Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 10:01 ||
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#1
Even for Jane Mansfield I am not going to becaome a supporter of the Dawgs. I am and will ever be a Bronco supporter since that game Dawgs scored with 90 seconds to go. Several times in teh followup broncos were in the situation of in 1 to go and 15 or seventy yards to gain. And each time John Elway made a superpass and they gained several yrds more than needed. A couple times in those agonizing 90 seconds referees had to mesure the distance in the third run and the Broncos had gained something like ten yards and one inch. Then in the last second Elway (I believe) scored a touchdown.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The police in Kandahar Province arrested 10 Taliban militants they said were involved in an attack this month on a group of Afghan schoolgirls whose faces were doused with acid, officials in Kandahar said Tuesday.
The officials said that the militants, who were Afghan citizens, had confessed to their involvement in the attack on the schoolgirls and their teachers on Nov. 12 and that a high-ranking member of the Taliban had paid the militants 100,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,275) for each girl they managed to burn.
The girls were assaulted by two men on a motorcycle, apparently because the girls had been attending high school. The men drove up beside them and splashed their faces with what appeared to be battery acid.
Zalmay Ayobi, the spokesman for Gen. Rahmatullah Raufi, the governor of Kandahar, said the orders to carry out the attack had been given from a foreign country, although he did not identify it.
The militants were arrested by the police last week. Mr. Ayobi said a joint delegation from the Interior Ministry and the office of the attorney general in the capital, Kabul, had arrived in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, on Monday to evaluate the cases of the suspects. The delegation, led by the deputy interior minister along with the governor of Kandahar, announced Tuesday that the suspects confessed their involvement in the attack, Mr. Ayobi said. He said Afghanistan's courts would decide the attackers' fate after the investigation was completed.
At least two of the girls were hospitalized by the attack, their faces blackened and burned. The attack was condemned at the time by Laura Bush, who described the Taliban as "cowardly and shameful" for carrying out the attack. "The Taliban's continued terror attacks threaten the progress that has been made in Afghanistan," the first lady said in a statement, adding, "These cowardly and shameful acts are condemned by honorable people in the United States and around the world."
Mrs. Bush has been an advocate for the women of Afghanistan during her husband's tenure. She has visited Afghanistan three times to put a spotlight on development and women's issues, most recently in June, a trip cloaked in secrecy so she would not become a target of terrorists.
This article starring:
Rahmatullah Raufi
Zalmay Ayobi
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
$1275 for each girl? A small price to pay to please Allah and ensure one's eternal bliss.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/26/2008 8:44 Comments ||
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#2
Dip them in acid, feet first, and slowly immerse...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/26/2008 9:56 Comments ||
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#5
Chain 'em to a couple of big rocks, spread-eagle, and let every school girl, wife, mother, and sister come by and take a whack with an axehandle. Take lots of photos (none showing women) and post them around the countryside. Let everyone know that any further attacks will draw the same punishment. Very little recidivism with that kind of punishment.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/26/2008 12:54 Comments ||
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#6
Yes, OP. There are those who believe that hate crimes should draw enhanced sentencing.
#7
OP, how about a shoe with some lead shot in the toe for a real insult (I've never heard why slapping someone with a shoe is an insult but if it works!!).
#8
OP, how about a shoe with some lead shot in the toe for a real insult (I've never heard why slapping someone with a shoe is an insult but if it works!!).
After a two-month ordeal, five crew members of a cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates returned to India on Monday.
Scenes of their tearful homecoming played on all the major television channels even as the Indian navy prepared for an aggressive anti-piracy campaign in the world's busiest and most dangerous shipping lanes.
The MV Stolt Valor ship was taken over by armed Somali pirates off the Yemeni coast in September and was released last week after its Japanese owner paid an undisclosed ransom.
The crew members came home to a euphoric welcome as people swarmed the Mumbai airport singing, beating drums and offering garlands. A replacement crew will bring back the ship to India on Tuesday.
"The past two months were horrific. I wouldn't even wish this for my enemies. We were always kept at gunpoint 24 hours and asked to stay on the bridge," said Alistair Fernandez, a crew member. "We were allowed to go inside the ship only for showers. It was very strict, and without their permission, we could not do anything."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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The U.S. military has decided to transfer Osama bin Laden's former driver from custody at Guantanamo Bay to his home in Yemen, ending the seven-year saga of a man the Bush administration considered a dangerous terrorist but whom a military jury found to be a low-level aide.
Salim Ahmed Hamdan is expected to arrive within 48 hours in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, where he will serve out the rest of his military commission sentence, which is set to expire Dec. 27, two government officials said. The Pentagon's decision to send Hamdan home narrowly avoids what could have been a sticky diplomatic situation, as Bush administration officials had long contended they could hold Hamdan indefinitely.
It also prevents President-elect Barack Obama from having to decide Hamdan's fate early in his term. Obama has said he wants to close the U.S. military prison in Cuba.
Hamdan's attorneys were poised to fight the assertion that their client could be held indefinitely, a case that probably would have brought Hamdan back to the Supreme Court to challenge his detention. Instead, he will serve out the remaining month of his sentence in a Yemeni prison before being released to his wife and two young children, one of whom has never met him. Hamdan is about 40.
"Legally, we absolutely have a right to hold enemy combatants, but politically is he the guy we want to fight all the way to the Supreme Court about?" said a defense official familiar with the release negotiations. "I think we came to the conclusion that, no, he wasn't. This is a win for everyone."
A senior diplomatic official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because Hamdan had not yet arrived in Yemen said last night that the conditions of Hamdan's release are that Yemen will hold him until Dec. 27 and will then let him go and continue to mitigate any threat he might pose to the United States and its allies, a standard part of U.S. agreements with countries calling for the release of Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Military prosecutors and Hamdan's attorneys said yesterday that they could not confirm his impending release. It is standard Defense Department policy not to discuss detainee transfers until they are completed because of operational security, said Cmdr. J.D. Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman. "Hearing that [Hamdan] may be returned in the near future doesn't surprise me," said Michael Berrigan, deputy chief defense counsel at the Pentagon's Office of Military Commissions. "That's the wise thing to do. But I can't confirm it."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal here yesterday sentenced Chittagong divisional chief of banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Javed Iqbal and three other JMB cadres to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) each for bomb attack on a judge in 2005.
With this punishment, Javed has so far been awarded 164 years' imprisonment in eight bomb blast and arms cases, according to Public Prosecutor (PP) Qumrul Islam Sajjad. Javed is an accused in 13 more cases, including one for murder, and was acquitted in another bomb blast case, the PP said.
After pronouncement of the verdict by tribunal Judge Md Shafiqul Karim yesterday, Javed told reporters that he has no faith in such trial.
According to the prosecution, the four JMB men tried to enter the court of Second Joint District and Assistant Sessions Judge Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain on the first floor of Chittagong Judge's Court Building on October 3, 2005 but were halted by the on-duty constables. Being resisted, the militants threw a bomb at the judge but it missed the target and fell on a table in front of the judge. No one was hurt, as the bomb did not explode.
Police arrested Shahadat on the spot and recovered another bomb from his possession while Javed and Laltu were arrested later. A case was filed with Kotwali Police Station in connection with the bomb attack the following day. Police submitted the charge sheet to the court on November 2, 2005. Directed by the court, police did further investigation into the case and submitted additional charge sheet on May 8, 2006.
This article starring:
ABDUL MALEK ALIAS LALTU
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
JAVED IQBAL
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
Judge Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain
Judge Md Shafiqul Karim
MD SHAHADAT ALI
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
MIZAN ALIAS 'BOMB' MIZAN
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
Public Prosecutor (PP) Qumrul Islam Sajjad
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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The investigations into the July 11, 2006, Mumbai serial blasts on Tuesday looked set to get a big push with the detention of a prime
suspect, who's alleged to have funded the operation, by the Interpol in London.
Raheel Sheikh, one of the key accused in serial train blasts, was detained by the British Interpol on Tuesday. He is one of the alleged masterminds of the conspiracy and was involved in the funding of the bombings that killed 200 and wounded another 700.
The Interpol action came in response to a request from the Mumbai ATS, which had supplied relevant details to the international agency. A Red Corner notice was subsequently issued against Raheel Sheikh.
There are two ways available with India to seek his custody. First, by initiating extradition procedures, in which a request is sent through diplomatic channels. The matter is finally decided in a court. The other way is to seek his deportation, which is an executive decision.
Raheel Sheikh is supposed to have strong links with the Pakistan-based jihadi outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), where he was supposedly involved in imparting training to new recruits.
Seven deadly blasts occurred in Mumbai local trains on July 11, 2006, that were caused by RDX and Ammonium Nitrate packed in pressure cookers. The ATS had alleged that Pakistan's ISI had a direct role in the planning and execution of the terror act.
The ATS had set up a separate team to investigate the alleged LeT operative's involvement in the blast. He was also wanted in the serial blasts that rocked Delhi on the eve of Diwali in October, 2005. Raheel Sheikh was cornered in Mumbai, but managed to escape. A crime branch team, however, stumbled upon his name while interrogating Pune-based ex-Simi activist Feroz Deshmukh. He revealed that Raheel Sheikh had taken a loan of Rs 15,000 in May, 2006, and promised him that a certain Noman would return it to him. The trail led to Noman who confirmed that he was supposed to collect the same amount from Faisal Sheikh.
While the police couldn't get Raheel Sheikh it managed to nab Faisal Sheikh, who's alleged to be closely associated with Azam Cheema, on July 27 from Mumbai. All the 16 accused arrested so far by the Mumbai ATS have been booked under Mcoca.
This article starring:
Azam Cheema
Simi
Faisal Sheikh
Simi
Feroz Deshmukh
Simi
Raheel Sheikh
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 09:39 ||
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#1
ABSOLUTELY FAKE NEWS I THINK THERE WILL A SUIT FILE AGAINST THIS NEWS AGENCY SOON AND IT WILL BE SUED.. WE HAVE TAKEN THE DETAILS OF THIS NEWS AGENCY
Posted by: Harry Thomotch5824 ||
11/26/2008 10:49 Comments ||
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#2
Fake news? Prove it, bugwit.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
11/26/2008 11:49 Comments ||
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#3
What??????
"WE HAVE TAKEN THE DETAILS OF THIS NEWS AGENCY"??????
Better give 'em back, dude, or the cops will get involved.
A German court on Monday ordered the release of a former leader of the Red Army Faction, the Marxist group that terrorized West German industrialists, bankers and politicians, as well as U.S. military officials, in the 1970s and 1980s.
Christian Klar, 56, will be freed on parole in January after serving 26 years for murdering nine people and attempting to kill 11 others, according to a decision handed down by a panel of judges in Stuttgart.
Only one other member of the Red Army Faction remains behind bars, as German judicial authorities have gradually allowed several convicted murderers from the group to rejoin a society they once swore to tear apart.
In August 2007, Eva Haule, 53, was released after serving 21 years for the 1985 murder of a U.S. soldier, Spec. Edward Pimental, and other crimes. Pimental, 20, was shot after he left a dance club in the city of Wiesbaden. RAF members later used his military identification to drive a bomb-laden Volkswagen past a checkpoint at Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt. Two Americans, Airman 1st Class Frank Scarton and Becky Jo Bristol, a civilian employee, were killed when the bomb exploded outside the base headquarters.
In March 2007, German officials paroled Brigitte Mohnhaupt, now 58, another leader of the RAF, also known as the Baader-Meinhof Group. Among other crimes, she and Klar organized a 1981 rocket attack in Heidelberg that nearly killed Army Gen. Frederick J. Kroesen, who was then commander of U.S. forces in Europe, and his wife.
Unlike some RAF members, Klar has never apologized or expressed remorse for his crimes, stirring a public controversy in Germany over whether he ought to be freed. In January 2007, he wrote a rambling letter to a conference of left-wing political groups in Berlin, urging them to "complete the defeat of the plans of capitalism."
This article starring:
Brigitte Mohnhaupt
Christian Klar
Eva Haule
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
When does his comfotable retirement pension kick in?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/26/2008 8:40 Comments ||
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#2
Cause he must travel to DC and take position in the new admin?
#3
If we had any leaders with spines, all of these KGB tools would have committed suicide in prison. As it is, they should be having fatal accidents upon release.
Federal law enforcement sources believe that a Twin Cities man blew himself up in a suicide bombing in Northern Somalia last month. The FBI and Homeland Security are investigating whether Shirwa Ahmed has developed a terrorist recruiting network in the area.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS learned that Ahmed came to the Twin Cities in 1996 and graduated from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
More than a dozen20 young men of Somali descent, mostly in their 20s, from the Minneapolis area have recently disappeared, U.S. law enforcement officials tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. All are thought to be associates of Ahmed. U.S. officials suspect most of the young men have departed for Somalia to fight in ongoing violence there or to train in terrorist camps.
This article starring:
Shirwa Ahmed
SHIRWA AHMED
al-Shabaab
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Or more likely Somali pirates are hiring english speakers to deal with captured crews, monitor radio transmissions and handle negotiations.
#2
I said it time and time again during the 'No Hams in Cabs' debacle that the TC Skinnies were going to be trouble. I was racist of course and this guy blowing himself up doesn't prove there were any radicals in 'The Community'.
Believe it or not, the biggest potential civil unrest problem isn't L.A. or illegal immigrants in the southwest, it's the upper midwest. The longterm trend in Michigan and Minnesota is going to put a lot of pressure on Wisconsin to join in the welcoming party. If the radicals get their nose in the tent there as well, I predict the upper midwest being where our unrepairable civil problems will begin. The enemy isn't just a bunch of hajis 'over there'
Americas future doesn't depend on voting patterns in some state in the electoral map. The real battleground state is Wisconsin.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
11/26/2008 1:24 Comments ||
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#3
Its too bad they didn't take their local congressman with them to Somalia for Jihad ops.
#5
Another potential hotbed is the Twin Cities of Lewiston-Auburn in Maine, of all places. Maine, the welfare capital of the United States, has been identified by Somali leaders as a great place to get unlimited freebies, forever. Lewiston has an estimated 7,000 of them standing around, collecting bennies. The money flies out of here fast, extracted from the unwitting Democrats, headed back to the mother country.
Posted by: Dr. Hassan Bin Sobah ||
11/26/2008 10:02 Comments ||
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#6
Can't frickin' believe we let these people into the country in the first place. Nothin' but trouble.
#7
Why we allowed 25% of all immigrants (20004-2005)
to settle in the USA from an Al-Qaeda strong-hold (Somalia)is beyond me. This question was posed to US Gov officials, citing an assured future burden on local Law Enforcement/DHS/FBI due to their adherence to Wahabbi Islam and lack of assimilation, and the informal answer, "We're a country of immigrants". OK, now I feel better.
#8
This is going to be a huge problem in the future, count on it. These assholes are going to bitch and moan, try and force their barbaric customs on our country. Then some of them are going to get violent. They are going to do some very terrible things that will likely kill a lot of our countrymen, in the name of allen. Then they will feel our wrath (I hope).
But I have no idea why we've let so many of these bums come here either. Nice job INS.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal authorities are warning law enforcement personnel of a possible terror plot against the New York City subway and train systems during the holiday season, and police are beefing up security in preparation. An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press says the FBI has received a "plausible but unsubstantiated" report that al-Qaida terrorists in late September may have discussed attacking the subway system.
A person briefed on the matter, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the intelligence-gathering work, said the threat may also be directed at the passenger rail lines running through New York, such as Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road, which are particularly busy with Thanksgiving holiday travelers. A U.S. counterterror official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to do so publicly, said senior government officials have been briefed because the FBI very recently received credible information about possible attacks over the holiday season, and authorities are particularly concerned about this long holiday weekend.
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko confirmed only that his agency and the Homeland Security Department issued a bulletin Tuesday night to state and local authorities, and the information is being reviewed. Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said the warning was issued as a routine matter, but added that there may be an increased police presence in New York and other large cities.
The internal bulletin says al-Qaida terrorists "in late September may have discussed targeting transit systems in and around New York City. These discussions reportedly involved the use of suicide bombers or explosives placed on subway/passenger rail systems," according to the document. "We have no specific details to confirm that this plot has developed beyond aspirational planning, but we are issuing this warning out of concern that such an attack could possibly be conducted during the forthcoming holiday season," according to the warning dated Tuesday.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said they have received an unsubstantiated report and as a result have "deployed additional resources in the mass transit system."
While federal agencies regularly issue all sorts of advisory warnings, the language of this one is particularly blunt.
Intelligence and homeland security officials are working with local authorities to try to corroborate the information "and will continue to investigate every possible lead," the memo says.
Rep. Peter King, the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, said authorities "have very real specifics as to who it is and where the conversation took place and who conducted it. It certainly involves suicide bombing attacks on the mass transit system in and around New York and it's plausible, but there's no evidence yet that it's in the process of being carried out," King said.
Knocke, the DHS spokesman, said the warning was issued "out of an abundance of caution going into this holiday season." No changes are being made to the nation's threat level, or for transit systems at this time, he said. "However, transit passengers in larger metropolitan areas like New York may see an increased security presence in the coming days," Knocke said. The increased personnel could include uniformed and plainclothes "behavior detection" officers, federal air marshals, canine teams, and security inspectors, Knocke said.
#1
Law enforcement officials tell ABCNews.com, the plot involved a "Madrid-like attack," a reference to the synchronized bombing of the commuter rail system in Spain in March 2004 that killed 191 people.
A terror suspect arrested in Pakistan by the FBI in recent days provided authorities with details of a bomb plot against the Long Island Rail Road and other information that led to series of high level intelligence and law enforcement conference calls over the past 24 hour and the issuing of a bulletin warning of an unspecified holiday attack on the New York City region's commuter rail system, ABC News has learned.
The suspect - according to some reports the arrest took place in Pakistan - recently met with Al Qaeda leaders and was able to provide authorities with significant detail as to how the plotters would have carried out an attack if their plans had gotten beyond the so-called "aspirational" stage.
Authorities had no evidence to substantiate the suspect's charges and there is no evidence of any active plot, multiple officials said. The suspect is believed to have in the past resided in Suffolk County, Long Island.
Hate to admit it, but gotta give the hat tip for this to Puget Pravda the Seattle P-I
Somewhere out in the fleet, there's a Navy medical officer who earned the Navy Cross during vicious, hammering combat five years ago.
And he's not authorized to wear the award -- second only to the Medal of Honor.
That's because the 2003 mission, during which the officer fought like a demon and put himself in the line of fire to save several wounded American and Afghan comrades from al-Qaida and Taliban forces, remains classified.
And so does his identity.
A spokeswoman for the Navy secretary confirmed the existence of the Navy Cross recipient after Navy Times forwarded her a copy of the officer's citation, in which his name is redacted. I'm hoping to see some input from serving folks on this...seems to me that the citation could have been written vaguely enough to eliminate any concerns re OPSEC or the recipient's own safety.
So secret was the award that the Navy did not include it when queried as to the number of sailors who have earned the Navy Cross since Sept. 11, 2001. The Navy has now changed the number of recipients from six to seven, even though the seventh award was presented more than a year ago. RTWT at the link. You'll wonder how he's able to walk right with those enormous brass testicles getting in the way...anyhoo, this old ex-squid and Good Conduct Medal recipient salutes you, wherever/whoever you are.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
11/26/2008 01:42 ||
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#1
What? Everybody is going to get all pissed off because we can't get his name? Somethings are better left unsaid for a reason. In this case it is classified. But no, someone wants to keep digging so they can be the first moron to put a life in jeopardy. Think. There may be a reason that they don't want to give his name.
Posted by: Art ||
11/26/2008 10:16 Comments ||
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#2
I expect this is not the first case like this.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
11/26/2008 10:52 Comments ||
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#3
Thank you, brave patriot, whoever you are. You probably didn't earn the award so you could impress your friends. You did it because you are a tremendously brave individual who went to extraordinary lengths to complete your mission. People like you are essential to our continuing survival.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/26/2008 10:56 Comments ||
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#4
Nobody's suggesting "digging" to paint a target on this guy's back NY Times-style; seemed to me the Navy Times was pretty circumspect in how it handled this story. My point is that the Navy might have been able to handle the security issues (like I said, with a VERY vaguely written citation) to at least allow the guy to wear the award on his uniform. And anyway, I wanted to salute the guy, anonymous or not.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
11/26/2008 11:01 Comments ||
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#5
You cut two citations. One for public and one for the restricted files. Geez..no creative thinking in the personnel section. However, now they've screwed the process cause we know who the others are so any new name by logical inference is the real McCoy.
#9
This happened many, many times during the Vietnam War. Sometimes, the medal request was simply destroyed, because just the names of the personnel would have given something away. When someone is supposed to be in one place, but does something that deserves a medal at another place, it's impossible to do anything BUT either withhold the award or classify all the data pertaining to the award, including the name of the person receiving it.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/26/2008 13:34 Comments ||
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#10
Is that allowed for doctor-types?
For self-defense. The med battalion's TO&E is a little 'different' from other battalions in that it didn't have any bayonets in the inventory cause bayonets are considered 'offensive' weapons. It's the lawyers again.
#12
During command inspections, it was not unusual for the inspecting party to stop and query an individual about an award. the problems that would cause with a Navy Cross in ranks could be bad. although with a bit of prior planning the CO of the outfit could do a little one on one with the inspecting officer to 'ignore' the circumstances.
Back in the day, VA-165 had an AD2 that was a Seal; nobody knew it, until a big inspection. Then the Admiral stopped and asked Brian where his Trident was. Seems they had 'worked' together at some time in the past. got dicey for a bit and then Brian disappeared (early transfer).
Three people were killed and 25 injured in multiple attacks across India's financial capital, with shots fired near luxury hotels and the city's main railway station, CNN-IBN reported.
The shootings took place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus, one of the two stations in downtown Mumbai, CNN-IBN said. There were also reports of explosions and continued firing, the channel said.
"Some terrorist incidents are happening. Some grenades were lobbed,'' A.N. Roy, director general of police for Maharashtra state said over the telephone from Mumbai. "Our men are dealing with the situation. Please give us some time to get a clearer picture."
Shootings also took pace outside Café Leopold and at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel, both in the Colaba area of south Mumbai, CNN-IBN reported
Police threw a cordon around the Trident hotel in Nariman Point, the central business district, CNN-IBN said. One eyewitness said there was a fire in the lobby and that some of the guests were still inside there.
#2
Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Grenade and gun attacks erupted today across Mumbai, Indias financial capital, killing 60 and injuring at least 200, the Press Trust of India said. Shots were reported near luxury hotels and one of the citys main rail stations.
The Times of India newspaper, quoting unidentified hospital sources, said the death toll could reach 80, with 250 hurt. Press Trust of India said there were 60 dead and 200 injured at St Georges Hospital in south Mumbai. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Police ringed the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Trident and Oberoi hotels and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in the south of the city, NDTV reported.
Some terrorist incidents are happening, some grenades were lobbed, A.N. Roy, director general of police for Maharashtra state, said in a telephone interview. Give us some time to get a clearer picture.
Police said the two attackers at the Oberoi had escaped, Times TV reported. Two suspected terrorists were subsequently killed when driving away from the direction of the Oberoi, Times TV reported. There was no one other than the two in the car, Times TV said. It wasnt clear whether any guests remained inside the hotel, Times TV said. Police didnt say whether the two men were the terrorists who attacked the Oberoi, it reported. Times TV also reported a blast at the rooftop of the Taj hotel, located near the Gateway of India in the Colaba area.
Shootings also took place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus, CNN-IBN television said. There were reports of explosions and continued firing, the channel said. Shootings also took pace outside Café Leopold and at the Taj Mahal hotel, both in the Colaba tourist area of south Mumbai, CNN-IBN reported.
We are all fine and safe within the hotel, said a Taj employee who answered the telephone at the hotel. I cant say anything more since we are still collecting information, and are all busy.
Multiple attacks have rocked Indias cities this year with bombs planted in markets, theaters and near mosques. While previous attacks have been blamed on foreign terrorists, police arrested members of the Indian Mujahadeen after a shootout in Delhi in September.
The two attackers at the Trident had entered one of the hotel restaurants and said they were looking for U.S. and British nationals, the channel said. They had taken about 15 people hostage, an eyewitness told Times TV.
There was an explosion near a junction in Vile Parle, near the airport, Times TV said. The remains of a taxicab were strewn at the blast site, television pictures showed. Another explosion was reported at Mazgaon dockyard road in a taxi, PTI said.
The government has previously blamed terrorist attacks on organizations linked to foreign powers, without offering evidence or making arrests. Local media often blame the attacks on groups backed by Pakistan or Bangladesh, without identifying the security officials who provided the information.
#3
When my former company sent me to New Delhi, India in 2002 (soon after the attacks on the Indian parliment), I made it a point to find multiple ways out of the hotel and the local business building we were working in. Probably wouldn't have helped if the Amish (ha) had a good plan, but it was something I could do at least.
We'll see more and more of this type of thing (attacks in general), especially as the West (or the US, anyway) stops responding now that we voted for "change."
Now I'll be waiting to find out if anybody I know is over there (my former company had business in Mumbai, though I never went there). Bleh.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
11/26/2008 15:02 Comments ||
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#4
Hey, the Amish Liberation Army is always militating against one thing or another.
#5
The terrorists, all clad in jeans and tee-shirts and carrying assault rifles are apparently searching for American and British citizens. One report says a group of westerners are hostage in a hotel. The board of Hindustan Lever are trapped in a hotel. One hotel lobby is afire.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 15:28 Comments ||
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#6
A facility used by the Jewish community has been attacked. Some Israeli citizens are thought to have been killed.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 15:34 Comments ||
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#7
Looks like a wild night in Mumbai. From the Mumbai Mirror...
1.55am: Fire in the old Taj Mahal Hotel building, started after the blast in the dome.
1.35am: Encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar killed in gunfight with terrorists. Anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare also reported killed! Additional Commissioner Ashok Tampte also killed in firing at Metro. Cops are in a complete state of shock!
1.32am: There is no official line of information forthcoming. Even the television channels are flashing contradicting reports. But it has been established that it is a terrorist attack
1.15am: Firing reported at Hotel Ramada, Juhu. Four policemen killed in gun fire.
1.05am: One more blast at the Taj Hotel and one at the Oberoi Hotel
1.04am: Firing continues at CST station. 1 journalist injured. Firing from police van
1.02am: Two terrorists driving a state government car is reported to be heading towards Malabar Hill where the chief minister and other dignitaries stay.
12. 57am: Terrorists are reportedly holed in Room No 360 and 361 of Taj hotel.
12.55am: 45 police personnel have entered New Taj Mahal Hotel. Entire area cordoned off. Entire police force is on the streets.
12.52am: 2 terrorists shot dead at Girgaum Chowpatty and 2 terrorists have been arrested. They were attired in army fatigues, were clean-shaven and fair
12.48am: Blast on dome of Old Taj Mahal hotel. Heavy smoke visible. 150 employees of Hindustan Lever who were having a seminar there, trapped inside the hotel. HLL Managing director suspected to be among them
12.46 am: 2 terrorists in black Honda City reportedly firing randomly
12.41am: Firing reported from outside Maharashtra assembly! Stations evacuated. Police sealed a suspicious boat at Mazagaon Dock - an extremely sensitive area.
12.40am: Terrorists reported to have escaped in a police van from Cama Hospital!! This is the height!
12.37am: 100 reported injured. CST station (outstation) littered with blood. Two terrorists have escaped from Cama hospital.
12.30 am: Army stationed across Mumbai. 200 NSG commandos expected to land in Mumbai any moment. Police about to launch offensive inside Taj Mahal hotel and Oberoi hotel. First priority is to take hostages out safely.
Report 12.20am: Terrorists lob hand grenade from Taj Hotel. Another blast outside Oberoi Hotel. 4 injured.
Report 12.18 am: Terrorists using AK 47 guns.
Report 12.13 am: 18 people reported dead. 30 injured.
Report 12.08 am: 10 people reported killed.
Report 12.02 am: Firing still reported from CST station. Grenade lobbed at police van. 2 terrorists holed up inside Capitol Cinema.
Report 11.59 pm: Terrorists enter Cama hospital. Firing reported from there. Trains stopped at Byculla. Firing still reported from Oberoi Hotel. 3 people arrested at Oberoi hotel. Not sure if they are the terrorists.
Report 11.52 pm: 3 police officers injured.
Report 11.47 pm: 2 terrorists are holed up inside Oberoi Hotel. 2 terrorists reach GT hospital. Maharashtra DGP A N Roy advises Mumbaikars to stay indoors. Railways IG KP Raghuwanshi confirms it's a terrorist attack. Fifteen people have been injured (which includes a tourist) in seven separate instances of firing at CST station, Colaba (near Taj Mahal hotel), Vile Parle, and Nariman Pt. According to reports, it was an attempt to take over the Taj Mahal hotel, and latest reports indicate that all the occupants of Taj Mahal hotel have been bundled into three rooms and are safe. Two terrorists are still inside Taj Mahal hotel, and paramilitary forces have entered the building. The lobby of the hotel is full of blood stains. Latest reports indicate that one more blast has been reported at Vile Parle. Office-goers in all these three areas have been stuck in their offices as the police has asked companies to shut their gates. Says Jasleen Kaur Gupta, who works with The Times of India, "We have been locked inside our offices and can hear huge bullet shots and even loud noises that sound like bomb blasts. We are very scared."
First gun shots were heard around 9.15 pm. Latest reports indicate Leopold Cafe has been vacated. Unconfirmed reports indicate two groups as being involved in the fracas. All these three areas are deserted. Cars were seen backing off hastily, and people were seen running helter-skelter.
According to reports, Nigerian terrorists are suspected to be involved.
There is also news that there has been a blast in a Colaba building. Police and paramilitary forces have arrived on the scene.
#10
Encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar has been killed fighting terrorists outside the Oberoi Hotel.
We have featured him on the Burg in the past.
RIP
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 16:17 Comments ||
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#11
Searched for Vijay Salaskar. Found this interview with rediff.com. A Hero indeed. RIP.
Why did you join the police force?
Even as a young boy, I was very attracted by the idea of working for the enforcement of law and order.
Who was the first criminal you caught?
It was a hit-and-run case. A car accident. The chap had knocked down someone and instead of reporting it, he ran away. Someone managed to get the number of the vehicle and gave it to me. I traced it from the RTO and found the person who was driving the car. It was quite a simple case to solve.
Which was your first shootout?
It was in 1983. There was this chap called Raju Shahabuddin. He was basically a rapist, who also attempted to commit several murders. The shootout took place in Malad. One day I got the information that he was coming to Malad. We tracked him down quietly but he smelt the police was after him. So the moment we encountered him, he started shooting. In retaliation, we also fired. That was my first experience in getting shot at.
How did you acquire this reputation as a sharpshooter, an encounter specialist?
Frankly, I do not see myself in any such role. But people see me as that. The media sees me as that. Gradually perhaps I am coming to accept myself in the role. Though I must confess, I do not like such a reputation. It unnecessarily creates a bad impression, particularly among human rights activists. They feel I am a trigger-happy policeman. Famous for killing others. I do not enjoy having such a reputation, sir. I just do my job.
Why are you carrying two cell phones? Is one a hot line for informers?
Yes, you could say that. Informants contact me all the time. If I am busy with one phone, they can reach me on the other. This kind of information cannot wait.
Why do so many informers reach out to you? Is it because they get some kind of a reward? Or is it because your name is well known by now?
I think it is because they believe in me. They believe I will not relay the information to others, that I will not disclose their names. Reliability is very important. If people rely on me, they will tell me things that they will not tell others easily. That is the way we can anticipate crime, contain it.
Do you also believe that popular cinema has made an impact on crime in the city?
Yes, I do. I think crime is increasing because of many reasons. Films are one of them.
Why has crime become so romantic in our time?
You are referring, I think, to the film Satya. It has created a new sympathy for the underworld. If you see the Gawli gang, you will find that many among them marry each other in Dagdi Chawl. They have countless love affairs there. People, in fact, describe Dagdi Chawl as Prem Nagar. They fall in love with each other out there very easily. Women there have affection for and are attracted to criminals.
But why? Why is the criminal becoming such a colourful figure?
Can you blame these people? He wears so many gold chains around his neck, has ample money, cars, social recognition. People come to him for settling their disputes. One crore (10 million) here. Two crores there. Three crores somewhere else. You can see it with your own eyes, how these chaps wield so much power, so much importance.
Is it because traditional ways of seeking justice are failing or getting compromised? The courts take too long. The cops get bribed. The common man has nowhere to go.
That's right. That's why people go to them. Otherwise, why should they? Mostly they deal with civil matters because the police have no jurisdiction to get involved in civil crimes. If someone is cheated of Rs 500,000 today, where can he go? The courts will take years. So people find it simpler to go to criminals to recover their money. It is out of desperation more than anything else.
But the criminal extorts a huge fee for the service?
He does. But at least some money is recovered. The man feels that he has got something back. If you recovery even Rs 200,000 out of the Rs 500,000 (cheated from you), even that is something. It is better than losing the entire money. And the more important thing is that the money comes back immediately. You do not have to wait for years. If you go to court, what is the guarantee that even after 10 or 15 years you will get your money back?
From your experience, what kind of people are getting attracted to crime?
Young people. Anonymous people. People you cannot trace back.
Where do they come from? UP, Bihar, the interiors of Maharashtra?
Most of them are from Bombay itself.
Young, unemployed Maharashtrian boys?
Yes.
But why are they getting so attracted by crime? The absence of jobs?
After the Datta Samant strike, many mills closed down, many workers lost their jobs, their livelihood and went back to their roots. But their children refused to leave Bombay. They had become too used to it. They did not want to go back to the village and start life afresh in an unfamiliar environment. So they stayed back. But because they could not find proper employment, they slowly drifted into crime.
Which is the most powerful group in the criminal underworld today?
All of them are equally powerfully. Dawood, Chhota Rajan. Gawli. But Gawli is the most organised among them. He has to stay here in Bombay and, therefore, has no choice. The others live in Karachi and Malaysia and do not have to worry about their own safety. He lives here. He has to be better organised just to stay alive and in business. That is why he is putting so much effort into building his political empire. Every month he spends at least Rs 40 lakh (4 million) on his Akhil Bharatiya Sena.
Do you feel your life is constantly under threat?
Yes, but what can I do? On a job like this, what protection can anyone give you? In any case, we do not ask for more protection. What we ask for is recognition. We may get monetary rewards every time we catch a criminal or confiscate their weapons. But that is not what we risk our lives for. We risk our lives for recognition, for official acclaim. And we do not get enough of that, sir.
In other states, policemen of our rank are promoted when they capture or kill the most wanted criminals. I have captured and killed the biggest among them. I have risked my life many, many times. My family lives under the constant shadow of fear. On my job, I get a lot of support from my superiors but that is not the same as official recognition, promotions.
How does it feel to kill a man, looking him in the eye?
In a shootout, no one has time for such niceties. Either you kill or you get killed. I am plain lucky to still be alive. In this job, you know, we take one day at a time. Who can predict what tomorrow will bring?
#18
3 hostage situations, 16 groups of terrorists attacked targets
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 17:57 Comments ||
Top||
#19
Terror attacks like this, targeted against broad groups like - 'Westerners, 'Jews', 'wealthy', 'Christians', etc. without any concern about specific targets is very likely to eventually lead to similar reprisals: "Attack by Muslims - ok, take out a Muslim district, pick one." Escalation leads of course to: "Nuke Mecca."
#20
All hostages at Nariman house are dead.
Victims were Indian Jews and Israelis.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 18:01 Comments ||
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#21
I encourage the Indian government to, once they exterminate these scum, that they invite their extended families to move to Pakistan, with transportation provided by Indian army trucks.
Three police officers, including chief of ATS Hemant Karkare, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar and additional commissioner Ashok Kamte succumbed to their injuries in Wednesday's terror attack.
Karkare, IPS officer of the 1982 batch, had served in RAW for nine years and was made the ATS chief in January this year.
Vijay Salaskar, officer of the 1983 batch, had till recently killed around 75 dreaded criminals in police encounters. After being out of the spotlight for quite sometime, the encounter specialist was given the plum posting of heading the anti-extortion wing of the crime branch.
Ashok Kamte was the DCP, Zone 1, in Mumbai and was also the key officer in state police. He had also served as the commissioner of Solapur and was always known to be in the thick of action.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 18:27 Comments ||
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#23
Sorry this is happening to your people, John Frum.
This is the terroism that the US libs say 'isn't a problem', all hype from GWB's neo-cons, blather blather. BhzerO will have his hands full in less than 60 days, as will the rest of the civilized world.
#24
Motive? Clearly not the death of the victims, per se. And no chance of military victory over India. Seems like they are trying to crack the Indian economy to foster internal dissent. And/or to incite some reprisals to force a broader conflict, either within India or between India and Pakistan: in either case they would anticipate being able to pick up the pieces from the resulting chaos. Tried & failed with the strategy in Iraq, & seems even less likely to work here, but .....?
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 18:40 Comments ||
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#26
Navy commandos have reportedly stormed the Oberoi hotel where hostages are being held
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 18:58 Comments ||
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#27
Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, left, is the co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, India. His whereabouts are unknown following one of the worst terrorist attacks in India's history.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/26/2008 19:00 Comments ||
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#28
The reason, in my humble opinion, is to divide India from the West. To make the West reluctant to invest in and deal with India and to make Indians willing to allow potential targets into their nations.
The result, as far as I'm concerned is to give India carte blanche to deal with Kashmir however they damn well feel at this point.
#31
Rarely do I watch CNN but was trying to get various news feeds. This bitch on now is already talking about disaffected Muslim youth who were left behind by the tech boom and that they were angry with the harsh treatment by the CTS when they cracked down on Islamic terrorist recently. WTF
#32
A friend of mine is from Mumbai, and his family still live there. He's obviously on the phone, since I can't get in touch with him. Whoever is behind this needs to pay a HEAVY, HEAVY price. If it's the ISI (most likely), Islamabad needs to become part of Indian territory - along with much of the rest of Failedistan.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/26/2008 21:37 Comments ||
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#33
Long time the muzzies where thrown out of India. They have been nothing but a cancer.
#39
CBS radio reporting that Delta has cancelled today's flight to Bombay (presumably from NY) and is contemplating cancelling the flights for the rest of the week. Northwest and Continental are considering following suit.
#46
IBN is also reporting that the curious are coming to see what's going on. Why don't they have the immediate area around the hotels locked down? Also reporting a cinema being targeted.
(AKI) - Multiple attacks in Pakistan's volatile North Western Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas took place on Tuesday that killed at least 13 people and injured several others. Early on Tuesday, unidentified gunmen killed four people in the town of Kohat. Two others were injured, said Pakistan's Geo News TV.
In a separate incident in the neighbouring Hangu district, a shooting at a hotel killed three more people. Nine other were wounded in the attack.
Also on Tuesday, a remote-controlled bomb was detonated near a convoy carrying Pakistan's NWFP's Minister for Labour, Sher Azam. The minister reportedly escaped unharmed.
The Pakistani army killed at least six militants in Bajaur's tribal region near the Afghan border overnight and on Tuesday, security officials said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
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BAGHDAD Eighteen young women purportedly belonging to a suicide bombing network in northern Iraq surrendered to U.S. forces on Wednesday, a top U.S. commander said.
Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, who leads U.S. forces in northern Iraq, said the women turned themselves in after a local cleric and their families persuaded them that suicide attacks violated the tenets of Islam.
The number of bombings carried out by women has spiked this year even as overall violence has declined, and Hertling said Wednesday's surrender would deal a significant blow to recruitment efforts.
U.S. military figures show 31 attacks by 35 female suicide bombers so far this year, compared with eight in 2007.
Hertling said the cleric approached U.S. forces earlier this week to tell them about a group of 21 women who were part of a suicide bombing network. On Wednesday, 18 of the women surrendered and signed a form promising not to conduct attacks as part of a reconciliation program, Hertling said.
"This will significantly affect at least part of the female network cells in the northern area of operations," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
He said the women were young and from prominent families headed by sheiks, but he refused to give other details, including their ages or locations, citing ongoing interrogations and the need to protect the cleric.
Hertling also declined to say what would happen to the women but said they were currently being confined together while the case was investigated and preliminary indications were that Al Qaeda in Iraq was to blame.
The use of female suicide bombers is part of a shift in insurgent tactics to avoid detection at U.S.-Iraqi military checkpoints that have become ubiquitous in Iraq as part of increased security measures.
Iraqi women often are allowed to pass through male-guarded checkpoints without being searched, and they traditionally wear flowing black robes that make it easier to hide explosives belts.
To counter the threat, the U.S. military has stepped up efforts to recruit women for the Iraqi security forces.
Hertling said 17 female suicide bombers had struck northern Iraq in the 15 months since his unit arrived, killing 79 people and wounding 183, but he welcomed a recent downturn with only one attack this month and one in October.
The main targets were Iraqi police and civilians in public places, he said.
Some female bombers appear motivated by revenge, like the woman who killed 15 people in Diyala province on Dec. 7. She was a former member of Saddam Hussein's Baath party whose two sons joined Al Qaeda in Iraq and were killed by Iraqi security forces.
But activists and U.S. commanders also believe Al Qaeda in Iraq is increasingly seeking to exploit women who are unable to deal with the grief of losing husbands, children and others to the violence.
A U.S. Marine and a soldier were shot to death Tuesday while conducting a humanitarian mission north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
Protesters demonstrate Friday in downtown Baghdad against a deal to keep U.S. forces in Iraq.
Protesters demonstrate Friday in downtown Baghdad against a deal to keep U.S. forces in Iraq.
Another two Marines and three civilians also were wounded in the attack, which occurred in Baaj, in the northern province of Nineveh, the military said.
Military officials said the unit came under fire from two men -- one of whom appeared to be wearing an Iraqi military uniform.
"The attack appears to have been unprovoked," said Col. Bill Buckner, spokesman for the Multi-National Corps-Iraq. "It is unknown if the attacker was an Iraqi soldier or an insurgent in disguise."
The incident is under investigation and the names of the U.S. troops are being withheld until their families are notified.
Thank goodness our lord Obabma has ascended into Washington so that our war is now a humanitarian mission.
US says 2 servicemen killed in shooting in Iraq
By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press
BAGHDAD Two American servicemen were killed Tuesday when a gunman in an Iraqi army uniform opened fire while they were distributing humanitarian aid in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.
It was the third such shooting in the Mosul area in less than a year purportedly involving Iraqi soldiers, raising concerns about infiltration of the Iraqi security forces in one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq.
The shooting, southwest of Mosul near the Syrian border, came on the eve of a parliament vote on a pact that would allow American troops to remain in Iraq three more years. Iraq's government says its police and army are not ready to maintain security on their own.
The attack killed a Marine and an Army soldier on a transition team working with the Iraqis, a military statement said. Two Marines and three Iraqi civilians also were wounded, it said.
"The attack appears to have been unprovoked," Col. Bill Buckner, a U.S. military spokesman, was quoted as saying.
He said it was unknown if the attacker was an Iraqi soldier or an insurgent in disguise, saying a joint investigation was under way. The statement said another man also was involved.
Other U.S. military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information, said the gunman was in Iraqi army custody and appeared to be an Iraqi soldier. Could be an interesting discussion.
The American servicemen and Iraqi soldiers were passing out blankets near Baaj, a mainly Sunni Arab area near the border, about 75 miles southwest of Mosul, when the midday attack occurred, one of the officials said.
The gunman, who fired from about 50-100 yards away, fled after the attack, the official said.
#1
Let's see. I believe that the Iraqis want first crack at American soldiers if they commit some kind of criminal offense while in Iraq. I sort of understand that, but I don't trust their system any farther than I can throw it.
In any case, does that mean reciprocity is in order? Do we get to try Iraqis who commit murder against Americans soldiers?
#3
In any case, does that mean reciprocity is in order?
No.
Do we get to try Iraqis who commit murder against Americans soldiers?
No. We didn't have that in the Phillippines, nor in Japan, Germany, or Korea. It's been that way since we signed SoFAs with those countries. What makes you think we'd have it in Iraq?
why didn't this man die on the spot
Because it's difficult to beat information out of a dead man?
Israel again sealed the borders of the impoverished Gaza Strip on Tuesday following rocket fire, with Palestinian officials saying the territory's sole power plant was forced to shut down because of the crippling blockade. Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired a rocket at southern Israel on Monday, causing no casualties or damage, an Israeli military spokesman said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Israel seals Gaza again after retaliatory rocket fire
I was in Israel last week visiting daughter. We had cable in the room. Interestingly, Al Jazeera English had less bias than the BBC (an far less sneering).
Security forces ambushed and killed scores of Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka yesterday, the defence ministry said, adding its troops were poised to take the rebels' political capital. Government soldiers occupying a newly-captured bunker line from the Tiger rebels in the Jaffna peninsula carried out the ambush early Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement. It did not say if there were casualties among troops.
However, the ministry said government soldiers in the northern mainland were set to take the town of Kilinochchi, the political capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Heavy fighting was raging along three fronts on the outskirts of Kilinochchi despite monsoon rains, the ministry said.
"Soldiers are busy with strengthening the supply backbone for troops in the forward areas with loads of food, drinking water and medicine being transported there," the ministry said. "Troops await the next move. 'Kilinochchi we are coming' is their motto," the statement added.
On Monday, the ministry said 27 soldiers had been killed and another 70 wounded in fighting around Kilinochchi. The Tigers said they killed 43 troops while the military claimed they had killed over 120 Tigers.
A pro-rebel report, meanwhile, said the guerrillas killed 43 soldiers in a separate battle Sunday and halted the government's march toward a strategic crossroads northwest of Kilinochchi. TamilNet quoted unidentified rebel officials as saying the clash occurred in Nalloor village. The rebels took away the bodies of eight soldiers, it said.
Rebel officials could not be contacted for comment on the government report because communication lines to the north have been severed.
The head of the government's security information centre, Lakshman Hulugalle, declined to comment on the report by the pro-rebel Web site, saying the government would not respond to accounts by rebel supporters.
The government has vowed to crush the rebels and end their decades-old separatist campaign. Government soldiers in recent months have captured a number of key rebel bases and large swaths of land previously controlled by the guerrillas, seizing the country's entire west and forcing the insurgents into a shrinking territory in the northeast.
However, the rebels have offered stiff resistance as the soldiers approach Kilinochchi.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 00:00 ||
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The capture of Abdel Rahman Awad, the elusive Fatah al-Islam fugitive, is being delayed due to the delicate politics that govern life in the sprawling Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp where he is thought to be hiding, Palestinian sources have told The Daily Star.
Lebanese authorities have issued a warrant for Awad's arrest for his alleged involvement in a series of deadly bombings which targeted the army in Tripoli over the summer. The militant, who is known as the "Prince of Al-Qaeda" for his ties to international Islamist networks, has also been linked to a suicide bombing in Damascus in September.
Security forces have asked their Palestinian counterparts, who are responsible for law and order in the camp, to capture Awad as quickly as possible, but despite promises that action will be taken no substantial progress in bringing him to justice appears to have been made.
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) held a meeting with senior Palestinian figures last week in which the military accused the militant of holding the inhabitants of the camp "hostage." But Awad has supporters inside the camp, where there is talk of a fatwa (religious edict) binding Islamist groups to protecting him. But the imam of Al-Quds Mosque in Sidon, Sheikh Maher Hammoud, has issued a fatwa of his own calling for Awad's surrender.
A senior Palestinian source told The Daily Star that while the major political parties in the camp were in agreement that Awad should be handed over as soon as possible, the opposition of armed splinter groups has made such a decision politically sensitive. "There is so much politics among the parties involved," the source said. "Otherwise, why would we have this delay?"
Secular Fatah officials in the camp are said to fear a collapse in support if they hand over Awad, a Palestinian, to Lebanese security forces and are trying to build cross-party support for his arrest with religious parties rather than risking instability by acting unilaterally.
The source said this approach meant that the prospect of serious unrest in the camp over Awad's potential arrest was unlikely. "All the major parties in the camp are in favor of his capture or surrender," the source said. "There are a few Islamist splinter groups who disagree, but I don't think they will dare to stand in the face of the main parties."
This article starring:
Abdel Rahman Awad
Fatah al-Islam
Sheikh Maher Hammoud
Posted by: Fred ||
11/26/2008 09:55 ||
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#1
So the politics of life in Ein El-Hellhole are "delicate." I did not know that.
#2
Security forces have asked their Palestinian counterparts, who are responsible for law and order in the camp, to capture Awad as quickly as possible, but despite promises that action will be taken no substantial progress in bringing him to justice appears to have been made.
Yeah. Kinda funny how that always seems to happen...
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.
After all that time with the dawgs you have to get rid of those pesky fleas. Could someone help me, my hands a full.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The police in Kandahar Province arrested 10 Taliban militants they said were involved in an attack this month on a group of Afghan schoolgirls whose faces were doused with acid, officials in Kandahar said Tuesday.
After a two-month ordeal, five crew members of a cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates returned to India on Monday. 
The U.S. military has decided to transfer Osama bin Laden's former driver from custody at Guantanamo Bay to his home in Yemen, ending the seven-year saga of a man the Bush administration considered a dangerous terrorist but whom a military jury found to be a low-level aide. 
The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal here yesterday sentenced Chittagong divisional chief of banned 
The investigations into the July 11, 2006, Mumbai serial blasts on Tuesday looked set to get a big push with the detention of a prime 
A German court on Monday ordered the release of a former leader of the Red Army Faction, the Marxist group that terrorized West German industrialists, bankers and politicians, as well as U.S. military officials, in the 1970s and 1980s. 
Federal law enforcement sources believe that a Twin Cities man blew himself up in a suicide bombing in Northern Somalia last month. The FBI and Homeland Security are investigating whether 
BAGHDAD Eighteen young women purportedly belonging to a suicide bombing network in northern Iraq surrendered to U.S. forces on Wednesday, a top U.S. commander said.
Security forces ambushed and killed scores of Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka yesterday, the defence ministry said, adding its troops were poised to take the rebels' political capital. Government soldiers occupying a newly-captured bunker line from the Tiger rebels in the Jaffna peninsula carried out the ambush early Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement. It did not say if there were casualties among troops.
The capture of 
