.
Six UN agencies and their 83 staff have fledrun away been withdrawn from the district for an initial two weeks, she said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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We dont know who did it but there have been a number of disgruntled elements in the community, Amjad said.
Do these thankless assholes ever calm down enough to be just "gruntled", or are their turbans always at maximum torque?
Four clerics have resigned from a tripartite committee formed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the mosques issue, a TV channel reported on Wednesday.
The committee, consisting of officials from the CDA, Islamabad district administration and Wafaqul Madaris, was formed on February 15 after the CDA demolished seven mosques in Islamabad, issued demolition notices to 10 others and declared 81 more mosques illegal. In reaction, clerics started protest demonstrations in the federal capital. The Islamabad deputy commissioner heads the committee.
Maulana Zahoor Alvi, Maulana Qazi Abdul Rashid, Maulana Sharif Hazarvi and Qari Nazir Faruqui resigned from the committee on Wednesday, alleging that they were not called to a recent committee meeting on key issues. Meanwhile, the channel said that clerics managing the demolished mosques had said that some of the clerics in the committee were employees of the Auqaf Department and hence under the influence of the government.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
The problem is the clerics want to BE the government.
The government has tightened security at the countrys 1,452 strategic sites, declaring them most sensitive. The sites include key nuclear installations, airports and ports, sources told Daily Times on Wednesday. The sources said that a team of experts headed by Interior Ministry Joint Secretary (Security) Khizar Hayat had been tasked to visit these sites and review their security arrangements. The team includes two members from two intelligence agencies, the sources said, adding that security at the sites was being increased in view of the recent wave of sabotage and terrorism. The sources said that more than three members of the team visited the Karachi Nuclear Power Station, Port Qasim, Karachi Airport, Security Printing Press and Security Paper Mills last week, adding that the team would visit other most sensitive sites in the next few months. Khizar Hayat was not available for comment.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
IONews, WORLDTRIBUNE today > BAHRAIN PLANNING FOR US-IRAN WAR. Protectin' and securin'.
#2
Hell, we've got, what, a tenth as many as "most sensitive" sites as Islam? I say that we need to even up the numbers, get 'em both closer to our own.
(AKI/DAWN) - Theres no evidence to suggest that Pakistan allowed Abdul Qadeer Khans nuclear proliferation network to sell nuclear technology to fund its nuclear programme, the lead author of a dossier on the activities of the network told the Pakistani daily Dawn. "We did not assess that Pakistan purposely sold the technology to raise money for its nuclear programme," said Mark Fitzpatrick, who on Tuesday launched in Washington his dossier on Dr A. Q. Khan and the network he allegedly headed.
Fitzpatrick, a former US deputy assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation, also said that investigators had found no link between the Khan network of nuclear proliferators and the terrorist group that caused the 9/11 attacks on the United States. We never saw any suggestion that Dr Khan ever met al-Qaeda leaders, he said. Theres no link between the Khan network and al-Qaeda. He said that the Khan network also had no links with Umma Taamir-e-Nao, an NGO whose members allegedly met Osama bin Laden and discussed the production of nuclear weapons with him.
Khan, considered the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, has lived under virtual house arrest in Islamabad since he confessed in early 2004 to leaking sensitive nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. In the report that Fitzpatrick wrote for the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, he identified Khan as the head of the group that sold nuclear technology and equipment to Iran, Libya and North Korea but said that the networks sales to Libya were almost exclusively private business transactions, beyond state control.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Pakis may not even have to manufacture their own -ASIA TIMES > NORTH KOREA AND ITS DIRTY MAN"S BOMBS. AT reminds the world that North Korea also has extensive stockpile of both CHEMICAL + BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, in addition to and exclusive of any NUKES/RADIOLOGICALS they NK may = may not officially have.
#2
So, those Pak Air Force C-130 transports that carried centrifuges to North Korea were operating without permission? A rogue air-force?
Some European embassy officials were caught near the boundary fence of AQ Khan Labs. The ISI team that grabbed them, beat them to an inch of their lives, diplomatic immunity be damned.
I suppose the ISI were also rogue... everybody is a rogue n Pakistan apparently...
Posted by: John Frum ||
05/10/2007 6:25 Comments ||
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U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday on an unannounced visit, at a time when pressure from Washington is growing on the Iraqi government to meet benchmarks aimed at healing sectarian strife. Cheney was due to meet senior Iraqi officials and hold talks with the U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, a U.S. embassy information officer said. The U.S. vice president, one of the main architects of the invasion of Iraq, is on a tour of the Middle East. The White House had said Cheney's tour in the region was a follow-up to last week's conference on Iraq in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in which Washington held a top-level contact with Syria and signaled a willingness to do so with Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
On an emergency mission to tighten the thumb screws on Al-Maliki. Unfortunately, this is like trying to push a block of ice uphill with a rope. Next, he has to go to report to his paymaster, King Abdullah, and tell him how well things are going next door in Iraq. This trip may cause his pacemaker to overheat. I hope his surgeon is just one step behind during entire visit. Did anyone notice that this pack of fools they call a legislative body was preparing to abscond for the next 2 months ? What, us worry ?
No manner or amount of conceivable or desirable political action WRT "benchmarks" will "heal" sectarian strife, or any other kind.
The administration is pursuing a hopeless strategy. The "critics" are clueless and despicable, and don't even know what's wrong about the current policies. Good soldiers and civilians are on the front trying to make things work. A very frustrating and depressing situation.
#3
this pack of fools they call a legislative body was preparing to abscond for the next 2 months ?
How odd that they would think of taking the traditional summer vacation in a mostly desert country that historically has not had air conditioning... or a sense of urgency about much of anything.
#4
It's not like Congress ever recessed with important funding and bills bending during the hot Washington month of August, with a war going on. Never happens here. Nope. Nada.
#5
The disgusting thing is that if there were a Dem in the White House, the f*****g Dems would be falling all over themselves to talk about how things were getting better and the money would be flowing like wine. These p***ks care about nothing but their own personal political power.
A program using a Mickey Mouse-like character to urge Palestinian children to fight Israel and the West and work for world Islamic domination has been pulled off Hamas's television station for "review," Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti said Wednesday.
Barghouti said the use of the cartoon character in such a role represented a "mistaken approach" to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. Barghouti wrote that following a request from his ministry, the program was pulled from the Hamas-affiliated Al Aksa TV and "placed under review." In the statement, Barghouti said his ministry "would continue to ensure freedom of expression and freedom of the press, but that media outlets breaking the law would be penalized."
Barghouti complained that the Mickey Mouse story continued to receive attention by "some American television stations" after it was resolved, and that media did not broadcast video of Israeli human rights violations supplied by his ministry in recent weeks.
Israel has long complained that the Palestinian airwaves are filled with incitement. "You and I are laying the foundation for a world led by Islamists," the cartoon character squeaked on a recent episode of the show, which is titled "Tomorrow's Pioneers."
"We will return the Islamic community to its former greatness, and liberate Jerusalem, God willing, liberate Iraq, God willing, and liberate all the countries of the Muslims invaded by the murderers." Children call in to the show, many singing Hamas anthems about fighting Israel.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Shooting rockets at Israel is one thing. Messing with Disney lawyers is something else altogether.
#5
Jon Stewart of The Daily Show (Comedy Central) showed as clip of the show last night, with a charming little girl reciting a poem about devoting her life to martyrdom and killing Jews.
#8
Bethlehem - Gaza - Ma'an - Palestinian Information Minister Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi has played down the reaction to the news that his ministry has banned the broadcasting of a children's program on Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV because it conveys political messages. Barghouthi said in conversation with Ma'an that Al-Aqsa TV stopped broadcasting the program itself after they reviewed the program in regards to its message. Barghouthi also denied issuing an order to end the program.
He stressed the need to be cautious when making children's programs so that these programs would not be exploited by bodies that monitor these programs in order to incite international public opinion against the Palestinian people and harm the Palestinian cause.
In other words, boys...we know you mean well, but don't get caught.
#11
Wait till you see the new rewrite of SPIDERMAN
by Haled Mashaal. Its known as SPIDERMUSULMAN
in which the hero wears a turban hangs head down from the cieling(facing Mecca five times a day) and eats jewish babies for breakfast, after erecting the chalifa in NYC
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
05/10/2007 12:33 Comments ||
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#12
Oh, and guess what guys. Paleos lied. The program will still run.
RAMALLAH, West Bank A Hamas-run television channel has defied a Palestinian government request to axe a controversial childrens cartoon in which a Mickey Mouse look-alike urges resistance against Israel.
A senior official working for Al Aqsa (Jerusalem) television in the Gaza Strip said that the program - Tomorrows Pioneers - would air as normal this Friday in defiance of information minister Mustafa Barghouti.
The program will continue and it will be broadcast tomorrow at 4.00 pm [1300 GMT]. Mustafa Barghouti misunderstood the issue, said the official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.
Earlier, the information ministry in the West Bank city of Ramallah said: A politically-oriented childrens television program was withdrawn by the Al Aqsa TV station today following a request by the ministry of information.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Wednesday evening to discuss the upcoming presidential elections. Peres, one of the candidates for the presidency, told Olmert at the meeting that contrary to media reports, he did not see himself running for prime minister. Peres is expected to submit his candidacy for president within the next few days.
This article starring:
Vice Premier Shimon Peres
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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The Winograd report is harsh and calls for personal conclusions to be made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, candidate for Labor party chair Ehud Barak said Tuesday in his first press conference since the release of the interim report on the Second Lebanon War. "The chief of general staff internalized its conclusions. The defense minister internalized them in his own way. I believe that Olmert will find his own way of doing so," said Barak.
Barak said that if Olmert will internalize the report's findings, the road to a new government "that [he] could participate in" could be paved. If Olmert did not draw conclusions by May 29 (the date of the Labor primaries), warned Barak, he would act to bring forward the elections for the eighteenth Knesset.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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H/T Michael Rubin The Corner
An Iranian military jet fighter crashed in the southwestern province of Khuzestan on Wednesday with the pilot who reportedly died. Looks pretty close to Iraq to me
Governor of Dezful Hamid Qanaati told IRNA that the F5 jet fighter was crashed at 10:30 hours local time (7:00 GMT) Wednesday. An official in Andimeshk said the plane fell on an area around Golkhaneh village in Hosseinieh district in Alvar region north of Khuzestan province.
IRNA reporter said that the sound of a strong explosion was heard simultaneously with the crash.
#6
I can't see his halo! Does that mean I'm an infidel dog?
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/10/2007 12:46 Comments ||
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#7
look at what great shape they are in! Lean mean fighting machines, hope they all got cell phones. Look at all those raised fists, we call them red hands because they denote the blood of communist dictatorship, while seemingly being well kept from washing dishes with Dove.
Since picking technical nits is a favorite Rantburg parlor game: IIRC the ill-fated F-20 was called the Tigershark - the F-5 was just called the Tiger.
#17
And both the F-5 and F-20 would be dogmeat vs any modern American fighter F-14 or beyond.
They wouldn't even see it coming.
Oh, I don't know -- a Iranian F-14 with insh'allan maintanence and an Iranian pilot verus an American F-5 with a USAF pilot? I'll take the F-5 and give the points.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/10/2007 16:51 Comments ||
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#18
WEOLL HITLER A=STARTED THE BAATHIST REGIMES SO WHY WOULDN
T THE REAT OF THEM TAKE UP WITH IT
The head of the mainstream Fatah movement, Sultan Abul Aynain, Wednesday accused what he called a 'foreign intelligence service' of masterminding the murders of two of its members in a Lebanon refugee camp. 'A non-Lebanese intelligence service was behind the crime which cost the lives of two Fatah members in Ein el-Hilweh,' Abul Aynain told a news conference in the southern Rashidiyeh camp near Tyre. He refused to specify which third country he was referring to, despite repeated questions from journalists.
'It's a crime which is aimed at destabilising the camps and sowing discord with the communities that live around them,' the Fatah commander said. He called for 'the murderers to be handed over to Fatah as quickly as possible.'
Two Fatah members, one Palestinian and one Syrian, were killed in Monday's ambush in Ein el-Hilweh, east of the southern port of Sidon. A Palestinian security source inside the camp said the attack was carried out by five militants from a small Islamist group called Jund al-Sham (Soldiers of Damascus). Jund al-Sham and another Islamist group, Fatah al-Islam, have enhanced their presence in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps in the past few months. Their main base is in Syria as their name ( Sham ) implies.
Lebanese authorities have accused Fatah al-Islam of working in Lebanon on the instruction of the Syrian intelligence. The group was also accused by Lebanese authorities of being behind the 13 February explosion in Ain Alak near Bekfaya, southeast Lebanon, which killed three people and wounded 20.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
faster, please
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/10/2007 8:12 Comments ||
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This sounds like the gang-war spat from a couple of days ago. Apparently "Jund Al-Shams" is now an organization of foreign spies, rather than the Brave Lions of the Resistance they had been thought previously.
Or something like that. Logic ain't Fatah's strong suit.
The Shiite Mufti of Sour & south Lebanon , Sayyed Ali al Ameen visited today Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt at his home in Klemanso , Beirut and complained about the situation in south Lebanon. At Jumblatt s residence Sayyed Ameen was also met by Information Minister MP Ghazi Aridi and MP Wael Abu Faour.
Sayyed Ameen praised Jumblatt for his constructive statements following the murder of the 2 kidnapped ( Ziad Ghandour 12 and Ziad Qabalan 25) youths and said it is time now for a positive response from the opposition for a dialogue to end the crises which has crippled the country. He called Jumblatt a wise statesman with vision, for the way he handled himself following the murder and for trying to unite the country instead of dividing it . He agreed with Jumblatt that a strong state is the only solution for Lebanon a strong state he said is the only protection for all of us in Lebanon .
Sayyed Ameen added : The state is our only rescue ship . We need a strong state with law and order. Events have proven that a Hezb ( political party) in reference to Hezbollah , cannot protect a religious sect ( meaning the Shiites ) or the nation and cannot create a state . The state of Lebanon can only be created by all the Lebanese . Sayyed Ameen told Jumblatt that the war has left south Lebanon totally devastated and our people are suffering. He said the government has already helped , for which we are grateful , but more is needed, because the losses as a result of the war are huge .
He did not mention if Hezbollah has helped. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has pledged during a televised speech immediately after the war started to rebuild all the destroyed homes as soon as the war was over , with Halal funds from Iran as he called it. Reports from the south indicate that Hezbollah has not delivered on its promises. The important thing is the promise, not its delivery. Everybody in the Arab world knows that.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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An Iranian court on Wednesday released on bail a former nuclear negotiator who reportedly faces espionage charges, state television said. Hossein Mousavian was part of the nuclear negotiating team under the reformist predecessor of Iran's current hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - and he is seen as close to one of Ahmadinejad's top rivals, powerful cleric-politican Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Mousavian was arrested April 30, but authorities have not announced charges against him. An unofficial news agency said the charges were likely related to espionage but gave no details. Government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said Wednesday that Mousavian's detention "was not necessarily related to the nuclear issue." But he did not elaborate.
This article starring:
Government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham
Hossein Mousavian
Posted by: Fred ||
05/10/2007 00:00 ||
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The leader of a Pennsylvania Muslim center has resigned after telling a newspaper that a death sentence was warranted for best-selling author and critic of Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the former Dutch parliament member. Fouad ElBayly said Wednesday he had stepped down as imam and president of the Islamic Center of Johnstown. He said the center's board members requested his resignation.
The request came after ElBayly's comments about Ali, who spoke April 17 at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. "She has been identified as one who has defamed the faith. If you come into the faith, you must abide by the laws, and when you decide to defame it deliberately, the sentence is death," ElBayly was quoted saying in an April 22 story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
ElBayly, a native of Egypt who came to the United States in 1976, and Mahmood A. Qazi, the center's founder, had tried to get the university to cancel Hirsi Ali's appearance, saying her criticisms were unjustified and could create dissension in their community.
#6
On the plus side, the board did call for his resignation and made it stick. Putting down extremists on your own side gives real moderates a big boost and improves credibility in the community.
#7
Presumably not an American citizen. If he's here on some sort of long term work permit, must he go back to Egypt now that he's no longer gainfully employed?
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.
(SomaliNet) Ex-Ghana leader and the African Union (AU) Chief John Agyekum Kufuor has rebuffed reports that AU is sending more peacekeepers to Somalia. "I never said immediately, I said the AU wants to send 8,000 peacekeepers as soon as possible but we are having trouble finding the troops," Kufuor was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency in Pretoria, capital of South Africa Tuesday. 
Abu Nasir Al-Qahtani, most famous for being one of Al-Qaeda suspects who escaped from the US-run Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, was at one point just a normal child, who grew up in the southern region of the Kingdom. Abu Nasirs story is a sad one. He was a decent, young man who suddenly turned into a troublemaker. He was born and raised in Wadi Jash, and lived the life of a simple, bedouin man. He later joined the military, which was a turning point in his life. He was later imprisoned for six years and was even given 3,000 lashes. While in prison, Al-Qahtani became an ascetic, and rigid in both the interpretation and practice of the Islamic faith. His father, Jafaar Qahtani, tried to change his views and encouraged him to go back to his job. All attempts to change his sons mind failed, and Abu Nasir then joined the private sector and accompanied his father.
Kosovo has been shocked by the arrest of four Islamic radicals of Albanian origin who were allegedly plotting to attack the US military base at Fort Dix, close to New Jersey. 
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush would veto any bill drafted by House Democratic leaders that would fund the Iraq war only into the summer months, his spokesman said Wednesday. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a Senate committee that such short-term funding would be very disruptive and ``have a huge impact'' on contracts to repair and replace equipment. The Defense Department, he said, just doesn't ``have the agility to manage a two month appropriation.''
(AKI/DAWN) - Theres no evidence to suggest that Pakistan allowed Abdul Qadeer Khans nuclear proliferation network to sell nuclear technology to fund its nuclear programme, the lead author of a dossier on the activities of the network told the Pakistani daily Dawn. "We did not assess that Pakistan purposely sold the technology to raise money for its nuclear programme," said Mark Fitzpatrick, who on Tuesday launched in Washington his dossier on Dr A. Q. Khan and the network he allegedly headed.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday on an unannounced visit, at a time when pressure from Washington is growing on the Iraqi government to meet benchmarks aimed at healing sectarian strife. Cheney was due to meet senior Iraqi officials and hold talks with the U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, a U.S. embassy information officer said. The U.S. vice president, one of the main architects of the invasion of Iraq, is on a tour of the Middle East. The White House had said Cheney's tour in the region was a follow-up to last week's conference on Iraq in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in which Washington held a top-level contact with Syria and signaled a willingness to do so with Iran.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Wednesday evening to discuss the upcoming presidential elections. Peres, one of the candidates for the presidency, told Olmert at the meeting that contrary to media reports, he did not see himself running for prime minister. Peres is expected to submit his candidacy for president within the next few days.
The head of the mainstream Fatah movement, Sultan Abul Aynain, Wednesday accused what he called a 'foreign intelligence service' of masterminding the murders of two of its members in a Lebanon refugee camp. 'A non-Lebanese intelligence service was behind the crime which cost the lives of two Fatah members in Ein el-Hilweh,' Abul Aynain told a news conference in the southern Rashidiyeh camp near Tyre. He refused to specify which third country he was referring to, despite repeated questions from journalists.
The Shiite Mufti of Sour & south Lebanon , Sayyed Ali al Ameen visited today Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt at his home in Klemanso , Beirut and complained about the situation in south Lebanon. At Jumblatt s residence Sayyed Ameen was also met by Information Minister MP Ghazi Aridi and MP Wael Abu Faour.
An Iranian court on Wednesday released on bail a former nuclear negotiator who reportedly faces espionage charges, state television said. 
