Somalia's newly powerful Islamists have agreed to respect the legitimacy of the fragile government and continue talks despite a rebuff by the president, an Arab League envoy said yesterday. President Abdullahi Yusuf decided on Friday to boycott talks in Sudan this weekend meant to avert war between his government and the Islamist movement which has seized the capital and part of the south, threatening his administration's limited power.
Despite the rebuff, Islamist delegates flew to Khartoum on Friday and held initial discussions with the Arab League, which brokered a first round of talks last month. "They stressed the importance of saving the legitimacy of the government... their readiness not to escalate against the government and in particular not to make any attacks against Baidoa," Arab League envoy Zeid Al Sabban said. "They stressed that they want to open a frank discussion with the government...(and) are in total readiness to pave the way for the government to return to Mogadishu," Sabban said.
The interim gummint has the international recognition. It makes more sense for the turbans to kiss and make up with it, then take it over. That way they become the legitimate government. Toldja Sheikh Sharif was a smart boy.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Chairman Igor Sevastyanov said the United States will buy $400 million worth of Russian arms. The Russia Journal reported on July 13 that Sevastyanov revealed the information during the Russian Expo Arms-2006 exhibition in Nizhny Tagil on Wednesday. Analysts speculate that the Russian arms could be used for equipping the Afghan National Army.
Or the Iraqi army ...
After energy exports Russian military exports are the country's second most profitable foreign sales. As of March 31 Rosoboronexport had $17 billion in orders. China remains Russia's most profitable export market, followed by India. In 2004 Rosoboronexport exported $6.1 billion in arms to 61 countries.
Naval equipment accounted for more than 52 percent of Russia's total arms exports with aircraft accounting for an additional 44 percent. In 2005 Rosoboronexport signed more than $9 billion worth of contracts. Makes sense. Reasonable quality, low maintenance, much lower shipping costs, ease of use, and much less valuable on the black market.
#1
We also may be renewing our OPFOR resources since they have been so heavily used in the training cycle for Iraq. Of course, since both the Afghani and Iraqi Armies were predominately equipped with Soviet arms, it would make some sense to re-equip that way. Although several other articles have discussed how many hundreds of millions of dollars worth of American equipment is now being transfered to the Iraqis, including armoured HUMVs and the like.
Forget the Missiles, This is Even More Bizarre
by James Dunnigan
July 16, 2006
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
While everyone's attention was focused on North Korean missiles, the real story is the North Korean economy. It continues to fall apart, and more North Koreans are unhappy about that. Worse yet, more North Koreans are finding out how badly they have been screwed by their leaders. Meanwhile, North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem. If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that's because they don't. Put simply, when their unworkable economic policies don't work, the North Koreans just conjure up new, and equally unworkable, plans. The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans out of these pointless fantasies, and for their trouble they have their trains stolen. How do you negotiate under these conditions? No one knows. The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one's come up with anything better.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said the government will take steps to control North Korea's ``transfer of financial resources'' to help prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Aso made the comments today in a statement welcoming a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding that North Korea halt its missile program. North Korea on July 5 test-fired seven missiles, ignoring calls from China and other countries to refrain from such launches.
The U.S. and Japan gained the support of China and Russia today by dropping provisions in earlier drafts of the measure that threatened North Korea with economic penalties or military force for failing to comply. China had threatened to veto any resolution that contained such threats.
Japan's decision to target the transfer of money from Japan to North Korea may have no effect, said Kim Myong Chol, who runs the Center for Korean-American Peace in Saitama prefecture, on Tokyo's northern border. The center's Web site describes Kim as the ``unofficial spokesman for North Korea.''
``Very few people transfer money from North Korea, so the sanctions would have no impact on North Korea,'' Kim said in a telephone interview.
Japan earlier this month banned a North Korean ferry from entering its ports for six months. North Korea's Mangyongbong 92 ferry, which runs between Wonsan and Niigata, Japan, and is the main communications link between the countries, was stopped on July 5 from entering its port of call in northern Japan.
Some Japanese money is still flowing to North Korea, said Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, and an expert on Korea, said in an interview today.
``Transfer of financial resources specifically refers to credit card payments by Japanese tourists who visited North Korea,'' Shigemura said in an interview today, responding to Aso's comments.
``Recently more than a few Japanese have been visiting North Korea and they can use a credit card in places like Pyongyang's hotels,'' Shigemura said. ``The Japanese government aims to suspend that kind of credit card payment by Japanese tourists to North Korea. This will be effective,'' in reducing the flow of money to North Korea, he said.
Prime Minister John Howard has blamed Hezbollah for starting the current crisis between Lebanon and Israel, saying the group provoked the Jewish state into "self-defence" by going across the border and seizing soldiers.
Speaking on the ABC's Insiders program, Mr Howard echoed comments by the US President George W Bush, who said the violence started because Hezbollah kidnapped two soldiers. "You could hardly have had a more provocative act," said Mr Howard.
Attaboy John, point that out to the world, some parts of Europe have trouble understanding that.
He says Hezbollah is the "plaything of Syria", and that he understands the Israeli position. "Much as I deplore the violence ... one has to understand Israel's position, Israel has the right of self-defence," he said. "This country has been under constant attack for almost 50 years, since it was founded, and there is still an unwillingness on the part of many in the region to accept Israel's right to exist.
"Until there is unconditional acceptance, and also an unconditional acceptance by others of the need for a Palestinian state, separate to Israel of course, we're never going to have any lasting settlement."
#1
I support his comments but they'll be largely unpopular in an Australia well-infiltrated by left wing hate-Israel culture and hizballah rampant in Sydney's southwest
#4
Domestically he is under a lame kind of leadership challenge from Peter Costello (treasurer) he will defeat it.
Elections every 3 years for the house of representatives (the government). senate ratifies legislation made by the lower house (of representatives). They are on a different voting timetable.
Next election for Howard to contest must be called no later than November 2007.
Don't think any limit on his rule if he wins again he can serve again. Not sure, never thought about it!
#5
all he needs to do is ask "what would the Aussies demand he do if Indo troops kidnapped (and killed) Aussie troops and took them back to Indonesia as hostages...."
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/16/2006 10:03 Comments ||
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Definitely not in the Chirac camp. Schedule seething by 'yuts' in 5..4..3..
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said Israel must defend itself, and it had the right to do so.
There is an aggressive element in the Middle East, and that is Hizbullah. As friends of Israel we must advise it to maintain level-headedness and restraint, he said.
#4
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said Israel must defend itself, and it had the right to do so -- don't believe what Chirac is saying, he is certifiably senile and blathering crap profusely.
There is an aggressive element in the Middle East, and that is Hizbullah. As friends of Israel we must advise it to maintain level-headedness and restraint -- everybody is saying this, I don't want to be an odd man out, he said.
#5
Yes he is running for office but must run against the French MSM who will most certainly denounce these statements. Anti-semitism is alive and well in France ask any common arab or jew. Israel will continue to be made out to be made out as a nation of war criminals and it's actions as NAZI like.
Like most realists he knows that an Iran like regime in Leabanon is untenable and puts Europe a a greater risk. It's not just an immeadiate risk to Israel.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan charged yesterday that Western powers were "keeping mum" over mounting bloodshed in the Middle East, warning that they would "pay the bill" by facing more terrorist attacks, Anatolia news agency reported. "Bombs are exploding, innocent people are being killed, infrastructures are being destroyed... The powerful continue to crush the weak, but unfortunately those who hold the power in the world are keeping mum," Erdogan said in the northeastern city of Artvin.
"Those who back global peace (only) with words will sooner or later pay the bill by facing global terrorism... This is what is provoking terrorism," he was quoted as saying. Erdogan complained that violence in the Middle East was also damaging the United States' efforts to enhance democracy and human rights in the region, hinting that Ankara might reconsider its role in such initiatives. He urged the Group of Eight leaders to push for a cease-fire in the crisis and harshly criticized Israeli military offensives. "I appeal to the G-8 countries to take a joint decision ... (for) the UN Security Council to ask for a cease-fire... They have to work this out," Anatolia quoted him as saying.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Recep, you blathering hypocritical idiot...
If you want to be an example of "powerful not continuing to crush the weak", stop oppressing Kurds! Only then can people consider your suggestions as sincere.
Let's put it in tiny words that maybe even he can understand.
The rest of the world, for the most part, is tired of your co-religionists' crap. They may not like Israel, in fact, they may hate it immensely. But for right now, they are enjoying watching them kick your buddies' asses. If anything, they would like to see even more ass kicking going on.
When the rest of the world gets tired of watching your vaunted Lions of IslamTM get their ass kicked, maybe they will pass a Strongly Worded ResolutionTM...somewhere.
As far as innocent people getting killed, etc., well, I gots two words for you: Armenians and Kurds. Once you solve those tiny little problems (they say admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, you know) then get back to us, ok?
Until that day arrives, Yippy, shaddup and go get us some popcorn.
#6
Erdogan needs to watch his back. I'm sure the generals are very happy with what Israel is doing to Hezbollah, and by proxy, to Iran. The more Israel costs Iran, directly or not, the more the generals will be pleased. The generals have been known to remove a Turkish head of state from time to time...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/16/2006 21:27 Comments ||
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BERLIN, July 14 -- German prosecutors said Friday that they had closed their investigation of a German Syrian businessman accused in Spain of being a key al-Qaeda figure. Federal prosecutors said their investigation had failed to confirm suspicions that Mamoun Darkazanli "founded, along with other people, an organization in Germany with the aim of giving logistical and financial support to the terrorist aims of the international network of violent Islamists."
Darkazanli is among 41 suspects, including Osama bin Laden, indicted by Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon, who has been investigating al-Qaeda. Last year, Germany's highest court blocked his extradition to Spain.
Darkazanli appears in a 1999 wedding video with two of the three Sept. 11, 2001, suicide pilots who studied in Hamburg along with lead hijacker Mohamed Atta.
Just a coincidence of course.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich says America is in World War III and President Bush should say so. In an interview in Bellevue this morning Gingrich said Bush should call a joint session of Congress the first week of September and talk about global military conflicts in much starker terms than have been heard from the president.
"We need to have the militancy that says 'We're not going to lose a city,' " Gingrich said. He talks about the need to recognize World War III as important for military strategy and political strategy.
Gingrich says that as of now Republicans "are sailing into the wind" in congressional campaigns. He said that's in part because of the Iraq war, adding, "Iraq is hard and painful and we do not explain it very well."
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#1
I hear Newt frame his argument on concepts like "incumbentitis" and "how weirdly San Francisco these guys are voting" and Democrats will "collapse in defeat."
The Demo spokesman frames it on "tough and smart" strategy and "tough and dumb" conduct of the war...
Once again never offering any back as to why the demo path would be "smart" and why actions to date have been dumb.
Why do the dems never fail to prevent an "history channel" watching independent thinker come to their own conclusion?
Offer up a few ideas to counter, will you fella's?
#4
Democrats believe we need a "tough and smart" "Cut and Run" strategy that makes 2006 a year
There. Fixed that for you.
The democrats have placed them in a position that in order for them to win anything america has the lose the WOT - and lose big. The more dead americans the better for the DNC.
#5
Just saw Newt and Joe Biden on Meet the Press. Newt would have started a war on the Korean peninsula, while Biden would have the NKors playing the South against us forever (the usual '1 on 1' idea). Newt interrupted ("Surely my friend doesn't mean") when Russert -- color me shocked, not surprised -- pressed Biden on his apparent willingness to guarantee regime survival in return for nuclear dismantlement. Biden and Newt agreed that current Admin policy in the Mideast was a failure due to lack of planning. Hey, guys, this IS the plan. I would be very surprised if either one of these guys is allowed anywhere near the U.S. toybox, much less given the keys.
#6
Ah, yes - IO do tend to agree that the 'plan' was to give the Palestinians and their allies rope which they could either use as a lifeline or hang themselves with. They've taken the latter course and GWB isn't inclined to stop the results from occurring. But I wonder about the Congresscritters .....
#7
The congresscritters are busy trying to win elections. No Americans are dying, so what issue do they raise? Let's walk out on Israel or let's send American troops into this clusterf^∞&? Better to keep your mouth shut and leave them wondering than to open it and remove all doubt.
#8
lotp: Buchanan is proudly rigid-minded. It's even been said by one of his enemies that if given sodium pentathol, Pat would still say the same things. He had held the same philosophy since his post-Nixon days.
Unfortunately, the world changes. Pat is stuck in the old-fashioned American isolationism mode, and stands steadfast against any American involvement outside of the US. Historically, his viewpoint is today almost as rare as that of alcohol prohibitionists.
While Gingrich is not of the Buchanan mindset, his own zeitgeist is rapidly becoming dated. Perhaps because he is not savvy with the Internet, once he was out of the information loop, he was reliant on the minimalism of the MSM to know what is going on in the world.
He says we are now in WWIII, but if we were in WWII, we would already be past V-E Day, and be looking forward to V-J Day. We have exterminated the vast majority of the "independent" terrorists, and now only have remnants, and a few state sponsors to fight.
This does not mean the war is over, but for Bush to now declare war is a little late on the power curve. And though there is a great possibility now of our attacking Syria and Iran, and maybe even North Korea, we are on the downside of the WoT.
And even that being said, the entire WoT can be seen as an interlude during which we are jockying for power with China, which has a good chance of becoming the next great war. And despite our expenditures of wealth and destruction, our losses in the WoT, while painful, come nowhere close to those of a "real" war.
#10
I think we gave the Paleos and their terrorist buds plenty of rope and they immediately "outed" themselves and their ties to Hamas and Hezbollah, which was well know but not offically acknowledged by the Paleos.
Now that everyone knows the players and understands who is in charge, I don't think the EU is inclined to do much more than tut tut the whole thing. The EU got bent over like a prison bitch by Iran and is still embarrassed by that "failure of diplomacy"(the EU admits it but the UN and our DOS won't)(DUH).
So I say everyone is sitting back watching the adults take the children to the woodshed.
Amazing, eight years ago the Paleos could have had a freaking NATION but Arafat(is he still dead?)backed away from a sweet heart deal just so he could kill a few more Isrealis. In a couple of more weeks, Syria and Egypt will be full of paleos and assorted nutjobs and Gaza and the west bank will be Isreali again (and after what they went through trying to negotiate with the Paleos, I dont think they are EVER going to be in a bargaining mood again. The paleos let their stupid leaders sell them down the river again so I think Palestine is now a dead issue never to return.)
#11
Gingrich is looking at the 2006 and 2008 elections but also at the current tug of war between the administration and Congress pver Gitmo, intel etc.. His point, I think, is that the adminstration should rally the country openly - both enlisting Congress and challenging it to rise to the geopolitical reality and respond seriously to it.
#12
OH BTW, we've been in WWIII with the islamofascists since the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut.
And if 9/11 wasn't enough of a wake up call for the USA, then this Iran/PPRK joint venture with Nukes should be.
Have I mentioned that when I was in Iraq, I had a US Army Light Colonel tell me that they were killing more Iranians than Iraqis everyday and the Coalition leadership is of the mind that we have been at war with Iran since April of 2004?
I believe all hell is going to break loose in the ME and Syria and Iran are going to understand why we are the greatest military power on earth and they are the bug on the windshield.
All we have to do is start shooting at Iran and the government will fall. there will be riots in the streets and a revolution...same with Syria, we can take both of them down quickly because of the popular unrest against the governments.
SIc em George
#14
I put the Jihadi start date as 1922 with arafish's uncle, haj amin al-husseini. He began to mobilize the paleos againt the evil Joos. It became an existential threat in 1979 with the first "Islamic Republic".
#15
I was there on "business" from January till late March 2004.Just a polite little sight seeing trip mind you.....just trying to feast at the trough with the other evil government contractors. None of the big guys wanted to give small american businesses anypart of the deal.
I kinda liked it there and really got along well with the Iraqis.
#16
Okay, that suggests strongly I have confirmed that you are NOT our regular Sock Puppet of Doom. Please choose another 'nym - using someone else's is highly discouraged here.
NOTE: I posted the same thing yesterday. Continued use of other people's established 'nyms will result in deleting of your comments and posts.
#18
As ltop points out the person posting here is not Me.
I don't know what is up with this but I request that you find a new nick if you want to contributre here. I do not have a great reputation so you do yourself no favors using my handle.
#19
Yeah, I've always thought you were a jerk and anyone stealing your name must be a bigger one. Unless it's .com. Or Gentle. Or Left Angle. Try one of those.
My suggestion is to publish each person's ip address next to their nym, with the last octet hidden. Something like this: Posted by: Clavimble Spomoger8840 192.168.10.*
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/16/2006 17:26 Comments ||
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The bombers who targeted Bombay's rail system had support from inside Pakistan, India's prime minister said, warning that the nuclear-armed rivals' peace process could be derailed unless Islamabad reins in terrorists. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's unusually blunt comments on Friday appeared to signal an abrupt shift in relations between India and Pakistan, whose ties had warmed over the past two years.
Initial fallout came quickly, with high-level India-Pakistan talks planned for July 20 canceled, news reports said Saturday. The Hindustan Times, quoting unidentified officials, said the talks would not be held as planned between the foreign secretaries of the two countries. Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran declined Friday to say whether the talks would proceed as planned. But while insisting the peace process would continue, he told reporters that "Cooperation is a two-way street."
Also Friday, investigators named a third suspect in the carefully coordinated bombings that shattered first-class commuter rail cars Tuesday, killing more than 200 people. "We will leave no stone unturned -- I reiterate, no stone unturned -- in ensuring that terrorist elements in India are neutralized and smashed," Singh told reporters in Bombay.
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In the wake of the Mumbai blasts, India has decided not to go ahead with Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan that were expected to be held next week, reports CNBC-TV18. It was Manmohan Singh who virtually confirmed that India and Pakistan would not be talking any time soon. His message was unambiguous; the peace process with Pakistan was reversible. The honeymoon was over, and the Prime Minister had just signalled a change in India's policy on engaging Pakistan. "The peace process between Pakistan and India cannot carry on unless terrorism stops," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Within hours, confirmation from high level sources in Singh's government said that India would not re-confirm the dates. Both countries had tentatively agreed upon July 20-21 for the talks.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
You'll never solve anything this way. Which is exactly what terrorists like to hear.
Pakistan has claimed that it has deported an Indian, wanted by New Delhi for various criminal acts, to Dubai from where he had arrived here recently. The Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said it had detained the wanted Indian, Shivdasan Raman Vallppil, a resident of Kerala, when he arrived here recently and deported him to Dubai yesterday. Raman was detained and sent back to the country from where he got the visa for Pakistan, FIA Director General Tariq Pervez was quoted as saying by the local daily 'The News'.
He said Raman was wanted by the Indian agencies for various criminal acts committed in India and red warrants had been issued against him by Interpol, of which Pakistan is a member. The accused was deported after "higher authorities" granted permission, he said Raman's detention and deportation were informed to both the Indian government and Interpol Headquarters, Pervez claimed.
When asked about the media report, Indian High Commission officials here said that New Delhi was apparently informed through the Interpol. Raman was allegedly involved in criminal activities in India and escaped from the country and took shelter in Gulf nations when he was booked under various criminal charges, including running illegal telephone exchanges, causing a loss of billions of rupees to the Indian government, sources said. Indian law enforcement agencies registered criminal cases against Raman on September 30, 2004 and tried to arrest him but he escaped to the Gulf countries. The government contacted Interpol, requesting it to issue 'red warrants' against the accused, the sources said.
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Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal leader Allama Hassan Turabi was laid to rest here in the premises of Mustafa Mosque at Abbas Town yesterday as violence flared in this southern Pakistani city as angry mobs went on a rampage after the funeral.
We expected no less. The things Paks do best are kill each other and riot...
Gangs attacked and torched the Gulshan-e-Iqbal outlet of Pizza Hut and two petrol stations in protest at the death of Hassan Turabi. Protesters also attacked car showrooms and smashed up dozens of cars outside. Fires could be seen all around and the air was filled with thick, black smoke.
As far as I know, he wasn't eating pizza when he was killed, he wasn't gassing his car, and he wasn't buying a new one.
Police fired tear-gas to break up the crowds but there were no immediate reports of injuries. Thousands of people had earlier attended funeral prayers for Turabi and his nephew Ali, aged about 10, whose killing also sparked rioting late on Friday. The pair were killed when the attacker hugged Turabi outside his home before detonating explosives hidden under a long black gown. The bombers head was found nearby. Three bodyguards were also wounded in the blast, one of them seriously. More than 5,000 people, including both Shiites and Sunnis, gathered for the funeral prayers amid tight security with thousands of police patrolling the violence-prone port city. Shiite activists carrying black flags chanted God is Great and Death to America.
I'm not sure, but I don't think that it was an American who gave him the kiss of death, either...
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I love it, they throw in the gratuitous "Death To America" chant just for the hell of it. I think they call that a knee JERK reaction.
For the first time in Bombays history, Muslim religious leaders representing virtually every sect came together on Thursday evening to condemn the serial bomb blasts in the city as a barbaric, inhuman and cowardly act. We teach in our madrassas that you have to be a decent human being first before you can call yourself a Muslim. How can an act which is inhuman ever be considered to be Islamic? said Maulana Gulzar Azmi, national council member of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind. We are one with all citizens of Bombay and the country in condemning such wanton acts of terror, expressing our solidarity with the family members of the victims and we share their grief and sorrow, said Maulana Mustaqim Azmi, member, Ulema Council.
They were addressing a press conference jointly with other senior Muslims representing the Jamiat-ul-ulema-e-Hind, Ulema Council, Milli Council, Jamaat-e-Islami, All-India Sunni Jamiat-ul-Ulema, All India Sunni Tablighi Jamaat, All-India Qazi Board and Bombay Aman Committee among others. The maulanas expressed their readiness to extend the fullest cooperation to the Bombay police in their efforts to identify and nab the perpetrators of the dastardly act. They also announced their plan to visit the homes of the bereaved families in the coming days to share their sorrow and offer help.
After the press conference, the religious leaders had an hour-long meeting with CPM MPs Sitaram Yechuri and Brinda Karat. Terrorism has no religion, one of the Muslim leaders told the Communist leaders while several others reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorist acts.
Maybe so, but it sure is fond of turbans...
They also bemoaned the fact that while the overwhelming majority of Muslim religious leaders in the country had repeatedly condemned terrorism as inhuman and un-Islamic the mass media failed to communicate this message to fellow Indians.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
They must sense that they've once again tweaked the general populace right up to medium boil, and if they don't act fast to cool things down the pot will explode and there will once again be Muzzies dead from one end of the country to the other.
#3
They also bemoaned the fact that while the overwhelming majority of Muslim religious leaders in the country had repeatedly condemned terrorism as inhuman and un-Islamic the mass media failed to communicate this message to fellow Indians.
Damn that MSM! All one has to do is look at all the cross-blogging done by moderates to know how they really feel! Come on, all you moderates out there contributing to this site, tell us how you really feel!
Without too much fanfare or publicity, the United States is providing nuclear armed nations with advice on developing "fail safe" and other technologies to secure their nukes. Help is also provided for improving security at the storage sites for nuclear weapons.
While some of this discreet assistance involves American military secrets, much of it is no more than pointing out the commercial technologies and services available from American and European suppliers. The recipients of all this help appear to include India, Pakistan, China and Russia. Of course, this policy actually began during the later stages of the Cold War, when the U.S. wanted to help the Soviets keep their huge nuclear warhead inventory as secure as possible. This is major news. "Fail-Safe" protected both the US and the Soviet Union from nuclear mistakes so many times it's not even funny. For years now, we have desperately wanted the Chinese to be on board, for fear one of their war lords would take it upon himself to launch a nuke. How we managed to get the whole group at once is near miraculous diplomacy. This sets the "nuclear clock" back about 5 hours.
World leaders agreed Sunday on a joint message on the crisis in the Middle East that reflected a significant swing of support toward Israel's argument that it has been acting in self-defense.
In their statement, the Group of Eight leaders called for the Israeli soldiers abducted in Gaza and Lebanon to be released unharmed; the shelling of Israeli territory to end; Israeli military operations to cease and Israeli forces to withdraw early from areas they have invaded in Gaza; and for arrested Palestinian ministers and legislators to be released.
But the statement did not call for a release of Arab prisoners held in Israel - which the terrorist groups have been trying to achieve - and expressed support for the disarming of Hizbullah.
At the same time, the leaders expressed their "deepening concern about the situation in the Middle East, in particular the rising civilian casualties on all sides and the damage to infrastructure," the statement read.
"We do not want to let terrorist forces and those who support them have the opportunity to create chaos in the Middle East," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. "Therefore we place value on clearly identifying the cause and effect of events."
"We are convinced that the government of Lebanon must be given all support and that the relevant UN resolutions regarding the south of Lebanon must also be implemented," Merkel said.
"We also demand that in addition to the UN activities, another observation and security mission is established. That must be worked out through the UN," she said.
In addition to the four priority actions, the G-8 leaders said they supported the start of a political dialogue between the Lebanese and the Israelis, and that they would favor a donors conference for Lebanon "at the right time."
May I suggest that time is after the dismantlement of Hezb'Allah?
On Gaza, it called for all Palestinian parties to accept the conditions of the so-called "road map," including recognizing the existence of Israel and rejecting violence.
"For its part, Israel needs to refrain from unilateral acts that could prejudice a final settlement and agree to negotiate in good faith," the statement said.
On the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it called for an end to terrorist attacks against Israel, Israeli steps to ease the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank, including compliance with a November 2005 agreement on movement, and the resumption of security cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis.
It also called on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to resume steps to ensure his government's compliance with the principles set by the so-called Quartet of Mideast negotiators - the United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations.
#7
The biggest difference with the Euros is having Merkel, who knows the real difference between living in a free country and living in a dictatorship, rather than Schroeder, who followed the more traditional Euro path of buying cheap popularity by calling the US a warmonger while enjoying our protection, at the helm of Germany. Having strong pro-American leaders in Japan and Canada, too, has been very helpful for the world political climate, but it's the change in Germany that has been crucial given their economic muscle and European centrality.
Sunday, three days after an attack on their vessel, the bodies of three missing crewmembers were found. Their families were informed. Funeral dates have not yet been set.
The vessel was hit Friday evening by a Hizbullah-launched rocket, off the Beirut coastline. Saturday night, following the damaged ship's safe port in Ashdod, naval personnel, the rabbinate and a criminal identification team searched the area for the bodies of the missing soldiers. Early Sunday morning, the IDF succeeded in located, in one of the living quarters in the ship's interior, the bodies of three missing crew members: Staff Sergeant Yaniv Herschkowitz, Sergeant Shai Atias and 1st Sgt. Dov Sternshus. Sunday afternoon, IDF representatives arrived at the soldiers' homes and told their families that their sons had been killed.
Later on Sunday, the fourth crewmember killed in Friday's attack, Staff Sergeant Tal Amgar, whose body was found over the weekend off the Beirut coast, will be laid to rest in the military cemetery in Ashdod. By the weekend, the navy was already fairly certain that the bodies of the remaining three sailors would be found in the living quarters, which were hit hard by the force of the blast.
Following the rocket attack on the vessel, a fire broke out on the launching pad at the ship's stern and caused damage to the ship's internal systems. After the ship's commanders had put out the fire and completed a crew count, it was determined that four crewmembers were missing. Many forces were called to the area to help search for the crew members, all the while under heavy fire.
In the navy, an investigation of the event is still underway. Saturday night, Head of Naval Operations, Rear Admiral (lower half) Noam Feig, admitted that the navy had not had intelligence information regarding Hizbullah's possession of C802 missiles and, therefore, had not activated the ship's missile defense system against such types of missiles.
Investigation findings are scheduled to be presented Monday to the head of the Israel Navy, Rear Admiral David Ben-Basat. IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, ordered an additional investigation, which will examine all facets of the event, including the responsibility of the IDF Intelligence Branch.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/16/2006 15:37 ||
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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that for the time being the United States is not interested to assist in negotiating a ceasefire. There is no point in achieving a ceasefire so long as Hizbullah and Hamas are capable of firing rockets at Israel, and by doing so to breach it.
In a series of interviews to large American television channels, the secretary of state added that this is not the right time to make diplomatic trips to the region to solve the crisis. "Extremists in Hamas, Hizbullah, and their supporters in Syria and Iran do not want to see a resolution of these situations on the basis of 1559 and the road map, because then they would have no reason for violence," Rice said.
The US government will object to the reaching of a cease-fire at the G-8 summit or at the United Nations.
Speaking to FoxNews, Rice reiterated the American stance which was voiced by President Bush since the crisis started. "Our message to Israel is, look, defend yourself," Bush said. "But as you do so, be mindful of the consequences. So we've urged restraint."
"What you had in the Middle East before was American policies - bipartisan, by the way, it had been pursued by Democratic Presidents and by Republican Presidents - that engaged in so-called Middle East exceptionalism and was pursuing stability at the expense of democracy, and it turned out, as we learned on 9/11 or July 7th here, or in any - in London or across the world, was getting neither," she said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/16/2006 15:33 ||
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#1
Translation: GAME ON.
I don't think that this is what the black hats thought was going to happen.
The Home Front Command has re-examined its instructions following the lethal barrage of rockets fired on Haifa. "We may have been mistaken in our situation analysis and instructions we gave to residents," Colonel Yehiel Kopperstein, head of the Protection Division of the Home Front Command said.
He added that the considerations behind deciding preparations for citizens and the issuing of instructions during emergencies must strike a balance between the security situation and the desire not to harm normal life.
The rocket barrage on Haifa took place minutes after Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dan Halutz held a situation analysis at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, during which he ordered attacks on Hizbullah across the whole of Lebanon.
Immediately after the rocket attacks on Haifa the Home Front Command reissued more severe instructions, telling all residents of Tirat Hacarmel, Haifa, Krayot, Akko, and all northern residents north of Akko, the Amiad Junction, and Carmiel, to enter protected rooms or interior rooms in residential apartments. Residents of the frontline have been told to stay in bomb shelters, while residents of Tel Aviv and northwards have been told to increase their vigilance and be prepared for a rocket attack.
Yesterday the Home Front Command instructed Haifa residents to remain within buildings, not to assemble outdoors, and to go to work only if their places of work is within an enclosed structure. The Home Front Command decided not to shut down public transportation, which would have avoided a large number of casualties on Sunday.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/16/2006 15:12 ||
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Israel will leave the World Press Federation if the organization does not retract its comment regarding the IDF's attacks on a television station belonging to the Hizbullah Al-Manar TV, Army Radio reported Sunday.
The Federation stated that Israel's attacks were against the principle of the freedom of the press. The attacks on Al-Manar proves Israel's policy of the use of force as a means of quieting press organizations with which Israel does not agree, said Aidan White, Secretary-General of the Federation.
An official letter written to the Federation by Israeli reporters states that the condemnation of Israel's actions represents overt support for terrorism.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the IDF's offensive in Lebanon showed that "the Zionist regime behaves like Hitler," Iranian state television reported on Sunday. Must be a compliment, Hitler being so revered in the Islamic world.
#2
But yet, he denounces the Holocaust. These two thoughts don't compute. Keep speaking, ole Mister A.
He seems to have such a gasp on history, for comparison purposes. Well, there are lots and lots of us, that still remember that day, 241 of our Marines died. And unless you were with a Marine that day, you really can't understand the impact that Marines suffered that day.
There is lots of history of the last 40 years, that I kinda forget, but I vividly remember 444 days you had our folks.
Work stopped in my office, TV's were turned on, watching Reagan sworn in, knowing, we would next see our guys coming home. (They were on, not for the swearing in, but for what was gonna happen next)
And we stayed glued to those TV sets, watching our folks coming home until each of them were on American soil. That memory is in my head.
Later, one of those folks was quoted, upon being asked, would he ever return to Iran, and he answered, "Yes, in a B-52."
You Middle Eastern folks, Mister A with your history comparisons, aren't the only people with long memories. We've got our and we hold them close.
We are light sleepers. Be careful in waking us up. We don't always wake up in a good mood.
#3
I happened to be in the lobby of one of the New York hotels when some of the hostages arrived there after being released. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life. "Rock star" doesn't begin to convey the reception those folks got.
Posted by: Matt ||
07/16/2006 0:47 Comments ||
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#4
Didn't you say recently that Hitler wasn't such a bad guy?
#5
I lived in the US at the time of the Iran hostage crisis and 'Nuke Teheran' is still my favourite bumper sticker, well after 'Troy, New York; Home of Son of Sam'.
#7
Beautifully said, Sherry. Thank you for that. I just turned on the computer, and this article is my first news of the day. Iran's comeuppance is coming.
Amr Moussa. Or maybe it's Jerry Lewis this time. I'm not sure which.
Foreign ministers of 18 Arab countries passed a unanimous resolution yesterday calling on the UN Security Council to intervene to stop escalating Mideast fighting. "The Middle East peace process has failed. The whole process should now be sent back to the Security Council for a complete overhaul," said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. "We are going to the Security Council this is a unanimous position to discuss the whole situation from scratch," he said. "If the Security Council fails, nobody knows what might happen next," he added, pronouncing the whole Mideast peace process "dead."
"It is? Golly, Amr. How could you tell?"
"It's the stench. And maybe the gagging sound everybody makes whenever we utter the words 'peace process.'"
[GAG!]
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Yup, yup, yup. Failed . Absolutely, positively. We reached that conclusion years ago, that dealing with A--rabs only produces failure. And extended talking only produces hot air. You towel heads know what happens when the talkin's over, don't ya ?
#3
For 50 years we have been doing the talking while you have been doing the shooting.
Their heads have been getting bigger over the last 50 years trying to contain the logic that allows them to continue to believe that Israel is the problem, but the fan belts that hold the towels in place have not. :-)
in response to O'Reilly asking him if they would invade Lebanon. Answer: we don't intend to, but if the attacks continue, all doors are open, including Syria and Iran.
#4
And something whispers in my ear, there are a bunch of Marines on that Iraq-Syria border, that would be cheering, just willing success to the Israelis on their run. Somewhere today, I read a letter that a Marine in Iraq had posted to a site of an Israeli, letting them know, they were standing with them.
Hezbollah and its backers, not the government, now appear in control of Lebanon's fate.
That was the case last Tuesday, too. But on Tuesday Siniora's government didn't realize it.
After moderating their stance in recent years,
coulda fooled me
the guerrillas surged back to the war front with a surprise attack on Israel and a sophisticated arsenal, leaving Lebanon's politicians and army looking nearly powerless. The government seems paralyzed over how to deal with Hezbollah, whose Shiite Muslim fighters have had near autonomy in the south for more than a decade.
Pretty much total autonomy, actually. That's why Leb's at war now...
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah acted Sunday like the man holding Lebanon's reins, though he looked tired and stressed
and wounded
as he vowed that his group had only begun to fight. "We are in our full strength and power," he said on the group's Al-Manar TV. "Hezbollah is not fighting a battle for Hezbollah or even for Lebanon. We are now fighting a battle for the (Islamic) nation."
how Very Noble of you.
You're always at full strength and power when you start a war. What counts is what condition you're in when it's over.
Over the recent days, the Hezbollah TV station has aired a constant stream of martial music and images of guerrillas firing rockets at Israel.
Good idea. Remind them who started the festivities.
Even amid Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah managed to keep the station on the air aside from a brief interruption Sunday morning while Beirut-run utilities failed. Electricity remained knocked out across much of the city; firefighters ran out water to extinguish burning apartment buildings. The Western-backed, anti-Syrian prime minister Fouad Saniora held back tears as he vowed on Lebanese television Saturday night to curb the guerrillas, desperate to stop Israel's onslaught. But on Sunday, President Emile Lahoud a pro-Syrian and an ally of Hezbollah pronounced that Lebanon "will not surrender" to Israel's attempts to batter it into submission.
Emile crawls out from under his rock. Bet they wish they'd dumped him back in March, when they had the chance. But it was Hezbollah that blocked that, too...
Few believe Saniora could move against Hezbollah without throwing the country into further turmoil. The army he would have to send into the south has many Shiite members, who might balk at fighting their brethren in the guerrilla force.
some of them were probably complicit in the use of the coastal radars against the Iraeli warship
The country's large Shiite population would be outraged.
and we mustn't, must't outrage Muslim sensibilities. We all know how sensitive they are and how they will be forced to torture and kill people as a result of any actions on our part. Like breathing.
They're not outraged at having their homes and businesses blown apart?
The Hezbollah surge into action was a shock, because its fighters had been relatively quiet since Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000. There have been occasional exchanges with Israeli forces since, but the once-hot Israeli-Lebanese border was seen by many as successfully quieted.
They've blown off rockets every time there's been a crisis in Israel...
Hezbollah's star had even appeared to be falling somewhat, with the end of its ally Syria's control of Lebanon last year. Anti-Syrian sentiment across the country ended Hezbollah's image as a nationalist anti-Israel force, while Damascus' opponents came to dominate the government. This year, Lebanon's politicians had openly discussed disarming the group, though talks on doing so dragged on without result.
Oh, they had a result - The Army of Allah invaded Israel, killed a couple soldiers and took 2 more hostage. Just top make their position in the negotiations clear ....
Elections last year gave Hezbollah a strong parliament presence of 11 lawmakers and two seats in the Cabinet, increasing predictions among many Lebanese that the group would abandon guerrilla action and become a political party. All such speculation vanished in an instant Wednesday with Hezbollah's bold raid across the border to snatch two Israeli soldiers, sparking Israel biggest bombardment in 24 years. Hezbollah clearly made a decision in favor of fighting over a political role, and felt confident it was strong enough for the fight it knew it was starting.
It was assert itself or have the government eventually decide to implement Resolution 1559. The pressure was mounting...
Israel says that's because Iran has been feeding the guerrilla arsenal with beefed-up rockets, even sending 100 members of its elite Revolutionary Guards to help launch them a claim Nasrallah denied Sunday.
Doesn't matter if they're Iranians or Hezbies trained back in the Promised Land. The missile was certainly an Iranian Silkworm variant.
Hezbollah, which was founded in 1982 after Iran's Revolutionary Guards were sent to Lebanon during Israel's invasion of the country, is thought to receive between $10 million and $20 million a month from Iran, and its fighters regularly go there for training. But Iranian fighters have not been seen in Lebanon in the past 15 years.
Of course not. The Lebs go to Iran or Syria for their training. And Syria was there for the past 14 years.
Already the new fighting has deepened divisions in Lebanon, mostly along sectarian lines. The country's 1.2 million Shiites largely support Hezbollah, while Sunnis, Christians and Druse mostly oppose it. Lebanon's army of about 70,000 soldiers far outnumbers Hezbollah's estimated 6,000 fighters, but its troops lack the guerrillas' battle experience.
The only "battle experience" Hezbollah has is popping off rockets at northern Israel. They're still play soldiers.
Largely manned by Shiite Muslims, the army could also break up along sectarian lines, while the guerrillas can call on thousands of supporters. And Hezbollah's religious zeal and willingness to die in battle also makes it a formidable foe, increasing fears that the latest conflict could tear Lebanon apart. "Hezbollah has taken the country hostage. They have destroyed people's homes and infrastructure," cried Mohammed Bazazo, 50, a merchant in the predominantly Sunni southern port city of Sidon.
Picked right up on that, didn't you?
Nasrallah tried to address those concerns Sunday, vowing that Hezbollah will help rebuild. "You are truly a historic people," he said, addressing Lebanon. "By your steadfastness, we will be victorious."
#3
The leader of Syrian backed Iranian/Shiite colony in Leabanon starts WWIII.
We are now on a collision course with a decision that must be made. A decision like that which put an end to Nazism as a political system and the State Shinto religious sect. Why are we waiting for a Pearl Harbor attack? We and our allies have already been attacked repeatedly.
Leaders of the Group of Eight had agreed to issue a joint statement calling for the abducted Israeli soldiers to be freed, for the attacks to stop and for Israel to end its military action, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday. It is a strong message with a clear political content," Merkel told reporters.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 15:17 ||
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Our analysts concluded that one of the principal risks of safety of the current crisis is to see Hezbollah reviving its policy of taking Western hostages such as this organization practised it twenty years ago, at the height of the civil war.
It is clearly indeed that one should assist in the days to come - perhaps within the next 48 hours - to a massive offensive from the Israeli Army to south-Lebanon and, undoubtedly, in the plain of Bekaa with an aim if not of eradicate purely and simply Hezbollah, at least to deprive it of its operational capacities for several years.
To counter this offensive, Hezbollah could (or would have to) react in three manners:
- By developing an insurrectionary war in the south so as to bring Israel to account;
- By using all the weapons of which it lays out, including missiles able to reach Tel-Aviv (the reasoning will be: "let us use them before they are destroyed")
- By taking Western hostages
From the Civil war of the Eighties as from the crisis in progress in Iraq, Hezbollah has remembered that the businesses of hostages use to paralyse the Western nations. The hostage-taking would be thus, in Lebanon, a mean of ensuring that the United States keep neutral and of pushing other nations (of which France) to more openly commit itself "to defend the integrity of Lebanon" by the diplomatic way and ensuring the survival of Hezbollah by obliging the Occident to make pressure on Israel.
Moreover, perhaps, this solution would have a collateral advantage which would be to allow Damas and Teheran to be in a position of "honest brokers" in further possible negotiations. Syria would thus find an official role in Lebanon and Iran could even hope to lower the tensions around its nuclear program.
The Operation would be all the more easy as very many Westerners (25 000 Americans, 20 000 French, thousands of other Europeans reside at Lebanon or are there on mission of long duration or like tourists). The most exposed countries seem to us to be the Member States of the Security Council and especially the United States and France. The most exposed city is obviously Beirut where the density of foreigners is strong and where the Israeli troops will not enter.
#3
I wonder if we will show our hand in this. The Iwo Jima is on her way to pick up Americans in Lebenon, I assume she'll come with an entire group. The mere presence of the American fleet is likely to stir up the mooks.
#5
Hostage taking may be "easy" & work with France & others but the US has learnt the hard way that responding to hostage taking will bite us in the end (figurtivly & literally). And it might be the action that would get the US directly invlolved.
Fox just announcing that State Dept is telling folks to stay where they are. It is "too dangerous" to begin movement. Wonder what that means? Would Hezbollah be dumb enough to begin to attach Americans attempting to leave?
#9
Egypt is permitting the Iwo Jima group to transit the Suez Canal? If I'm driving those ships I'm going to be very nervous; just think what a propaganda coup it would be for the Islamists to get the Cole a second time. They know pretty much when and where the ships will pass in the Canal and approaches. For that matter, the Islamists don't even need to actually mount an attack - an unarmed boat making too close an approach will get blasted, for at least a secondary propaganda victory.
Lebanon's government said Sunday that Italy has relayed Israeli conditions to stop its assault on Lebanon: release the two captured Israeli soldiers and pull Hizbullah back from the Israeli border.
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi briefed reporters on the conditions after an emergency Cabinet meeting. He said Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi spoke to Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, and relayed the conditions made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Aridi said Prodi told Saniora that "Premier Olmert has two conditions for a cease-fire: handover of the captured soldiers and Hizbullah's withdrawal beyond the Litani (River)." He said Prodi relayed Olmert's conditions to Saniora as part of a "personal initiative."
"Nothing is official because the real negotiations have not started yet," Aridi said.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 12:27 ||
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European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is being transported to Beirut for talks over the dramatic escalation in Middle East violence, Britain's Defense Ministry said Sunday. Solana is being flown from a base in Cyprus to Lebanon by British military helicopter, but defense officials said they were not aware who the official was due to meet for discussions. "At the request of the EU presidency, UK helicopters are flying Javier Solana to Beirut for talks," said a Defense Ministry spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 12:22 ||
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#1
I like how he's described as baggage, LOL.
"defense officials said they were not aware who the official was due to meet for discussions"
Operational assessment and planning. IIRC, it was Dagan who said the Iranian program would have results by August. It's close to August now.
Mossad chief Meir Dagan will depart for the United States this week to meet with senior administration officials on ways to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program. His visit was arranged several weeks ago, after the international community demanded that Iran stop enriching uranium and start negotiations.
Dagan will likely discuss the current crisis with Hezbollah, as well as Syrian and Iranian involvement in developments on the northern border and in the Gaza Strip.
According to a source in Jerusalem, Dagan may have to postpone his visit due to the crisis.
During Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to the U.S. two months ago, it was agreed that Israel and the U.S. would continue cooperation on the Iranian front, and that Dagan would visit Washington D.C. for further talks.
Shortly after Olmert's visit, the U.S. announced it would participate in talks European leaders are conducting with Iran on halting the nuclear program.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Lebanon accused the United States on Saturday of blocking a U.N. Security Council statement calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying the impotence of the United Nations' most powerful body sent the wrong signal to small countries and the Arab world. "It's unacceptable because people are still under shelling, bombardment and destruction is going on ... and people are dying," said Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahmoud.
Qatar, the only Arab nation on the council, received widespread support during closed council consultations late Saturday for a press statement calling for an immediate cease-fire, restraint in the use of force, and the protection of civilians caught in the conflict, council diplomats said.
But Argentina's U.N. Ambassador Cesar Mayoral said the United States objected to any statement and Britain opposed calling for a cease-fire. The U.S. and Britain want to wait for the outcome of this weekend's Group of Eight meeting in Russia, an Arab League foreign ministers meeting, and a mission sent to the Middle East by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Mayoral and other diplomats said.
France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, the current council president, confirmed "there was no agreement on a text tonight, but we will meet on Monday." "Many delegations would have liked to have a very prompt reaction," he said. "Others think the spotlight should be elsewhere, not here in the council. "
But Lebanon's Mahmoud protested, saying while innocent civilians are killed, "here we are impotent." "It sends very wrong signals not only to the Lebanese people but to the Arab people, to all small nations that we are left to the might of Israel and nobody is doing anything," he said.
"We have many reasons to expect much more from the Security Council," said Mahmoud. And from the United States? "They were always supportive in the last 1 1/2 years, but when it comes to Israel it seems things change," he said.
Yup. Get used to it. We stand with Israel. We'll stand with you unless you stand against Israel. It's not hard to figure out.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I'm thankfully that Bolton was chosen as US Ambassador.
#2
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Bush is perfect as Prez, and Bolton is perfect as Ambassador.
Am glad they are focussing on Hizballah and repeating often that the war was caused by Hizballah firing rockets from southern lebanon, abducting soldiers.
As the rest of the world tries to play the equivalence game and the victim card, someone needs to remind people how it all started. They soon forget and think Israel just attacked unprovoked.
Now they have only the lame duck argument of disproportionate response.
#5
Don't forget that while 3 were kidnapped there were many more killed and wounded during the kidnappings. Kidnappings are serious but murder is murder. If it is not murder to the terrorists then it is war and they are getting a dose of what war really is.
#7
"It's unacceptable because people are still under shelling, bombardment and destruction is going on ... and people are dying," said Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahmoud.
Qatar, the only Arab nation on the council, received widespread support during closed council consultations late Saturday for a press statement calling for an immediate cease-fire, restraint in the use of force, and the protection of civilians caught in the conflict, council diplomats said.
I'm sure they're referring to Hezballah as the aggressor, right? Or maybe get closer to the root with Syria and Iran? After which Israel would stand down and Hezballah would be made to just magically go away permanently? Hasn't this been tried before? FWIW (which isn't much!), don't I recall a couple of UN resolutions dealing with this point directly?
But Lebanon's Mahmoud protested, saying while innocent civilians are killed, "here we are impotent."
Again referring to Hezballah, right?
"It sends very wrong signals not only to the Lebanese people but to the Arab people, to all small nations that we are left to the might of Israel and nobody is doing anything," he said.
Wrong signals == signals you don't want to hear about due to extreme denial of the causes and resulting effects?
"We have many reasons to expect much more from the Security Council," said Mahmoud.
In terms of resolutions regarding eliminating the Hezballah thingy, right?
And from the United States? "They were always supportive in the last 1 1/2 years, but when it comes to Israel it seems things change," he said.
There's a reason. Hopefully things will change for the better and you will enjoy more support in the future.
#8
...saying the impotence of the United Nations' most powerful body sent the wrong signal to small countries and the Arab world
On the contrary, it's sending exactly the right signals - the old ways of doing things, where some shithole country, famed for nothing more than killing 000's of it's own citizens would have the same standing and say as a country such as the US, is over.
As our American friends would say "wake up and smell the coffee". Dimwit.
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
07/16/2006 6:23 Comments ||
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#11
I think the Isreali spin meisters should be pushing the kidnapping issue as hard as the US media pushes the numerous "missing pretty blonde girl" cases. In all the coverage yesterday, they were barely mentioned... Sort of an Israeli "Amber Alert" that includes F-15's.
#12
But Lebanon's Mahmoud protested, saying while innocent civilians are killed, "here we are impotent." "It sends very wrong signals not only to the Lebanese people but to the Arab people, to all small nations that we are left to the might of Israel and nobody is doing anything," he said.
Indeed Mahmud, its sending a signal and the signal is loud and clear....
ALLOW A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION TO TAKE ROOT IN YOUR "SOVEREIGN" COUNTRY, LET THEM ACCUMULATE A HORRIFIC ARSENAL OF UMPTEEN THOUSAND ROCKETS, IGNORE THEM OR EVEN GIVE THEM A SEAT IN YOUR PARLIAMENT, AND VOILA ! BEFORE YOU KNOW IT THEY MAKE A BIG BIG MISTAKE AND YOUR FUCKING ASS IS ANSWERABLE TO US !
Kapisch ?????
is the signal loud and clear ?
HASTALAVISTA Mahmud baby !
Posted by: Elder of Zion ||
07/16/2006 9:10 Comments ||
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United States President George W. Bush said on Saturday that America and Russia were willing to work together to send a clear message to Iran that its "nuclear weapons ambitions" were "not acceptable".
"We are working with Russia and our partners to develop Security Council resolutions that will send a clear message", Bush said at a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Strelna, Russia, as the annual summit of leaders of the G8 nations were kicking off in St. Petersburg. "One thing is for certain, that if the Iranians see that the United States and Russia are working together on this issue, they'll understand the seriousness of our intent", he said.
Bush said that he and Putin had "strategised" how to tackle Tehran's nuclear threat. "There is common agreement that we need to get something done at the U.N. And I am confident we will be able to do that", he said. "The Iranians need to understand that we are speaking with one voice that they shouldn't have a weapon".
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Bush has been puttywacked
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/16/2006 0:42 Comments ||
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#2
GW talks pretty in St. Petersburg while Iran's ally gets the living crap kicked out of it back "home." Iran has miscalculated, and badly, perhaps because they pay too much attention to our polls. They think GW's bogged down in Iraq and therefore powerless, but Hezbollah is going to get taken down, and down hard by a "petite paye de merde" (gotta keep up the French, donchyaknow). If Iran does not come to Hezbollah's aid in a very visible way, it will be clear to all in the region that Iran's just another losing horse.
#3
And if it does, it's a causus belli. Yup. Dangerous times for us all, but I think that the trap Iran was laying for Israel and the US might have caught them in it instead.
#5
I suspect its more that the allies Iran sought to have trap Israel have trapped Iran instead and Ahmedinajihad is finding out how difficult command, control and communications can be. I'd have added intelligence, but it's quite apparent he has none of that.
#7
Iran and Syria have already stated they will not let Hez go down.
If you watched the presser with GW and Putty, you witnessed how condescending Putty is and how he belittled GW over Iraq's democracy.
GW agreeing to give the Moolahs the same package Kimmy received in 1994 is a freakin joke. With one possible exception, that he had foreknowledge that the Moolahs weren't going to accept it.
GW still trusts Putty, it would appear, which is laughable.
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/16/2006 15:25 Comments ||
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#8
yes Putin was condescending. He still lost on this G-8 meeting. Bush pushed him hard prior to the meeting AND at the press conference -- and more importantly, vetoed Russia's entry into the WTO for now.
Moreover, Bush insisted that Hizb'allah is responsible for triggering the war in Lebanon. Syria used to be a dependent of Russia's. Iraq was one of the strong allies under Saddam. Putin is reduced to trying to claim victory over Basayev's death and snarking at Bush in front of the cameras. Meanwhile, we got the UNSC resolution on NORK.
CBS News has learned that an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon will most likely begin next week. The evacuation would be led by the USS Iwo Jima, and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit would use its helicopters to ferry as many as 8,000 Americans to nearby Cyprus. It is the same way many Americans left the Lebanon in 1987.
Former U.S. ambassador Ned Walker, who has helped coordinate a number of evacuations in the Mideast, told CBS News correspondent Joie Chen that embassies are prepared in advance for emergency evacuations. "Every embassy has a detailed plan on what to do," he said. "Every embassy has coordinated those plans with our military. They have video of the escape routes. They have it down to a 'T.'"
Earlier on Saturday the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in a posting on its Web site that it was working on a plan to evacuate American citizens from Lebanon. "We are looking at how we might transport Americans to Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, Americans can then board commercial aircraft for onward travel," the statement said.
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Posted by: Steve White ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I heard an interesting comment on FoxNews last night. They were interviewing a woman sitting in a hotel over there, and she said that there were a lot of American passport holders there who are not Americans. There was no clarification, and I fell asleep wondering who those people were, and whether we would feel responsible to evacuate them, too.
President George W. Bush refused Friday to press Israel for a cease-fire in Mideast violence, risking a wider breach with world leaders at a weekend summit already confronting crises with Iran and North Korea. Flying here from Germany, Bush called the leaders of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan to explore ways to end three days of furious fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Turning aside complaints that Israel is using excessive force, Bush rejected a cease-fire plea from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. "The president is not going to make military decisions for Israel," said White House press secretary Tony Snow. He said it was unlikely either side would agree to a cease-fire now. Snow also said that in his conversation with Lebanon's prime minister, Bush underscored that Israel has a right to defend itself, but should try to limit damage.
In Washington, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who chairs the Armed Services Committee, urged Bush to "think through very carefully how Israel's extraordinary reaction could affect our operations in Iraq and our joint diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue." While making appeals to Arab leaders, Bush did not call Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Snow said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and others.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2006 00:00 ||
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I used to think highly of John Warner. Until he took on a RINO gown
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/16/2006 0:43 Comments ||
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Tell you what John. Lets have Israel send a corvette to lob missles into Richmond and see how long you decide to show restraint.
Lebanese Information Minister Aridi tells reporters his country will not hold direct talks with Israel, only with United Nations; Aridi adds plea: At this rate Lebanese nation liable to be destroyed
Roee Nahmias
No diplomatic solution from Lebanon yet: After Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora Saturday night proclaimed willingness to deploy forces across Lebanons sovereign territory in coordination with the United Nations in return for an Israeli cease fire, Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi countered Sunday that it was not yet time to negotiate with Israel .
#1
What makes him think Israel would even want to talk to Lebanon? Lebanon didn't even have military control of its own territory. Israel might just as well talk to the mayor of Cleveland.
#2
Shimon Perez said on CNN this AM that Israel would meet for face to face negotiations with the government of Lebanon, provided they were in control of the country and represented the people of Lebanon.
#7
The Lebanese government has already surrendered: to Hazballa
Posted by: Captain America ||
07/16/2006 15:03 Comments ||
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#8
Negotiating with the UN will help exactly how? The Paleos have been negotiating with the UN for fifty years and look what they have to show. You want the UN in on skimming your reconstruction projects as well?
Posted by: john ||
07/16/2006 20:32 Comments ||
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#9
Perhaps they can get a preferred position for some of the Iranian Oil for Food money.
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.
Somalia's newly powerful Islamists have agreed to respect the legitimacy of the fragile government and continue talks despite a rebuff by the president, an 
Prime Minister John Howard has blamed Hezbollah for starting the current crisis between Lebanon and Israel, saying the group provoked the Jewish state into "self-defence" by going across the border and seizing soldiers. 
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan charged yesterday that Western powers were "keeping mum" over mounting bloodshed in the Middle East, warning that they would "pay the bill" by facing more terrorist attacks, Anatolia news agency reported. "Bombs are exploding, innocent people are being killed, infrastructures are being destroyed... The powerful continue to crush the weak, but unfortunately those who hold the power in the world are keeping mum," Erdogan said in the northeastern city of Artvin.
BERLIN, July 14 -- German prosecutors said Friday that they had closed their investigation of a German Syrian businessman accused in Spain of being a key al-Qaeda figure. Federal prosecutors said their investigation had failed to confirm suspicions that 
Pakistan has claimed that it has deported an Indian, wanted by New Delhi for various criminal acts, to Dubai from where he had arrived here recently. The Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said it had detained the wanted Indian, 
For the first time in Bombays history, Muslim religious leaders representing virtually every sect came together on Thursday evening to condemn the serial bomb blasts in the city as a barbaric, inhuman and cowardly act. We teach in our madrassas that you have to be a decent human being first before you can call yourself a Muslim. How can an act which is inhuman ever be considered to be Islamic? said 
World leaders agreed Sunday on a joint message on the crisis in the Middle East that reflected a significant swing of support toward Israel's argument that it has been acting in self-defense. 
Sunday, three days after an attack on their vessel, the bodies of three missing crewmembers were found. Their families were informed. Funeral dates have not yet been set.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that for the time being the United States is not interested to assist in negotiating a ceasefire. There is no point in achieving a ceasefire so long as Hizbullah and Hamas are capable of firing rockets at Israel, and by doing so to breach it.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is being transported to Beirut for talks over the dramatic escalation in Middle East violence, Britain's Defense Ministry said Sunday. Solana is being flown from a base in Cyprus to Lebanon by British military helicopter, but defense officials said they were not aware who the official was due to meet for discussions. "At the request of the EU presidency, UK helicopters are flying Javier Solana to Beirut for talks," said a Defense Ministry spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
CBS News has learned that an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon will most likely begin next week. The evacuation would be led by the USS Iwo Jima, and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit would use its helicopters to ferry as many as 8,000 Americans to nearby Cyprus. It is the same way many Americans left the Lebanon in 1987. 
President George W. Bush refused Friday to press Israel for a cease-fire in Mideast violence, risking a wider breach with world leaders at a weekend summit already confronting crises with Iran and North Korea. Flying here from Germany, Bush called the leaders of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan to explore ways to end three days of furious fighting between Israel and 
