Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
11/03/2009 15:07 Comments ||
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#2
No, but neither were the 3000 people that died on 9/11/01. We're not there to "rescue" Afghanistan, but to try to ensure another 9/11 won't happen. That's a much harder job, but it's the only thing that will ensure such an event won't happen again.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/03/2009 15:21 Comments ||
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#3
Old Patriot is right. We're not there to save them. We're there to save our future.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/03/2009 16:17 Comments ||
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#4
False question. And the one the left will use to replace the questions we should be asking about the war in Afghanistan. The Afghan War needs to be redefined somewhat to give the left more political room to operate in.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
11/03/2009 17:29 Comments ||
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#5
#3: Old Patriot is right. We're not there to save them. We're there to save our future.
Then scorch the damn place, and the tribal areas of Pakistan too.
#7
We're there because of these souls and to prevent another repeat by the perps and their sponsors and abettors. Those who serve and have served know the risks and are willing volunteers to do the job.
#8
I fought in a war 40 years ago that is all too familiar to this one.
Goofy rules of engagement, fighting for a tie, corrupt ally, ambivalent local population, enemy with sanctuaries, weak US political leadership, shrinking public support, etc etc.
I ask the question: If Afghanistan is ungovernable, how do we win and get out? Will this country be willing to stay in Afghanistan for a generation? How long before the US population says enough is enough and demands their leaders pull the plug?
Will these brave souls be wasted as we were in Vietnam?
#10
without Wonderboy giving clear commander's intent U.S. support will erode quick. Are we there to pacify or fix a culture that we don't have the time or resources to fix.
#11
The embedded (false) assumption in the whole Afghanistan debate is it would revert to a pre-9/11 state without US and western intervention.
The world has changed over the last 8 years and China and India are both asserting themselves regionally.
We should leave it up to the regional players to sort out Afghanistan. They have strategic interests there and the West, especially the USA, Canada and Australia, don't.
My concern is that a war the West need to fight is on the horizon and when it arrives the will to fight it will have been squandered in Afghanistan.
#12
Bush should have declared victory and withdrawn 4 or 5 years ago. Instead he got suckered into nation-building. Now it's going to be like getting out of quicksand. We don't even have any North Vietnamese to negotiate with. Obama will just get a lot of kids killed because he can't make a decision.
#13
There's far more at stake in that rotten country and the rest of the world (including here) than being publicly addressed.
Lacking leadership, that country will become what it may no matter how many die.
That stated, the answer is a definitive 'no'.
History will likely judge David Gaubatz and his son patriots of the new cold war, and the fallen and veterans of its victory 'heroes'.
How history will judge this President, however, truly depend on 'who writes it'.
That, my friends, is the core of the fight.
#14
If Afghanistan is ungovernable, how do we win and get out?
GolfBravoUSMC, IMHO you've got that back to front.
you win by getting out and then managing Afghan from the outside.
The book of counter insurgency as well as the the book of counter terrorism can be thrown into the rubbish bin. There is only one book that matters and that is the history book. As Phil_B noted, there are regional players playing the "Great Game" here and we are squandering our resources that are going to be needed for the bigger threat, resurgent Islamism. The history books indicate the way to deal with Afghanistan is to divide and conquer. Back the fighting tribal group that aligns with our interest with resources, including UAV targeting of their opponents and fight the funding of their opponents outside of the country.
A bomb disposal specialist who had defused more than 60 improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan died when one went off as he tried to disarm it.
Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30, was on his last day before two weeks of rest and recuperation after a five-month tour in charge of an improvised explosive device (IED) search team in Helmand province. He was due back there next month.
He died instantly when an IED that he was examining by the British forward operation base in the town of Sangin exploded on Saturday. The Ministry of Defence said that Staff Sergeant Schmid had a natural aptitude for bomb disposal work and had passed the course to become a high-threat operator this year. This qualified him to work in Afghanistan, regarded as the pinnacle of a bomb disposal specialists career.
He deployed to the country in June, and had rendered safe 64 IEDs. The Army has lost another experienced bomb disposal specialist this year. Captain Daniel Shepard, of the Joint Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, was killed in Helmand in July. Staff Sergeant Oz Schmid joined the Army in 1996. He lived with his wife, Christina, and stepson, Laird, 5, in Winchester. His wife said: Oz was a phenomenal husband and loving father who was cruelly murdered on his last day before two weeks off after a relentless five-month tour.
He was my best friend and soulmate. The pain of losing him is overwhelming. I take comfort knowing he saved countless lives with his hard work. I am so proud of him.
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Thomson, commanding officer of 2 Rifles Battle Group, to which Staff Sergeant Schmid was attached, described him as simply the bravest and most courageous man I have ever met. He said: Under relentless IED and small arms attacks he stood taller than the tallest. I adored working with him. No matter how difficult or lethal the task which lay in front of us, he was the man who only saw solutions. He saved lives in 2 Rifles time after time and for that he will retain a very special place in every heart of every Rifleman in our extraordinary battle group.
Colonel Thomson added: Superlatives do not do the man justice. Better than the best. Better than the best of the best.
Lieutenant-Colonel Gareth Bex,commanding officer of the Counter-IED Task Force of the Royal Logistic Corps, said: Staff Sergeant Oz Schmid was a brilliant operator and a superb soldier. We loved him like a brother. He was a much adored member of our close-knit family. The Army has been robbed of a superb talent.
Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, said that Staff Sergeant Schmids bravery, skill and selfless commitment undoubtedly saved lives.
#5
I am amazed that a people who can produce so many astoundingly good men like SSgt Schmid can have such timid, feckless politicians. Rest in Peace, Sir.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/03/2009 15:26 Comments ||
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#6
Just a matter of time---like being an ace in WWI.
#10
I guess one reason would be that they might be in a populated area.
Consider it incentive for the locals to shoot the IED planters.
Posted by: ed ||
11/03/2009 17:45 Comments ||
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#11
EOD have a very different culture from most military, and difficult to describe, at best. A particularly striking aspect, at least to other military, are those that have "God" security clearances, for things like dealing with nuclear trigger documents.
That is, "sign on the door, one person in the vault, loaded .45 on the desk, round in chamber, trigger back. If someone enters, you shoot them."
Damn. They mean it. One senior NCO I talked with was court martialed. First, for almost shooting his CO, and second, for *not* shooting his CO. He was saved by pointing out conflicting regulations, of equal authority.
The weirdest situation of all was speculated to be a Nuclear Accident and Incident (NAI) helicopter crash, in which the EOD tritium detectors have gone off, meaning six months of medical Hell for all EOD personnel.
Surrounded by Military Police with "kill all lifeforms attempting to enter the perimeter" orders. And with Chemical Corps and medical response outside of *them*, waiting politely to pick up the pieces of various kinds.
#12
I'm not too knowledgeable on this but why are these IEDs defused rather than detonated/exploded?
Populated area, near vital installations/equipment, save for future analysis, etc.
A particularly striking aspect, at least to other military, are those that have "God" security clearances, for things like dealing with nuclear trigger documents. That is, "sign on the door, one person in the vault, loaded .45 on the desk, round in chamber, trigger back. If someone enters, you shoot them."
That's the 'PRP'. And one didn't keep the trigger back - not on my ship.
[Maghrebia] Algerian security forces disrupted a planned suicide or car bombing attack on military facilities in Constantine, Echorouk reported on Sunday (November 1st). Police and investigators searching the residences of three recently-arrested terror suspects reportedly uncovered detailed plans and drawings of military sites in and around the eastern city. These include El Mansoura, home to the regional command of the national gendarmerie.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) started a manhunt to capture the chief of banned militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Maulana Saidur Rahman and his son Bashar following information gleaned from Saidur's detained wife.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday placed Saidur's second wife Nurunnahar Himu and her younger brother Muktasim Billah Rubel's wife Asma Mimi on a three-day remand each in a case filed with Sabujbagh Police Station.
Rab sources said the two will be taken to Task Force for Interrogation cell.
Investigation officer of the case produced them before the court with 10 days' remand prayer following their arrest. The court, however, granted three days' bail.
A team of Rab-3 arrested them at their rented house at Mayakanon of the city's Sabujbagh on Sunday.
Rab also recovered some papers inscribed with instructions on how to make bombs, explosives circuits, some leaflets and books on Jihad and documents on JMB funds from their possession.
Former Habiganj district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Saidur Rahman has been working as JMB Ameer and his son Abu Talha Mohammad Fahim alias Bashar as the coordinator since the execution of erstwhile JMB chief Abdur Rahman with five other leaders in 2007.
I don't know what to say -- there isn't a single Rab encounter in this article.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
#1
"I don't know what to say -- there isn't a single Rab encounter in this article."
Then, Dear Listener, please, as they say, 'stay tuned.'
I believe they are waiting for the clcok to strike the magical hour ( like oh-dark-thirty) before they pounce on the unsuspecting, yet spidey-sense-enabled miscreants. And then the fun will surely ensue.....
[Bangla Daily Star] The Criminal Investigation Department yesterday arrested Moulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, founder of banned Islamist group Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji), for suspected links with the August 21 grenade blasts. A Dhaka court placed the arrestee on a six-day remand in the afternoon.
The detention comes a week after former BNP state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar was shown arrested in the case filed for the blasts. Queried, CID officials did not give the exact time and place of Salam's arrest. They only said they picked him up from the city yesterday.
Meanwhile, a source close to Salam's family claimed a team of plainclothes CID men held him Sunday afternoon on the Dhaka Judges' Court premises where he went to appear before a court in the CPB rally blast case.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Pakistan's military spokesman said Monday that troops had taken full control of Kanigurram, one of the biggest towns in South Waziristan and formerly a key Taliban operational center as 33 people were killed in a large blast in Rawalpindi.
"Kanigurram area has been completely cleared of terrorists," Major General Athar Abbas told a news conference in Islamabad.
Earlier in thr day a suicide bomber targeted soldiers queuing for their salaries outside a Pakistan bank and hotel, Al Arabiya news channel reported, adding at least six soldiers were among the dead and 60 people wounded.
The United Nations earlier pulled expatriate staff from the northwest citing security reasons.
Television stations showed pictures of ambulances and police vehicles racing through the streets, sirens blaring.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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The Pakistani military says hundreds of foreign militants have fled the South Waziristan tribal area as its troops have taken the war to the militants' strongholds.
Pakistani commanders told reporters on a visit to the normally closed conflict area on Sunday that between 600 and 800 foreign militants had been based in and around Kanigurram, a strategic town in South Waziristan.
Kanigurram has been a major "operational center" for foreign militants and a base for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Military sources said the foreigners were mostly Uzbeks but there were also some Chechens, Arabs, and militants of other nationalities.
However, senior Pakistani army officials claim that the militants' back has been broken by the heavy onslaught from jet fighters, helicopters, and artillery over the past few weeks.
"They are on the run," Brigadier Mohammad Ihsan said.
Nearly 30,000 Pakistani army soldiers have been deployed to fight against the militants based in the northwestern tribal area that borders Afghanistan.
Nearly 300 militants and more than 31 Pakistani soldiers have been killed since the operation was launched in the mountainous terrain on October 17.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
DAILYNEWS.PK > TTP: WE ARE PREPARED FOR A LONG WAR. Group officially denies that PAK Army is prevailing in South Wazirstan fighting, saying that seeming Talib pullbacks or withdrawals are part of a larger Talib strategy.
Also, PM MANMOHAN SINGH WANTS OPEN PAK-INDIAN BORDERS [ Non- = Demilitarized ala US-CANADA].
* SAME/CNN > HILLARY SAYS US IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AL QAEDA'S ESCAPE [from AFGHANSTAN] INTO PAKISTAN [post 9-11 = 2001-2002].
* PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUMS > SITUATION WORSENING? PAK ARMY CANCELS ALL LEAVES FOR NEXT TWO MONTHS.
Also, "GIVE UP ARMS" [ + violence]: INDIAN MUSLIM CLERICS TELLS TERRORISTS AND MAOISTS [INDJUH + WORLD].
BHARAT RAKSHAK > IIRC MAOISTS USE GUNS/VIOLENCE TO ENFORCE UNIVERSAL PEMANENT POVERTY. or artic to this effect???
[Dawn] Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a police checkpoint near bus terminals at the entrance to the city of Lahore late Monday, killing one policeman and wounding 25 people, including seven policemen.
The bombers struck after dark at the Babu Sabu police checkpost on a link road to Pakistan's intercity motorway that dissects the country from the northwestern city of Peshawar to the capital Islamabad and east to Lahore.
Both of the attackers were killed in the bombing as they reportedly blew themselves up while carrying out the attack.
'A car was stopped at the check post and the two suicide bombers in the car exploded themselves. We have found legs and a head,' city police chief Pervez Rathor told reporters at the scene.
According to Rescue 1122, at least 25 people have been injured in the attack. The injured are being taken to the Jinnah Hospital and the Services Hospital.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
TWO suicide bombings were in the offing since these vermin don't depart this world in pairs. They were caught carpooling to their destinations, and felt the jig was up at this checkpoint.
My condolences to the family of the policeman who died doing his job instead of waving them on with a nod and a wink.
[Dawn] Twelve militants were killed during the past 24 hours in the South Waziristan operation, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Athar Abbas said.
Troops have also taken full control of Kanigurram, one of the biggest towns in South Waziristan and formerly a key Taliban operational centre, Abbas said.
The villages of Cheena and Makeen have also been cleared, he said.
The operation is progressing as planned and terrorists' designs have been foiled by the army in Waziristan, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Troops fought deadly street battles in a Taliban stronghold and a den of Uzbek fighters on Sunday, pressing their operation in South Waziristan into a third week and killing nine militants.
'Search and clearance operation in Kaniguram has commenced and 50 per cent of the town has been cleared,' the military said in a statement.
Troops were fighting street by street in what commanders had described as a major Tehrik-i-Taliban 'operational centre' and base for Uzbek fighters, a military official said. A military officer told reporters on a visit to the area that hundreds of foreign fighters were on the run.
Between 600 and 800 foreign militants had been in and around Kaniguram, but their resistance was broken by heavy bombing from jet fighters, helicopters and artillery, Brig Mohammad Ihsan said.
'They are on the run,' he added. The foreigners were mostly Uzbeks, but also Chechens and Arabs, he said. He said they might have made a strategic withdrawal, but the military was prepared for any guerilla attacks the militants might mount.
Reporters travelling with military personnel through areas under their control observed damaged houses and markets and signs that improvised explosive devices had exploded. Roads were marked with the tracks of armoured vehicles.
'The direct operation will take one to two months,' Brig Ihsan said.
Up to 250,000 people had fled the fighting, another official said.
Intelligence and Frontier Corps officials said several militants had also been injured. Advancing troops had massed on three sides outside Taliban strongholds Sararogha and Makin, and impounded weapons in Karama, an Uzbek stronghold, the military said.
In Patok Narai, two soldiers and five militants were killed.
The military said an 'important phase' of its three-pronged offensive had begun as troops had reached the outskirts of Sararogha and Makin. Makin is being described as 'the nerve centre' of the militants, while Sararogha, about 20kms southeast of Makin, houses a strategic fort manned by a paramilitary force until it was captured by Taliban last year after killing several soldiers and taking dozens hostage.
Security officials said military jets and helicopter gunships pounded militant positions in and around Makin.
The military said security forces had captured all the important features and ridges overlooking Sararogha.
According to a press release, security forces completed sanitisation of Zariwam and consolidated positions around Point 1435, Point 1342, Point 1389 and Point 1290. Two soldiers were injured during the operation.
Areas along the road up to Biga, north of Kaniguram, and northwest of Badar Algad, up to the town, were cleared.
One soldier was injured and four terrorists killed after an attack with small arms and rockets on a security checkpoint near Asman Manza.
Troops secured Khazar Manzor Ziarat, south of Asman Manza, and apprehended one terrorist and seized a machinegun.
In Karama, two caches of mines, explosives, ammunition, an operation theatre with Russian equipment and a vehicle laden with ammunition and explosives were destroyed.
One terrorist was captured in Karwan Narai.
On the Razmak-Makin axis, the Litta Sar area was cleared.
Security forces claimed that they had seized three 14.5mm guns and three 12.7mm guns, two light machineguns mounted on vehicles, eight .303 and four mark-4 rifles, 16 rockets of RPG-7 and 59 other rockets, four 7mm rifles, an SMG, five walkie-talkie sets, 10 communication sets, six jammers, a telescope, two binoculars, a communication system with Patcom antenna, 12 high-explosive and 24 Arges grenades, 11 fire extinguisher vehicles, two blasting machines, five anti-tank mines, four heavy mortars, a missile launcher with three missiles, 25 82mm bombs, an SPG-9 grenade launcher with 50 rockets and 15 passports.
'The command and control structure of the Taliban exists in Sararogha, Makin and Laddah,' a security official said. 'It's going to be a tough fight for these places.'
During Operation Rah-i-Rast in Malakand region, two terrorists surrendered in Bishbanr and Shadhand Banda and seven suspects were captured in Durshkhela. Security personnel found a huge cache of ammunition in Sore Banda, near Peochar. -- Agencies
Sailab Mehsud adds from Laddah:
A military commander said 124 militants had been killed in the offensive in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan and the army had lost 18 soldiers. Brig Mohammad Shafiq told journalists that Operation Rah-i-Nijat, launched on Oct 17, was successful beyond expectation.
'Militants' days are numbered and the area will be cleared very soon,' he said, adding that troops were advancing steadily towards Sararogha.
A security official said troops had destroyed hideouts in Kotkai and seized weapons from bunkers.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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Every country [save RUSSIA for now] is initiating hopefully DECISIVE/STRATEGIC MIL-LED CAMPAIGNS AGZ ANY AND ALL RADICALIST GROUPS OR ELEMENTS, REAL OR NOT???
[Dawn] The Government of Pakistan on Monday offered rewards worth five million dollars for information leading to the capture, dead or alive, of Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud and 18 other lieutenants.
The rewards were offered in a black and white government advertisement on the front page of The News daily and flashed on Pakistani television channels overnight.
'Anyone who captures these people dead or alive or provides concrete information, the government will award them a cash reward,' it said.
'The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) terrorists are daily involved in deadly activities and because of their activities innocent Muslims are going to the valley of death,' it added.
The largest rewards, of 50 million Pakistan rupees, were offered for TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, senior leader Wali ur-Rehman Mehsud and Qari Hussain Mehsud, once described as a master trainer of suicide bombers.
Eleven other commanders had rewards of 20 million rupees and rewards of 10 million rupees were on offer for five others.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] An explosion occurred on Rawalpindi's busy Mall Road on Monday. At least 30 people were killed, while more than 45 were reportedly injured.
According to reports, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the vicinity of the busy Mall Road, in the high-security area of Rawalpindi Cantt. Major hotels, including the Pearl Continental, as well as other important government and army installations are located in the area where the blast occurred.
Monday's explosion left bodies on the ground outside the bank and in a nearby hotel parking lot, witness Zahid Dara said. The stricken area also lies close to the army's main headquarters.
'I was nearby and rushed toward the parking area,' Dara told a private television channel. 'There were many people lying on the ground with bleeding wounds, and a motorcycle was on fire with one man under it.'
The attacker rode a motorbike to the scene, and the 30 people dead included military personnel, Rawalpindi police chief Rao Iqbal said. Some 45 others were wounded, he said.
'The bodies were lying all over,' said Ali Babar, a rescue official who was doing a refresher course at a nearby college and rushed to the scene to help. 'This is a terrible thing. It is happening again and again.'
The intensity of the blast left numerous buildings in the area with shattered windows. Vehicles parked in the area were also damaged.
Rescue work was underway and the injured were being shifted to hospitals.
The government declared an emergency in hospitals across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Security forces also cordoned off the area, while military personnel also arrived at the site of the blast.
The attack comes amidst a deadly wave of terrorist attacks which have killed over 190 in the last month.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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SRINAGAR: It seems these are the worst of times to be a militant in Kashmir. First, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was axed to death by a teenage girl in Rajouri roughly a month ago. Now, a bear has mauled two Hizbul Mujahideen militants to death as they hid in its cave in Shopian, South Kashmir.
According to defence spokesman Lt Col J S Brar, the two commanders dared to colonise a bear's cave at Darwal Nar in Pir Panjal in Shopian and paid for it with their lives. For, late on Sunday night, as the two slept, the bear came calling.
"It attacked the armed militants and killed them on the spot," Brar said.
It was only on Monday morning that an Army patrol party saw two bodies inside the cave and, on frisking through their clothes, found that they were Hizbul Mujahideen commanders.
Medical examinations revealed that the two were mauled to death by a bear. The two were identified as Kaisar Ahmad and Saifullah, both residents of Kashmir, the spokesman said.
Two Ak 47 rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the spot, he added.This is the first known instance in last 20 years of insurgency in J&K of a wild animal attacking and killing militants, who have their hideouts mostly in dense forests or on mountain ranges.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Somebody's been eating my porridge!
Somebody's been sitting in my chair!
Somebody's been sleeping in my cave!
#2
A Texas Sheriff stops at a ranch in rural Texas and talks with an old farmer.
He tells the farmer, 'I need to inspect your ranch for illegal grown drugs.'
The old farmer says, 'Okay, but be careful not to go into that field over there.'
The Sheriff explodes saying, 'Mister, I have the authority of the Sheriffs Department with me.' Reaching into his rear pant pocket and removing his badge. The officer proudly displays it to the farmer. 'See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish on any land. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?'
The old farmer nods politely and goes about his chores.
Later, the old farmer hears loud screams and spies the Sheriff running for his life and close behind is the farmer's bull. With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer. The Sheriff is clearly terrified.
The old farmer immediately throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs.....
#13
If the Indians really want to secure their borders, they need to train a couple of dozen brood sows to attack anyone packing an AK-47. Let 'em loose after dark, and pick 'em back up before sunrise. Ignore whatever they do in the meantime (do tidy up the mess, however). Pretty soon that stretch of the border will be like a plague zone for infiltrators.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/03/2009 15:45 Comments ||
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#14
Wow. Guess who gets promoted to human in his/her/its next life....
One of the jihadis?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/03/2009 19:03 Comments ||
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[Ma'an] Israeli military courts sentenced two men from the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem to prison terms on Monday on charges of belonging to a banned organization.
The Salem military court sentenced Bilal Rajab, 33, to 11 years in prison on the charge of membership in Fatah's armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades.
Rajab was detained by Israeli soldiers who raided his home in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on 26 October. He has been held in Israel's Meggido prison since then.
Another man, Hasan Tahsin Salameh, was also sentenced to seven years in prison for membership in the Al-Aqsa Brigades. He is also currently in Meggido prison.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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Palestinian security guards have foiled a Jewish gunman's attempt to infiltrate the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Palestinian official reports.
Hatim Abdulqader, who is in charge of the Jerusalem Al-Quds portfolio in the Fatah movement told Arab News that the Palestinian guards succeeded in stopping the gunman as he went up the stairs of a building adjacent to the mosque on Sunday.
The man, who had strapped a machine gun on his back, is believed to have been trying to massacre worshippers in the mosque compound, the report said.
Abdulqader added that Palestinian security forces are working round the clock to foil any Israeli attack against the mosque.
The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage has declared that the man was handed over to the Israeli police, who later claimed that he was mad.
Adnan Al-Husseini, the governor of Jerusalem Al-Quds, said the plot "could not be carried out by a mad man." He accused rightist Jewish movements of planning the incident.
I couldn't find anything about this in the Jerusalem Post. Of course, that may just be a result of my poor searching skills.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Of course, that may just be a result of my poor searching skills
Hey, Grumpy G(r)om, allow me this attempt at translating a comment from a french blog I found interesting (because it goes in the way of what I've experienced/came to conclude) :
Le 03/11/09 à 11:0514la crevette
Isha, comment 12 : yes, yes, those youths effectively live in that parallal universe you describe : last winter I followed an academic conferences cycle on islam and we had a ZEP (IE = special pedagogy areas, novlang for Diverse areas) professor who talked about the muslim kids he taught to, I quote him verbatim from my notes
[ Thematic: Islam, what stake & challenge for ZEP teaching ?]
2/ 2nd characteristic : the law of numbers. Among muslims, numbers and majority are law/legitimacy. But, they are persuaded, in those areas, to actually be the most numerous population in France. They stay in their neighbourhoods and keep themself in a self-insulated world (physically as well as intellectually). And, one must admit that their numbers are rising, first of all mass immigration let population go in France that arenot necessirally, and they have much higher birthrates; a big family for a french poulation is 3 or 4 children, for them, this would be ridiculous, it would be 9-10. They therefore sincerely think they are a majority. [NDA: anecdotic story about 11 yers old kids saying in relation to something 'there still are french people? We thought they were dwindling down'). They therefore don't affirm themselves as frenhc at all (it would even be unthinkable for them!) and see for example the la Marseillaise as a racist and islamophobic anthem. That's why they boo it. History for them boils down to a struggle between Christians and muslims, nothing more. Their lack of intellectual curiosity is absolute, nothing outside of islam. All those feelings legitimate and nurture an hatred of Christians and french : they are unable to empathize with the suffering of other people in the world, only of muslims. The oumma is a closed circuit, insulated world.
The oumma is the world of rumors and wild conspiracies as well, nothing is rational. For example, they are affirmative that Israel sells coca cola to buy weaponry! Or, westerners created the Aids virus to spread it among africans! Or, also, sarkozy has a project of genociding muslims in France!
They are permanently are in a "feeling", emotionnal thought process, never in a reasoned or objective one.
Some rather basic psychobabble I could make :
their unability to reason is linked to the fact most of those muslim kiddies are "raised", essentially by their mothers, fathers are quite absent. In the same vein, there is an unability to locate themself spacially (they refere themselves to their bled* to read a world map) and temporally (Prophet's time!).
This second unability is linked as well to the lack of fathering, according to psychologists".
YMMV, take it with a grain of salt, but there definitvely are interesting stuff here, that you can juxtaposate to other "arab/muslims" traits.
*"bled" = arab word for their "place", where their family was and is located back in the homecountry. Incidentally, even before french slang was flooded with arab sayings, accents,... since "street culture" is owned by arabs & africans, there were quite a few arab words in the french vocabulary. And, for some reasons, most of them refer to negative stuff... ramdam (from ramadan) = make a scene a disturbance; bled = backwater, sh8thole place; gourbi = rundown and unkept home,...
Suspected Islamist terrorists insurgents shot dead five Muslims, mostly civilians, in a new spate of attacks across the troubled south of Thailand, police said on Tuesday.
Gunmen killed a former village chief and his deputy in a drive-by attack on their car in restive Yala province on Monday, they said. A Muslim villager was killed when attackers broke into his house in Narathiwat province on Monday night while two Muslim rangers died in separate shootings in Pattani province, also on Monday, said police.
Separately a ranger was critically wounded in a bomb blast in Pattani.
Mahmoud Vahidnia, a distinguished mathematics whiz from the Sharif Technical University, frankly criticized the supreme leader during his meeting with students, as state-run media outlets were unable to censor the remarks. This international mathematics Olympiad winner blasted Khamenei in person in an unexpected move, focusing on supreme leaders performance and the lack of criticism against supreme leader.
In addition to criticizing Khamenei personally and the office of the supreme leader, this student also criticized the state radio and televisions biased coverage of issues and the polices brutal crackdown of people protesting against the election results.
Ayatollah Khamenei was forced to respond to the students criticism, but according to several eye-witness sources, the supreme leader was so distraught by the students remarks that he cancelled the usual prayer session and left the meeting early. Responding to Vahidnias frank criticism, Khamenei said that criticizing him is not illegal. However, he used harsh remarks to condemn the claim of election fraud as a crime, adding that he himself has criticisms against the state radio and televisions performance, one of which is directed at the organizations failure to set aside enough coverage for the administrations positive achievements.
Speaking to the website Alef, Vahidnia revealed further details about his conversation with the Islamic Republic supreme leader. He said that officials first barred him from speaking, but he was able to speak with the supreme leaders agreement. He said that he was interrupted several times during his remarks by the events host for being out of time.
Vahidnia noted, The things I said at the meeting were completely my personal beliefs. I didnt coordinate with anyone and no one knew that I wanted to speak. Even my family was unaware of it.
He also asked the supreme leader for an actual response to his criticisms.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
He also asked the supreme leader for an "actual response" to his criticisms
#2
Sounds like the host's "out of time" statements might have been referring to how long the math whiz had to remain breathing. The Chicago Way!, brought to you via Tehran.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
11/03/2009 6:24 Comments ||
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#3
Whiskey Mike,
I also have been struck by how Obama's tolerance of dissent is so similar to the Iranian regime's.
I hope they are not exchanging pointers.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
11/03/2009 11:08 Comments ||
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[Iran Press TV Latest] Iranian security forces say they have twice foiled a plot, masterminded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to assassinate a top Iranian official.
"Based on the confiscated evidence and documents, mercenary terrorists had planned to, with the support of the CIA and its scheme, assassinate a political official within the establishment," read a statement by the Intelligence Ministry on Monday.
The plan, aimed at creating chaos in line with the unrest and riots that sparked following the presidential election in June, was thwarted through following up on intelligence, the statement added.
Although the details of the terror plan was not revealed, the ministry said the terrorists had failed to eliminate the unnamed official when the Parliament (Majlis) was approving President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's ministers for his new term.
The official, then was to be targeted for the second time as Iran prepared for the anniversary of the US Embassy takeover in Tehran on November 4, dubbed the national day of fighting global arrogance, the ministry said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
a plot, masterminded by the Central Intelligence Agency
Sure, it's PressTV, but the fact that the target is still alive does lend credence to the idea that the CIA was behind it.
#2
These guys seemed to have dialed up the paranoia. They're talking of moving their capitol, the daily uncovering of yet another "plot from the West," shutting down critical newspapers, etc. Are they seriously scared stupid or are they getting all wobbly on their continued rule?
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.
A bomb disposal specialist who had defused more than 60 improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan died when one went off as he tried to disarm it. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Thomson, commanding officer of 2 Rifles Battle Group, to which Staff Sergeant Schmid was attached, described him as simply the bravest and most courageous man I have ever met. He said: Under relentless IED and small arms attacks he stood taller than the tallest. I adored working with him. No matter how difficult or lethal the task which lay in front of us, he was the man who only saw solutions. He saved lives in 2 Rifles time after time and for that he will retain a very special place in every heart of every Rifleman in our extraordinary battle group. 
[Dawn] The Government of Pakistan on Monday offered rewards worth five million dollars for information leading to the capture, dead or alive, of Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud and 18 other lieutenants.
[Dawn] An explosion occurred on Rawalpindi's busy Mall Road on Monday. At least 30 people were killed, while more than 45 were reportedly injured.
