Despite six years of promises, U.S. officials say Saudi Arabia continues to look the other way at wealthy individuals identified as sending millions of dollars to al Qaeda.
"If I could somehow snap my fingers and cut off the funding from one country, it would be Saudi Arabia," Stuart Levey, the under-secretary of the Treasury in charge of tracking terror financing, told ABC News.
How 'bout cutting off links to US banks?
Despite some efforts as a U.S. ally in the war on terror, Levey says Saudi Arabia has dropped the ball. Not one person identified by the United States and the United Nations as a terror financier has been prosecuted by the Saudis, Levey says. "When the evidence is clear that these individuals have funded terrorist organizations, and knowingly done so, then that should be prosecuted and treated as real terrorism because it is," Levey says.
Or we could just take them on a 'drive into the desert' ...
Among those on the donor list, according to U.S. officials, is Yasin al Qadi, a wealthy businessman named on both the U.S. and U.N. lists of al Qaeda financiers one month after the 9/11 attacks.
Al Qadi, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, remains free, still a prominent figure in Saudi Arabia.
"Lies! All lies!"
Al Qadi's London-based attorney, Guy Martin of Carter-Ruck law firm, said the United States has never produced any evidence in support of the allegations against his client. "He hasn't been tried, let alone convicted, anywhere in any jurisdiction in the world," said Martin. "While allegations have been made, there have been no formal criminal proceedings."
"Pah! You call that evidence?"
"This is a financial Guantanamo to my client who is the victim of a gross and on-going miscarriage of justice," said Martin. "This is a Kafka situation where people are put on this list with no due process."
"Show us somene who will accuse my client and we'll have him killed!"
While the Saudi embassy had no comment regarding Levey's specific allegations, a spokesman did note that after the Sept. 11 attacks, the country took prompt action and "required Saudi banks to identify and freeze all assets relating to terrorist suspects and entities per the list issued by the United States government." The statement went on to say that "Saudi banks have complied with the freeze requirements and have initiated investigations of transactions that suspects linked to Al Qaeda may have undertaken in the past."
U.S. officials say they are equally frustrated with what they call the empty promises of Pakistan to go after al Qaeda's sanctuaries in their country. Pakistan says it is willing to take action if the U.S. provides details. "If they had specific information, they should share it with us, and we would go after them," Pakistani Ambassador to the U.N. Munir Akram told ABC News.
And warn them.
When asked whether the U.S. can trust his country, Ambassador Akram said, "Well, if the U.S. doesn't trust Pakistan, how can Pakistan be an ally of the U.S.?"
Excellent question!
A question echoed by many in the U.S.
With fresh funds and a safe haven, al Qaeda has been able to recruit and train a new class of terrorists as well as send out a stream of new propaganda tapes. Just today, al Qaeda's leader Osama bin Laden was seen on a second video this week, introducing the video will of one of the 9/11 hijackers. "And it remains for us to do our part," bin Laden said as he held up 9/11 hijacker Waleed al Shehri's life as an example. "So I tell every young man among the youth of Islam: it is your duty to join the caravan until the sufficiency is complete and the march to aid the High and Omnipotent continues."
U.S. officials fear there are more like al Shehri heeding bin Laden's call and coming now from Pakistan. "The consequence is that there is in effect a sanctuary in the northwest part of Pakistan, just like the sanctuary that used to exist before we invaded Afghanistan," Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism official and now ABC News consultant, said. This clearly sounds like we need to perform a bunch of targeted assassinations, but made to resemble natural causes and accidents. We have almost free access in to and out of Saudi, so it should have been carried out long ago.
Actually I don't think we have free access into the Magic Kingdom. The Saoodis are pretty good with internal security, and we of course look like infidels. I suspect a competent CIA could make some things happen, but it wouldn't be easy.
#1
I'd say do the wet work, but make it obvious it wasn't an accident. Let them know they're on the list
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2007 11:28 Comments ||
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#2
on the sunni front saudi and pakistan must be dealt with
On the shia side Iran and Syria.
In the UK we feel the Saudi/Pakistan threat alot more!!!
Posted by: Paul ||
09/16/2007 12:58 Comments ||
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#3
This clearly sounds like we need to perform a bunch of targeted assassinations, but made to resemble natural causes and accidents.
'moose, why conceal the motivation? I'd only keep the wet work under wraps until the top tier was cashed out. That way they wouldn't be chased into hiding. After the big turbans are all pull-started, then make it clear why they're dead and go after the ones who can't afford good bolt holes.
We need to make it real clear that any fingers in the terrorist pie get cut off.
#4
Who remembers the reports after Gulf War1, of Saudis under US operational command, cheering every report of Scud hits at Israel? Scuds were directed exclusively at civilian targets, and thousands of Israelis were made homeless by the attacks.
The Saudis do NOT recognize American sovereignty; their relations with the US are purely strategic, and they would wipe out the country could they do so with impunity. There is NO reason why the US should recognize Saudi sovereignty over what is now Saudi Arabia. At best the Wahabi-Saud relationship held lands around Negd and Hijaz, until Anglo-American interests - faced with international pressure to grant state status to tribal pig-pens - recognized ersatz frontiers around the terror entity. The Persian Gulf oil fields are Anglo-American, by right, and should be seized and war should be made against the Saud-Wahabi terror alliance.
#5
There's more than $200 billion/year of oil just waiting to be taken. It would finance at least twice the current war effort (or the current war effort plus a new nuclear power reactor every week) while dealing our enemies an unrecoverable defeat.
Posted by: ed ||
09/16/2007 18:15 Comments ||
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#6
U.S.: Saudis Still Filling Al Qaeda's Coffers
Water continues to be wet. Fire continues to be hot. Iran, Syria, and North Korea continue to lie.
Not news to us here at Rantburg, but yet another challenge to the Muslim status quo in Britain, and a reminder to the natives what they're up against.
One of the Church of England's most senior bishops is warning that people will die unless Muslim leaders in Britain speak out in defence of the right to change faith. Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, whose father converted from Islam to Christianity in Pakistan, says he is looking to Muslim leaders in Britain to 'uphold basic civil liberties, including the right for people to believe what they wish to believe and to even change their beliefs if they wish to do so'.
Some Islamic texts brand Muslims who convert to other faiths as 'apostates' and call for them to be punished. Seven of the world's 57 Islamic states - including Iran - impose the death penalty for conversion.
Now Ali, who some see as a potential Archbishop of Canterbury, has told Channel 4's Dispatches programme of his fears about the safety of the estimated 3,000 Muslims who have converted to other faiths in Britain. 'It is very common in the world today, including in this country, for people who have changed their faith, particularly from being Muslim to being Christian, to be ostracised, to lose their job, for their marriages to be dissolved, for children to be taken away,' Ali said. 'And this is why some leadership is necessary from Muslim leaders themselves to say that this is not what Islam teaches.'
The bishop warns that Muslims who switch faiths in Britain could be killed if the current climate continues. 'We have seen honour killings have happened, and there is no reason why this kind of thing cannot happen.'
In 2004, Prince Charles asked British Muslim leaders to renounce laws of apostasy and the death sentence for converts in Islamic countries, but no public statement was ever made.
Dispatches obtained Islamic texts sold in Britain that say the punishment for apostasy is death - according to all four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. One text called for Muslims to cut off the head of those who reject Islam.
A poll of more than 1,000 British Muslims, conducted by the Policy Exchange think-tank this year, found that 36 per cent of Muslims aged between 16 and 24 believe those who convert to another faith should be punished by death.
#1
A poll of more than 1,000 British Muslims, conducted by the Policy Exchange think-tank this year, found that 36 per cent of Muslims aged between 16 and 24 believe those who convert to another faith should be punished by death.
Deport that 36% and go from there. Nazi-Ali is one of the good guys.
#3
Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, whose father converted from Islam to Christianity in Pakistan, says he is looking to Muslim leaders in Britain to 'uphold basic civil liberties, including the right for people to believe what they wish to believe and to even change their beliefs if they wish to do so'.
Seems to come from very brave stock.
The bishop warns that Muslims who switch faiths in Britain could be killed if the current climate continues. 'We have seen honour killings have happened, and there is no reason why this kind of thing cannot happen.'
Somehow, THAT didn't get into DooDoo's report on Islamo"phobia".
In 2004, Prince Charles asked British Muslim leaders to renounce laws of apostasy and the death sentence for converts in Islamic countries, but no public statement was ever made.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Sunday his country must prepare for the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program, but he did not believe any such action was imminent.
Seeking to ratchet up the pressure on Iran, Kouchner also told RTL radio and LCI television that the world's major powers should use further sanctions to show they were serious about stopping Tehran getting atom bombs, and said France had asked French firms not to bid for tenders in the Islamic Republic.
"We must prepare for the worst," Kouchner said in an interview, adding: "The worst, sir, is war."
Asked about the preparations, he said it was normal to prepare for various eventualities.
"We are preparing ourselves by trying to put together plans that are the chiefs of staff's prerogative (but) that is not about to happen tomorrow," he added.
Tehran insists it only wants to master nuclear technology to produce electricity, but it has yet to comply with repeated U.N. demands that it suspend uranium enrichment and other sensitive work that could potentially be used in producing weapons.
Kouchner's comments follow a similarly hawkish statement by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said last month in his first major foreign policy speech since taking office that a diplomatic push by the world's powers was the only alternative to "an Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran."
Asked if France was involved in any planning towards war, he said: "The French army is not at the moment associated with anything at all, nor with any maneuver at all."
"PEACE IS IN YOUR INTEREST"
France has said repeatedly it wants the U.N. Security Council to pass tougher sanctions against Iran over its failure to dispel fears that it is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons.
"We do not want to signal anything other than 'peace is in your interest, and in ours too,"' Kouchner said, adding that the door should be left open to negotiations with Tehran, but Paris has made a suspension of nuclear work a condition for talks.
The United States, Germany, France and Britain have led a diplomatic drive to punish Iran for refusing to halt its uranium enrichment program. They succeeded in persuading reluctant Russia and China to back two U.N. sanctions resolutions.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran would not give up its nuclear program.
"Of course we will not abandon our right to nuclear technology," he told state television. "They (the West) talks about imposing sanctions on Iran, but they can not do it."
Washington says the time has to expand the penalties and has called a September 21 meeting of the six powers to discuss a third sanctions resolution to submit to the U.N. Security Council.
Kouchner said France had asked its biggest companies, including oil giant Total and gas firm Gaz de France, not to bid for projects in Iran.
"We have already asked a certain number of our large companies to not respond to tenders, and it is a way of signaling that we are serious," Kouchner said.
"We are not banning French companies from submitting. We have advised them not to. These are private companies. But I think that it has been heard and we are not the only ones to have done this."
In addition, Paris and Berlin were preparing possible European Union economic sanctions against Tehran, Kouchner said.
"We have decided to ... prepare ourselves for possible sanctions outside the U.N. sanctions and which would be European sanctions. Our German friends proposed it. We discussed it a few days ago," Kouchner said.
The risk of a terrorist attack in Germany, possibly even a nuclear strike, is high despite last weeks arrest of suspected Islamist militants, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a newspaper on Saturday. The terrorist threat has not diminished, Schaeuble told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, according to extracts published in advance. I am no less worried since the arrests. We know more precisely that we are in the crosshairs of Islamist terrorism ... the terrorists want to carry out more attacks, he said. Schaeuble even warned of the danger of a nuclear attack, although it was not clear if he was referring to Germany specifically. Many experts are convinced this kind of attack is a question of when, not if, he told the paper.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Europe
#1
The fear and resultant diaspora created by a nuclear attack of potentially unknown origins could easily create a vacume and an opportunity for unprecedented migration of Muslims into Europe. One must wonder.
#2
Interesting they're trying to get the message out now, after 6 years of claiming that the GWOT was due to Bush's fevered brain and the atavistic fantasies of primitive Americans.
#4
Interior Minister Schaeuble has been very high profile lately... and saying things that aren't at all politically correct. Would I be correct in thinking this change came on the heels of Britain's Doctors' Plot?
The United States, while praising Turkey's newly-elected civilian leaders as friends of America, has called on Ankara to take a series of critical political steps, including refraining from energy deals with Iran, opening its border with Armenia, lifting obstacles before freedom of speech and reopening a Greek Orthodox religious school.
"We very much welcome (Abdullah) Gül's election" as president, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Nick Burns, said late Thursday in a speech on U.S.-Turkish relations at the Atlantic Council, a think tank. He said Washington was looking forward to working with Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan both of whom he said were "good allies of the United States."
Following months of friction with the military over secularism, Erdoðan's ruling party, whose roots lie in political Islam, won a landslide victory in general elections on July 22. About a month later Gül, Erdoðan's former foreign minister, was elected president by the new Parliament.
Burns' policy speech, in which he focused on the prospects and challenges awaiting the U.S.-Turkish relationship, came ahead of high-level talks. He will travel to Ankara early next week, and Erdoðan is expected to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush in the United States within the next two weeks.
Burns highlighted Turkey's role as a bridge between the West and the chaotic Middle East, qualifying the NATO nation as the most successful example of secular democracy in Muslim-populated countries. He said Gül's election showed the maturity of Turkey's democracy.
Then he presented the Turks with a list of U.S. requests. He made it clear that the United States was much annoyed by Turkey's move this summer to sign a memorandum of understanding on natural gas cooperation with Iran. Washington accuses Tehran of seeking to obtain weapons of mass destruction, and urges its allies to impose stronger sanctions on the Islamic Republic. "Now is not the time for business as usual with Iran," Burns said. Earlier, U.S. officials warned that Turkey might be subject to U.S. sanctions if its planned natural gas cooperation with Iran progressed.
He said the U.S. administration was against the passage of an Armenian genocide resolution pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, but urged Turkey to move toward reconciliation with Armenia. "We call on Turkey to normalize its relations and open its border with Armenia," Burns said. Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and accuses it of occupying part of neighboring Azerbaijan's territory in the Caucasus.
On the domestic policy front, Burns urged Ankara to abolish Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which limits freedom of speech, according to critics. He also said Turkey should reopen the Greek Orthodox theological school of Halki in Istanbul to boost religious freedom.
However, on the critical matter of the fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), whose militants attack Turkish targets from bases in neighboring northern Iraq, Burns did not have much to offer. "I'm confident that we'll see progress," he said, without elaborating what could be done against the PKK on the ground.
U.S. and Turkish officials have said the Iraq issue, including the PKK problem, was the largest obstacle before U.S.-Turkish relations.
On Cyprus, Burns urged United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to launch a fresh effort for the Mediterranean island's reunification. He reiterated Washington's backing for Turkey's future membership to the European Union.
Four former U.S. ambassadors to Ankara, Morton Abramowitz, Marc Grossman, Marc Parris and Robert Pearson, Turkey's ambassador to Washington, Nabi Þensoy, and Armenia's ambassador to Washington, Tatoul Markarian, were among dignitaries in Burns's audience.
Some analysts suggested that Burns's speech had little new to offer Turkey. One former U.S. diplomat said Burns had voiced several demands, but in most cases "there's no beef with Turkey."
Reno Gazette-Journal reporter Anjeanette Damon sat down with U.S. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid to speak about the war in Iraq...:
Q: You disagree with the assessment President Bush and Gen. Petraeus put forth this week. How do you think the course should be changed?
A: All you have to do is look at what they said. Nothing has changed since the surge started. Today, now we learn that 1 million Iraqis have been killed since the war started. A million. That's pretty hard to comprehend: 3,800 Americans, 30,000 wounded. More than 2,000 double amputees.
The president, of course boasts about how well things are going.
Q: How should the course be changed?
A: We should do what my amendment said we should do: start redeploying troops immediately and have all the American troops out of Iraq by the first of April, except those who are involved in counter-terrorism.
The original amendment said protecting our assets and it also said training Iraqis. Our new amendment we will offer next week will not include training Iraqis. We have spent billions of dollars training Iraqis and they should be trained up pretty good now.
Q: There's been talk that you were working on a less aggressive withdrawal in order to persuade Republicans to get to that 60 votes.
A: We're doing some other things. We hope to get more Republicans to support the Webb amendment. (It would extend the amount of time troops are home between deployments.) Last time we got 56 votes. (U.S. Sen.) Tim Johnson, D-S.D., was still ill. His being back will make it 57. We need three more Republicans. We hope that can be done.
Q: You don't think you'll get 60 votes for the "bring them home by April" amendment?
A: I think it will be very tough to get that. Most Democrats will vote for it, but Republicans are pretty much sticking with the president in this endless war.
We had a few brave souls that broke away, and I appreciate that. We need a few more. We need 10. At this stage the best we've done is seven.
Q: What do you think about President Bush's premise that stability in Iraq is necessary for the security of this country and the Middle East region as a whole?
A: It's hard for me to be pleasant in answering that question. He's the one who created all these problems from the worst foreign policy blunder in history of our country. The Middle East was not in the shape it's in now.
Q: Do we have a responsibility to help create stability there? What do you think our role should be in that region?
A: I think our role should be counterterrorism, going after al-Qaida and protecting our resources there. That should be it. We should get out of there.
Iraqis, let them handle their own concerns. They don't need us. They got along for a long time without us. It's a rich country. It's not as if they are looking for handouts...
Posted by: john frum ||
09/16/2007 15:46 Comments ||
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#2
a million, huh? explains the budget issues - he's a numbers moron... well, let's just say a moron and be safe
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2007 15:48 Comments ||
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#3
Iraqis, let them handle their own concerns. They don't need us. They got along for a long time without us. It's a rich country. It's not as if they are looking for handouts... Ried said while ignoring many other facts...
Posted by: Boss Craising2882 ||
09/16/2007 15:57 Comments ||
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#4
A 'million' is probably political-speak for up-averaging 'over 1/2 million. Outrageous tactic? But of course. Manipulating statistics and/or propagandizing them for political gain is scurrilous.
A little high, imho. Probably in the 4-500k range on the upper end. 'Perhaps' more than 1/2 million if MSM reports are, for whatever reason, grossly underreported.
#5
STFU Reid. Also note how he neglects to mention that the vast majority of Iraqi civilian deaths are caused by Muslim terrorists. Perish the effing thought. TRAITOR.
They got along for a long time without us.
So getting along now means having people lowered into industrial shredders and brides being raped on their wedding day. Such is the democratic party's vision of a just and utopic world.
#7
Q: What do you think about President Bush's premise that stability in Iraq is necessary for the security of this country and the Middle East region as a whole?
A: It's hard for me to be pleasant in answering that question. He's the one who created all these problems from the worst foreign policy blunder in history of our country. The Middle East was not in the shape it's in now.
I'm pretty sure Harry didn't answer the question.
Ya know what? Let's just assume that evey single thing we've done up to now is wrong, wrong, wrong. Whadda we do now, Harry? Parcel it off to the Iranians, Saudis, and Turks? Send an ingraved invitation to the head choppers to come on over here? What do we do NOW, Harry?
I guess the Dhims can't get their head out far enough to see ahead, only back, back, back.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/16/2007 16:56 Comments ||
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#8
Is Reid's divorce from reality final or is it just a legal separation?
Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 ||
09/16/2007 17:25 Comments ||
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#9
"1,000,000 Iraqis Have Been Killed Since The War Started"
I only wish the US were that ruthless or manipulative.
Posted by: ed ||
09/16/2007 17:27 Comments ||
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#10
To give put a numerical toll to Harry Reid's hysterical shrieking, just before the Al Askariya mosque was destroyed in Feb. 2006, civilian deaths were about 400/month, primarly Shiite in Sunni terrorist attacks. Shiite retaliation was immediate and civilian deaths quadrupled near the end of 2006, mostly Sunni at the hands of Shiite militias. Even the AP admits civilian deaths tools till Sept. 2007 were 27,564 since they began collecting data on April 28, 2005. That's 2 1/2 years of the bloodiest period in Iraq and only 4% of Harry Reid's fevered imagination.
BTW, the Shiite murder spree after the Al Askariya mosque bombing worked to the US (but not Harry Reid's) advantage. Only after the Sunnis got in spades what they were doing to the Shiites and were staring at the abyss of ethnic cleansing or genocide did they begin to have a change of heart. So I say, piss on them.
Posted by: ed ||
09/16/2007 17:49 Comments ||
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#11
If those numbers are right, then by the time we lose as many soldiers as we did in Korea or Vietnam there won't be ANY Iraqis left!
Obvously, the in the 2 1/2 year period mentioned, it's 2.7% of Reid's considerable imagination. 4% for the 2003-present period.
Posted by: ed ||
09/16/2007 18:34 Comments ||
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#14
not likely - he's a Senate Leader and brings attention (mostly bad) and $ to his state. He's an embarrassment, but on the pork side, he's a plus
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2007 18:34 Comments ||
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#15
I only wish the US were that ruthless or manipulative.
Too right, ed! If our military had accurately targetted that many Iraqi combatants the war would be over and Iran would now have its tit in the Bendix.
#16
US and Coalition forces used smart bombs against targets so as to avoid civilian casualties. Even concrete-bombs were part of the air arsenal. Ergo: the extravagant claims of deaths of collaterals, is pure propaganda. And anyone who would repeat them is either a dupe or an opportunistic scumbag.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2007 19:23 Comments ||
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#18
With an official death rate of 5.26 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) and a population of 27.5 million, we would expect 145,000 deaths per year from ALL causes. Harry Reid is full of crap.
#19
I'm sorry, that was a CIA Factbook statistic. Let's satisfy the lefties and use some WHO (U.N.) data:
With an official death rate of 10.0 deaths/1,000 population (2005) and a population of 27.5 million, we would expect 275,000 deaths per year from ALL causes. Harry Reid is STILL full of crap.
#21
"..Against all enemies, foreign and domestic".
This guy is a traitor and should be arrested at least, executed at best. I hope when the troops do come home, they march up that hill and have a reckoning with the politicians who have been try so hard to sell them out. I'm pretty sure that we can survive without a congress or senate for a few years - let the state governments have the power that the Constitiution intended.
A march by thousands of protesters demanding an end to the Iraq war turned chaotic yesterday afternoon near the Capitol, where hundreds sprawled on the ground in a symbolic "die-in." Police arrested 189 people, including 10 who organizers said were veterans of the war.
Capitol Police used chemical spray against a small number of the protesters and pushed back others who tried to jump a barrier in a self-described effort to be arrested. The "die-in," on a walkway in front of the Capitol, was generally peaceful, but scores of arrests came when protesters tried to climb over metal fences and a low stone wall.
Iraq war veteran Geoff Millard, 26, of Columbia Heights wore fatigues and clutched an American flag as he lay on the ground before he was arrested. "It's time for the peace movement to take the next step past protest and to resistance," said Millard, president of the D.C. chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
It was an unruly end to a day that started in brilliant sunshine with two separate, largely upbeat rallies. One began about noon at Lafayette Square, across from the White House, and was organized by the antiwar ANSWER Coalition. The other, a few hours earlier on the Mall, was organized by Gathering of Eagles -- a group of Vietnam veterans -- and the D.C. chapter of the conservative group Free Republic. Their message: The Iraq war can be and is being won, and the troops need unqualified support. "We just want a chance to show America we don't agree with the vocal minority," said Deborah King-Lile, 55, of St. Augustine, Fla.
March organizers said Iraq war veterans were more involved and visible at yesterday's protest than in any other similar demonstration since the conflict began. Activists said they are planning "a week of action" meant to push the antiwar movement to a more confrontational stage.
Organizers of the antiwar event said tens of thousands turned out. A law enforcement official, who declined to be identified because authorities no longer provide crowd counts, estimated the gathering at closer to 10,000; the march permit obtained in advance by ANSWER had projected that number.
Early in the day, Lafayette Square took on a festive atmosphere, with some war protesters wearing wigs and costumes and others drumming and playing music even as passionate speeches were given. Vietnam veterans chatted with Iraq war veterans young enough to be their children.
Signs and T-shirts displayed pointed antiwar messages, but a wide array of other causes was trumpeted, from health care and Palestinian rights to vegan advocacy. A man with a sign on his hat that read "Cowboys opposed to war" stood next to a woman in a hijab holding the sign "Bush/Cheney Impeached: Don't settle for less."
Jeffrey Peskoff, 35, a former Army mechanic who served a year in Iraq, repeated what others have said about ANSWER: It tries to attach too many issues to the antiwar campaign. "But it's still productive," said Peskoff, who lives in Fort Carson, Colo. "It got people out, which is good. Even having the [war supporters] out, that's Americana in action."
Speakers included several Iraq war veterans, activist Ralph Nader and former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark, who talked about Iraqis who were refugees, hungry, or ill. "You can't believe a word the administration says," Clark said.
But administration supporters, well represented in the Gathering of Eagles and Free Republic counter-demonstrations, disagreed. "I've seen how leftist politicians hate the military. It's disgusting. We're fighting a war not in Iraq but with them," said Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, a retired Air Force pilot.
War supporters staked out three blocks on Pennsylvania Avenue to await the war protesters. A large police presence and metal barricades separated the groups, but not their words.
"Commies out of D.C.!" came the chants from one corner of 10th Street NW. A bus had been painted with antiwar slogans including "Impeach Bush-Cheney Now!!" A man at Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street shouted "Drive your bus into the Potomac. You're all idiots. . . . Relieve us of your stupidity."
Like many yesterday, Deborah Johns, the mother of a sergeant who has served three tours in Iraq, raised the Vietnam War for comparison. "We're not going to let the domestic enemy here at home defeat us like they did then," she said. "No retreat, no surrender. Not now, not ever."
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/16/2007 08:34 ||
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Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
At least some of the crowd were in effect hired - college students who were told they could get extra credit for participating.
Even with that, and with a big chunk of the crowd being life-long anti-American Communists rather that war protesters, it was a sizeable gathering, and large enough to get good shots on tv, which will help the movement grow. It's just how things developed in 1965 - and probably a lot of the very same Commies.
#2
I knew this was going to be ther results. They had a "Big" protest in Sacramento last Friday afternoon (kind of a warm up) and maybe 50 people showed up. The paper claimed 200 but I went by during the "Rally" and they must have been including squierels. I only hope that while they were arresting those 189 people they resisted just enough to get whacked or tazed.
#3
I've seen how leftist politicians hate the military. It's disgusting. We're fighting a war not in Iraq but with them," said Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, a retired Air Force pilot.
#4
I doubt it will happen in D.C., but I look forward to the day when a whole bunch of anti-war freaks are thumped, and the police aren't there to protect them.
#5
Activists said they are planning "a week of action" meant to push the antiwar movement to a more confrontational stage
Sounds like they are moving towards a more dangerous path
Posted by: Boss Craising2882 ||
09/16/2007 11:41 Comments ||
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#6
lotp - does your link go thru Fred's Amazon link?
Prolly not. But I did add it to my wish list, and when I go shopping at Amazon.com soon (Christmas is a'comin' and the geese are gettin'fat), I'll go thru Fred's portal.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/16/2007 11:54 Comments ||
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#7
It doesn't - but please do click through Fred's link to Amazon when you buy!
#8
And that's a good reminder to us all: if anyone links to Amazon for book info, do it through RB so that Fred gets the credit when anyone buys using that link.
#9
At least the Washington Post article covered both demonstrations. My local television news last night only showed the antiwar demonstrations, in tight focus to make the crowd appear larger.
#10
I attended the counter-protest. Counter-protesters had 500 people at best and protesters had about 10K. We were considerably out numbered but gave the traitors their due. I found out this morning that COL Riley (Eagles Up!) had lost his voice. I was standing near him as the protesters marched down PA Ave. He gave his all as did everyone else.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2007 19:24 Comments ||
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#12
ION, RENSE > ATLASSHRUGS.com > Dr. Paul Williams article - Media/MSM-deleted key portion of new Osama vids is actually Osama-speak for calls for massive/popular suicide attacks to begin inside USA. Islamists-Terrorists waiting for PCorrect time to attack - 2008 is desired time for Amer Hiroshimas andor nationwide terror-suicide attacks to begin, but can begin sooner. OTOH, ALSO IN RENSE > BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING ALL OF US NOW.
An alliance of Pakistani opposition parties said Sunday that all its members in the national and provincial assemblies will resign if President Gen. Pervez Musharraf submits his nomination papers for a presidential election. "We will impede Musharraf's reelection. He is not eligible to become president," Raja Zafar ul-haq, acting chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), said after a meeting of All Parties Democratic Movement including almost all opposition parties except the Pakistan Peoples Party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
The move comes after the Election Commission announced amendments to the election rules earlier in the day, under which Musharraf is exempted from a constitutional clause disqualifying government servants to contest a presidential election.
Kazi Hussain Ahmad, president of Mutteheda Majlis-e-Amal, told reporters that its members in the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies in Northwest Frontier Province and Baluchistan Province will resign to preempt Musharraf's reelection bid.
If they resign, the electoral college comprising all members of parliament and four provincial assemblies would be incomplete. According to the Constitution, the president is elected by members of parliament -- the National Assembly and Senate -- and four provincial assemblies.
Election Commission sources, meanwhile, said Sunday the commission will soon announce the schedule for the presidential election. The sources said Musharraf's term is to expire Nov. 15 and the Constitution requires a new president to be elected at least one month before the term of his office expires. The whole process of the election takes 25 days and therefore it is necessary to announce the election schedule within next two to three days, the sources said.
The Safi tribe and political authorities of Mohmand Agency on Saturday signed a peace deal to maintain law and order in the agency. Nearly 200 elders of the Qandhari, Garbaz, Shinwari and Masud sub-tribes of the Safi tribe participated in the jirga.
According to the peace deal the Safi sub-tribes of the tribe will not allow terrorist activities in their respective areas and will also not allow any foreigners to enter the areas. They agreed to protect government property and allow government to move freely in the area. The Safi tribe would also ensure the safety of roads passing through their areas. The jirga of the Safi tribe will continue its talks with militants for the release of two security personnel abducted on September 2. Mohmand Agency Political Agent Kazim Niaz lauded the role of the tribal elders in the success of the jirga.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants a public debate with his US counterpart George W. Bush at the UN this month and a "global referendum" on who's right. Mr Ahmadinejad said he would be visiting Iran's arch-enemy the US for the third time to take part in the UN General Assembly next week.
"I proposed it last year. I will go to New York. Let's sit down and talk. But not behind closed doors.
"I propose discussing international questions at the UN General Assembly in order to solve them," he said. "Our aim is to solve global problems," he said.
"He (Bush) gives his position and I give mine. The representatives of 200 countries meet there and they can judge," he said.
Mr Ahmadinejad offered Mr Bush a public debate before he travelled to the United Nations last year, a proposal that was spurned by the White House which said the suggestion was not serious.
In the interview with Iran's international Jam-e Jam Farsi language channel, Mr Ahmadinejad also went one step further by mooting a "global referendum" to see who out of Iran and the US had the better ideas. "We will propose our solutions to solve the world questions and they (the Americans) can propose their solutions. We will organise a global referendum and the people can vote," he said. "The solution that wins the most votes will be applied."
#2
A "global referendum" at the UN will be what it always has been; Namely, the concensus of this world's failed nation states as to their hatred for those who are successful and well-operated.
AMERICAs elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil.
In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W Bushs economic policies.
However, it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil, he says.
Greenspan, 81, is understood to believe that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to the security of oil supplies in the Middle East.
Britain and America have always insisted the war had nothing to do with oil. Bush said the aim was to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and end Saddams support for terrorism.
Gee. We could have bought a lot of oil with the money that we planned to spend on that war. Now it's several years later and we have dumped a bunch more money into the war than originally planned and certainly needed to in order to accomplish this alleged 'goal'. If we had wanted to remove Iraq as a threat to stability, we could have gone home after a few weeks because they were essentially gutted.
I didn't like the way he handled the events that led up to the crash in '01. He also recently suggested that bubbles are completely inavoidable, which I find hard to believe. I'll bet I could pop just about any bubble I wanted to if I had his influence. I don't like the rumors that he gins up just to inject instability into the markets, much like this crap. I'd say he may have forgotten to take his meds this day, but it seems he may have stopped taking them long enough to write a book, or he's just lost it completely.
#4
If you read what he says, it amounts to several things that are quite accurate:
1) A large part of the Iraq war was to prevent the closing of the world's oil supply, which would have plunged the world into a huge depression.
2) Congressional Republicans spent like drunks in a house of ill repute, and fiscally conservative Republicans agreed that they deserved to be punished for it. All that pork didn't buy them votes, it cost them votes.
3) Bush mysteriously adopted a 19th Century Presidential policy of letting the Congress, instead of the President, run the country (no vetoes and few policy suggestions), and he refused to discipline the drunks.
Okay, from those lights, was what he wrote *wrong*?
#5
The list of things wrong with Greenspan is exceedingly long, IMO. Most notably his complete sellout of the Randian principles of his youth. (Due in part, the theory goes, to Ayn's romantic rejection.)
Combining the anti-deficit and pro-Clinton posturing in his book, he seems to be flacking for a position in the next Dem presidency.
#6
Yawn. Greenie was a good caretaker @ the Fed, but what do we care about him in his dotage? Reminds me of what former TX Gov. Billy Bob Clemens once said "Just another Mexican with an opinion."
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/16/2007 9:34 Comments ||
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#7
The idea of a devotee of Ayn Rand becoming Chairman of the Fed is absurd on its face.
The current Jihad would have amounted to nothing, would never have gotten off the ground, without the massive wealth transfer to OPEC for oil imported by the rest of the world. The US could have trashed Saddam's regime & just left the place as a wreck if it weren't so dependent on oil imports. The US is still doing nothing to lessen its dependence on oil imports. Politically inconvenient, indeed.
#8
What Greenspan misses is the larger context for the war. I think the Joint Chiefs have it about right in the Military Strategy for the Long War. Islamicism has become a dangerous threat due to the confluence of 3 factors: WMD proliferation, information technology and perceived grievances in the Muslim world that they exploit.
The three key elements in winning this war are:
- Protect and defend the Homeland
- Attack terrorists and their capacity to operate effectively at home and abroad
- Support mainstream Muslim efforts to reject violent extremism
In addition to the strategic elements, there are three critical cross-cutting enablers:
- Expanding foreign partnerships and partnership capacity
- Strengthening our capacity to prevent terrorist acquisition and use of WMD
- Institutionalizing domestically and internationally the strategy against violent extremists
Our presence in Iraq is primarily aimed at the last 5 of those 6 steps. But Greenspan is right that for now, the international economy and especially that of the West is oil dependent. He's suffering from tunnel vision in thinking that was the main motivation however.
#9
I'm proud of you Alan, speaking Truth To Power.
Posted by: Jimmy Carter ||
09/16/2007 11:25 Comments ||
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#10
BTW, thanks for the stock and housing bubbles, genius.
Posted by: Titus Hayes ||
09/16/2007 11:33 Comments ||
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#11
Most notably his complete sellout of the Randian principles of his youth.
I'm much less Randian than I was in my youth!
Posted by: Natural Law ||
09/16/2007 14:06 Comments ||
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#12
Every time I read something like this, this is what the reptile-part of my brain whispers in the dark:
There's a part of me that wants to say "what do you expect? there's a lot of money to be made in pushing the Saudi position on the War on Terror, a lot more than the truth."
There's also a part of me that thinks the conservative half of the country made a mistake in fighting this war; anything we can come up with besides having a nuclear exchange with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia eventually gets derided as "War for Oil."
If you want warfighting that's more morally defensible than just turning the enemy's kids into lampshades and soap, then you're going to wind up in a long slow slogging war of attrition where you attack their economic bases. Since in this case their entire economic base is oil, well, GUESS WHAT?
These farging bastidge elites are working their farging iceholes off to turn the United States into the sort of evil entity they have claimed it was all along.
#13
Gee Alan, how much did the 911 attakcs cost the American economy? Was it more than the Savings and Loan fiasco? For an official in a position to preempt economic troubles, I find it extremely odd that he would admire someone who repeated ignored islamic terrorist attacks against us until the worst mass murder in our history.
Perhaps Greespan would have preferred Bush II have turned the other cheek, laugh it up at the mass funerals, then cry crocodile tears when he suddenly realized the cameras were upon him, just like Clinton.
Posted by: ed ||
09/16/2007 16:51 Comments ||
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#14
Hey, it is about the oil. So fucking what?!? America needs oil. We went to the Middle East and helped create incredible wealth. Are we to blame for how those who positioned themselves to intercept that wealth are amongst the most corrupt and venal individuals in history? The fact that this world needs oil in no way justifies Arab facilitation of terrorism. Neither are we responsible for psychotic terrorist Islamic fanatics being given that wealth to destroy modern civilization. Islam and its followers have rightfully earned that particular distinction and just as richly deserve the utter devastation that will soon accompany it.
#15
Of course if the ME were irrelevant we would not have involved ourselves nearly so much. But they are relevant, and we would like them to stay that way, in a good way and not a bad. They ought to want to keep things like that too, but these guys look at everything in terms of personal power so they don't seem to care about consequences external to their own lifestyle. So we had to go in and correct things to the point that they were a boon to civilization instead of the bane they were becoming. Hopefully we can hand the whole thing back to them and they will play nice forever more.
If Greenspan is trying to say this was "about oil" in terms of this, OK. But the way he frames it sounds to me like he's given liberals a freebie by not throwing in such a disclaimer. Now they are going to run with it trying to spread the idea that we shouldn't have involved ourselves because the "it's all about the oil" idea they would like folks to believe doesn't include standing these countries back up on their own two feet. If it went according to this idea, we would have invaded, seized the oil fields, and started sending ourselves "free" oil, and not pouring resources into fixing their problem.
The liberal path is a lose-lose situation.
The conservative path is a "hopefully we gained, but at least we didn't lose as much as we could have" while they win. Sounds better to me.
Thanks, AG. Why don't you go home now and we'll spend time and energy cleaning up your mess.
#16
This afternoon while driving around at $2.70 per just to get a decent AM radio signal, Bob Brinker was actually gushing, and beside himself that his previous on-air stated belief that "Bush went to war with Iraq for oil" was now justified by Alan's book-hype (He and Andrea are on 60 Miutes as I peck this out) and actual excerpts from his new book.
My Hero, Bob Brinker, was actually swept away with this stellar alignment with "the Maestro" and gloated for the last half of his radio show. If Brinker is accepting the KoolAid, All hope is lost. -at-
Posted by: Asymmetrical T ||
09/16/2007 20:07 Comments ||
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The political movement loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr quit Iraq's ruling Shi'ite Alliance on Saturday, leaving Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition high and dry in a precarious position in parliament.
The move further weakens the ruling coalition, which even before the defection had failed to push through laws aimed at reconciling Iraq's warring majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs. Maliki's government now enjoys the support of only about half of Iraq's 275 lawmakers, although it could survive with the support of a handful of independent lawmakers. "The political committee has declared the withdrawal of the Sadr bloc from the (Shi'ite) alliance because there was no visible indication that the demands of Sadr's bloc were being met," the Sadr movement said in a statement released at a news conference in the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf.
The decision by Sadr's movement to quit the Shi'ite Alliance in parliament was not unexpected after the cleric pulled his six ministers from the cabinet in April. Maliki can still count on the backing of two other Shi'ite Islamist parties and the two main Kurdish parties in parliament, and so far no party has launched any push for a no-confidence vote in his government.
Sadr was instrumental in getting Maliki, a fellow Shi'ite, appointed prime minister in May last year. His political bloc has raised a host of grievances in the past, including Maliki's refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
Sadr, a lunaticPersian sock puppet fiery nationalist whose stronghold in the capital is Baghdad's sprawling Sadr City, led his Mehdi Army militia in two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004.
Maliki's government has been paralyzed by infighting. Besides the withdrawal of ministers loyal to Sadr, six cabinet members from the main Sunni Arab bloc have also quit. Speaking in parliament on Monday,
Maliki acknowledged that the term "national unity government", used to describe his cabinet had lost its meaning.
Maliki acknowledged that the term "national unity government", used to describe his cabinet had lost its meaning. Hinting at a long promised overhaul of his cabinet, he said it was time for a "partnership government", but gave no details.
The next day Sadr's movement said it was considering withdrawing from the alliance, accusing it of failing to provide security and said political progress had been inadequate.
Criticism of Maliki's government also came from Washington. President George W. Bush, speaking on Thursday, said it had made limited political progress despite the breathing space offered by a "surge" of U.S. troops and better security. In a report ordered by Congress, the White House said on Friday that Iraq's leaders had made satisfactory progress on just nine out of 18 political and security benchmarks.
The political benchmarks, which include a crucial revenue-sharing oil law, are designed to build on the improved security and promote national reconciliation.
Iraqi lawmakers were not impressed. "The Americans always try to pretend the responsibility for cleaning up this mess isn't theirs and tend to shift blame onto Iraq, Iran and Syria for everything that goes wrong," said veteran Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman.
This article starring:
Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman
Moqtada al-Sadr
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
Mehdi Army
Posted by: lotp ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
orders from Tehran, huh?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2007 7:41 Comments ||
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#2
Perhaps the Iranians will come to a more rational system than the European Parliamentary model we appear to have shoved down their throat.
Perhaps something closer to a model with separation of powers and checks and balances. There must be an example of a federated government somewhere in the world that was designed to encompass political entities with with widely diverging cultures but the need for power through unity. Where could it be?
#6
CSMONITOR.com > AL QAEDA MOVES FURTHER AWAY FROM ITS POLITICAL GOALS; + AL QAEDA: OFTEN FOILED, STILL GLOBAL. LUCIANNE > QUDS FORCE > Iran unit /special op unit flees from new US-Iraqi offensive, + WORLDNEWS > ISLAMIST/ARAB AGENDA FOR EMPIRE IN ME MAY HAVE REACHED ITS ZENITH?
* Osama's New Vids > DYE-GATE > OSAMA BIN LADEN: BEARD YOUNGER, MORE MARXIST.
The Islamic Jihad did not receive any official request from Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel, or avoid attacking the Gaza Strip's crossings, Hajel Habib, a high-ranking official from the group was reported by Israel Radio as saying.
On Thursday, it was reported that the Hamas government urged Gaza terrorists not to attack border crossings with Israel in order to ensure the flow of basic goods into Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "The government calls on the Palestinian factions to avoid shelling the crossing points, in the interest of our people, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, and to keep commercial traffic going and protect security and stability in Gaza," a statement said.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I'll bet it wasn't instructed by Hamas not to commit ritual suicide, either.
Amid growing skepticism here and in several Arab capitals over the prospects of the US-sponsored Middle East conference, the Palestinian Authority is considering asking Washington to postpone it because the Palestinians are not ready to strike a deal on "fundamental issues," senior PA officials here told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend.
Those issues include the status of Jerusalem, the future borders of a Palestinian state and the problem of the Palestinian refugees. The Palestinians, they added, are also "disturbed" by the fact that several Arab countries have hinted that they would stay away from the conference, which is slated for November. In addition, they warned, the conference is likely to aggravate the power struggle between Fatah and Hamas, which has come out strongly against it.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who visited Jeddah and Amman last week, apparently failed to persuade the Saudis and Jordanians to take part in the conference. The Egyptians are also reported to have expressed reservations about the planned conference, warning that the lack of preparations for it would turn it into a mere photo opportunity. "Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan have made it clear that they see no point in attending the conference because of its unclear agenda," one PA official said. "The Palestinians would like to see as many Arab countries at the conference as possible. We are going there to discuss fundamental issues that are of interest not only to the Palestinians, but the majority of Arabs and Muslims."
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said after meeting with Abbas that his country would probably skip the conference called by US President George W. Bush if it doesn't tackle substantive issues such as the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. "The kingdom sees no benefit in any peace meeting or conference if it is not comprehensive and if it doesn't tackle major issues," Faisal said. "If the conference doesn't provide these things, then the kingdom's participation is doubtful."
He said the Bush administration has failed to provide either an agenda for the meeting, a list of participants, or a timeline for both sides to meet their commitments, raising fears that "we will enter into never-ending negotiations, something Arab countries don't want."
Jordan's King Abdullah said after meeting with Abbas that "issues pertaining to final status must top the agenda of the conference - foremost among them is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."
Over the weekend, Abbas phoned a number of Arab leaders, only to hear from them that they too had reservations about the conference. They included: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Tunisian President Zine al-Abidin, the emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifeh al-Thani, and the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah. "We don't want to repeat the mistake of the failed Camp David summit [in 2000], when the late president Yasser Arafat was left alone to face heavy pressure from the Israelis and Americans," the PA official explained. "If the Arabs are not going, then we're also not going."
Asked if Abbas was planning to ask US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is scheduled to visit the region this week, to delay the conference, the official said, "We will stress the importance of preparing well for the conference so as to avoid failure. Of course we would like to see the conference postponed until we reach a full agreement with Israel on all the fundamental issues, but we will first wait to see what Rice has to offer us."
Abbas met in Ramallah on Saturday with US Consul-General in Jerusalem Jacob Walles, briefing him on the results of his tour. The two also discussed the planned conference and ways of making it succeed, sources close to Abbas said.
Another senior PA official said Abbas was convinced that the time was not ripe for a conference. "Until now, the Americans have not told us whether this is going to be an Israeli-Palestinian summit or a Middle East peace conference," he said. "We don't know what the agenda is and there is no indication as to who will participate in the meeting, when and if it takes place. What bothers us is that there are too many questions that are still waiting to be answered."
An Israeli official expressed surprise at the notion that the Palestinians may be considering asking Washington to postpone the November conference. "This is contrary to what Israel has been hearing from the Palestinians," the official said, "and Mahmoud Abbas, at last week's meeting with Prime Minister Olmert, reiterated his commitment to contributing to the success of the conference."
Jerusalem believes that the aim of the November gathering is not to resolve all the contentious issues, but to give impetus to the peace process as a whole. Israel has no expectation that all the main issues will be settled. "This is not a deadline meeting, not an ultimatum meeting," the official explained, "and therefore there is no possibility of postponing it."
Israeli officials believe that Rice may issue formal invitations to the parties to attend the November conference during her talks in the region this week.
On a related subject, the possibility of Israel freeing Palestinian prisoners to coincide with the Ramadan holy month will not be brought before Sunday's cabinet meeting, as was planned. An official explained that more preparation was needed before a concrete proposal could be put to ministers for approval. However, the cabinet is expected to vote on the issue in the coming weeks, before the end of Ramadan.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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United States immigration and State Department officials fear that their newly developed, high-tech visas are being sold on the Mexican black market. The US government hoped the newly designed visas would help in curtailing rampant illegal immigration at the Mexican border, but investigators believe many of them are being bought or rented by Mexicans seeking illegal entry into the US.
Well over 11,000 of these Laser Visas, issued to Mexicans for legitimate travel into the United States were reported stolen or "lost" in just two border cities. Government officials claim this is a 15 percent jump from previous figures.
The ATM card-sized documents, which include the legal holder's photograph and scanned fingerprints, were actually developed for use in 1998 hopefully to increase security and standardize documents used by Mexicans to cross the border since so many different types of documentation made the screening process cumbersome and confusing.
"While many may have been legitimately 'lost,' it seems probable that quite a few are either 'stolen' or 'reported stolen' in order to sell them," a U.S. consular official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
"There appears to be a healthy market for both buying and renting laser visas on the border," she added.
Mexicans call these visa cards "Micas," which allow bearers to cross into the US without other supporting documents. The card also allows them to travel up to 25 miles inside California or Texas and they may remain in the US up to 30 days.
According to figures provided by Reuters, 8,745 of the border crossing cards went astray last year in Ciudad Juarez, south of El Paso, Texas, and 3,095 in Tijuana, opposite San Diego, California. No figures were available for other cities along the 2,000-mile border.
The problem got so bad that the US Embassy in Mexico City revamped its visa policy late last year, but did not inform anyone of the mounting problem. The embassy now replaces "lost" or stolen cards with stickers placed inside passports hope this will curb the illegal market of the laser cards.
The paradox is that in an effort to beef up security at the Mexican border using state-of-the-art technology, the US may have made it even easier to compromise that very security.
Also, the US is getting zero help from the Fox government in Mexico City during the course of investigations. While not speaking "on the record," off the record some US law enforcement people believe elements within the Mexican federal and local governments are assisting in the diversion of legitimate visas.
While US authorities say they possess no concrete evidence that organized Mexican human trafficking rings overseeing the illicit trade are using these cards, many security experts believe there are several organizations trafficking in this document.
But Tijuana police claim most of the stray visas are sold by cash-strapped holders to human traffickers in the gritty industrial city of 2 million people, on a widely used route for Mexican illegal immigrants headed for the Californian border.
Recently, seven illegal aliens from Mexico were arrested for allegedly operating a fraudulent document ring in Chicago's "Little Village" area. The organized crime enterprise generated approximately $2.5 million a year.
Found inside the residence was equipment used for making fake government documents, including: five high-speed computers, printers, ID card printers, scanners, laminating pouches, foil strips with security features, dozens of counterfeit identification cards, and other document-making paraphernalia. The estimated value of the seized items is approximately $10,000; the street value of the software is believed to be about $100,000.
Law enforcement commanders throughout the US believe that there are similar operations being conducted by Mexican organized crime cells. The Castorena crime family, a Mexican organized crime family that has controlled the majority of the fraudulent document manufacturing and sales trade in the US over the past 10 years, is believed to be trafficking in these new high-tech visas. Some even believe they are attempting to duplicate these cards.
A LAWYER for the three Bali bombers on death row in Indonesia says they are ready to die after signing a last statement reportedly vowing their deaths will lead to "hell for infidels".
The three were convicted over the nightclub bombings in 2002 that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. The attacks were blamed on the Jemaah Islamiah network linked to al-Qaeda.
Indonesia's Supreme Court last month rejected an appeal from the men - Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron-- and their lawyer, Achmad Michdan, said they were now ready to die.
"They are all ready should their executions have to be carried out. They said they are even looking forward to their executions," he said.
He said they had signed a joint final statement but declined to give details.
But the Koran Tempo newspaper said it had obtained a copy of the statement. "If we are executed, then the jets and drops of our blood will, God willing, become a ray of light for Muslims and become hell for infidels and hypocrites," it said, according to the paper.
Indonesian courts have issued three death sentences, two life sentences and more than 30 other long jail terms for people involved in the Bali attacks.
Syrian President Basher Assad revoked the citizenship of exiled Syrian opposition member Farid Ghadry of the Syrian Reform Party, the government-affiliated Syria News Website reported Saturday. The official reason for the revocation of Ghadry's citizenship is his appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in June. Ghadry visited at the invitation of committee chairman MK Tzachi Hanegbi.
"This demonstrates how Syrians striving for true peace with Israel are persecuted for their beliefs by a regime that claims it wants peace, but supports terror," Ghadry told Haaretz.
Ghadry left Syria with his family at the age of 10. He founded the Syrian Reform Party in the U.S. in the wake of the September 11 attacks. His opponents claim the he does not represent anyone, and that he is a "pretend" exiled Syrian leader. No similar move was taken by Syria against Syrian-American businessman Ibrahim Suleiman, who also appeared before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, despite reports that the Syrian government had warned him the he would be punished.
Posted by: Seafarious ||
09/16/2007 00:20 ||
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#1
Nothing says "We want peace with Israel" like exiling anyone who actually seeks it.
Nothing in Syria was bombed by the IAF, and nothing was damaged - this according to Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari. Reports of such an attack are "ridiculous and not true," Army Radio reported Jaafari as saying on Saturday. Jaafari added that "Syria does not have North Korean nuclear facilities."
"We're all fine here. How are you?"
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"Syria does not have North Korean nuclear facilities."
#6
Syria is 'falling on the sword' but why, and for who? The Israeli operation was clean and thorough, with not so much 'egg face' on Syria with their fervent cover story of 'Israeli Ineptitude In The Desert', With no one 'sweating it out' on this issue, who is giving the Syrians a sense of ease...something still smells in this operation?
Syria wouldn't wipe it's a$$ without an OK by their "secret" masters. If this really was nuclear material, do you really think Iran would allow that stuff to be drop-shipped to Syria? I don't think so, which suggests that whatever it was, it was probably less than Iran had has. Hmm . . . .
#9
Lots of Saddam's WMD materials were shipped to Syria and hidden in the Bekka Valley just before the war, according to some high level Baathists and defectors. And when Lebanon started pushing back against Syria last year, and Hezb'allah started the war with Israel, lots of Syrian military trucks were seen loading up at bunkers in the Bekka and then heading home to Syria. Since the Israelis would NOT be happy with any WMD mounted on a Scud, it could well NOT be NorKor nuke mats, but Saddam's old stuff and the new missile stockpile for Hez that got bombed. Of course, the Syrians could easily be transshipping stuff for Iran and using the same base for long-term storage -- and Israel could have gotten a hat trick by getting it all in one run.
#10
My thought too re: Saddam's WMD, Shieldwolf. And not just re: Israel. I wonder how much they were backsliding re: attacks into Iraq from across the border?
#11
I wonder whether the target area has simply withered or actually glows. No wonder the Syrians aren't giving their allies at the NYT tours of the baby formula factories destroyed.
#13
It must be reassuring to the Syrians to know the Israeli "attack" used hologram airplanes and their weapons cache could not not have been destroyed because fire does not melt steel.
Amid reports in the American media that the alleged Israeli raid into Syria 10 days ago targeted a North Korean-Syrian nuclear facility, John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN, told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend that "simple logic" suggested North Korea and Iran could have outsourced nuclear development "to a country that is not under suspicion" - namely Syria. Tellingly, he added:
"Why would North Korea protest an Israeli strike on Syria?"
"Why would North Korea protest an Israeli strike on Syria?"
Bolton suggested that Syria, which he said has long sought a range of weapons of mass destruction, might have agreed to provide "facilities for uranium enrichment" on its territory for two allied countries which are being closely watched for nuclear development.
Bolton spoke as American newspapers reported that the alleged IAF raid, over which Israel has maintained official silence, was aimed at a facility in northern Syria close to the Turkish border, and that the strike may have been linked to the recent arrival of a shipment from North Korea, labeled as cement, but believed by Israel to contain nuclear equipment. According to The Washington Post, Israel had been keeping a watchful eye on the facility, which is officially characterized by the Syrians as an agricultural research center. The offending shipment arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus on September 3, three days before the reported IAF raid.
The IAF strike took place "under such strict operational security that the pilots flying air cover for the attack aircraft did not know details of the mission," The Washington Post said Saturday, quoting a top US expert who it said had interviewed Israeli participants. "The pilots who conducted the attack were briefed only after they were in the air," the paper quoted him as saying.
The Syrian ambassador to the US, Imad Moustapha, warned at the weekend that Israel would "pay a price" for the raid. Interviewed in Newsweek, Moustapha dismissed as "ridiculous and untrue" the notion of Syrian-North Korean nuclear cooperation. "There are no nuclear North Korean-Syrian facilities whatsoever in Syria," Moustapha said.
On Friday, Andrew Semmel, acting deputy assistant secretary of state for nuclear nonproliferation policy, told the Associated Press in Rome that North Koreans were in Syria and that Damascus may have had contacts with "secret suppliers" to obtain nuclear equipment. "There are indicators that they do have something going on there," he said.
Asked why Syria would take the risk of hosting part of a North Korean nuclear program, Bolton spoke of "Iranian compensation" and noted that "Syria is very aggressive in pursuing WMD capability." He said such a partnership would indeed be risky for Syria, but such risks might be considered worthwhile "when you're as aligned as seriously as Syria is with Iran."
"It's a diversion game - to carry on even when you are supposed to have halted, as in the case of North Korea. And I'd be surprised if Syria would do anything with North Korea without Iranian acquiescence," said Bolton.
Bolton noted that North Korea had cooperated in the past with both Syria and Iran, on ballistic missile development. For instance, he said, in the late 1990s, after an international outcry, he said, North Korea halted test launches of such missiles, but Iran continued testing and shared the results.
Bolton said he was also struck by the "hesitant way" in which Damascus had complained to the United Nations Security Council. "They have not pushed as hard as I know they know how to do in New York for condemnation. They have still not explained the nature of the attack. If it had been an attack on a Syrian military facility or civilians, they would have no problem explaining."
Bolton said it was still possible that Israel had been targeting an Iranian arms shipment being transported through Syria to Hizbullah, as some initial reports suggested. But he noted that Hizbullah had already heavily rearmed, and thought it unlikely that Israel would therefore resort to the "serious proposition" of an air strike in Syria to stop another such shipment.
Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Ja'afari, meanwhile, said Saturday that nothing in Syria was bombed by the IAF, and nothing was damaged. Reports of such an attack were "ridiculous and not true," Army Radio reported Ja'afari as saying. Ja'afari added that "Syria does not have North Korean nuclear facilities."
On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that the US had been gathering evidence, mainly from Israel, over the past six months that North Korea has been cooperating with Syria on a nuclear facility. This evidence - codenamed "Orchard" - was said to include "dramatic satellite imagery that led some US officials to believe that the facility could be used to produce material for nuclear weapons."
In talks in Beijing in March 2003, The Washington Post further reported, "a North Korean official pulled aside his American counterpart and threatened to 'transfer' nuclear material to other countries. President Bush has said that passing North Korean nuclear technology to other parties would cross the line."
In his comments on Friday, the State Department's Semmel said: "We do know that there are a number of foreign technicians that have been in Syria. We do know that there may have been contact between Syria and some secret suppliers for nuclear equipment. Whether anything transpired remains to be seen.
"So good foreign policy, good national security policy, would suggest that we pay very close attention to that," Semmel went on. "We're watching very closely. Obviously, the Israelis were watching very closely."
Asked if the suppliers could have been North Koreans, Semmel said: "There are North Korean people there. There's no question about that. Just as there are a lot of North Koreans in Iraq and Iran."
Asked if the so-called Khan network, which supplied nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, could have been involved, he said he "wouldn't exclude" it.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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Link ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
Just as there are a lot of North Koreans in Iraq and Iran."
#3
The Syrian ambassador to the US, Imad Moustapha, warned at the weekend that Israel would "pay a price" for the raid
Fine. Even though it will be very difficult to negotiate, I'm sure that Israel could be persuaded to open up a corridor for Syrian aircraft to drop as many bombs as they want in the middle of a deserted area so they can make an equally large hole in the Israeli desert, whereupon they can save face by claiming dire revenge has been exacted.
I hope there are many body parts of irreplacable highly-educated NorK nuclear engineers scattered throughout the desert. Might this be why NorK would be so P.O.'d, or was it the money? Seems to me NorK lived up to its end of the bargain and should receive payoff, but I don't know how these things work. I suspect that in any case, Syria will renege if all this is true.
I don't see any way in hades that Iran would allow Syria to have a nuke lest the servant become the master.
Isn't NorK in dire need of cement, or are those times a thing of the past? Why would they export it?
#4
Why cement? Hmmmm...
The Marine in our family, who's been there twice, told us that there seems to be a cement factory in every town in Anbar and have been for some time (some are decades old). I wouldn't believe that Syria's geological resources wouldn't support the same industry.
Which leads to my first question.....
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
09/16/2007 14:14 Comments ||
Top||
#5
According to The Washington Post, Israel had been keeping a watchful eye on the facility, which is officially characterized by the Syrians as an agricultural research center.
"Ya gotta jump down, hunh, spin around, hunh, and pick a bale o' neutrons.
Ya gotta jump down, hunh, spin around, hunh, and pick a bale o' tritium too."
The US ambassador to Lebanon said on Friday that there was clear evidence the Shiite militant group Hezbollah was still smuggling weapons across the Syrian border, in violation of UN resolutions. "We find the evidence to be strong that arms smuggling is continuing across the Syrian-Lebanese border," Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman told reporters, without giving any specific details. "We are concerned by the reports and by the public statements by Hezbollah that Hezbollah has actively rearmed."
He added: "In our view this poses one of the biggest dangers to Lebanon and it is a violation of the spirit and the letter of a number of Security Council resolutions."
The Lebanese Shiite militant and political organization, which is backed by Syria and Iran, is considered a "terrorist" group by the United States. It had 2 ministers in the Lebanese government until they and four other pro-Syrian ministers resigned last November. Hezbollah, which claimed its resistance against Israel forced the Jewish state's 2000 withdrawal from south Lebanon, seized two Israeli soldiers in July 2006, sparking last year's devastating 34-day war with Israel. This led subsequently to the reinforcement of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the deployment of the Lebanese army along the tense border zone with Israel for the first time in decades.
The militant group, however, was not disarmed and recently said it still had weapons that could reach Israel. Feltman said there were several initiatives under discussion with the Lebanese government on how to put a stop to weapons smuggling. Saying that the international community would respond favorably to any Lebanese government request to help in border security, Feltman said "there are several initiatives under discussion with the government about how best to prevent smuggling, most importantly arms smugglings."
He also rejected arguments that controlling Lebanon's border with Syria would amount to interfering in the country's sovereignty. "Controlling borders is an assertion of sovereignty," he maintained.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir arrived Friday in Beirut , returning from the Vatican. Upon arrival he listed to the reporters the names of the officials he met during his visit in addition to Pope Benedict XVI. "The pope expressed his great concern over what is happening in Lebanon," Sfeir told reporters on Friday. "The officials we met in Italy expressed their support to Lebanon," he said.
During his visit to the Vatican, Sfeir expressed his desire of electing a president who embodies the characteristics "acceptable" by all political sides in Lebanon. Sfeir sees some hope in Speaker Nabih Berri's initiative and urged the Lebanese to give the initiative a chance to succeed "Berri's initiative might hold positive points so let the Lebanese give it a chance," He said upon arrival on Friday.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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Rishdiyeh Al-Absi wife of Shaker Al-Absi, the fugitive leader of Fatah al Islam retracted to Lebanon's examining magistrate Ghassan Owaidat , her earlier statement about the body of her husband. She said she may have made a mistake when she identified the body at the Tripoli hospital as that of her husband.
"Now that I think of it, Shakey was a little taller than that. And he wasn't bald. And he had two legs. And his doinker wasn't quite that big..."
Magistrate Owaidat will also be questioning members of the Islamic Scholars who have also identified the body as that of Shaker al-Absi.
"Yeah. Other than that, this guy looked a lot like Shakey."
The results of DNA tests conducted on the body which was believed to belong to Shaker Al-Absi showed that the body in fact belongs to a man in his thirties, while Al-Absi is 53 years old.
On several occasions Rishdiyeh was questioned about her earlier statement and always insisted that she was able to identify her husband's body marks and that her husband is definitely dead. The results of DNA tests conducted on the body encrypted as "a 16" and which was believed to be belonging to Shaker Al-Absi showed that the body in fact belongs to a man in his thirties, while Al-Absi is 53 years old.
"Actually, I never saw his face. He always wore a mask when he was around me or the kids."
The army confirmed few days ago that Shaker al Absi was able to escape and filed legal charges against Rishdiyeh and Islamic Scholars accusing them of lying to the Lebanese army and misleading it to help Absi escape.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Fatah al-Islam
Several thousand foolsrubeslooniesrusticsdupes protesters marched Saturday from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war, and at least 160 people were arrested when they jumped a barricade at the foot of the Capitol steps.
Many of the protesters were arrested without a struggle after they jumped over the waist-high barricade. But some grew angry as police attempted to push them back using large shields.
Do the police shields have the little spikes in the middle?
At least two people were showered with chemical spray. Protesters responded by throwing signs and chanting: "Shame on you."
The arrests came after protesters initially decided to lay down on the Capitol lawn with signs on top of their bodies to represent soldiers killed in Iraq.
How can they represent soldiers? Soldiers are honorable.
When police took no action, some of the protesters decided to start climbing over the barricade. Before arriving at the Capitol lawn, the demonstrators marched on Pennsylvania Avenue holding banners and signs and saying, "What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now."
Counterprotesters lined the sidewalks behind metal barricades. There were some heated shouting matches between the two sides.
The protesters gathered earlier Saturday near the White House in Lafayette Park with signs saying "End the war now" and calling for President Bush's impeachment. The rally was organized by the Stalinist ANSWER Coalition and other communist groups.
Organizers estimated that more than 100,000 people attended the rally and march. That number could not be confirmed; police did not give their own estimate. But there appeared to be tens of thousands of people in attendance, and the march stretched along multiple blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Anti-war nuttergoofloonscrewball activist Cindy Sheehan told the crowd is was time to be assertive. "It's time to lay our bodies on the line and say we've had enough," she said. "It's time to shut this city down."
Time to shut something, anyway ...
Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of Lawton, Okla., was among a contingent of Iraq veterans in attendance. "We're occupying a people who do not want us there," Cliburn said of Iraq. "We're here to show that it isn't just a bunch of old hippies from the 60s who are against this war."
Mostly a bunch of old hippies; the rest are young hippies.
About 13 blocks away, nearly 1,000 counterprotesters gathered near the Washington Monument, frequently erupting in chants of "U-S-A" and waving American flags.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, speaking from a stage to crowds clad in camouflage, American flag bandanas and Harley Davidson jackets, said he wanted to send three messages. "Congress, quit playing games with our troops. Terrorists, we will find you and kill you," he said. "And to our troops, we're here for you, and we support you."
Posted by: lotp ||
09/16/2007 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
Several thousand protesters marched Saturday from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war
I believe the operative word in the vernacular of the communist dialectic is 'tool'. Which can also be applied to their MSM water carriers who cover for them. If this had been a march put together by any right wing organization we'll hear and read stuff laced with references to the KKK or Nazis.
#2
We really need an unapologetically pro-involvement group with a catchy message like, "Every dead jihadist makes the world a little safer - support America's armed forces."
We also need our political leaders to constantly reiterate for an apathetic and uninformed public that Islamic extremist groups consider Iraq the focal point in their battle against the forces of civilization, a battle taking place all across the globe which we can not afford to lose.
#5
Demonstrations like this let the old codgers feel young again. They can forget they haven't done anything for 40 years (except smoke dope and spend Daddy's money).
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
09/16/2007 13:49 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Green Baloney sandwiches for the meat eaters
and Slimy Okra sandwiches for the vegans.
all chased down with purplegreen
Blue Kool Aid.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
09/16/2007 14:17 Comments ||
Top||
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 march by thousands of protesters demanding an end to the Iraq war turned chaotic yesterday afternoon near the Capitol, where hundreds sprawled on the ground in a symbolic "die-in." Police arrested 189 people, including 10 who organizers said were veterans of the war.
Early in the day, Lafayette Square took on a festive atmosphere, with some war protesters wearing wigs and costumes and others drumming and playing music even as passionate speeches were given. Vietnam veterans chatted with Iraq war veterans young enough to be their children.
The Safi tribe and political authorities of Mohmand Agency on Saturday signed a peace deal to maintain law and order in the agency. Nearly 200 elders of the Qandhari, Garbaz, Shinwari and Masud sub-tribes of the Safi tribe participated in the jirga. 
IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants a public debate with his US counterpart George W. Bush at the UN this month and a "global referendum" on who's right. Mr Ahmadinejad said he would be visiting Iran's arch-enemy the US for the third time to take part in the UN General Assembly next week.
AMERICAs elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil.
Amid growing skepticism here and in several Arab capitals over the prospects of the US-sponsored Middle East conference, the Palestinian Authority is considering asking Washington to postpone it because the Palestinians are not ready to strike a deal on "fundamental issues," senior PA officials here told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend. 
Syrian President Basher Assad revoked the citizenship of exiled Syrian opposition member Farid Ghadry of the Syrian Reform Party, the government-affiliated Syria News Website reported Saturday. The official reason for the revocation of Ghadry's citizenship is his appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in June. Ghadry visited at the invitation of committee chairman MK Tzachi Hanegbi. 
Amid reports in the American media that the alleged Israeli raid into Syria 10 days ago targeted a North Korean-Syrian nuclear facility, John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN, told The Jerusalem Post over the weekend that "simple logic" suggested North Korea and Iran could have outsourced nuclear development "to a country that is not under suspicion" - namely Syria. Tellingly, he added: 
Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir arrived Friday in Beirut , returning from the Vatican. Upon arrival he listed to the reporters the names of the officials he met during his visit in addition to Pope Benedict XVI. "The pope expressed his great concern over what is happening in Lebanon," Sfeir told reporters on Friday. "The officials we met in Italy expressed their support to Lebanon," he said.
Rishdiyeh Al-Absi wife of Shaker Al-Absi, the fugitive leader of Fatah al Islam retracted to Lebanon's examining magistrate Ghassan Owaidat , her earlier statement about the body of her husband. She said she may have made a mistake when she identified the body at the Tripoli hospital as that of her husband.
Several thousand 
