A few simple reminders as we get into the new year:
We focus on the WoT and matters related to the WoT. That includes general thuggery around the world, such as Zim-bob-we, and the politics surrounding the WoT. The farther away it is from that, the less likely people here want to read it here on Rantburg. We assume y'all read other weblogs for the other news. Rantburg has been getting some posts that are -- frankly -- a distraction from what we want to cover. The more we get away from the WoT, the more we look just like any other blog, and that’s not the point for us. We have an eclectic readership and we want to keep it that way.
We do carry a fair bit of politics (‘seedy politicians’) but even there the focus is on how that news relates to the fight against terrorism and the defense of the good. The upcoming election in the U.S. is a prime example -- keep it focused on the WoT and you're good.
Very simply: domestic issues in Ho’wood, surface crawlers on Mars, and the general state of Brittany Spears’ rehab shouldn't be posted here. Unless Fred does it in which case it's okay.
I say this again in salmon color: we focus on the WoT!
Check for duplicates before you post. We've had a number of these lately, so please check on the Burg, particularly if it looks like 'breaking news'.
I say this in salmon color as well: check for duplicates!
Provide a source URL for your post.. This goes into the 'source' box in the poster. If you don't provide a URL your post will be deleted. None of the moderators have enough time to look for the source of your post.
Shorter, not longer, titles. Remember, the URL does NOT go into the title box. Snarky and catchy titles are fine.
File it in the right place. If it's about the current civil war in Yemen, don't file it under 'Great White North'.
Opinion pieces go into the 'Opinion' category. Tricky, eh? This includes blog pieces. Some exceptions exist: VDH and Marc Steyn can go into any appropriate category. All the rest go into Opinion. And that's not an invitation for other blog-owners to post stuff in Opinion just to advertise their own blog.
Your opinion is welcome. Opinion is also for your own original articles, for everyone, but especially for Rantburg regulars. If you have an opinion, post it here. And don't forget to add your byline.
Please format the post. Help us make posts readable. Think of it as a chance to teach English composition to the MSM. Delete the fluff and the stuff we already know. Some gentle editing to make a post readable helps all of us, especially the moderators who then don't have to go back and re-edit the piece.
No ‘more at the link’, no ellipses and no 'snips'. Readers assume you're editing the post to just the good stuff (see above). Therefore you don't need ellipses or [SNIP]'s to tell us that you edited the post. Since you gave us the source URL (right?) a reader can always go to the original. That means you don’t need to say at the bottom, ‘hit the link to read the rest’. Readers already know that.
Your in-line comments are in hilite (yellow) text. Use the 'HILITE' button. Start your comments on a separate line. If you do it will look like this. This is the ONLY acceptable format for your comments.
Don't put a leading line space before or after, as illustrated. And don't bury it like this. Do not use italics instead of hilite. Do not insert FONT commands: Fred has already settled the proper font and size for your snark. And do NOT put your comments into blockquotes.
Strikeout text can be placed in-line in the text. Some here complain when we use too much of it. Unless you've got a sure-fire 'mad-libs' winner, use strikeout text sparingly.
Don't embed pics from outside Rantburg. We have an ever-expanding library of pics (even after Fred cleans out the attic). Embedding a pic with a URL takes bandwidth and it may upset the owner of the site from where you're getting the image. We'd love to allow users to upload images, but if we did we'd be dumping 100k erectile dysfunction ads and pictures of nekkid 40-year-old teen hotties all day and not have time for any posting of our own. Finally, outside posts also die as links can (and will) rot. A Rantburg image will be around as long as there's a Rantburg.
Submitting pics to the Burg. E-mail us the pic, but format it first. 250 pixels width for portrait, 300 for landscape or square. On a case-by-case basis, max 500 pixels (width of the yellow comments box) wide for charts, diagrams, and maps. Please compress: images should be under 100k if at all possible. It's not the single image we have to worry about, but too many images will slow page load dramatically.
And as always, thanks for all your support. You make Rantburg a special place.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
And thank you for do a job no one else wants.
Posted by: Steven ||
01/10/2016 4:00 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Sorry about the pics. I had no idea they were a problem.
#7
And remember, there is no pink, there is only salmon.
----------------
In other news, I'm going to try to generate some pics. I recently rewatched Firefly, and I think there would be some good ones there. Like maybe a couple shots of Badger for stories about 'respectable businessmen.'
Allow this post to serve as a gentle reminder of the bright lines we mods draw on comments:
Racist and racially provocative language on the Burg is banned. Regulars who engage in this will be redacted as a warning. Further offenses lead to banning. For visitors, banning is the first step.
Many different people read the Burg. Some are in governance or the military. Some are outside the US. The Burg punches above its weight. We are read by people who matter. No one wants to read racist garbage. So don't do it.
Likewise, frank misogynist language and images are banned. We at the Burg enjoy our cheesecake images (beefcake for the women regulars also is fine), but there's a difference and any reasonable person knows what that limit is. Don't cross it.
Anti-religious bigotry gets you into trouble real quick. It's okay to be against Islamicists; those folks are thugs and a threat. It's okay to be against Christian Identity types who want most all of us dead or in chains. But don't confuse such groups with the larger groups of decent, civil people with religious belief -- or no religious belief. Our beef is with the terrorists and their sympathizers.
Threats against American citizens and law-abiding, civil Westerners are banned. Regulars who engage in this will be redacted as a warning. Further offenses lead to banning. For visitors, banning is the first step.
Threats made against Americans, and civil Westerners in general, are one of the things that can get the Burg into trouble. That creates problems for Fred. Don't do it. This rule does not extend to jihadis, thugs and general miscreants around the world -- if you want to double-tap Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, I'll spot for you.
Abusive language towards others on the Burg will be redacted. Sometimes tempers flare, and we mods have an understanding and tolerance for the occasional dust-up. There are limits. The Lavender Mod will bring out the periwinkle clue bat when needed.
As always, we thank you for reading the Burg. It's our pleasure and privilege to make it available.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
As always, I reserve the right to punch you in the nose for your nonsense. Here are the appropriate rules for tolerance.
Analogous to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, is a hierarchy of tolerance, which in these troubled times we need.
And they go like this:
First, self-defense: Any argument that advocates for physically injuring or killing me/you or my/your family or friends must be opposed. It is not important who advocates it or under what justification. Any such argument must be met with the fullness of resistance without regard to the consequences. No tolerance, and no quarter.
Second, hate: Any argument that separates one class of people from another class, and advocates harm to the other, should be shunned and shamed. No tolerance, but quarter to those who agree to stop.
Third, division: Any argument that separates one class of people from another class, should be tolerated, while the validity of its arguments are vigorously examined.
Fourth, disagreement: An argument which is not persuasive to you, should be tolerated, and opposed by better facts.
Fifth, incoherence: Any argument that is not logically understandable, should tolerated, but ridiculed.
Sixth, agreement: Any argument with which you agree should be tolerated, but examined deeply for it is easy to fool yourself with your own thoughts.
#10
And of course this is Fred's site - he owns it and he makes the rules. You want to make the rules - get your own damn site.
This is not a democracy - you don't get a 'vote'. Nor do you have the right 'not' to be offended - you will be offended. Be prepared to defend your postings - you might just learn something!
IMHO - the mods are usually forgiving and accommodating but don't tolerate repeated foolish or truly offensive (as opposed to PC-offensive) postings. And the regulars do love their chew-toys. :).
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] At least 43 Talibs were killed and 15 others were maimed during military operations by Afghan national security forces in the past 24 hours.
The operations were jointly conducted by Afghan national police, Afghan national army and Afghan intelligence -- National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... (NDS) operatives.
Interior ministry following a statement said Saturday that the turbans were killed or injured in Kandahar, Ghazni, Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... , Paktia, Paktika ...which coincidentally borders South Wazoo... and Maidan Wardak provinces of Afghanistan.
The statement further added that two Taliban myrmidon were also enjugged Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! during the operations.
The statement by interior ministry also added that the operations still continue in different parts of the country, including Deh Yak district of Ghazni province.
The Afghan national security forces have stepped up counter-terrorism operations across the country as the Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant during the recent weeks.
MoI also added that various villages have been cleared from the turbans in Sangin and Marjah districts of Helmand province as clearing operations still continue in different parts of the two districts.
The Talibs have carried out numerous attacks across the country including capital Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... during the recent days as the Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant across the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
[AlAhram] ISIS Egyptian affiliate grabbed credit for attacks that took place earlier Saturday against security personnel in Egypt's Giza.
"Some elements belonging to our organization targeted a security checkpoint in Giza's Abu El-Nomors town using light weapons, leaving all security personnel dead," hard boy group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis said in a statement released hours after the attack.
Sounds dire and dreadful...
However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... a security source said told the MENA state news agency that unknown assailants rubbed out a police colonel along with a conscript in their police vehicle while exiting the colonel's farm, heading to their work premises.
Or maybe not the great triumph of terror after all, though their friends and families will mourn.
[Dhaka Tribune] At least two Jamaat leaders were jugged You have the right to remain silent... in Meherpur and Narail districts yesterday.
Our Meherpur correspondent said Mohammad Farooq Hossain, secretary of Meherpur district unit of Jamaat, was arrested by police on various charges, including sabotage, from his village home.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of police raided the Ashrafpur village under Meherpur Sadar upazila and arrested him from his residence.
Police said six cases, including 5 charges of sabotage, were pending with Sadar cop shoppe against Farooq Hossain, 55, also a former UP chairman.
In Narail, the nayabe ameer of Lohagara Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... Badsha Miah, 45, was arrested from Baka village of the upazila.
Police sources said, acting on a tip-off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area and arrested him. A number of cases, including charges of sabotage, are pending against him, the sources added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami
[Rudaw] A former Iraqi soldier suspected of involvement in a massacre that took place in the Iraqi city of Tikrit was detained in Finland, the Finnish police said on Friday.
Escaped victim? Perpetrator? I don't recall the Iraqi army committing any massacres recently...
Ari Karvin, a police official told the Finnish MTV channel that the detainee, 23 suspected to have taken part in war crimes in Tikrirt was under police custody and a court hearing on his case will be held on Monday in southwestern Finland.
He is the fourth Iraqi to be tossed in the calaboose Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! in Finland for similar crimes.
Three other Iraqis, two of them twins, were arrested by the Finnish police in December and November on charges of participating in the massacre of 1,700 Iraqi army cadets by the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) in the summer of 2014.
Ooooohhhh -- our miscreant went over to the dark side and joined ISIS. Try him fair, then hang him high, guys.
Speicher, 140 KM north of Baghdad, is the site of one of ISIS's most gruesome killings.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[dw.com] German police have raided a shelter for asylum seekers that they say was occupied by the man killed as he stormed a Gay Pareecop shoppe. Authorities did not say whether the man was registered as an asylum seeker.
German police have said the man who attempted to attack a French cop shoppe in northern Gay Paree on Thursday had lived in a shelter for asylum seekers in the western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia.
State authorities on Saturday night raided the shelter in Recklinghausen, police said in a statement. However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... they did not specify whether the man was indeed registered as an asylum seeker.
The man was rubbed out by French police after he tried to storm the station carrying a meat cleaver and wearing a fake boom jacket.
German police added that investigations are ongoing, and that they are working in close cooperation with French authorities.
The man was believed to be of Tunisian descent, although German media reported that he also had four different aliases with different backgrounds, including Moroccan.
Interesting. So this wasn't just Sudden Jihad Syndrome.
The man's links to a German refugee shelter may further inflame the debate on asylum seekers in the EU's most populous country following a spate of assaults in Cologne
... and a good many other communities, whose total number and victims in Germany and beyond likely will never be known...
on New Year's Eve that have been linked to "North African"
[TODAYSZAMAN] Turkish security forces have killed 18 members in southeast The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... , the military said on Saturday, in the latest festivities to blight a region still reeling from the collapse of a two-year ceasefire last summer.
Security sources said five people, four of them soldiers, had also been maimed in separate gun and kabooms in Diyarbakir, biggest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast.
The armed forces said in a statement that 16 PKK members had been killed on Friday in the town of Cizre, near the Syrian border, and another two faceless myrmidons had been killed in the historical Sur district of Diyarbakir.
In Sur, one soldier was shot while another three soldiers and a public sector worker were also maimed in a kaboom on Saturday, security sources said.
In the town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border, security forces seized 24 forces of Evil seeking to leave the town with local citizens, the military statement said.
The army said a total of 426 forces of Evil have been killed in the towns of Cizre, Silopi and the Sur district of Diyarbakir - all subject to a round-the-clock curfew - since security force operations began there around a month ago.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
[FREEBEACON] Following the discovery of a terrorist cell in Texas allegedly operated by an Iraqi who entered the United States as a refugee, the Washington Free Beacon has learned of an additional 41 individuals who have been implicated in terrorist plots in the United States since 2014, bringing the total number of bully boyz discovered since that time to 113, according to information provided by Congressional sources.
Since August, however, the B.O. regime has stonewalled Congressional efforts to obtain more detailed immigration histories of these individuals, prompting frustration on Capitol Hill and accusation that the administration is covering up these histories to avoid exposing flaws in the U.S. screening process.
The disclosure of these additional 41 individuals linked to terror operations--many already identified as immigrants, others' immigration histories shrouded in secrecy--has stoked further concerns about flaws in the U.S. screening process and is likely to prompt further congressional inquiry into B.O. regime efforts to withhold details about these suspects, sources said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
[DAWN] Two coppers deployed outside a mosque in the city's Multani Muhalla were rubbed out on Friday.
Officials said that two people on a cycle of violence opened fire on Head Constable Muhammad Mushtaq and Sepoy Wajid. Both were hit in the head, he added. The bodies were taken to the Civil Hospital for an appointment with Dr. Quincy.
Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri has condemned the attack and directed the police chief to immediately submit a report.
"We will not compromise on the law and order situation," he said, adding that the sacrifices of security personnel would be remembered.
Two coppers were killed in an attack four days ago on a checkpoint on Sariab Road.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: TTP
[DAWN] Atleast five suspected gunnies were killed in a United States drone strike carried out in North Wazoo's Mangroti area on Saturday.
This was the second US drone strike of the day in the Pakistain-Afghanistan border ...also known as Pashtunistan, home of ignorance, poverty, and automatic weapons... region.
Earlier in the day, at least 20 suspected gunnies were killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan's Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province close to the zero line near Pakistain's Khyber tribal region.
Security sources said those killed belonged to the murderous MoslemIslamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group in Afghanistan.
They were killed when the drone targeted suspected murderous Moslem hideouts in Nangarhar's Achin district. Several suspected murderous Moslem compounds were also destroyed in the attack.
Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province borders the Khyber Agency ... the place to go if you've got an Indiana Jones hat and whip. Chock full of high adventure and treacherous Pathans. You should really train up to it, though... in Pakistain's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Security officials have in the past warned against IS gaining a foothold in Afghanistan's eastern region, where the group reportedly murdered tribal elders, clashed with the rival Taliban, imprisoned families and enforced strict rules on women.
Afghanistan does not provide a natural constituency from which IS can recruit, meaning the group relies heavily on defections from existing murderous Moslem outfits.
Backed by US drone strikes, Afghan cops last year mobilised and eliminated multiple IS leaders along with dozens, if not hundreds, of murderous Moslems.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[ARANews] Two prominent leaders of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) and 16 other bandidoshard boyz were killed on Sunday in security operations by Iraqi forces in Anbar province, officials reported.
The Jazeera Chamber of the Iraqi army in the northwestern province of Anbar said in a statement that its forces have launched two separate raids against ISIS headquarters in the province on Sunday.
Abu Anas al-Shami, commander of the ISIS operations in al-Shayi district of Haditha, was killed along with three of his escorts in an attack by the Iraqi forces.
Backed by the U.S.-led coalition's Arclight airstrikes, the Iraqi army launched another raid on the Kisk Camp for ISIS jihadis, targeting the prominent ISIS Emir (prince) Muhammad al-Matyouti.
Al-Matyouti was reported dead along with 13 other ISIS bandidoshard boyz in the operation, according to a statement by the Iraqi army.
"Most of the Lions of Islam killed in the raid on the Kisk Camp were Syrian nationals," the army said.
This comes just one week after ISIS bombed Iraqi army headquarters in the city of Ramadi in Anbar province, killing and wounding dozens of soldiers.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 01:03 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
Al-Baghdadi's second deputy killed. Assi Ali Mohammed Nasser al-Obeidi
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/10/2016 15:33 Comments ||
Top||
[IraqiNews] Saturday, Khalidiya Council in Anbar Province announced, that 25 senior elements of ISIS were killed in an aerial bombardment carried out by the international coalition aircrafts east of Ramadi (110 km west of Baghdad).
The Head of the Council Ali Daood said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, "Today, the international coalition aircrafts shelled a gathering of ISIS big shots in Khalidiya Island (20 km east of Ramadi), killing 25 elements including the big shots in ISIS military wing Hatem al-Bilawi and Mustafa Jassim," pointing out that, "The bombardment was carried out based on accurate intelligence information."
Daood added, "The Bombardment also destroyed five vehicles for ISIS near the headquarters of the organization's gathering," indicating that, "Most of ISIS leaders are currently existing in Khalidiya Island that became the last stronghold of the organization after the cleansing of Ramidi areas and axes."
(IraqiNews.com) Anbar – Iraqi Anti-Terrorist Bureau announced the liberation of Andalus area, as well as Ramadi Great Mosque, while pointed out to the advance of the security forces near al-Malab area in the city.
The commander of the 3rd Special Operations in the Anti-Terrorist Bureau Maj. Gen. Samy al-Aardi said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, "The Anti-Terrorism forces managed to fully cleanse al-Andalus area, as well as Ramadi Great Mosque in the center of the city."
Aardi added, "The Anti-Terrorism forces and Anbar police had advanced near al-Haq Mosque in al-Malab area," pointing out that, "Heavy casualties were inflicted on ISIS."
(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar -- Media officials with the Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday the killing of three ISIS elements by an aerial bombing in the city of Ramadi.
The officials said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, "The army's air force conducted an air strike resulting in the death of three elements of the ISIS in the city of Ramadi," pointing out that, "The army's air force was also able to target and kill another group north of Tal Mashida in eastern Ramadi.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:52 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
Iraq govt says they suffered only about 100 fatalities and 1000 wounded in the 6 or so months of battle for Ramadi.
If so, good for them;
Believablity is low on that point.
Posted by: lord garth ||
01/10/2016 9:10 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Are they counting casualties to the Shiite and tribal militias, lord garth, or are those just ignored?
#5
Numbers without context are meaningless. N out of how many? What percentage remains to be degraded? 95% degraded month after month is meaningless. Data to be useful needs to provide info on the enemy's state. How badly do they think that they are degraded? If you can't answer that question then what good are the numbers?
Posted by: Sven the pelter ||
01/10/2016 20:12 Comments ||
Top||
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh -- On Saturday, Kurdistan Democratic Party announced, that the ISIS organization has executed 12 people in the center of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... (405 km north of Baghdad) for refusing to take part in the organization's battles against the security forces.
Kurdistan Democratic Party' Spokesman in Mosul Saeed Mamouzini said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews.com "This morning, 12 residents of Mosul were rubbed out for refusing to take part in the battles against the security forces in the city," adding that, "ISIS elements had carried out the execution in the center of Mosul."
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh -- A local source in Nineveh province said on Saturday, that the ISIS snuffies executed 80 people, including elements of the army and police, by firing squad in the center of the province.
The source reported for IraqiNews.com, "This evening, elements of the ISIS executed 80 people, including elements of the army and police as well as activists against the organization, by firing squad in al-Ghazlani Camp in central Nineveh."
The source added, "The execution was carried out on the back of charges of spying and communicating with the government, and disclosing the organization's sites."
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Rudaw] Dozens of families escaping the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) in Hawija made it to Peshmerga bases on Friday night, as the whereabouts of 50 other families making the same journey remained unknown, a police source said.
Sarhad Qadir, director of police in Kirkuk province, told Rudaw on Saturday that "a dozen families from Hawija and nearby areas escaped Daesh [Islamic State]gunnies through Hamrin Mountains and arrived at Peshmerga bases on the Dubez fronts."
But at least 50 families from Hawija and ISIS-controlled villages had reportedly failed to reach the safe zone of Kurdish military bases on Friday.
"They might be captured by Daesh [Islamic State]gunnies while trying to escape the area," Qadir said, using the derogatory Arabic name for ISIS.
Residents escaping ISIS-controlled areas have been warned by the group not to leave. Violators have been killed.
Despite the harsh punishment, people have been trying to escape from Hawija to Kirkuk since last year.
Hawija is 55 kilometers southwest of Kirkuk and considered an ISIS stronghold, second only to djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... , which is also controlled by ISIS.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Rudaw] Baghdad has agreed to supply light arms and heavy weapons to the Shingal Protection Units (YBS), the commander of the militia force claimed, saying the Iraqi government also is paying the salaries of 500 fighters.
"Since last June, our forces have formally been recognized by the Iraqi government as part of the Hashd al-Shaabi," said Saeed Hassan, referring to the Shiite militia that has been fighting alongside the Iraqi army against Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) forces.
"YBS is an Iraqi force operating within the framework of Hashd al-Shaabi," Hassan told Rudaw, while he also accused the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of creating hurdles for weapons arriving for his men.
"We have met with the Iraqi government several times, and officials vowed to supply us with heavy weapons, including tanks, armor and mortars, but the KRG is blocking the arrival of these weapons," he claimed.
He said that the Shiite-dominated central government has allotted $3.6 million as salaries for 500 men, but claimed that the money was instead being shared among 1,200 fighters.
"We receive the salaries of 500 fighters from the Iraqi government, from which each fighter is supposed to receive $ 700, together with some logistical assistance. But we do not allocate the salaries to 500 fighters because we have 1,200 fighters, and each receives $400 dollars, accordingly," he explained.
The YBS includes both Yezidi and Muslim fighters, Hassan said. He explained they "are present at 32 positions in Shingal and its outskirts and many of them are on duty without being paid."
Asked if Iraqi flags are flown at their positions, he said: "We are not from a foreign country, we are Iraqis. Therefore, it is normal to fly the Iraqi flag on our shelters."
In mid-November, the Kurdish military announced the liberation of the predominantly Yezidi town of Shingal in a two-day operation.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq
(IraqiNews.com) Kirkuk -- A security source in Kirkuk province said on Saturday, that 15 ISIS elements had been killed and 10 others were maimed in an aerial bombing by the international coalition southwest of the province.
The source said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com, "Warplanes of the international coalition managed, this evening, to bomb an ISIS gathering in the village of Albu Assaf in al-Riyad area in the district of al-Hawija (55 km southwest of Kikruk)," noting that, "The bombing resulted in the killing of 15 ISIS elements and wounding 10 others."
"The strikes were based on accurate intelligence," the source also added.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
Iraq’s military says a major commander of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists has been killed during an operation by the country's Air Force against the militant group west of the country, Press TV reported.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that its fighter jets had managed to target the whereabouts of Asi Ali Mohammad Nasir al-Obaidi in the town of Barwanah in the western province of Anbar. The statement said Obaidi was the second deputy to the self-proclaimed Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, meaning that he was the third in command of the Takfiri group.
See, I told you he was a number 3...
It said Obaidi had escaped Abu Ghraib, a notorious prison facility once run by the United States forces west of the capital, Baghdad. A picture of Obaidi was also circulated in the Iraqi media.
The death of the notorious commander comes days after the Iraqi military and volunteer fighters managed to liberate the central districts of Anbar’s provincial capital of Ramadi in a major blow to the terrorists. Sporadic clashes still continue in Ramadi and other parts of Anbar; however, Iraqi forces say they have purged Daesh militants from their key positions.
Over the past few months, Iraqi warplanes have also managed to carry out successful combat sorties against Daesh positions in the northern province of Nineveh.
[Jpost] Early Saturday, IDF destroys home of terrorist who killed two in Jerusalem last year.
IDF soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank killed two assailants who tried to stab them on Saturday morning.
The incident took place at the Bekaot checkpoint, the crossing that connects the Jordan Valley area to Samaria.
The IDF said that the soldiers were carrying out routine security activity at the crossing when they were confronted by the two assailants. The soldiers, who were not injured, shot and killed the men.
The two dead men, both from the Jenin area, were 26-year-old Ali Abu Marim of Kfar Jadida and 38-year-old Said Abu Wafa of Kfar Zawiya, according to Paleostinian media reports.
Earlier on Saturday morning, the IDF announced that it demolished the home of a terrorist who killed two Jewish men and maimed a mother and son in the Old City of Jerusalem during a stabbing and shooting spree which occurred in October.
[ARANews] KOBANE -- At least 40 krazed killer fighters of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) were killed on Saturday in festivities with the western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Leadership of the SDF reported in a statement that ISIS faceless myrmidons launched on Sunday a new offensive against their headquarters in the vicinity of Tishreen Dam in northeastern Aleppo.
"The terror group targeted our headquarters in the environs of Tishreen Dam with several car kabooms in a bid to break into the recently liberated towns in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo," the SDF said. "However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... our units responded to the gunnies with artillery shelling, causing heavy losses in the group's ranks."
Speaking to ARA News, Habun Osman, a front man for the Kurdish-Arab alliance of the SDF, said: "Subsequent to festivities, we collected the corpses of at least 40 faceless myrmidons on Saturday evening."
"Daesh [Islamic State]gunnies tried to infiltrate into our headquarters in Aleppo countryside by using car kabooms and mortar fire. However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... we are quite prepared for such moves, especially with the high coordination with the air forces of the western coalition," the front man said, using another acronym for ISIS.
Five SDF fighters were reportedly killed in Sunday's festivities, which also caused the destruction of two SDF vehicles.
This comes just one day after ISIS faceless myrmidons bombed the SDF headquarters in several northern Syrian towns, including Yusuf Pasha, Qashlah, Sadaniya, Haj Husen, Hamad and Agha.
The radical group has been striving to regain its positions in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo for weeks, after losing key areas to the Syrian Democratic Forces, especially the Tishreen Dam which has for long served ISIS as a main supply route between Raqqa and Aleppo.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2016 00:00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Syrian activists reported fierce festivities on Saturday between rebels and regime troops backed by their Hezbollah militia in the southern town of Sheikh Miskeen in Daraa province.
Bashir al-Assad's forces backed by fighters from Hezbollah have launched major offensive two weeks ago, seeking to control Sheikh Miskeen and powerful air base, Brigade 82.
Rebels have thwarted Saturday's attack on the town which had been in their control since last year, field sources said. Three army soldiers were taken captive by rebels, they added.
Russia warplanes have also staged air strikes on Sheikh Miskeen and neighboring villages.
In its turn, Regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs on the eastern countryside of Daraa targeting Dael, Busra la-Sham and al-Llajat region at the Jordanian border.
Daraa is often dubbed the "cradle" of the uprising against al-Assad that began with protests in March 2011.
In northern Idlib province, Russian air strikes killed at least 51 people in rebel-held town of Maarat al-Nouman when it struck a court house and an adjacent prison, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activists reported.
The air strikes have also maimed at least 100, many of whom were at death's door, medics said.
Russia has been staging air strikes in Syria in support of al-Assad since September. The building was struck with four missiles and the number of dead could increase due to the large number of maimed, the Observatory said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Russian air strikes killed at least 51 people in the rebel-held town of Maarat al-Nouman in the northern province of Idlib on Saturday when it struck a court house and an adjacent prison, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activists reported.
The air strikes have also maimed at least 100, many of whom were at death's door, medics said.
Russia has been staging air strikes in Syria in support of Bashir al-Assad since September.
The building was struck with four missiles and the number of dead could increase due to the large number of maimed, the Observatory said.
At least 10 people were killed on Saturday in Russian air strikes on a prison complex run by al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate in the country's northwest, a monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes hit an Al-Nusra Front building, which lies near a popular market in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province.
The building housed the group's religious court and a jail.
Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the dead included prisoners and Al-Nusra fighters, and could include civilians who had been at the market.
Dozens of people were also maimed and many remained trapped under the rubble, the monitor said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[REUTERS] An air strike reportedly killed dozens of people in a rebel-held town in Syria on Saturday as a U.N. envoy visited Damascus to advance preparations for peace talks planned this month despite opposition misgivings.
Agreement was also reached for aid to be delivered on Monday to an opposition-held town besieged by pro-government forces where United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... says there have been credible reports of people dying of starvation, sources said. Aid will be sent simultaneously to two villages blockaded by rebels.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 39 people were killed in the air strike, which hit a court house and adjoining prison in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province. It did not say whether the air strike was carried out by Syrian or Russian jets, which have both bombed the area.
Russia has been staging air strikes in Syria in support of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Terror of Aleppo ... since September. The building was struck with four missiles and the number of dead could increase due to the large number of maimed, the Observatory said. Syrian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The war has raged on since last month when the Security Council endorsed a plan for peace talks, a rare case of U.S.-Russian agreement over a conflict that has killed 250,000 people. The talks are due to begin on January 25 in Geneva.
The Syrian government told U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura on Saturday it was ready to participate but wants to know who would take part from the opposition, Syrian state media reported.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also said it was important to see a list of groups that would be classified as faceless myrmidons as part of the new diplomatic process, flagging another potential complication.
Damascus views all the groups fighting to topple Assad as terrorists, including rebels who support a political solution and are represented in a recently formed opposition council tasked with overseeing the negotiations.
A statement from de Mistura's office described Saturday's meeting as useful and said the envoy had outlined preparations.
"The Special Envoy is looking forward to the active participation of relevant parties in the Geneva talks. He will be continuing his consultations in the region," it added.
Syrian rebels and opposition politicians have expressed doubts over whether the peace talks will begin as planned. Their concerns over the diplomatic bid include the absence of any mention of Assad's fate.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/10/2016 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
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 few simple reminders as we get into the new year:
To all readers,
Wazoo
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
