Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan have declared the start a new spring offensive. The announcement was made in a statement released on Islamist websites on the Internet in Arabic and English.
The statement was from Mullah Bradar Muhammad Akhand, who referred to himself as Generalissimo deputy emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Akhand called on all Afghans to unite with the Taliban to fight against foreign troops present in the country and the government of Afghan president Hamid Karzai. "The winter season is about to end, and here spring looms on the horizon, and in order for the continuity of doing the holy jihad, with the coming spring season, the Islamic Emirate begins a new series of operations under the name 'Admonition'," said the statement. "Our aim in these operations is to give the enemy an admonishing lesson through conclusive and painful strikes that he does not anticipate, until he knows and is compelled to end the occupation of Afghanistan and withdraw until the last soldier leaves."
In the statement, the Taliban said that they had acquired a lot of drubbings experience in the last few years and that they would be carrying out "new types of operations" throughout the country. They also called on civilians and military members of the Afghan administration to leave their posts within the Karzai government and join them in their battle to "liberate the country".
#1
Don't take lightly. They may now be armed with modern EFPs from Iran. They may make a more organized assault on our long logistical tail (especially fuel trucks). They've proven a willingness to take serious losses but SO FAR have not shown an ability to identify objectives worth taking such losses for. That is not necessarily a hard task.
#3
Is "Spring Offensive" a Pashtun slang term for "let's go blow up a couple of girls schools" or does it mean "I think we'll blow up a medical clinic"?
The Pentagon has suspended dealings with its main supplier of munitions to the Afghan government after some cartridges delivered from China and various former eastern bloc countries were found to be more than 40 years old.
Details of the Miami-based company, identified as AEY Inc headed by Efraim Diveroli, 22, who has little experience in the arms business, and a vice-president who was a licensed masseur were revealed yesterday by The New York Times. The suspension seems to have been triggered by evidence that the men misled US officials about the true sources of the equipment and, in particular, that large consignments of cartridges had originated in China, which may have been a violation both of its contract and United States law.
AEY struck lucky when it was chosen as the Pentagon's lead munitions supplier for Afghanistan, with one federal contract awarded to it last year worth in excess of $300m (£150m). AEY is also under criminal investigation by the Defence Department and Customs and Excise. The affair is also deeply embarrassing for the Pentagon, which decided to turn to the private sector to keep the Afghan forces supplied when the insurgency in the country intensified in 2006.
But in awarding contracts, procurement officials appear to have been astonishingly careless in vetting those contractors or stipulating limits on the provenance or quality of the munitions.
That such an important deal should have been handed to a man so young, and with a record of repeated clashes with law enforcement officers in Miami related to disputes with girlfriends and minor assaults, will leave many officials red-faced. Nor was it reassuring to discover that the main skills of the second most senior executive at AEY were in massage techniques.
Mr Diveroli told the New York Times he was unaware of the Pentagon's decision to bar him from future contracts. Officials said a letter confirming the move had been sent to him on Tuesday.
Last December, he had denied any suggestion of wrongdoing. "I know that my company does everything 100 per cent on the up-and-up, and that's all I'm concerned about," he said.
But it appears that at least some of the ammunition he supplied had come from stockpiles of obsolete and unreliable weaponry already designated for destruction by Nato. Experts say cartridges can become less efficient and possibly defective after a certain number of years. AEY also reportedly dispatched some consignments in crumbling packaging.
An Afghan commander in Nawa, an outpost near the Pakistan border, said a cardboard box of cartriges split, to reveal that they had been made in China in 1966. "This is what they give us for the fighting," said Amanuddin, a colonel, who like many Afghans uses only one name. "It makes us worried because too much of it is junk."
Also under scrutiny are the identities of shell companies and murky middle-men that Mr Diveroli apparently engaged to negotiate the purchase of the equipment from Kazakhstan and east European states including Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Romania and Slovakia.
A taped telephone conversation involving Mr Diveroli reportedly hinted at corruption in the acquisition of 100 million rounds of ammunition from Albania. Investigators also suspect that some entities who worked with AEY may appear on US lists of illegal arms traffickers.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I suggest they send this young man over to Afghanistan to PERSONALLY apologize to the Afghanis who were issued this worthless crap.
Probably get dragged to death by goats. Or better yet, sent out to face the Talib with the same crappy ammo.
#4
In the world of the computer there are a lot of folks (including at DOD) who think all you have to do is make sure the paperwork is right and all is well with the world. Why should anyone have to leave the office to check on these contracts? Inspectors and all those junior folks needed to verify contracts just cost too much money.
#7
I've got 40+ year-old ammo for my Springfield Model 1903 and it works just fine. It depends on how good the initial ammo is. Still, I agree with ed. Find out who set him up in business and who the money actually goes to.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/28/2008 7:26 Comments ||
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#8
The Gansler Report states that military contracting in the war zone is badly broken. The Army contracting officers in the field have been largely replaced by Air Force contracting officers until the Army can get its act together.
#9
Army contracting has been a bureaucratic cluster for quite a while. It's a tradition, because the big brass are usually gunnies who are bamboozled by entrenched civil servants [think NEA]. No one is around long enough to chop through the thicket. This is one of those things in which you give the more efficient service the keys to the car and wave goodbye to the others.
(AKI) - Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi will consider increasing the country's troop commitment in Afghanistan, if he is re-elected in the forthcoming national elections. Berlusconi was commenting on a potential expansion of the country's commitment and other aspects of foreign policy during a press conference at the headquarters of the GMC-Adnkronos media group in Rome.
The media event was organised as part of the media company's "Special Election 2008" coverage. "If it was necessary for an increase in the presence of troops (in Afghanistan) to strengthen a democracy that is very important for all of us, I believe we would comply, if all the other allies decided together to do so," Berlusconi said during his visit.
Berlusconi was welcomed by the director and chairman of GMC-Adnkronos, Giuseppe Marra, during a campaign visit to the Italian capital. Berlusconi noted the recent changes in political leadership in Europe. "There are new players: (French president) Sarkozy has met (British prime minister) Gordon Brown, with whom he has examined, together, the problem of Afghanistan and the central importance of the country and of the whole region," Berlusconi said. Italy currently has around 2,350 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force.
This article starring:
Giuseppe Marra
Gordon Brown
Silvio Berlusconi
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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This is not a new James Bond 007 movie. This is a true story about the most notorious terror organization in Bangladesh. One that enjoys official status and termed as an elite force. Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] was established on March 26, 2004 and since its establishment, a total of 472 alleged criminals have so far been killed in the name of crossfire or encounter between associates of the so-called criminals and RAB members. We've noticed.
Article 32 of the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh provides that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty save in accordance with law. However, legalization of extra judicial executions has reduced such constitutional guarantees to mere inscriptions. As many as 111 people were extra judicially executed by the law enforcement personnel in the country from 1 January to 30 September 2004 in comparison to 56 killings in 2003. at least 43 people have been killed by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) alone mostly in `crossfire since it launched operations.
Formed by an executive order of 1 March 2004, the RAB has the reported strength of 4,525 personnel, drawn from five military and para-military forces - army, air force, navy, Bangladesh Rifles and Ansar and Bangladesh Police. The deployment of members of the armed forces in combat areas amounts to the imposition of undeclared emergency. The members of the armed forces, which are not disciplined in policing, have been responsible for blatant extra judicial executions of the alleged criminals.
Former adviser and Executive Director of Ain o Salish Kendra Sultana Kamal said, Death in so-called crossfire is unconstitutional and whatever the number, it is a matter of grave concern to me as an activist.
The US Department of State, in its annual report Human Rights Practices 2007 on Bangladesh, also said security forces including Bangladesh Rifles, military and RAB committed numerous extra-judicial killings while the government did not take any action or initiate any public measure to investigate the cases. Human rights lawyers in Bangladesh say they are becoming increasingly concerned about the number of suspects dying while in the custody of the elite anti-crime force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
A recent press report said, Rapid Action Battalion has so far taken punitive measures against its 535 members for anti-disciplinary activities and around 200 of them either lost their jobs or suffered the indignity of jail.
But, despite such actions, it is now alleged that, RAB is gradually turning into a Frankenstein, which ignores human rights and continues various forms of extra judicial activities. There are hundreds of allegations against RAB officials for being involved in extortion, abduction, rape and even dealing in drugs and weapons. Some of the members of RAB use organized black mailing rackets to trap innocent people and finally extract money from the victims with various excuses.
In an average week, two or three people are killed in incidents involving the RAB. The authorities say most deaths happen during shoot-outs between law enforcers and criminals. These incidents have become so frequent that a new term has been coined in the country - Death by crossfire. Yeah, we never really believed them either
Because of the many innocent people, who died in RAB custody, people here are comparing RAB with any extremist Islamist or terror group. They are no different than Jamaatul Mujahedin [JMB], which are both killing innocent people for no obvious reason. Well, they may not all be so innocent.
The Bangladesh High Court recommended the incorporation of the following provisions:
- Police must disclose their identity to the relatives of the person before arrest from the residence or office;
- Police must inform the relatives of the arrested person over telephone or by sending special messenger within three hours of arrest from out side the residence or office. Medical check up of the person must have to be done after arrest;
- No detention after arrest under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code;
- No remand under police custody under section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code;
- Only the investigating officer to interrogate the alleged accused in the jail custody, but no other agency;
- Use of a separate glass covered room in the jail custody for interrogation and the relatives or lawyer of the accused can observe it;
- Examination of medical report of the accused, special diary opened after arrest, hearing of the accused and his lawyers have to be taken into consideration if the magistrate wants to grant remand in other cases;
- The magistrate must show the reasons to grant remand. The remand order passed by the magistrate has to be approved by the District and Sessions Judge or Metropolitan Sessions Judge;
- The magistrate should take action against the investigating officer if there is any allegation of torture to the accused during the remand and the allegation proved through medical examination;
- Enhance the punishment for illegal confinement under section 220 and for custodial torture under 248 of the Penal Code from two years to seven years and fine.
Of course, these "provisions" may be why so many "innocent civilians" are "resisting arrest" and never make it to the station.
Unfortunately, the directions by the High court had little impact as the extrajudicial executions by the RAB continue to indicate.
Impunity accentuates illegal measures that the High Court sought to address. On 23 February 2003, the Bangladesh Sangshad (Parliament) passed the Joint Drive Indemnity Act barring people from seeking justice through the courts for the deaths and human rights violations that occurred during the Operation Clean Heart anti-crime drive, which ended in the custodial death of 51 persons and involved an unknown number of torture victims. Despite intervention of the High Court on 13 April 2003 by issuing a show cause notice to the government regarding the legality of the Indemnity Act, the law continues to be in force and therefore no action is maintainable before the courts of law. In the few instances where charges were levied, punishment of those found guilty was predominantly administrative. The RAB personnel enjoy similar impunity and the courts can do little. RAB has been openly resorting to blatant human rights violations including extra judicial executions.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Only 472? Seems like a lot more crossfires than that.
#4
The Court is following the lead of the B.C. Canada court. in a recent drug case the RCMPs were taken to the cleaners because they did not allow enough time between their knocking on the door to announce their presence and then simultaneously kicking in said door and the garage door to a pretty big marajuana grow-op.
The perps walked.
Next time ( a week or so later) the RCMP (having learned their lesson) surrounded the neighborhood, then sent several cars, sirens and lights blazing / wailing to the driveway. waited, then knocked. then waited. then kicked in doors. got a big bust. film crew was there to record all to ensure they didn't hurt the perp's rights.
i expect the RAB will develop 'new procedures...'
North Korea test-fired several missiles into the sea off the country's west coast Friday, sources here said.
The test, believed to be of Russian Styx missiles, comes one day after the communist nation threw out all South Korean government officials from the inter-Korean industrial complex in the North in apparent disgruntlement over the Lee Myung-bak government's hard-line North Korea policy.
#1
The Styx is an old, old anti-shipping missile. Were they shooting at a target vessel, or popping them off like bottle rockets just to hear the bang?
Posted by: Mike ||
03/28/2008 12:56 Comments ||
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#2
Destroying old munitions stock?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/28/2008 15:23 Comments ||
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#4
RUSSIA TODAY > SOUTH KOREA NOT SPOOKED BY NORTH'S MISSLE LAUNCHES. Argues that these are just NOKOR milexs/mislexs, plus believe NOKORS still need to maintain good diplom and trade relations wid South.
#5
WAFF.com/FOX NEWS > REUTERS ALERTNET - NORTH KOREA RAISES TENSIONS WITH MISSLE LAUNCHES. Sending a "DUAL/DOUBLE MESSAGE" to SOKORS + USA.
Also from WAFF.com > RUSSIA plans to send two CHARTERED/RENTED? warships to protect Arctic fishing trawlers from NORWAY = NORWEGIAN COAST GUARD ships; + MEXICO SENDS TROOPS [2500] TO US BORDER, to suppor 20,000? Mexi Federal agents-officers struggling to control violence bwtn competing Mexi Gangs-Cartels.
*RUSSIA > ROGOZIN: ENTRANCE OF GEORGIA + UKRAINE INTO NATO THREATENS RUSSIA'S ECURITY; + LAVROV: NATO "PLAYING WITH FIRE" WITH GEORGIA, UKRAINE ADMISSION. Admission of same threatens to DIVIDE CONTINENT.
#6
INTERFAX > RELATED ARTICLE/RUSS PERT - denotes that NOKORS have up 1000 missles, 800 of which are considered as BALLISTIC AND CAPABLE OF COVERING ALL OF SOUTH KOREA, CAN REACH PARTS OF JAPAN, and may possib REACH PARTS OF WESTERN US. NOKORS are unhappy wid lingering US [+ SK]demands for full nuclear accounting/declaration.
#7
TOPIX > BLOOMBERG NEWS > NORTH KOREA THREATENS SOUTH WITH CONFLICT [long run] OVER [disputed]WESTERN SEA BORDER.
Also from TOPIX > NORTH KOREA NOW DENIES URANIUM ENRICHMENT, SYRIA TRANSFER [missles, nucmats] + NORTH KOREA THREATENS TO DELAY DENUCLEARIZIATION/
NUKE DEAL.
A German resident held by the U.S. for almost five years tells 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley that Americans tortured him in many ways - including hanging him from the ceiling for five days early in his captivity when he was in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Even after determining he was not a terrorist, Murat Kurnaz says the torture continued. Kurnaz tells his story for the first time on American television this Sunday, March 30, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Kurnaz, an ethnic Turk born and raised in Germany, went to Pakistan in late 2001 at age 19 to study Islam and wound up in Pakistani police custody. It was three months after 9/11, and Kurnaz says the U.S. was offering bounties for suspicious foreigners. Kurnaz says he was "sold" to the Americans for $3,000 and brought to Kandahar as terrorist suspect.
They all go to Pakistain to "study Islam." And three months after 9-11 was December, 2001, when the Qaeda thugs swarmed out of Afghanistan in the wake of Tora Bora.
He claims American troops tortured him in Afghanistan by holding his head underwater, administering electric shocks to the soles of his feet, and hanging him suspended from the ceiling of an aircraft hangar and kept alive by doctors. "Every five or six hours they came and pulled me back down and the doctor came," he recalls. "He looked into my eyes. He checked my heart and when he said 'okay,' then they pulled me back up," he tells Pelley.
"The abuses Mr. Kurnaz alleges are not only unsubstantiated and implausible, they are simply outlandish."
The U.S. Pentagon responding by e-mail says, "We treat all detainees humanely and all credible claims are investigated thoroughly . The abuses Mr. Kurnaz alleges are not only unsubstantiated and implausible, they are simply outlandish."
Kurnaz, who has told his story to European investigators, says "[It] doesnt matter whatever they will say. The truth will not change this is the truth." Kurnaz says he was questioned in Afghanistan about Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and the Taliban. He answered truthfully, he says, and told them repeatedly to call the German government and verify who he was. But they continued to torture him, he says. "They used to beat me when my head was underwater they beat me into my stomach .I had to inhale the water," he tells Pelley.
He says he was then brought to Guantanamo as one of the first "enemy combatants." His treatment there, he says, included repeated beatings at the hands of soldiers in riot gear, sleep-deprivation and solitary confinement. "It's dark inside, no lights and they can punish you in isolation by coldness or heat. They have special air conditioners. Very strong. They can turn it very cold or very hot."
"They have special machines that can turn you into a newt or back into a maggot!"
After a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2004, Kurnaz was visited by an American lawyer, who successfully sued the U.S. government to release his classified file. That file contained information from the FBI, German Intelligence and even the U.S. military pointing to his innocence. But after a series of Kafkaesque military tribunals and review boards, he remained in Guantanamo for another three-and-a-half years.
Kurnaz' lawyer, Baher Azmy, says there may be many more cases like Kurnazs at the offshore prison. "In Guantanamo, no detainee has ever been able to genuinely present evidence before a neutral judge and so as absurd as Murat Kurnaz's case is, I assure you, there are many, many dozens just as tenuous," Azmy tells Pelley.
#1
In Guantanamo, no detainee has ever been able to genuinely present evidence before a neutral judge and so as absurd as Murat Kurnaz's case is, I assure you, there are many, many dozens just as tenuous
Is this a mistranslation or something? It seems to me that the lawyer is saying that the guy's claims are absurd, but there are a lot more cases where people make up stuff as well.
Also, I doubt there are any "neutral" judges in the world - all American judges would be suspect to the lawyer, and everybody else should be suspect to Americans.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
03/28/2008 15:07 Comments ||
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#2
CBS, Sixty Minutes, Scott Pelley.
There's a friggin hat trick...
Maoist chief Prachanda has claimed that he will become the first President of Nepal after the crucial April 10 Constituent Assembly elections, even as he expressed doubts over the prospect of polls taking place on schedule.
In the eastern town of Rajbiraj, Prachanda claimed that his party Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) would get 150 seats out of a total of 300 seats in the direct election, and that he will become the first President of the Himalayan nation after the polls.
He also was apprehensive over elections taking place on the scheduled date. "I am not confident that the CA elections will be held on the stipulated date," he said.
Meanwhile, the daughter of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Sujata Koirala, also a minister without portfolio, was apprehensive about the elections to the constituent assembly taking place at the stipulated time. She expressed concern over recent Maoist attacks against leaders and cadres of other political parties.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/28/2008 15:38 ||
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The investigation report of Qasim Tori, head of the militant outfit Jundullah, who was recently arrested by the Karachi Police, has some very interesting insights to offer.
For example, in the report, during interrogation, Tori revealed how he turned into a militant from an ordinary, law-abiding citizen.
Interrogators said that Qasim Tori had several aliases like Hamza, Suleman, Ijaz and also Butt Sahab. Tori is single and lives in Sector-17A, Shah Latif Town. He was arrested for the first time on January 29, 2008 after an encounter in Shah Latif.
During interrogation, Tori revealed that he was born in Karachi. He did his matriculation from the PIA Model School and did intermediate from the Superior Science College, Shah Faisal Colony. He then went to the madrassa for an Islamic education and hifzed (remembered by heart) of 12 verses (parahs?). After working several jobs, he got a job in the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) office. During his one year at the job, he applied to and was subsequently recruited by the Police Department in 2002. However, soon afterwards he was dismissed from his post at the Sharae Faisal police station for sodomising a child. However, his friends were arrested for the crime while he managed to evade the law.
Tori further said that Shazad Bajwa, who is presently in jail for the corps commander case, was Toris class fellow with whom he lived after his dismissal. Bajwas house was in Model Colony house where one Atta-ur-Rehman also lived (who is now in jail). During their stay, several boys came to their house. Tori was also friends with some of the other people visiting them.
Later, Tori found out that Atta-ur-Rehman was an Ameer and a Jundullah leader. Rehman appointed Bajwa as the Naib Ameer of the group and several young, educated boys were recruited in the outfit. After their arrest in the Corps Commander attack case, he escaped to upcountry. In the meanwhile, the Sindh government announced a reward of Rs0.5 million for anyone who helped in getting him arrested as well as his accomplice Tayab Daad alias Sohail Bhai.
Toori further disclosed that before Bajwas arrest, the latter took him to Wana where he met with Abu Hamza alias Haji Mumtaz, an Egyptian national and also a Taliban and Al-Qaeda leader.
During his disappearance, he moved to Wana to meet Haji Mumtaz. During his stay, Daad also came there, while Mumtaz trained him regarding the usage of weapons and explosives. They learned to make bombs and suicide jackets after which they started training young boys.
In 2007, Mumtaz sent them to Karachi asking them to reorganise the group and generate funds for it. In Karachi, they settled in Junaid Farooqis house alias Ibrahim (who was later killed) in Gulberg and another member Ibrar (killed) rented a house in Gaddafi Town and reorganised themselves from time to time.
Tori further disclosed that during their stay, Mumtaz sent four latest weapons to them while one Mohammad Ishaq alias Gul Khan rented out a Toyota Corolla to them on Rs1,500 per day including other cars. The recovered car after the encounter in Shah Latif was rented out on Rs1,000 per day.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/28/2008 14:41 ||
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Elders of Zakhakhel Bazaar held a meeting with Afghan commanders at Torkham border crossing on Thursday, and assured them that strict action would be taken against people who attacked Afghan security forces. Around 17 Afghan security personnel were killed in the attack, allegedly to have been launched from inside Pakistan. A 16-member jirga went to the other side of the border and met the Afghan commanders, a jirga member told Daily Times. The jirga condemned the attack, and assured the Afghan commanders that it would not allow militants to establish their bases in its area or to launch attacks on Afghan security forces. The jirga told the Afghan commanders that it would take stern action against militants involved in any attacks, and that their villages would be set ablaze, adding that militants would also be fined Rs 0.5 million. The Afghan commanders told the jirga that terrorists should not be given a free hand to carry out attacks on Afghan security forces as it could incite them to retaliate. The Afghan commanders proposed that the people on both sides of the border should remain in touch so that terrorists could not spoil their brotherly relations.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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The new government will withdraw the army from Swat and end violence in the name of war and terror, Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali said on Thursday.
Talking to reporters after a meeting with a US congressional delegation at Frontier House, he said the problems in South Waziristan should be resolved politically rather than by use of power. I hate [the phrase] war against terrorism, he said, adding that he had told the US delegation what the ANPs stance was.
He said the new government would have to focus on law and order, because the problem had spread from the Tribal Areas to the whole country.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
He wants to put a wet rag on the patients forehead instead of lancing the festering boil causing the infection. It should work about as well as the couple who prayed over their daughter until she died here in the US.
Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar on Thursday warned tribal elders against meeting US officials, while welcoming ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khans refusal to meet top US officials.If tribal people do not stop meeting US officials, we will view them as American agents, the spokesman said in telephone calls to local reporters from an undisclosed location. Key tribal elders from Khyber Agency met US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher in Landikotal on Wednesday. It [Walis refusal] shows that the ANP is sincere in seeking peace in the [Frontier] province, the spokesman said, while expressing the hope that all problems would be resolved through negotiations.
The spokesman praised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharifs stance in a meeting with the two US officials. Nawaz had met the US officials to tell them that parliament would lay down its own policy, instead of following US directives. However, there has been no confirmation from independent sources about the calls.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
When reason won't work, and economics fails, then resort to violence. Standard heirarchy for any conflict. Then it all depends on who has the stronger horse. Feed your horses, Dems & Euros!
If it was not yet clear to Washington that a new political order prevailed here, the three-day visit this week by America's chief diplomat dealing with Pakistan should put any doubt to rest. The visit by Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte turned out to be series of indignities and chilly, almost hostile, receptions as he bore the brunt of the full range of complaints that Pakistanis now feel freer to air with the end of military rule by Washington's favored ally, President Pervez Musharraf.
Faced with a new democratic lineup that is demanding talks, not force, in the fight against terrorism, Negroponte publicly swallowed a bitter pill at his final news conference on Thursday, acknowledging that there would now be some real differences in strategy between the United States and Pakistan.
He was upbraided at an American Embassy residence during a reception in his honor by lawyers furious that the Bush administration had refused to support the restoration of the dismissed judiciary by Musharraf last year.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
What does the administration have to show for shoveling at least $10 billion into Pakistan and rescuing their economy from collapse? Even when it became evident the Pakistanis the knew about the Sept 11 attacks and were financiers of it. Should have let India occupy it in 2002 and converted by the sword those savages to Hinduism.
Posted by: ed ||
03/28/2008 1:37 Comments ||
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#2
We won't be getting much diplomatically from Pakistain, so we better be on a strong military footing with regard to any crap coming out of there.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/28/2008 8:31 Comments ||
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#3
What does the administration have to show for shoveling at least $10 billion into Pakistan and rescuing their economy from collapse?
I suspect we're about to find out. And we'll wish we could spend another $10 billion to have postponed it another 8 years.
Even when it became evident the Pakistanis the knew about the Sept 11 attacks and were financiers of it. Should have let India occupy it in 2002 and converted by the sword those savages to Hinduism.
There are after all more Muslims in India than in Pakistan.
Consider that in the 1930's the father of Pakistan, MA Jinnah could not even get a hotel room in the NWFP. All the Pasthuns and Balochis... the same folk running around and blowing things up today, rejected him, the Muslim league and Pakistan. They elected a Congress party local government.
They were following Abdul Gaffar Khan, the so called "Frontier Gandhi" who had convinced them to forsake violence and use non-violent measures to throw out the British.
Imagine that.. non-violent Pahtuns... the same Taliban folk we see today sawing off heads...
Today the ANP, the political party founded by Abdul Gaffar Khan and now led by his grandson, runs the NWFP.
Abdul Gaffar Khan is the guy on the left.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/28/2008 14:55 Comments ||
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KARACHI - An alleged Al-Qaeda militant detained over a bombing at Benazir Bhuttos homecoming parade which killed 139 people was rearrested soon after he was freed on bail by a court, officials said on Thursday.
Bail? Bail? BAIL??
Well it is Pakistan... an Al Qaeda bomber is like a member of the family
A court on Wednesday granted bail to Qari Saifullah Akhtar - who had been accused by the former premier of plotting against her in a book published after her assassination in December -because of a lack of evidence.
The court in the southern city of Karachi had ordered police to produce evidence as soon as possible. But officials on Thursday said Akhtar was immediately detained again under public order maintenance law for one month. We have received the custody of the suspect from police for 30 days under MPO (maintenance of public order) law, Karachi jail superintendent Nusrat Mangan told AFP.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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GENEVA - The top U.N. rights body on Thursday passed a resolution proposed by Islamic countries saying it is deeply concerned about the defamation of religions and urging governments to prohibit it.
The European Union said the text was one-sided because it primarily focused on Islam.
The U.N. Human Rights Council, which is dominated by Arab and other Muslim countries, adopted the resolution on a 21-10 vote over the opposition of Europe and Canada.
EU countries, including France, Germany and Britain, voted against. Previously EU diplomats had said they wanted to stop the growing worldwide trend of using religious anti-defamation laws to limit free speech.
The document, which was put forward by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, "expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations."
Although the text refers frequently to protecting all religions, the only religion specified as being attacked is Islam, to which eight paragraphs refer.
Speaking for the EU, Slovenian Ambassador Andrej Logar said the 27-nation body was committed to tolerance, nondiscrimination and freedom of religion. But instead of a one-sided approach, it would be better to engage in dialogue with mutual respect.
The resolution "urges states to take actions to prohibit the dissemination ... of racist and xenophobic ideas" and material that would incite to religious hatred. It also urges states to adopt laws that would protect against hatred and discrimination stemming from religious defamation.
The pressure to protect religions from defamation has been growing ever since a Danish magazine published caricatures of Muhammad, provoking riots across the Islamic world in 2006 in which dozens of people were killed. The publication of a different caricature in a Swedish newspaper last year again led to protests from Muslims.
Posted by: 3dc ||
03/28/2008 02:30 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
"expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations."
Shhhh! It's a secret. Don't let the infidels know!
#2
The pressure to protect religions from defamation has been growing ever since a Danish magazine published caricatures of Muhammad, provoking riots across the Islamic world in 2006 in which dozens of people were killed.
We used to call "caricatures" cartoons, or funnies. Amazing how Islamites kill each other over funnies.
#3
This is insane, screw Islam, actually screw any religion that attempts to legislate morality or protection for it's "sacred" idols, texts or practices.
I am an Agnostic and don't believe in any of any religion's crap, I respect religions that respect my freedom to not believe and to be left alone. The rest can go to hell in a hand basket. Religion has no place in government or law.
(KUNA) -- There is no retreat nor negotiations with outlawed armed men in southern city of Basra, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on Thursday.
The Prime Minister's comment came in a government press release and during his reception in Basra of a tribal delegation from the city who announced their support to government military operation in the city. Al-Maliki explained that the city has suffered enough from instability and insecurity, and killing of innocent civilians, including women and children. "We answered your call and our national duty to save the city from thugs and gangs who frightened our citizens and stole our national treasures," Al-Maliki said. The government chief added "We have made up our minds to enter this battle and we will continue until the end, no retreat." Al-Maliki praised the success made so far, particularly the tribes declaration and support of the Iraqi armed forces.
Earlier, the Mehdi Army fighters loyal to radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr called on Al-Maliki to withdraw his troops and send a parliamentary delegation for negotiations regarding the situation in Basra. The Iraqi Prime Minister has personally overseen the operation in Basra since last Monday, the military operation involves some 30,000 troops and police.
This article starring:
Moqtada Sadr
Mehdi Army
Nouri Al-Maliki
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
#1
Real combat ops have yet to start. The news the slanted press is covering is just Tater's boys beating up on local police. They are in for a surprise when they hit battle hardened (Sunni and Kurdish) troops.
#2
OS - it's not even clear the tots are actually BEATING UP on the cops; they aren't getting overwhelmed by them, but they're taking losses too. Their apparant success seems more a function of being able to appear out of the mudwork and parade around waving weapons when government forces aren't around. The challenge will be to pick off the more dangerous 'leaders' without causing too much collateral damage - since the 'leaders' routinely surround themselves with collateral.
Shi'ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr wants a "political solution" to the crisis that has led to deadly clashes between his followers and government security forces this week in Baghdad and the oil-rich south. In a brief statement released in this holy Shi'ite city south of Baghdad, Sadr said he wants "everyone to pursue political solutions and peaceful protests and a stop to the shedding of Iraqi blood." The statement was relayed to he media by Sadr's close aide Hazem al-Aaraji.
This article starring:
Hazem al-Aaraji
Mahdi Army
Muqtada al-Sadr
Mahdi Army
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
#1
he statement was relayed to he media by Sadr's close aide Hazem al-Aaraji.
Since Tater is in a coma in Iran.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
03/28/2008 0:14 Comments ||
Top||
#2
That is all what I needed to know that the New York Times article telling that the Sadrists are winning is a bag of loes. If his parisans were marginally wining or just holding their ground he would be asking for Iraki's government resignation, if they were wining steadily he would just ask for power and if, as the NYT implies his partisans weree wining hands down he would be asking for the heads of Iraki government.
In Islamist terms, when you ask for a political solutions is because you are being not merely defetead but crushed.
#5
3 weeks ago reports had Sadr in a coma in Tehran. But I'm sure Sadr will still be issuing orders through Iran's sock puppets long after he stops breathing.
Posted by: ed ||
03/28/2008 16:29 Comments ||
Top||
Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Thursday rejected an Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip after fresh talks in Egypt, saying it must include all Palestinian territories.
Hamas political bureau member Jamal Abu Hashem and senior Islamic Jihad member Khaled al-Batsh met two aides to Egyptian security chief Omar Suleiman to discuss the proposed ceasefire, an Egyptian security official told AFP. But following the talks on the Gaza-Egypt border, the two movements said that any truce with Israel must include both the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinians also wanted the deal to include the re-opening of the crossings into the impoverished territory, which were sealed after the Islamists violently seized control in Gaza last June. "Any truce with Israel must include the West Bank, the lifting of the siege and the opening of the border crossings," Batsh said after the talks, echoing a reaction by Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum echoed.
Egypt, one of only two Arab states to have signed a peace deal with Israel, has been seeking to broker a truce or lull in fighting between Hamas and the Jewish state after an upsurge in violence last month.
In separate meetings with US and Israeli envoys and representatives from the main Palestinian factions, Egypt has also been trying to secure an agreement to lift Israel's blockade of Gaza and reopen its land crossings. Since Hamas took power, Israel has tightened restrictions on Gaza, preventing all but vital humanitarian aid from entering in an attempt to pressure the Hamas-run government to halt rocket attacks. Following the last round of such talks on Saturday, Egypt released 33 Hamas members who had been detained after crossing from the Gaza Strip. Hamas had accused accused Egypt of torturing its members.
This article starring:
Fawzi Barhum
Hamas
Jamal Abu Hashem
Hamas
Khaled al-Batsh
Islamic Jihad
Omar Suleiman
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
AMMAN - Ten Jordanian MPs, including six Islamists, have presented a bill to the lower house of parliament seeking to scrap the 1994 peace treaty with Israel, one of the lawmakers said.
Because Jordan doesn't have any other problems to address ...
We submitted the draft law to Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali on Wednesday, Islamist MP Hamza Mansur, who heads the six-member parliamentary bloc of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) told AFP on Thursday.
The IAF has frequently called for the treaty to be abrogated but this is the first time it has put a formal request to the 110-member lower house. The draft gave several reasons for scrapping the treaty, including that Israel does not honour the agreement and is still a threat to Jordan.
It said the Jewish state has committed premeditated crimes in Jordan, and genocide in Palestine.
In 1997, Jordan saved the life of Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal after Israels Mossad foreign intelligence service carried out a botched attempt to poison him in Amman. Then-king Hussein secured the antidote from Israel with a threat to sever the peace treaty.
Next time don't miss ...
We know that the Jordanian people want to cancel the agreement, but it is not up to them, said Mansur, a senior member of the IAF, the countrys main opposition party and the political arm of the tolerated Muslim Brotherhood. According to the law, the legal committee at the lower house is now going to examine the bill before the MPs vote to approve or reject the proposal.
Jordan, a US ally, signed the treaty on October 26, 1994, becoming only the second Arab state after Egypt to make peace with Israel.
This article starring:
Abdul Hadi Majali
HAMZA MANSUR
Islamic Action Front
KHALED MESHAAL
Hamas
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Muslim Brotherhood
#1
Why is it that this is the first time I've ever heard of this fantastic story about a botched Mossad poisoning which still required an "antidote" via royal diplomacy? Is there any sources on this which aren't whack-job paranoia-fodder?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
03/28/2008 9:53 Comments ||
Top||
#2
No, it really happened. I know it sounds like a bad paperback novel, but I remember reading about it while it was happening. Jordan has to protect a national treasure like piece of shit Meshaal.
#1
Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature, and some ill informed reports from certain corners of the British media that could directly lead to the harm of some of our staff, Liveleak.com has been left with no other choice but to remove Fitna from our servers.
This is a sad day for freedom of speech on the net but we have to place the safety and well being of our staff above all else. We would like to thank the thousands of people, from all backgrounds and religions, who gave us their support. They realised LiveLeak.com is a vehicle for many opinions and not just for the support of one.
Perhaps there is still hope that this situation may produce a discussion that could benefit and educate all of us as to how we can accept one anothers culture.
We stood for what we believe in, the ability to be heard, but in the end the price was too high.
#2
Someone needs to put a torrent of teh full length film on Piratebay, Google's Youtube has crappy quality and will pull it as soon as the complaints start, if it is a torrent they will never get it off the Internet, it will live for ever.
#5
I have a quality LiveLeak version on an open Web page. It plays but when I bring up the page again as a separate tab it has the LiveLeak bailout statement. The first page must have buffered on my computer. Does anyone know how I can capture the buffered LiveLeak video?
Surah 8, Verse 60
Prepare for them whatever force and cavalry ye are able of gathering
to strike terror
to strike terror into the hearts of
the enemies, of Allah and your enemies
#1
It appears that the full article requires a subscription to the WSJ. The link from Google gave me the whole thing, but the link here won't. Delete at will.
(AKI) - Foreign leaders attending the Arab League summit in Damascus will consider a proposal to eliminate nuclear weapons from the Middle East. Mohammed al-Khamlichi, assistant to the Arab League's secretary-general, Amr Moussa, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that the summit's agenda includes a proposal for a nuclear-free region and to only use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
This is the first time Arab leaders have put the issue on the agenda and talks are still in the early phase. "Arab cooperation on the issue of peaceful nuclear use is still in its initial stage," al-Khamlichi told AKI. "We haven't reached a stage where we can take pro-active measures or concrete steps, although many studies have been conducted and many committees have been formed for this purpose."
On Thursday foreign ministers from the countries that make up the Arab League gathered in the Syrian capital Damascus ahead of the summit to take place this weekend. There are 22 members of the league and three observers but not all are expected to attend the meeting. Lebanon, which has been without a president since Emile Lahoud resigned in November, has declined to send a representative.
The foreign leaders are expected to discuss the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. "It is still too early to speak about a peaceful Arab nuclear programme, despite the urgency of this issue," said Khamlichi. To achieve this, "we need to establish a strategic plan that defines the role of every Arab country in this region".
While international debate continues about Iran's nuclear intentions, no Arab state is believed to have nuclear weapons. Some Arab countries such as Jordan, Bahrain and Egypt among others, are believed to be trying to establish a nuclear programme for peaceful purposes. According to experts, nuclear energy represents the best solution for the Arab world's energy problems.
This article starring:
Amr Moussa
Mohammed al-Khamlichi
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
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[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
TOPIX > SYRIA ASKS SAADI ARABIA FOR HELP + RUSSIA: EGYPT NUKE DEAL PUTS EGYPT IN FOREFRONT OF ME ENERGY DRIVE.
#3
And if you can't trust and Arab to keep his word, who can you trust?
Posted by: ed ||
03/28/2008 1:53 Comments ||
Top||
#4
So why would Arabs need nuclear energy? I assume they want nuke electricity so they could export more oil, rather than using local energy sources. What are the numbers on this? With the huge jump in uranium prices, is it even sensible to go nuclear when you have so much NG bubbling up under your feet?
Any experts out there who can justify imported uranium vs. local natural gas?
#6
#5 -- when those Eeeevil Zionists give up theirs. First, of course.
Same old 'after you', 'no, i insist, after you' chipmunk routine with these guys...
#2
Boy Howdy, talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!!
Does ANYONE with two brain cells to rub together pay any attention to anything those morons in Syria have to say? They are nearly as silly with their spin as ole "Baghdad Bob".
Where is ole Bob anyway, he was kinda funny in a simplistic sort of way.
The Syrian regime is torturing the country's Kurdish minority and is planning an ethnic cleansing in the Kurdish region, a Kurdish opposition group says.
Syria's plan to move 10,000 troops into the country's Kurdish region could mark a dangerous turn in the attitude towards this ethnic minority, Sherko 'Abbas, president of the United States-based Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria told The Media Line.
Celebrations of the Kurdish Nowruz spring festival were marred this week in Syria when clashes broke out between security forces and Kurds. Three Kurds were killed and dozens were wounded. In addition, at least two people were killed in Turkey in Nowruz clashes between Kurds and riot police.
For some time the Syrians have been accusing the Kurds of treason and alliances with the Americans and with the Israelis, 'Abbas said. "This is an excuse for them to move troops into the Kurdish region and try to quell any rebellion or uprising there. They're trying to bring in the fear factor that they lost in the Kurdish region."
Reports suggest Damascus has deployed some 10,000 Syrian troops into five cities in the country's northern Kurdish-dominated region.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/28/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
Supply all the air power and let the Kurds take over Syria if they can.
Posted by: ed ||
03/28/2008 20:57 ||
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[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
If you have an opportunity to watch the UK production, "Undercover Mosque," then you will see muslims inviting dhimmis to "interfaith" events in public, while in private they sermonize about murdering Jews, Christians and Hindus. Muhammad meant it when he concocted this koran order: jihad is prescribed to you. There are 2 types of muslims; jihadis and jihadis in waiting.
Former "Nightline" reporter Dave Marash has quit Al-Jazeera English, saying Thursday his exit was due in part to an anti-American bias at a network that is little seen in this country. Marash said he felt that attitude more from British administrators than Arabs at the Qatar-based network.
Marash was the highest-profile American TV personality hired when the English language affiliate to Al-Jazeera was started two years ago in an attempt to compete with CNN and the BBC. He said there was a "reflexive adversarial editorial stance" against Americans at Al-Jazeera English.
"Given the global feelings about the Bush administration, it's not surprising," Marash said. But he found it "became so stereotypical, so reflexive" that he got angry.
Marash, who's being replaced by former CNN International host Shihab Rattansi, said he was the last American-accented anchor at the network, which broadcasts from Washington, London, Kuala Lumpur and Doha, Qatar. He said there are more Canadians than Americans working at the Washington office.
Will Stebbins, Washington bureau chief for Al-Jazeera English, denied any bias against Americans. "We certainly evaluate U.S. policy rigorously," he said. "But we do our best to give everyone a fair shout."
Al-Jazeera English has been largely unsuccessful in getting U.S. cable or satellite systems to pick it up, except for the municipal cable system in Burlington, Vt., and a small system visible in Toledo and Sandusky, Ohio. But its programming is available on the network's YouTube site.
Marash said there were other reasons for his exit. He said the network has quickened the pace of its broadcast instead of having the slower, more reflective tone that he had expected. But he praised the network for its coverage of issues south of the equator.
He said he plans to write a book and hopes to teach. His exit was first reported in the British publication The Guardian; Marash's last day was March 21.
Stebbins said Marash was recently told that he would no longer be an anchor at the network. Al-Jazeera thought Marash was better utilized as a reporter, and singled out a recent series he did on American suburbia as worthy of praise. "We were sorry to see Dave go," he said.
Posted by: ed ||
03/28/2008 20:38 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
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.
Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan have declared the start a new spring offensive. The announcement was made in a statement released on Islamist websites on the Internet in Arabic and English. 
(AKI) - Former Italian prime minister 
This is not a new James Bond 007 movie. This is a true story about the most notorious terror organization in Bangladesh. One that enjoys official status and termed as an elite force. Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] was established on March 26, 2004 and since its establishment, a total of 472 alleged criminals have so far been killed in the name of crossfire or encounter between associates of the so-called criminals and RAB members. 
A German resident held by the U.S. for almost five years tells 60 Minutes correspondent 
Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar on Thursday warned tribal elders against meeting US officials, while welcoming ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khans refusal to meet top US officials.If tribal people do not stop meeting US officials, we will view them as American agents, the spokesman said in telephone calls to local reporters from an undisclosed location. Key tribal elders from Khyber Agency met US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher in Landikotal on Wednesday. It [Walis refusal] shows that the ANP is sincere in seeking peace in the [Frontier] province, the spokesman said, while expressing the hope that all problems would be resolved through negotiations. 
KARACHI - An alleged Al-Qaeda militant detained over a bombing at Benazir Bhuttos homecoming parade which killed 139 people was rearrested soon after he was freed on bail by a court, officials said on Thursday.
(KUNA) -- There is no retreat nor negotiations with outlawed armed men in southern city of Basra, Iraqi Prime Minister 
Shi'ite leader 
