A female member of a National Guard military police unit was demoted for indecent exposure after a mud-wrestling party at the Army-run Camp Bucca detention center in Iraq (news - web sites), a military spokesman said Sunday.
The party occurred Oct. 30, as the 160th Military Police Battalion, an Army Reserve Unit from Tallahassee, Fla., prepared to turn over its duties to the Asheville-based 105th Military Police Battalion, said Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, spokesman for detainee operations at Camp Bucca.
In the course of the transfer of duties, "some individuals in their exuberance decided to put together a mud-wrestling thing," Johnson said Sunday by telephone. "There were females involved, and some members of the 105th also became involved, one female soldier in particular."
Following an inquiry, that soldier was demoted and placed on restriction for participating in the event, specifically for indecent exposure, he said.
Four or five other members of the 105th who were spectators received counseling, Johnson said.
Johnson did not release the name of the demoted soldier. However, she was identified by the Daily News as Deanna Allen, 19, and the New York newspaper's identification was confirmed by her mother, Ladyna Waldrop of Black Mountain.
Allen was demoted from specialist to private first class. She is still a guard at the camp, the newspaper said.
The Daily News said it was given 30 of the party photos, and it printed several in Sunday's editions.
Waldrop said her daughter is devastated by the events.
"It was just a thing where she was coerced by a bunch of people, and with all the excitement, she lost her sanity for a moment and that's all it took," she said.
"It seems like they're just singling her out," Waldrop said. "She's the one getting all the publicity and punishment, and that's not right."
The 105th took over Camp Bucca on Nov. 1, and photos of the party were found after the 160th had left Iraq, Johnson said, adding that he understood a soldier had turned over the photos to commanders.
Results of the inquiry were sent to the commander of the 160th, he said. "It appears from the commander's inquiry that this was primarily put on by troops of the 160th, who are no longer under our command," Johnson said.
It wasn't immediately clear Sunday if any members of the 160th had been disciplined.
The party was isolated, Johnson said. "Detainees were nowhere in the vicinity," he said. "They had no possible way of seeing what occurred."
A scandal involving the separate Abu Ghraib prison erupted last spring when photographs were made public showing soldiers taunting naked Iraqi prisoners.
Waldrop said she communicates with her daughter almost every day via Internet instant messaging, and they also see each other by means of a Web camera. "She's very tearful, very upset," Waldrop said.
Waldrop said she was proud of her daughter for joining the National Guard. "But I hate that this happened, and so does she," she said. The party "just got way out of hand, and before you know it, pictures were taken, and she didn't have time to react.
"My mom and I have both had talks with her that she's supposed to be an example for her country."
Since when have we demanded a monastic warrior class? The only real question here is whether anyone was forced to take part.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/06/2005 20:24 Comments ||
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#2
Oh, it's typical. Back in the good ol' it used to be called the "God's Army" syndrome. Even Mac tried to outlaw condoms in Korea, figuring that they would result in immorality. The very next month, when the theater VD stats came through, the theater medical officer is alleged to have actually pounded on Mac's desk while screaming at him. Mac reversed the policy.
#3
I sincerely hope that they go after those who were coercive to the young lady. Yet she must still be responsible for the choice she made to participate.
Such behaviours are prejudicial to good discipline and to morale in the long run. Short term, the guys feel it is fun to have the girls play along in their fantasy. But it leads along into more fantasy and more attempts to get the girls to play along . . . until the girl says no, whereupon the guy has to make a choice. But we should never let it get here.
Never forget where the last compliant MP female got us . . . and herself (preggers, with some doubt as to daddy, I should think).
Having good policy in place and enforced makes the force stronger. Making stupid policy decisions (removing condoms in Korea) is stupid.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
02/06/2005 21:31 Comments ||
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#2
From the USGS site: A major earthquake occurred at 12:23:15 (UTC) on Saturday, February 5, 2005. The magnitude 7.1 event has been located in the CELEBES SEA. The hypocentral depth was estimated to be 486 km (302 miles). (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)
Anyone have anymore news on this? I haven't found anything, other than the upgrade.
#3
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1238Z 05 FEB 2005
THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN EXCEPT
ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.
.................. TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ..................
THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WARNING
OR WATCH IN EFFECT.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1223Z 05 FEB 2005
COORDINATES - 5.5 NORTH 123.4 EAST
LOCATION - MINDANAO PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
DEPTH - 550 KM
MAGNITUDE - 6.9
EVALUATION
A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI WAS NOT GENERATED BASED ON EARTHQUAKE AND
HISTORICAL TSUNAMI DATA.
THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA
Posted by: Formerly Frank ||
02/06/2005 9:33 Comments ||
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#4
There was news a week or so ago that the earthquake scientists are extremely nervous, in that, where these earthquakes are happening, they are observing things *never seen before*. And they don't like that. The situation is that two plates are meeting, but instead of there being a collision with an up-or-down, *or* right-and-left movement, there is *both*. They have no idea what will happen next, except a whole lot of trembling is going on.
#6
I hate it when the EarthQuake scientists are nervous, I expect mother/momma Ghaia to have a Grand Mal shortly to show us the way. The way means removing 95 percent of the human population to make room for the green relaxation period for the well informed and perpetually clueless.
#7
That whole area's a subduction zone, right up past Japan. They've gotta be nervous, the whole zone may be repositioning as the stress changes due to the earlier quakes. 300 miles down is definitely deep movement.
#8
# 7 better safe than sorry- especially with the volcano lava in Hawaii spilling into the ocean
right now- ANYTHING can happen--leave it to Mother Nature**
Andrea
Posted by: Andrea ||
02/06/2005 14:05 Comments ||
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A call for an Islamic bloc capable of competing in the global arena went out from Bahrain yesterday. The private sectors in Islamic countries must work together, said Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. He urged them to help speed up the creation of an Islamic bloc to face economic changes in the world.
Boy howdy, an Islamic trading bloc. That'll set us Westerners back a step or two.
The Premier was speaking after the opening of the 10th Trade Fair of Islamic Countries and the 11th Private Sector Meeting for the Organisation of Islamic Countries, at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. More than 35 countries are taking part in the events, which continue until Wednesday. The Premier highlighted the investment opportunities available to attract capital to the Islamic countries. He said the forum represented an opportunity to exchange views and expertise on ways to boost trade amongst Islamic countries and to develop regional blocs.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/06/2005 00:00:00 ||
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#1
I'm sure it'll at least be as successful as COMECON, the trading bloc incorporating the Soviet satellite states.
#2
COMECON sort of worked. Its purpose was to bind the Soviet empire together economically. E. German made computers, Hugary buses, etc. Other Comecon countries had to buy from the single source cos they couldn't afford to buy from elsewhere.
#3
Phil makes a good point. The problem the Arab states (in particular face) is how to bootstrap their work forces and economies into the real world. You can't specialize in everything, and for any one industry chances are there are already several countries doing it well - some for quality, some for low cost. So how to begin?
At that level, this makes sense. The problem, however, is that this sort of economic bloc usually removes market incentives to improve quality and workforce skills. In the case of the Islamic world, it will also probably reinforce their tendency to interact with the global economic and cultural structures.
No easy answers here. They won't attract investors setting up new plants and industries because there is little in the way of work ethic and technical skills to be leveraged. So they have to do something, 'cause the oil money ain't gonna last forever.
Posted by: too true ||
02/06/2005 6:36 Comments ||
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#4
"A call for an Islamic bloc capable of competing in the global arena."
#6
Actually, I think the prospect of a middle east trading bloc is a fantastic one--given certain preconditions--and I suspect it is being subtly encouraged by the Bush administration. Here is the logic: the center of such a bloc would be Iraq and (free, democratic) Iran, with (free, democratic) Egypt pulling a close second. It would act as an economic counterbalance to Europe, Russia, India *and* the Asian bloc. It would normalize democracy and improve economies througout the region, solving any number of problems. In turn, it would be separate from a general central and sub-Saharan African bloc. It would prevent the region from being further exploited by other nations or blocs, and would create a horizontal expansion of revenue away from petrochemicals (which is already starting to take place.) It is also well situated for a 'central' equivalent to the (now being re-created) Silk Road travel route, creating a modern transportation network similar to what exists in Europe and the US. It could, conceivably, expand to incorporate the Central Asia "-istans", which would place it on a par with both the EU and the Asian bloc.
HT to Drudge
A senior aide to Mexican President Vicente Fox has been arrested on suspicion of leaking information to drug traffickers. Attorney General Rafael Macedo said it was thought the aide, Nahum Acosta, may have divulged Mr Fox's travel plans.
Mr Acosta was a senior member of the team that organises Mr Fox's official trips, Mr Macedo said. Mr Fox has recently stepped up his campaign against organised crime, calling it the "mother of all battles". Mr Macedo said Nahum Acosta, who had worked for Mr Fox since 2001, was arrested on Thursday.
"We noticed that there were factors that contributed to a leak of information inside the presidency, basically on the methods used by the president to travel in several parts of the country," he said.
Cartel crackdown
He said they believed the information was leaked to a criminal organisation "linked to drug trafficking", but declined to name which one. Although there was no security risk to Mr Fox, he said it was worrying that a criminal gang could infiltrate a presidential institution. But he said the arrest showed Mexico's fight against drug cartels was working. "We are not going to give these criminals any space," he said. Mr Fox launched a campaign against organised crime last month. He has put the police and army in control of prisons from where they believe drug gang leaders have been organising attacks.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2005 6:27:58 PM ||
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In lieu of an expanded "Nuggets from The Urdu Press Pravda..." A staunch ally of President Yushchenko promised to eliminate the vertical of corruption in Ukraine
The Ukrainian parliament, Supreme Rada, has approved Julia Timoshenko's candidacy for the position of the Ukrainian prime minister. Three hundred and seventy-three deputies voted for Timoshenko yesterday whereas the minimum amount of votes was 226. Viktor Yushchenko presented the structure of the new government to the parliament too.
Communists were the only deputies, who voted against Julia Timoshenko for political reasons. Even Yushchenko's major rivals, the Party of Regions (chaired by Viktor Yanukovich) and the Socio-Democratic Party of Ukraine did not venture to make an opposition to the new government, for they basically shared the declared ideas.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko has already signed the decree to appoint Julia Timoshenko for the position of the Ukrainian prime minister. The document was signed shortly after the deputies made the final decision. In addition, the parliament withdrew deputy powers from Timoshenko too.
Ukraine's "orange lady," a staunch ally of President Yushchenko, promised to eliminate the so-called vertical of corruption, when money accumulates at the bottom and goes up to the top level, while one tries to cover up another. Timoshenko stressed out that her government would take measures to raise wages to state officials to deprive them of the need to accept bribes.
Ukrainian President Yushchenko nominated Julia Timoshenko for the position of the premier on January 28th. Timoshenko has been a deputy since May of 2002; she is a member of the parliamentary committee for legal policy issues.
Julia Timoshenko was born in Dnepropetrovsk on November 27th, 1960. Timoshenko graduated from the economic department of the Dnepropetrovsk State University in 1984. Timoshenko launched her career after graduation, when she became the commercial director of the Terminal youth center. In 1991-1993, she became the director of a small enterprise Kub, which became a Ukrainian-Cyprian joint venture in 1994. In 1995, Timoshenko became the president of the industrial and financial corporation Joint Energetic Systems of Ukraine. In 1999-2001, Julia Timoshenko worked as a vice premier in Viktor Yushchenko's government; she was in charge of the Fuel and Energy Complex. Timoshenko speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English.
Julia Timoshenko will become the 14th head of the Ukrainian government and the first woman on the position.
In 2000-2001, Julia Timoshenko, her husband and several employees of the Joint Energetic Systems of Ukraine were implicated in a criminal case connected with a series of economic crimes. In 2004, Timoshenko was suspected of bribing judges. Spokespeople for the Ukrainian opposition say that their leader is not a criminal - she was persecuted by the Kuchma regime as a political rival. It is noteworthy that the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has recently exculpated the new prime minister. Russian law-enforcement authorities have certain claims against Julia Timoshenko too, but unlike Ukraine, Russia is not going to turn them down.
Isn't it nice the way they wedge that last bit in there?
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
02/06/2005 3:42:38 PM ||
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#1
The Russians certainly have their own version of "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
Posted by: Tom ||
02/06/2005 16:45 Comments ||
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#2
Nice closer, Phil, heh. Julia is the one that lex said was a vicious (?) crook in her days as a stock trader, IIRC.
Here's her website to get the soft and fuzzy version.
#3
Wow. I wonder if Condi is going to put up a portfolio of camera shots.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
02/06/2005 16:53 Comments ||
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#4
Someone once said 'Politics is the art of the possible.' I'd take someone who has succeded in the current system and clearly knows how it works over some idealist any day of the week. She is saying the right things, Lets wait and see if she does them.
#8
You figure there's not too many straight women here, then?
LOL yes, she's very attractive.
Posted by: too true ||
02/06/2005 20:34 Comments ||
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#9
Well, he did say "who post here" and there aren't that many wymyn posters who've made it known they be wymyns. I would certainly initially assume all of the posting femalians in RB are straight. Am I wrong? Lol! Wait! Don't answer that! Lol! I don't wanna know!
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2005 20:53 Comments ||
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#11
Gentlemen: I challenge you to try to get through postings concerning women in leadership without either making cracks about their appearance or salivating. The real issue here is whether the Orange Lady is capable and trustworthy.
#13
But, mom, we have hard times getting through threads about MEN without making those comments!
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
02/06/2005 21:15 Comments ||
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#14
Mom - we've already conceded she's capable - get past your hesitance on her other good qualities
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2005 21:18 Comments ||
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#15
Wait! Um, RC - I dunno, you need to clarify - else I'm going back to Emma Peel in sleek black leather - with strategically placed - oh, um, nevermind.
Japanese police said today they were investigating a suspected group suicide after six people were found dead in a parked car, the latest in a series of such cases.
The three men and three women, who all appeared to be in their 20s, were found dead today in a station wagon parked on a remote road in Miura just west of Tokyo, a police spokesman said.
''We think it's a case of group suicide,'' he said, adding that officers had found four charcoal stoves and boxes of sleeping pills in the car, which had its windows sealed from the inside. The stoves generate carbon monoxide, a deadly poison.
Japan has been hit by a series of group suicide pacts, many by strangers who only got to know each other through suicide Web sites, and dubbed by the Japanese media as ''Internet suicides''.
A total of 34 people killed themselves in such pacts in 2003, according to police data.
It was not clear whether those found dead in Saturday's case made contact through the Internet.
Japan has one of the highest rates of suicide in the developed world and has no religious prohibitions against a practice long been seen as a way to escape failure. Suicide is also seen as a way of saving loved ones from embarrassment over financial losses.
Posted by: tipper ||
02/06/2005 7:16:33 AM ||
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#1
This sort of thing is not unknown in Japan. The method is always the same, hibiachis and a sealed room (first car I've heard of...plus it's the first Japanese car I've heard of that fits 6 people).
These twentysomethings weren't escaping failure, or saving others from embarassment. They just couldn't find a reason to live, a sickness of the soul. Japan is an empty country for many reasons, which is just going to make it that much more thunderous when they finally do wake up.
#2
which is just going to make it that much more thunderous when they finally do wake up.
Over my head, could you explain what you mean, please?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
02/06/2005 17:29 Comments ||
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#3
I agree with Gromky. There is a lot to like about Japan and its people, but there is also a deep sickness in the society. I was astounded to hear that 10% of young Japanese males stay in their bedrooms for years at a time never leaving.
#4
If they do realign their military as a true military capability, it might do wonders for a lot of their young men.
Posted by: too true ||
02/06/2005 17:58 Comments ||
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#5
Short version - Japan has a history of long periods of stability/stasis, followed by brief periods of extremely violent change. After such changes, Japanese society is radically changed. The end of WWII was the last such incident, the Meiji Restoration was the previous. Neither were what you'd call, "fun times to live in".
Conventional wisdom holds that Japan is due for another such correction. A directionless nation, but fundamentally strong. All they need is a new concept, or the right leader, and you've got 125,000,000 well-armed people repudiating their pacifist past.
Call it a kissing crackdown. Indonesia's government is considering a law banning unwed couples from pecking in public — and harshly penalizing those who do, The Jakarta Post reported Saturday. The campaign against kissing is part of a proposal of sweeping reforms to laws adopted by the country's Dutch colonial rulers in the late 19th century. The head of the panel that drafted the law said Muslim beliefs about decency had influenced its decision. Neighboring countries with large Muslim populations, such as Malaysia and Brunei, already enforce laws defining "khalwat," or "close proximity," a crime akin to adultery for unchaperoned meetings between Muslim men and women.
Indonesia's revised laws would set environmental protection standards and punish human rights violations and terrorism, the newspaper said. But they would also impose penalties on unwed couples who kiss in public, while permitting police raids on the homes of those suspected of living together out of wedlock. Pornography and public displays of "certain sensual body parts" would be outlawed and media, movies and songs censored. Penalties for law breakers would range from fines as high as 300 million rupiah (US$32,800; euro25,300) to up to 10 years imprisonment, according to the daily. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the legislature are expected to spend two years debating and revising the draft.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
02/06/2005 2:09:16 AM ||
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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 staunch ally of President Yushchenko promised to eliminate the vertical of corruption in Ukraine
Call it a kissing crackdown. Indonesia's government is considering a law banning unwed couples from pecking in public — and harshly penalizing those who do, The Jakarta Post reported Saturday. The campaign against kissing is part of a proposal of sweeping reforms to laws adopted by the country's Dutch colonial rulers in the late 19th century. The head of the panel that drafted the law said Muslim beliefs about decency had influenced its decision. Neighboring countries with large Muslim populations, such as Malaysia and Brunei, already enforce laws defining "khalwat," or "close proximity," a crime akin to adultery for unchaperoned meetings between Muslim men and women.
