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Meshaal threatens to murder Haniyeh
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 5: Russia-Former Soviet Union
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Afghanistan
4 terrorists arrested in Afghan capital
Four terrorists with explosives were captured in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, a police officer told Xinhua Tuesday. One of them was detained on Tuesday, said Ali Shah Paktiawal, criminal director of the Kabul police, adding three others were captured on Sunday evening.
“One terrorist was a university student in Kabul, and another one had studied in a religious school in a country neighboring Afghanistan...”
One terrorist was a university student in Kabul, and another one had studied in a religious school in a country neighboring Afghanistan, he said. The police have seized explosives and bombs from the four detainees, who are all Afghans.

Kabul, a former relatively calm city, is plagued by frequent suicide bombings in the past two months. On Monday, a suicide bombing ripped off a road in eastern Kabul, killing three policemen and injuring eight persons. On Sept. 8, a suicide car blast killed 15 people including two U.S. soldiers just outside the U.S. embassy. Earlier this month, the U.S.-led coalition forces warned a suicide bomber cell was working in Kabul and remained a serious threat. Meanwhile, a senior Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah recently claimed the Taliban had registered 500 fighters ready to be used as suicide bombers in this volatile country.
From the Khaleej Times: the four mooks are linked to al-Qaeda.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  “One terrorist was a university student in Kabul, and another one had studied in a religious school in a country neighboring Afghanistan...”

Lets play guess the country???!!!!!
Posted by: Cheregum Crelet7867 || 09/20/2006 4:44 Comments || Top||


Turkish engineer executed in Afghanistan
(KUNA) -- As many as 17 people, including a Turkish engineer, were killed in fresh violence in different parts of Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Turkish engineer Mustafa Asimi, who was kidnapped by Taliban militants in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand last month, was executed today, Taliban purported spokesman Yousaf Ahmadi claimed on Tuesday. Ahmadi said the road construction company, with which the engineer was working, had time and again asked to wrap their business in Afghanistan; however, they did not respond. The execution was ordered by Taliban shura (an assembly of religious scholars), the spokesman added.

Separately, a bomb went off at a wedding party in Parwan province, situated some 35 kilometres north of Kabul, which resulted in the killing of five women. Police said several children were injured in the explosion. It has yet to be ascertained it was a terrorist attack or the explosion was caused by an old mine. Police chief of the province Abdul Rahman Sayeddkheli said some old enmity might be involved in the attack.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
'Holy war training camps' to open in Somalia
Islamic militants who control of much of southern Somalia said Tuesday they will open training camps for Somali students to prepare them for a holy war against any foreign peacekeepers sent here.
“There is nothing wrong with our plan to train students. There are a lot of countries in the world that carry out such exercises...”
"There is nothing wrong with our plan to train students," said Islamic official Fuad Mohammed Kalaf. "There are a lot of countries in the world that carry out such exercises." The militants oppose foreign interference in Somalia, while the country's virtually powerless official government has appealed for outside help to pacify this chaotic Horn of Africa nation.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  If you have camps, they will have GPS coordinates.
Posted by: Bobby || 09/20/2006 6:16 Comments || Top||

#2  Excellent observation, Bobby.
Posted by: Ptah || 09/20/2006 7:03 Comments || Top||

#3  I expect the next headline to be.
"Global Hawk to be armed with GBU 24s"
Posted by: Bright Pebbles in Blairistan || 09/20/2006 8:54 Comments || Top||

#4  Is Somalia volunteering to be the demonstration site for the "Totally Unleashed Display of Western Power to Absolutely Wipe the Face off the Earth Those Who Go Too Far". You know just to let the seething unwashed masses understand what Act II, is going to look like? Yucca Flats is just too remote and small and out of visual range, and the environmental paperwork is hell, for most of the muzzies who need to know.
Posted by: Chereng Omulet2048 || 09/20/2006 9:38 Comments || Top||

#5  cannon fodder for the Ethiopians?
Posted by: liberalhawk || 09/20/2006 11:34 Comments || Top||

#6  There's not a lot of triple-canopy in Somalia.

Put them where we can get them when we want them.

Come into my parlor....
Posted by: Richard Aubrey || 09/20/2006 14:58 Comments || Top||

#7  Build them and they will come... train and relese them and we will come...
Posted by: Fun Dung Poo || 09/20/2006 19:03 Comments || Top||

#8  I call it a TLAM, target rich environment.
Posted by: anymouse || 09/20/2006 19:13 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Throat-slicing of EU diplomats in morocco : in denial of terror motivation???
Morocco/Islamism: Does the European Commission try to hide the possible Islamist nature of the murder of an European diplomat and his wife, wildly slaughtered in Rabat?

Crime motivated by a desire for gain or assassination with Islamist connotation? The wild assassination of Alessandro Missir di Lusignano, head of the Political section of the delegation of the European Commission in Morocco, and his Belgian wife, Ariane de Locht, causes not only stupor, but raises also a lot of questions because of the many remaining zones of shadow. Anyway, the facts are established. While returning of a dinner, in the night of Sunday to Monday, the couple was surprised in its villa of Rabat by one or more "robbers", who stole several objects as well as the car of the Belgian-Italian couple. The diplomat and his wife were then cut the throat of in front of their four children, old from 4 to 10 years. According to the official thesis, this was "simply" a crime motivated by a desire for gain.

Nevertheless, the official declarations made by the Moroccan police, which supports the thesis of a burgling which would have degenerated, and by the European Union, clash with what we learn in addition. If for the Italian press as a whole, there is not a doubt that this double murder is of Islamist nature, it is not the point of view of the European Commission which, officially and in-house, obviously tends to minimize the range of the facts.

Officially first of all, the European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, split yesterday explicit official statement in which she underlined the villainous nature of the facts and explained why it is definitely not a religious crime.

However, it got back to us that within the Commission the heads of unit vigorously invited their collaborators not to communicate on this subject, not to operate ties with the recent declarations of the pope and, especially, not to evoke the possibility of a crime with religious connotation. According to other inside information from the Commission, the children, who attended the whole scene, would have seen the assassin, half insane, vociferate and call upon the sky. They moreover would have heard him howling "Allah Ô Akhbar" when slitting the throat of their parents. One will in addition underline that the assassination was not necessary to the theft and that blood crimes, in particular those against foreigners, are extremely rare in Morocco. This sad business leaves without voice, all the more so since Alessandro Missir, recognized expert of Turkey, was known and appreciated for its peaceful, even oecumenical positions and was in favour of the dialogue between the people.

In addition, this story reminds us the case of this young 17 year old French, Benjamin Vanseveren, stabbed in February 2005, by Abdelilah Al Meziane, who had tackled a group of tourists visiting the Médina of Fès. At that time the prosecutor had considered that this crime had been committed by an "unbalanced drug addict", a statement that led the family of the young boy to estimate that one had sought it to hush up a murder which smacked of Islamism. Al Meziane had closer and closer to an Islamist preacher and to the group that this last animated. Is this still the case today?
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 09/20/2006 15:06 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  what's the mystery here? Peaceful, innocent, Westerner being slaughtered in front of children by muslim men. Happens every day.
Posted by: anymouse || 09/20/2006 15:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Hooboy, let's see the EU vigorously ignore this one. For the most part, they've been doing a great job of the same with respect to those death threats against the Pope.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 16:01 Comments || Top||

#3  The unemployment rate in Morocco is "officially" 11%, but the real rate coupled with rampant underemployment is probably around 40%.

One must always suspect the Islamist motive these days, but this could also be one of those burglaries gone sideways.

And on a personal note, when I was a kid, I lived in Morocco at the naval base, and, believe it or not, there was a robbery/murder where some of the locals killed a fellow who moonlighted as an ice cream truck driver on base.
Posted by: Dreadnought || 09/20/2006 16:17 Comments || Top||

#4  Of course they deny. Moroccans are causing a lot of problems in a number of countries in Europe. The EC will deny that as it clashes with their Eurabia plans.
Posted by: Omique Pheash4059 || 09/20/2006 16:49 Comments || Top||

#5  This sad business leaves without voice, all the more so since Alessandro Missir, recognized expert of Turkey, was known and appreciated for its peaceful, even oecumenical positions and was in favour of the dialogue between the people.


And he got his throat slit. The attitudes, and probable fate, of the EU elites are the same.
Posted by: DoDo || 09/20/2006 16:52 Comments || Top||

#6  Simple burglars typically bludgeon their victims. Slitting the parents' throats in front of the children absolutely reeks of Islamic style execution. This is the traditional "slaughtering of the kuffir like an animal to sell at the market". All of which is in their doctrine.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 17:08 Comments || Top||

#7  Morrco is a islamic country, any death of a non muslim by having their throats cut is religious in nature. This will be poorly covered in the EU press because the conquest of the EU by islam one birth at a time and one concession at a time to 'islamic rights' is supported by the EU. Socialism in necrotising in Europe.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom || 09/20/2006 17:48 Comments || Top||

#8  Behold your fate, EU, er, Eurabia.
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 17:58 Comments || Top||

#9  You can tell by the exceptional efforts at cover-up that this is another Muzzie atrocity. Retribution for the offense of the Pope. They need not declare all these loons as insane. All freakin' Muzzies are insane. Point is..it's another Muzzie attack on civilized westerners.
Posted by: SOP35/Rat || 09/20/2006 18:33 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Yemen arrests ‘major terrorist’ over US attack plot
Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh announced Tuesday the arrest of a “terrorist” - allegedly linked to his main election rival and to Osama bin Laden - accused of plotting attacks against US interests. “We have arrested a major terrorist who was planning operations against American installations and the Movenpick hotel,” Saleh said at a press conference on the eve of the presidential poll.

He said the suspect was a bodygard for Faisal bin Shamlan, his main challenger in Wednesday’s presidential race. Saleh’s private secretary Abdo Burji said the suspect, Hussein al-Jerdani, was arrested on Sunday and had close links with the Al Qaeda terror chief. “He was a companion of Osama bin Laden and is the owner of a house rented to a cell which recently tried to launch attacks against oil installations in Yemen,” Burji added.

Four bombers and a security guard were killed Friday when Yemeni security forces foiled twin suicide bombings against an oil refinery in Maarib, in the desert east of the capital Sanaa, and a Canadian-run terminal in the port of Dhabba on the Gulf of Aden. The government announced Saturday the arrest of four Yemeni “terrorists” linked to Al Qaeda who it said was planning attacks on Sanaa. Friday’s attacks came after bin Laden’s right-hand man Ayman al-Zawahiri warned that the Gulf and Israel would be the next targets of Al Qaeda, in a video message coinciding with the fifth anniversary Monday of the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Damn! How, um, serendipitous! Just imagine the odds...
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 1:39 Comments || Top||

#2  Speaking of "serendipitous", Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden is a perfect anagram of "enemy". Color me shocked. Shocked, I say!
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 2:39 Comments || Top||

#3  Let's see if we've seen this movie before:

1. Arrest 'em
2. Hold 'em for a bit
3. Express dismay when they escape
Posted by: PlanetDan || 09/20/2006 6:27 Comments || Top||


Bangladesh
Tales from the Crossfire Gazette
Six criminals were killed in "crossfire" in incidents of shootouts between their accomplices and the law enforcers in the capital and elsewhere in the country yesterday.
Must be clearing up their books before the new fiscal year starts
Our staff correspondent from Khulna reports: Two notorious robbers were killed in an encounter between the DB police and the robbers at Harhbaria adjacent to the Sundarbans under Mongla Police Station in Bagerhat district in the early hours yesterday.
I have no idea where that is
Rezaul Islam, 45, and Shanu Dakua, 35 were arrested at Bagerhat town on Monday afternoon with 12 firearms looted at different times from the forest guards and police since 2002.
Wonder if they were 'slain' before or after they were 'arrested'?
These include three rifles, three double-barrel guns, six single-barrel guns and 35 rifle bullets and cartridges.
Major arms cache for Bangladesh, I've got more in my closet
The DB police and the accomplices of the slain robbers traded over a hundred rounds of shots during the 20-minute long gun-battle at about 4:30am, after which the criminals fled the scene.
It is a FY close out! Got to expend those rounds so your ammo budget isn't reduced next year.
Accused in 22 criminal cases, including four for murder, Rezaul Talukder hails from Malliker Berh union under Rampal upazila of Bagerhat, police said. Taking advantage of general amnesty, he surrendered to former home minister Mohammad Nasim in 1999 laying down 11 firearms. Shanu Dakua of Kashipur village under the same upazila was accused in 13 criminal cases, including two for murder.

Our staff correspondent from Khulna also says: Moin Khan, 32, a cadre of the outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddho) was killed during a shootout between the police and his cohorts at Bihari Colony under Khanjahan Ali Police Station of Khulna city.
Another day, another dead commie
He was arrested at Phulbari rail gate on Monday night.
"Evening, Moin. Stick'em up!"
The shootout took place at about 3:15am during an arms recovery drive, the police said.
The fabled early morning drive to a deserted lot to 'recover arms'
Four shotgun bullets, two bombs, one dagger and huge bomb making ingredients were recovered from the spot, DB police sources said.

According to police, the slain outlaw of Gilatala in Khulna city was accused in 13 criminal cases, including three for murder, filed against him with different police stations of Khulna city. Police also said that during interrogation, Moin confessed that four cadres of the Janajuddho carried out the bomb attack on patrol police on Monday night near Phulbari rail gate in which four policemen were injured.
Ah, I knew there would be payback for booming those cops

Our staff correspondent from Chittagong adds: Delwar Hossain alias killer Delu, a listed criminal, was killed in an encounter between his accomplices and members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in the early hours yesterday.
RAB night shift is back in action

A team of Rab arrested him on Sunday night from city's Feroz Shah Colony under Pahartali Police Station. During interrogation at Rab-7 headquarters in Patenga,
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'll talk! Just get those things away from me!"
he confessed to have possessed sophisticated firearms, including four AK-47 rifles, Rab sources said.

Following his confession, the Rab team along with Delu went to Rubber Garden, a remote hilly area with no witnesses in Raozan, at around 12:45am to recover the firearms. As they reached the place, Delu's accomplices opened fire on them in a bid to snatch him against which the Rab also retaliated.
"It's da RAB and they've got Killer! Open reckless random fire!"
Delu got caught in the brief gun-battle and died on the spot, sources said.
Brief being the one round behind the ear
One revolver, two LG, one country-made gun, four revolver bullets, three cartridges and a machete were recovered from the spot, but no AK-47. The body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for autopsy.
"Dr.Quincy, delivery for you."
Sources said Delu was accused in 17 criminal cases, including six for murder. His elder brother Peyar Hossain alias Peru, also a top listed criminal, was killed in another encounter with Rab about six months ago. The two brothers had established a reign of terror in three unions of the upazila -- Noapara, Guzra and Dewanpur, the sources added.
And now they're together again

Meanwhile, an alleged extortionist was killed during a gunfight between a local gang and Rab personnel at West Rampura last night. Rab said the person killed in the gunfight is Raju, 16, who was a member of local Nasim gang of Khilgaon area.

Rab officials said eight to nine members of the gang went to an under construction building site in an ally opposite Athithee Community Centre around 8:30pm and started scolding Ripon, the owner of the building. They said the gang members became annoyed with Ripon as he refused to pay them illegal tolls and because one of his construction workers had handed over one of the gang members to police earlier on the day when he had come to collect the money.
Sounds like just another day...in New Jersey
"As I was informed of the incident I thought that the criminals will come again to take revenge and accordingly I deployed five of our members disguised as construction workers," said Maj Ataul Karim, acting director of Rab-3.
Clever boy, our Major
He said as per their assumption, the criminals came to the under-construction building and when the Rab men challenged them they opened fire on the law enforcers prompting them to retaliate, which led to a 15-minute gunfight leaving Raju dead.
"We're here to take revenge for youse turning Bob over to da law..."
"Hah, we are the law! Git your hands up!"
"Curses, it's the RAB! Open fire , boys!"
Maj Ataul said the other members of the gang managed to flee in the dark taking advantage of a load shedding that began 30 seconds into the gun battle.
I have no idea

UNB reports, a listed criminal was killed in a gunfight between his cohorts and Rab at Mirpur in the capital early yesterday. Jahangir alias Jakkha Jahangir, 30, was arrested by Rab at Pirerbagh on Monday with a loaded revolver. Following his confessional statement, the Rab took him to Ahmadnagar at Paikpara at about 3:00am to seize illegal firearms from his den, the Rab sources said.
The story never changes
Sensing trouble, Jahangir's accomplices opened fire on Rab, which the law enforcers returned. Jahangir received bullets during the shootout as he tried to flee, the Rab sources said adding that he died on his way to hospital.
"Urph.....rose......bud..."
Hailing from Sheurapara, Jahangir was accused in seven criminal cases, including two for murder.
Posted by: Steve || 09/20/2006 07:59 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  taking advantage of a load shedding that began 30 seconds into the gun battle

Load shedding = rolling blackout?
Posted by: Pappy || 09/20/2006 9:41 Comments || Top||

#2  taking advantage of a load shedding that began 30 seconds into the gun battle

That soooo sounds like someone craped their pants once the bullets started flying.
Posted by: DarthVader || 09/20/2006 9:44 Comments || Top||

#3  While the names and locations change, the CFG is so predictable, I sometimes think I am reading a Louis Lamore Oat Opera. Wonder why the Bangladesh BadBoys haven't stumbled on the modus operandi....
Posted by: USN, ret. || 09/20/2006 14:01 Comments || Top||

#4  in England, we have listed buildings, where you're not allowed to do anything to overtly change their state (add a helipad on the roof, that kind of thing). In Bangladesh however, they have listed criminals, the major difference being that changing the state of a listed criminal seems to be the law, in that their state changes from hot to cold...

Ah the RAB, what would we do without them - their MO is just *so* predictable though! ;)
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 09/20/2006 16:59 Comments || Top||


Hannan shown arrested in CPB blast case
Investigation into the CPB bomb blast case has taken a new turn after a three-year lull as Mufti Abdul Hannan, operations commander of banned Harkatul Jihad (Huji) Bangladesh, was shown arrested in the case and remanded for 10 days yesterday.

The case was filed for bomb blasts on a rally of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) at Paltan Maidan on January 21, 2001. Five people were killed and 50 others injured in the incident. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) accompanied by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) produced Hannan before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court, Dhaka at 1:30pm yesterday under a tight security and submitted a petition for showing him arrested in the case. The CID also submitted a petition for placing him on a ten-day remand for interrogation in connection with the blasts.

On completion of Hannan's eight-day remand in the Ramna Batamul carnage case, CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, said Hannan gave important information about the carnage and should be confined in jail until the investigation completes. In the forwarding report placed before the court, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police and IO of the CPB bomb blast case Syed Momin Hossain said Hannan might be involved in the incident. The Huji leader needs to be intensively interrogated to find out vital clues to the bomb attack and the whereabouts of his accomplices responsible for it, the IO added. After the hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Shafiq Anwar granted the petition for showing Hannan arrested in the case and placed him on the remand.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


China-Japan-Koreas
Japan, Australia slap sanctions on N Korea
Japan and Australia slapped financial sanctions Tuesday on North Korea in the first fresh measures against the communist state since the UN Security Council demanded action over its July missile tests.

The two US allies blacklisted companies and an individual for alleged links to weapons programs in North Korea, which says it has a nuclear bomb and may be preparing to test one. In Japan, the sanctions were announced by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, a sworn hawk on North Korea who is all but certain to win a vote Wednesday to replace Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. "The government wants to use this occasion to call again on North Korea to respect the UN Security Council resolution, to stop missile-related activities, confirm its moratorium on missile launches and to return unconditionally to the six-way talks," Abe told a news conference.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What's that phrase? ah yes 'coalition of the willing'.

Good on yer Ozzy! (and you too, honourable subjects of the Chrysanthemum Throne)
Posted by: Tony (UK) || 09/20/2006 0:20 Comments || Top||

#2  Thank God it wasn't a belly slap or "Sidona Red" McCain would have been all over them like stink on a Rovian neo-con zombie.
Posted by: Almost Anonymous5839 || 09/20/2006 10:15 Comments || Top||

#3  It's too bad if Japan has to militarize. You'd think the Chinese might consider that.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 09/20/2006 11:32 Comments || Top||

#4  You'd think the Chinese might consider that.

After raping making enough of their own "Nankings", they've probably forgotten.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 22:45 Comments || Top||


Europe
Attempted assassin warns Pope against Turkey visit
The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 has warned the current Pope not to visit Turkey, saying his life would be in danger, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

The comments came amid a furor in the Muslim world over Pope Benedict's comments on Islam and ahead of his scheduled visit to Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, in November. "As someone who knows these matters well, I say your life is in danger. Don't come to Turkey," Mehmet Ali Agca said in comments released in a statement by his lawyer Mustafa Demirbag. "Also, I won't be able to meet you as I am in prison," Agca said. Pope John Paul visited Agca in a Rome prison in 1983 and forgave him.

Agca is serving a sentence for the killing of a newspaper editor in the 1970s and also for robbery and is scheduled to be released from prison in January 2010.

In a separate rambling letter released by the lawyer, Agca said the Pope was a victim of bribery plot hatched by intelligence agencies and called on him to resign and return to Germany.

The former right-wing gangster served 19 years in an Italian prison for the assassination attempt before being pardoned at the Pope's behest in 2000 and extradited to Turkey. He was briefly freed from jail in January but a high court overturned the decision to release him.

His motives for shooting Pope John Paul in Rome's St Peter's Square remain a mystery. Some believe he was a hitman for Soviet-era East European security services alarmed by the Polish-born pontiff's fierce opposition to communism.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 09/20/2006 09:24 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  His motives for shooting Pope John Paul in Rome's St Peter's Square remain a mystery.

only if you disregard KGB files and his confession
Posted by: Frank G || 09/20/2006 11:17 Comments || Top||

#2  There's nothing like an expert opinion. Personally, I remain torn about this but that Guy in the picture who's looking over the Pope's shoulder probably wouldn't have let any of this stop Him.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 11:24 Comments || Top||

#3  only if you disregard KGB files and his confession

It's a Reuter's article. Before they were the Jihadis' Propagandists, they were the Commies'.
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 09/20/2006 11:34 Comments || Top||

#4  I thourght Islam was a peaceful religion???!!!
Posted by: Cheregum Crelet7867 || 09/20/2006 11:52 Comments || Top||

#5  I thourght Islam was a peaceful religion???!!!

Only if you're already a Muslim.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 12:06 Comments || Top||

#6  Remember the first rule of assasination.

Kill the assasin.
Posted by: DarthVader || 09/20/2006 12:33 Comments || Top||

#7  Only if you're already the right kind of Muslim, surrounded by lots of well-armed Brothers, and not easily accessible to any of the other kinds of well-armed Muslims.
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/20/2006 13:31 Comments || Top||

#8  GUess this means Oliver STone may have to rename his project from "Dubya/W" to "Of Popes and Presidents"??? Just when the HollyLeft has finally found a PC niche for PRE-WATERGATE = POST-WATREGATE, 1972's = 1977's ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, they have to move and rewrite histoire' again.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 09/20/2006 22:42 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Blast hits NGO vehicle in Bajaur
KHAR: An NGO vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) on Tuesday, wounding three people including two women. One of the injured women is in critical condition, local officials said. The political administration of Bajaur Agency apprehended seven people on suspicion of involvement in the blast and sent them to jail. The blast took place when a vehicle of the National Commission for Human Development carrying seven female passengers hit the bomb planted near a bridge, a kilometre from Khar bazaar. Wasia, Afia and a passer-by were injured in the explosion. Wasia is reported to be in critical condition and has been shifted to a Peshawar hospital. "This was an act of terrorism," local official Tariq Hussain told reporters. The incident comes a week after pamphlets were distributed by a local religious group warning NGOs against employing women workers. The NCHD is a government-sponsored NGO working to raise literacy across the country.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Two muzzie strikes against the group: they employ women, and they're "working to raise literacy". I-slam is against both.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 09/20/2006 13:34 Comments || Top||


Kashmir Korpse Kount: 4
"Four! That's four toe tags!
Aph aph aph aph!"
In a severe blow to Lashkar-e-Taiba, security forces have shot dead four terrorists of the outfit, including a Pakistani national, operating as its chief administrator in Jammu, in seperate gunbattles.

Abu Mohammad Sayeed, who belongs to Lahore and acts as chief administrator and financial controller of the outfit in Jammu and Udhampur, was killed by the troops of 9-Rashtriya Rifles on Friday night in Nandi Marg forest in Kulgam, a defence spokesperson said on Saturday. Terming Sayeed's killing as a major achievement, the official said the terrorist oversaw LeT operations for the past three years in Gool-Gulabgarh as the outfit's district commander. Sayeed had served as the 'Amir' (Chief) of LeT Madrassa in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir. He apparently came across Pir Panjal in Kashmir valley to exfiltrate back to Pakistan, the spokesman said. A large quantity of arms and ammunitions including one AK rifle, a hand grenade, two cell phones, a stamp of district commander of LeT and high denomination Indian and Pakistani currencies were also recovered from the slain terrorist.

In another gunbattle, two terrorists, probably foreigners and belonging to the LeT, were killed in Wahipora in Pulwama district on Saturday morning. Earlier, a Pakistani terrorist Abu Mastan was killed in a firefight at Narwani-Zainapora in Pulwama in the wee hours on Saturday, the spokesman said adding one AK rifle was recovered from the slain terrorist.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Four members of Lashkar "sleeper cell'' arrested in Gujarat
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat police claim to have busted a major terrorist module with the arrest on Tuesday of two more suspected terrorists having links with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and planning to carry out nationwide subversive activities at an opportune time. While Firaq Ansari was picked up here, Kari Musiddul was arrested from a madrasa at Tarkeshwar near Surat, where both were shacked up living together earlier, the Ahmedabad crime branch Deputy Commissioner Manoj Shashidhar said.

He said the arrests followed the nabbing on Monday of Illyus Memon and Khalid, who revealed that about 20 youths from Gujarat had gone for terrorist training in Pakistan. Most of them returned after completing their training and fanned out to different parts of the country. Mr. Shashidar did not rule out more arrests in the next few days. All the four arrested were believed to be members of the LeT "sleeper cell'' module.

According to the police, Illyus Memon was the second-in-command to Aslam Kashmiri, who was suspected to have been involved in the recent Mumbai train blasts. He escaped to Pakistan. In Gujarat, Aslam had lived under the pseudonym Imran to build the Ahmedabad module with the help of Illyus and Khalid, who is his brother. Both Firaq and Kari were also suspected to have played an important role in the February bomb blast at the Ahmedabad railway station.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq
Iran’s consulate in Basra comes under attack
Baghdad, Sep. 19 – Iran’s consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra came under attack Tuesday morning. The consulate compound came under mortar fire, reports said.
As Fred would note, my heart isn't bleeding for them, it's the chili.
No one was injured in the attack. None of the mortars managed to hit the main consulate building but did fall inside the compound’s inner perimeter.

On June 14, some 500 Iraqis attacked Iran's consulate in Basra, torching parts of the compound. The protest followed a similar one days earlier outside the Iranian consulate in the holy city of Karbala. The participants in both demonstrations were supporters of prominent Iraqi Shiite Ayatollah Mahmoud al-Hassani, an outspoken critic of Iranian meddling in Iraq.
Posted by: Steve White || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  No one was injured
TOO BAD!!
Posted by: ARMYGUY || 09/20/2006 9:18 Comments || Top||

#2  Oh irony, how delicious you are.

Or, as I would tell the liberals.
"Cause, meet effect."
Posted by: DarthVader || 09/20/2006 9:31 Comments || Top||

#3  "Sargeant, we still got those old Iraqi mortars lying around?"

"Hundreds of em, LT. What ya got in mind?"
Posted by: Steve || 09/20/2006 11:00 Comments || Top||

#4  very interesting
Posted by: liberalhawk || 09/20/2006 11:36 Comments || Top||

#5  No one was injured
Do they need American advisors?
Posted by: plainslow || 09/20/2006 11:51 Comments || Top||

#6  My heart pumps piss.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 12:18 Comments || Top||

#7  The problem is, the average Iraqi doesn't have that firm a grip on math, especially geometry and trigonometry. They have no basis on which to build an understanding of trajectories. In most cases this is a good thing...
Posted by: Old Patriot || 09/20/2006 13:38 Comments || Top||

#8  The Arabs invented (or more likely borrowed) the concept of zero but haven't quite glommed onto azimuth yet...
Posted by: Seafarious || 09/20/2006 13:43 Comments || Top||

#9  (or more likely borrowed)

From the Indians.
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 13:50 Comments || Top||

#10  Off Topic Alert:

WELCOME BACK SEAFARIOUS!
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 13:59 Comments || Top||

#11  I'm blushing, here.

I still owe all y'all my report on al-Andalus. Stay tuned.
Posted by: Seafarious || 09/20/2006 14:07 Comments || Top||

#12  Would have been nice if we had black ops ready to go and someone took out Sadr in a way that the Iranians got credit.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 09/20/2006 16:59 Comments || Top||


Over 50 killed, injured in suicidal attack in Mosul
(KUNA) -- Twenty-five Iraqi civilians were killed and some 30 were injured when a lone suicider blew himself up in a popular market in western Mosul northern Iraq, police said. A police source told KUNA a suicide attacker set off explosives strapped to his body in the middle of Talee'a market in Talafar in western Mosul killing 25 people including policemen, and injuring some 30 others. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Just looking at the headlines below this - looks like a bad day in the Sandbox. Wait'll the MSM adds 'em up.
Posted by: Bobby || 09/20/2006 6:32 Comments || Top||

#2  25 killed + 30 injured = 50 Killed Ded PPL
Posted by: Math b|a Bitch || 09/20/2006 10:41 Comments || Top||

#3  That's MSM math. They always get 'casualties' and 'killed' mixed up.

Kerry was a casualty - three times - but never killed in action.

nooooo....gotta lettit gooooo...

Or do ya hafta actually miss a day of work to be counted as a casualty?
Posted by: Bobby || 09/20/2006 13:01 Comments || Top||


Suicide attack in Al-Ramadi kills 13 people
(KUNA) -- A lone suicide attacker set off a vehicle rigged with explosives outside a center for police conscription in the provincial city of Al-Ramadi west of the capital on Monday killing 13 people and wounding 12 others, a security source said. The source said all the dead people were conscripts and natives of the city, and that condition of four of the wounded was serious.

The explosion occurred shortly after a senior officer of the American Army said he was upbeat on future security in Al-Anbar, but cautioned that "victory may not be achieved in the coming two or three months." Elsewhere, witnesses said American Army troops burst into a number of houses in Al-Ramadi city and set up positions. The troops, since late on Sunday, have taken up positions in several districts of the city, they said, indicating that the freshly-occupied locations are scenes of recurring attacks by the armed insurgents.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Suicide attack in Tal-Aafar kills 21 people
(KUNA) -- A lone suicide attacker set off explosives strapped to his waist in the middle of a line of people waiting to fill up gas canisters in the city of Tal-Aafar southwest of the capital on Monday killing 21 and wounding 30 others, a security source said. The source said medics rushed to the scene of the fiery blast aboard speeding ambulances with wailing sirens.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "The source said medics rushed to the scene of the fiery blast aboard speeding ambulances with wailing sirens."

KUNA.
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 1:47 Comments || Top||

#2  The source said medics rushed to the scene of the fiery blast aboard speeding ambulances with wailing sirens.

ivahadit, riteing copy haz driven me batshit crazy.
Posted by: rk || 09/20/2006 10:49 Comments || Top||

#3  :> Rk.
Posted by: 6 || 09/20/2006 11:39 Comments || Top||

#4  It was a dark and stormy night, too.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 12:23 Comments || Top||

#5  Hey! English is prolly his third language.
Posted by: Bobby || 09/20/2006 12:47 Comments || Top||

#6  Suddenly, in walked a dame carrying a flask wearing a red dress....
Posted by: Seafarious || 09/20/2006 13:45 Comments || Top||

#7  Look Ma, A Gen-u-ine Rantburg Snark-O-Thon! Can I play? HuH, Huh, please????
Posted by: USN, ret. || 09/20/2006 14:09 Comments || Top||


Body found, 16 arrested in Kirkuk
(KUNA) -- A policeman's body was found on Tuesday in southern Kirkuk, and police arrested 16 suspects in separate operations in the area. A Kirkuk police source told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that police found in the village of Tel Raba'a the body of a policeman with Rashad Police Department. The policeman had been shot in the head and showed signs of torture.

The same source said that two militants who attempted an attack a gas tanker were arrested Monday night in the area of Shuwan, eastern Kirkuk. The attackers were attempting to hijack the tanker. Moreover, he said 14 suspected terrorists were arrested in the village of Tel Al-Suod, southwestern Kirkuk, during search operations conducted by the Iraqi Army and the Multi-National Force (MNF).
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It takes 16 goons to kill one policeman?
The world famous Lions of Islam.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 09/20/2006 7:45 Comments || Top||


Eight people killed, Iraqi security forces kill 1 and arrest 16
(KUNA) -- Iraqi police said on Tuesday that eight people have died while at the same time Iraqi security forces killed and arrested 17 armed men when also the discovery of unknown dead bodies continues in Baghdad.
Probably that sentence made more sense before it was translated...
A statement by Dayali police information and relations office said that unknown armed men have killed an Iraqi policeman and injured three others in an attack on their patrol close to the correctional institution in Baqouba city. Another police officer has been injured in the Souq area in Baqouba, while at the same time two civilians were injured in two separate attacks in the Al-Maqdadya town.

On another front, unknown gunmen attacked a civilian vehicle in the Al-Khales town north of Baqouba which resulted in the killing of four civilians, among them two women, and injury of five others.

In addition, a statement by the commanding officer of the Iraqi armed forces said that security forces have killed one terrorist and arrested 16 others in raid operations in several areas of the capital and Al-Ramadi. Iraqi police also said they have discovered 20 unidentified dead bodies in the Al-Kazemeya, Al-Shaab, and Al-Hurrya, Hai Al-Aamel in Baghdad, adding that all bodies showed indications of shot gun and torture.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


24 people killed, wounded in mortar shell attack southern Baghdad
(KUNA) -- Mortar attack on southern Baghdad has led to the killing and wounding of 24 people on Tuesday, the Iraqi police reported. A police source said in a statement that two people were killed and 22 others wounded when mortar shells fell on a residential building in the area of Doura south of Baghdad. Earlier in the day, Iraqi police said that eight people were killed while at the same time Iraqi security forces killed and arrested 17 armed men when also the discovery of unknown dead bodies continues in Baghdad.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Islamic Jihad launches two homemade rockets into southern Israel
The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militants on Tuesday afternoon launched two homemade rockets from northern Gaza Strip at southern Israeli town of Sderot, the group said in a leaflet. In the leaflet sent to reporters, Jihad said that the two rockets hit their targets in Sderot, causing hospitalization of three Israelis for suffering shocks. The group defended its attacks in the leaflet by saying that " it's our right to resist the occupier that occupies our lands and kill our people everyday" and vowed to continue such attacks against Israel.

The Israeli army also confirmed the rockets attack from northern Gaza, but said that no damages or casualties were caused as the two rockets landed at an empty opened areas near Sderot. On Sunday, the group launched two homemade rockets at a street of Sderot, wounding an Israeli slightly.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militants..."

This is to distinguish them from Barney (Purple Blob) the Dinosaur. Apparently The People's Daily, that stalwart bastion of ChiCom Truthy News, doesn't think their readers would otherwise comprehend the actors of the article. That the rockets are "homemade" is equivalent in value to the fact that Barney sings sappy insipid kiddie songs.

/rotten mood
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 1:58 Comments || Top||

#2  I hope the IDF finds and neutralizes these clowns.

In the meantime has there been anymore news on the Israeli soldiers that were kidnapped?

Posted by: Broadhead6 || 09/20/2006 11:58 Comments || Top||

#3  Doesn't Israel have a couple of Hamas gummit types they can snuff to send back a message?
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 12:20 Comments || Top||


Israeli army detains senior Islamic Jihad militant near Jenin
(Xinhua) -- A senior Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militant leader was arrested on Tuesday by an elite Israeli army force in a village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian witnesses revealed. The witnesses said that an Israeli undercover unit stormed the village of Burqeen, broke into one of the stores in the village and captured Ayman Ateeq.
"Stick 'em up, Ateeq!"
"It's the RAB! I am undone!"
"It is not the RAB! It's the IDF!"
They said the Israeli soldiers disguised as local residents and drove a local Palestinian car.
"Does this false moustache make me look fat?"
"Shut up and drive, Moshe!"
Ateeq, who was wanted by Israel for being involved in carrying out a series of attacks against the Jewish state, is the commander of Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad in the area of Jenin. Jihad is the only Palestinian faction that continues attacks against Israel after all factions unofficially refrained from military attacks following the coalition government deal reached between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the ruling Hamas movement. The Israeli army usually kills or arrests wanted Palestinian militants, either by striking on their cars they drive or sending special well-trained troops to the wanted militants homes.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  When it comes to terror groups, whenever you see the word "senior" it ends in arrest. Everyone else is urged to fight to the death.
Posted by: PlanetDan || 09/20/2006 6:22 Comments || Top||

#2  Great, now take this sucker, load him into a big trebuchet and fling him back towards Jenin in retaliation for that IJ missile launch. Strapping several kilos of contact explosives onto his sorry ass probably wouldn't hurt either.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 12:24 Comments || Top||


Aqsa fighter killed near Jenin, Israeli forces raid house in Rafah
(KUNA) -- A Palestinian was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Sanour town near Jenin, Palestinian sources in Jenin said on Tuesday. The sources added that more than 20 military vehicles raided the town and cordoned off a house sheltering a Fatah fighter named Nabil Hanini who opened fire on the Israeli army before the forces stormed into the house. The Israeli army claimed that Hanini belonged to the Aqsa brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement and is wanted by the Israeli authorities.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided a number of cities and towns and arrested 14 people. Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes shelled a house near the International Gaza Airport east of Rafah, but no casualties were reported. Palestinian security forces said Israeli forces directed Muslim Abu Jarad to evacuate his house and shelled the house hours later. The Israeli forces claimed that there is a tunnel under the house used to smuggle weapons into and out of Egypt.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Southeast Asia
Thai Coup Update w/Pics
Armed forces and national police take over government / Martial law imposed, constitution abrogated, cabinet dissolved / Unprecedented division in the country cited as main reason...
Posted by: Anonymoose || 09/20/2006 13:46 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Coup Junta Statement:

"Announcements:

The current government administration has caused conflicts and undermined the harmony of the people as never before in history. Each side is determined to win by any means and the discord has shown a tendency to escalate.

Many people have been suspicious about the actions of the national administration under a constitutional monarchy.

The nation has been governed in a corrupt manner. Independent agencies have been dominated by politics. The constitutional intention is unserved.

This has led to political activities becoming problem-plagued on many fronts and the situation had worsened to the point where violations against His Majesty the King are in danger of occurring. This is despite efforts by many sections of society to resolve the problem. The efforts have not pacified the growing tension, however. For this reason, the Democratic Reform Council with the monarch as its head, which comprises the armed forces leaders and chief of the Royal Thai Police Office, has found it imperative to seize the power of government from this point onward. The council is steadfast in its objective, which is not to take over the government permanently and it will return power to the people as soon as possible.

The council is committed to preserving peace and security and to upholding the monarchy."

First coup announcement

In reference to the council's announcement of its power seizure earlier, for the sake of peace and order to prevail in the country, the council has imposed nationwide martial law. The council has repealed the state of emergency declared on Sept 19 at 9.05pm. This announcement is made by Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, head of the Democratic Reform Council.

Second coup announcement

The council has ordered that all mobilisation and movement of military logistics and manpower be prohibited. Military personnel are absolutely not to leave their units without permission from the council.

Third coup announcement

1. The current constitution, drafted in 1997, is now abrogated.

2. The House of Representatives, the Senate, the Cabinet and the Constitution Court are dissolved.

3. The privy councillors will remain in their duty.

4. The courts of justice, except the Constitution Court, will retain their full power.

Chronology

8 pm - Negotiations were held between a pro-Thaksin group led by Supreme Commander Gen Ruengroj Mahasaranont and another group led by Army Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin. Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda was approached to mediate in the talks. Gen Sonthi's group wanted Mr Thaksin to wash his hands off politics.

8.30 pm - Gen Prem had an audience with the King.

9.30 pm - Gen Prem left the palace. A source close to Gen Prem quoted the privy council president as saying that there would be no problems as Thaksin would leave politics.

9.05 pm - Thaksin refused to bow to pressure. He declared a state of emergency with Gen Ruangroj being appointed to enforce the state emergency. He sacked Gen Sonthi as army chief. Mr Thaksin's statement came on air around 10 pm and was taken off the air by the military just minutes later.

10 pm - Gen Sonthi's troops wearing yellow and blue ribbons drove their tanks towards Government House.

11 pm - Gen Sonthi's troops sieged Government House without any resistance from the pro-Thaksin group.

11.10 pm - The Democratic Reform Council issued a statement that it had taken control of the country.

12.00 am -The council had an audience with the King at Chitrlada Palace.

12.30 am - The council scrapped the state of emergency decree.

12.35 am - The council issued an order banning the movement of troops from their bases.

12.47 am - The council issued a third announcement abolishing the 1997 constitution, the Upper House, the Lower House, the Cabinet and the Constitution Court. The privy council remains in office. All courts except the Constitution Court retain their authority.

* A source said Gen Sonthi earlier consulted Gen Prem about his plan to seize power from the government. The privy council president acknowledged his plan, but did not give his view. During the past three months, Gen Prem reminded troops from the three armed forces in his lectures that they "belong to His Majesty the King and the country, and not to the politicians. Their foremost loyalty should always lie with the country and the King".

TRIVIA BONUS!

* Gen Sonthi, Navy Chief Adm Sathiraphan Keyanont, Air Force chief ACM Chalit Phukphasuk and national police chief Pol Gen Kowit Watana, who sit on the Democratic Reform Council, were classmates and graduates of Class 6 at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 09/20/2006 13:53 Comments || Top||

#2  I've yet to see anything that gives me the slightest hope for them adopting a strong anti-Islamist policy.
Posted by: Zenster || 09/20/2006 14:26 Comments || Top||

#3  In addition to being the land of smiles, Thailand was, prior to democracy in the 1980's (due to pressure from the US), also the land of coups. Thai coups have traditionally been relatively bloodless, but it is noxious to see that the rich, well-organized minority that have agitated against Thaksin have now rolled out the tanks in order to defend their financial interests, at the expense of the popular electoral majority that have returned Thaksin to power again and again. It is also disappointing to see the king in the position of defending a bunch of unelected plutocrats against the popular will. He may yet live to regret his choice. In the past, coups pitted one general against another, and there wasn't really a dime's worth of difference between one general and another. In an era of popular elections, coups now pit generals against majorities or pluralities of the electorate. That's not a good position to be in.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 09/20/2006 14:40 Comments || Top||

#4  The Journal on what Thaksin did after major street protests against his administration:

Mr. Thaksin dissolved the government and called a new election in April to restore his mandate. Key opposition parties boycotted the vote amid continued street protests, and the country seemed rudderless until the king questioned the validity of the April election in a public address, calling on courts to settle the issue.

Thai courts subsequently invalidated the results, in which Mr. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party won the majority of seats in Parliament. Mr. Thaksin subsequently took the role of caretaker prime minister pending a new election that was expected later this year. A number of analysts of Thailand believed Mr. Thaksin's party would again win the national elections, possibly explaining the timing of the Thai military's move.

Mr. Thaksin, who has served as Thailand's leader since 2001, remains extremely popular with many Thais, especially in rural areas, for a series of populist measures that included cash payouts to small villages and subsidized health care.

He also gained favor with foreign investors by promoting an economic program to boost Thailand's economy in the face of growing competition from China. This program, which many economists viewed as a template for other, similar countries dealing with the rise of China, included efforts to privatize state companies, to negotiate free-trade pacts with other countries, including the U.S. and Japan, and to authorize large investments in new infrastructure.

Many of those initiatives -- including some of the free-trade deals -- have languished this year while the government was paralyzed by political stalemate. Meanwhile, many Thais believe the king and his supporters were disenchanted with Mr. Thaksin's attempts to aggressively consolidate his power.

Political analysts say the tacit support of King Bhumibol is necessary for any individual or group that aspires to govern Thailand. The 78-year-old monarch has frequently played a political role, implicitly signing off on military coups at times, most notably in 1976, and intervening to ensure the return of civilian governments, as in 1992.

King Bhumibol, who many Thais view as a quasidivine figure, rarely gives interviews and often chooses to talk indirectly.

His annual birthday speeches are carefully examined in Bangkok. In 2002, he published a biography of his favorite pet dog, a stray mongrel rescued from the streets of Bangkok, that was widely interpreted as a warning that Thailand shouldn't abandon its traditional values in a quickly modernizing world.

It is considered inappropriate for Thais to speak publicly about the king's possible role in politics, and on Monday, Mr. Thaksin denied suggestions that the king was involved in any of the recent political dramas.

"One should not bring him into politics," he said.

Nevertheless, in June Mr. Thaksin said a "charismatic person" was out to remove him from his job as prime minister. Mr. Thaksin went on to say that a mysterious figure whom he refused to name was "wielding extraconstitutional force" to push him from office.

Most Thais assumed that to mean the king or his chief lieutenant, Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda. By appearing to attack the monarch and his supporters, Mr. Thaksin escalated the economically damaging political conflict into a contest between Thailand's royal and military traditions, and a new, more modern way of governing a rapidly industrializing country.

King Bhumibol's advisers struck back with a show of force. Donning his military uniform, chief adviser Gen. Prem toured army camps around the country warning soldiers that their loyalty is to the king, not Mr. Thaksin.

Other people seen as close to the royal palace gave prominent speeches in recent weeks that were interpreted as critical of Mr. Thaksin's push to modernize the Thai economy and open it up to more foreign investment.


I'm not a big Thaksin fan, but the opposition is just a bunch of moneyed oligopolists looking to keep Thailand's economy closed for their own personal benefit. With an open economy, Thailand could grow way faster* than China or Malaysia, the neighbor with which it frequently compares itself. Thailand is still wealthier than China on a per capita basis. If it doesn't make its economy as open as China's (which isn't all that open, but is now more open than Thailand's), it will fall way behind China in the economic sweepstakes, and has no hope of catching Malaysia.

* This would have major benefits for Thailand's poor. But since when have Thailand's plutocrats worried about the poor?
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 09/20/2006 14:42 Comments || Top||

#5  Possible countervailing factor: Gen. Sonthi is ethnically thai and while moslem, isn't a malay moslem.

I suspect a lot of the "moslem insurgencies" would have been simply non-religiously-affiliated regional insurgencies a decade ago, but calling yourself the Mohammedean Brotherhood of (for example) Nigeria suddenly opens up all sorts of interesting funding sources. It's easy to expand your support this way, but it's a mile wide and a foot deep.

I think this is what happened to the LRA.

Maybe this means Sonthi won't necessarily want to negotiate with what are basically a bunch of Malay separatists. Or maybe not. I don't know.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman || 09/20/2006 14:47 Comments || Top||

#6  My feeling is that if Uncle Sam and the EU launch a trade embargo against Thailand until Thaksin is restored, the coup will collapse. We need to step on the coup plotters before the Thai military turns Thailand into another economic basket case and Chinese vassal state just like Burma. Thailand grew rapidly during a time when India and China were closed economies. The competition has stepped up with the economic opening of the two countries. Thailand needs to match their market openings. Or be left behind. Keeping corrupt Thai oligopolists afloat at the expense of the national interest will invite more problems down the road for Thailand, not to mention be inimical to the American interest in a strong Thailand as a counterweight to both Chinese and Indonesian ambitions.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 09/20/2006 14:49 Comments || Top||

#7  AS: Possible countervailing factor: Gen. Sonthi is ethnically thai and while moslem, isn't a malay moslem.

I've seen a photo. He looks Thai through and through (kind of like Chinese with a deep tan) as opposed to ethnic Malay (who look like Filipinos*).

* Here's how you tell - Filipinos who look like ethnic Chinese are ethnic Chinese. Those who don't are ethnic Filipinos.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 09/20/2006 14:53 Comments || Top||

#8  If the coup (a) Turned there tanks on the Islamists in the south and threatened that idiot running Malayia (b) Turned there tanks West and took out the bastard coup in Burma I could find it in my heart to accept them into the brotherhood of nations.

Otherwise they better get the propoganda rolling because I may be a warmonger but I hate dictatorships.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 09/20/2006 17:03 Comments || Top||


Sri Lanka
Tiger arms ship originated in Indonesia: Sri Lanka
A ship suspected of ferrying Tamil weapons, that was sunk by the Sri Lankan military, originated in Indonesia and more vessels may be on the way, a government minister said on Tuesday. The ship was sunk on Sunday off Sri Lanka's east coast by naval ships and aircraft after a tip-off from a neighbouring country, defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said, without elaborating. "We know that the ship originated from a port in Indonesia and there could be at least two other similar ships," Rambukwella said. "We are on the look-out and obviously we had good information from a friendly country," he added.

Rambukwella said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were probably trying to smuggle in artillery and anti-aircraft missiles after suffering a string of setbacks in recent clashes with the military in the north and east. The military released video footage of the attack filmed from a reconnaissance aircraft.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  No word of the crew's fate; could it be they went down with their ship, or did they do the rodent-based abandon ship drill thingy?
Posted by: USN,Ret || 09/20/2006 0:21 Comments || Top||

#2  ...tip-off from a neighbouring country...

Three guesses and the first two don't count.
Posted by: PBMcL || 09/20/2006 0:53 Comments || Top||

#3  Three guesses as to the weapons' origin as well...
Posted by: Pappy || 09/20/2006 1:48 Comments || Top||

#4  The ship was sunk....by naval ships and aircraft

"They're chum, Jim"
Posted by: Steve || 09/20/2006 8:48 Comments || Top||


Rebel mortar fire kills 4 soldiers in northern Sri Lanka
At least four soldiers were killed while 14 others were injured when the Tamil Tiger rebels fired mortars at a military convoy comprising some journalists in the northern Jaffna peninsula on Tuesday, defense officials said. The mortars hit military vehicles carrying some 25 journalists who were on a tour of the Jaffna peninsula but none of them were hurt, officials said.

"The troops took quick measures to get the journalists from the area to safer places and no journalist was injured," said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.
The pressmen were on a tour of the Army's forward defense lines at Muhamalai, the scene of heavy fighting between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels and the Army in mid-August.

Several hours earlier on Tuesday the Sri Lanka Air Force said it bombed identified LTTE positions in the eastern Batticaloa district. The exchanges of fire on Tuesday came after Monday's massacre of some 11 Muslim civilians in the Pottuvil area of the Eastern Province.
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Dozens of women arrested in protest in Iran capital
Tehran, Iran, Sep. 19 – Hundreds of Iranian women gathered outside the offices of the judiciary in Tehran on Tuesday in protest to the impending execution of a female prisoner, dissidents have told Iran Focus.

Dozens of protesting women were arrested outside the judiciary as they clashed with armed agents of Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) and its undercover units. Agents of the SSF sealed off the area, and motorbike patrols roamed the vicinity breaking up crowds of women.

The women were protesting the death sentence of Kobra Rahmanpour. Rahmanpour has been in prison for several years accused of murdering her mother-in-law, though she insists that her actions were in self defence. Iran’s State Supreme Court recently upheld the verdict for her to be hanged to death.
Posted by: Steve White || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front Economy
Oil ends under $62 on hefty supply, OPEC talk
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Crude futures closed under $62 a barrel Tuesday as a general cloud of uncertainty in the market, concerns over a potential glut in global oil supplies and easing worries about risks to production helped sent the October contract to its lowest level of the year.

Comments from the president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries dismissing the near-term likelihood of a production cut probably contributed the largest part of the price pressure Tuesday, said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst at Alaron Trading.

Crude for October delivery fell to a low of $61.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange before closing at $61.66, down $2.14, or 3.4%. The intraday low surpassed Friday's low of $62.05 to reach the contract's weakest intraday level since late December 2005. The April contract, however, traded below $60 back in late March. October unleaded gasoline was the biggest decliner among the energy futures, losing 7.58 cents, or 4.8%, to end at $1.5038, after reaching a contract low of $1.48. October heating oil declined by 3.41 cents to close at $1.6916 a gallon.

OPEC President Edmund Daukoru said Tuesday that a production delay for BP Plc's Thunder Horse platform in the Gulf of Mexico to 2008 likely postpones any need to for the cartel to cut back on output, Dow Jones Newswires reported. "This [BP announcement] most certainly does remove the prospect of OPEC cutting production [near term]," Daukoru told Dow Jones.

"This is the comment that really broke the market," said Flynn. The market had previously thought that OPEC may be having some "pumper's remorse," producing at near capacity despite steep declines in oil prices in recent weeks, said Flynn.

Daukoru's statement, however, contrasted with comments from OPEC's acting Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo, who told Dow Jones the oil cartel is concerned about excess supply in the second half of the year.

Separately, AFP reported that Barkindo said OPEC could hold an emergency meeting ahead of its December summit if needed. He declined to specify a price that would trigger a cut in the cartel's production quotas.
Posted by: Steve White || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  That's the market at work. Low prices breed high prices as supply (that is unprofitable at low prices) gets taken out of circulation. High prices breed low prices as supply (that is profitable at high prices) gets put back into circulation.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 09/20/2006 1:01 Comments || Top||

#2  Bloomberg is quoting oil at $61 as of 5 am EST.
Posted by: phil_b || 09/20/2006 4:55 Comments || Top||

#3  ...Fox News yesterday said that oil closed slightly higher because Thunderhorse was down, but everything started heading south again almost immediately. I get the feeling that the traders have been burned far more badly than we are generally aware, and this could be the long-awaited 'market adjustment'. Can only imagine what it'll do once Prudhoe Bay gets back to 100% again.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 09/20/2006 6:17 Comments || Top||

#4  High prices also cut demand. This, and the rise of interest rates, signal an economic slowdown, technically known as a banana.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 09/20/2006 6:32 Comments || Top||

#5  technically known as a banana

Banana, dead cat bounce... why did no one explain in my youth that high finance is so poetic? Possibly I might have developed a facility in it instead of an aversion to money altogether! ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife || 09/20/2006 9:00 Comments || Top||

#6  We still need to find more oil, and conserve. The combination of the two as it is sliding, would slow Iran and Hugo Chavez down more than anything we could so diplomaticley.
Posted by: plainslow || 09/20/2006 9:04 Comments || Top||

#7  Not find more - drill more! And refine more! We have oil in Alaska and off the coast of Florida which we refuse to drill for 'enviromental concerns' (as if environmental controls hasn't progressed any in the past 40 years...).

I've heard that China and Chavez are already drilling off the florida coasts -- within sight of the US mainland? The environmental groups don't seem to have a problem with them.

Posted by: CrazyFool || 09/20/2006 9:27 Comments || Top||

#8  Just take it by force from the Arabs. They don't get money for terrorism and their poisonious Islam spewing and we get cheap oil.

Win-win situation!
Posted by: DarthVader || 09/20/2006 9:42 Comments || Top||

#9  I've heard that China and Chavez are already drilling off the florida coasts -- within sight of the US mainland? The environmental groups don't seem to have a problem with them.

Hmm... perhaps the "environmental movement" is the current home of displaced Communists after all. They're not going to bash their fellow travelers.
Posted by: eLarson || 09/20/2006 9:54 Comments || Top||

#10  I've heard that China and Chavez are already drilling off the florida coasts -- within sight of the US mainland?
Give them a subsidy to do it off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, that would really make Ted and John Mad.
Posted by: plainslow || 09/20/2006 10:24 Comments || Top||

#11  And we could put the windmills on top of the drilling rig, a win-win situation for both the oil industry and renewable energy.
Posted by: Phil || 09/20/2006 11:13 Comments || Top||

#12  Phil, I like it. LOL
Posted by: plainslow || 09/20/2006 11:49 Comments || Top||

#13  Oil at ONLY $62 pbl? Please. When we start drilling more, and refining more, and it drops to around $25 a barrel, then I might get excited.

We've been pavlovianized. We know gas was at $3 per gallon, so any relief is celebrated. Considering the VAST amount of reserves we have not tapped, (due to moonbattery, envirowackos and other issues)it ought to be at 79 or 89 cents.
Posted by: mcsegeek1 || 09/20/2006 12:21 Comments || Top||

#14  mcsegeek1, you are defintely right. Anwar, off the Florida shore, wherever we need to look, we need to look. And still we need to conserve. $25.00 a bareel would crush Chavez and Iran. That's the easist war we can fight.
Posted by: plainslow || 09/20/2006 13:11 Comments || Top||

#15  I'm still stuck on comment #5 and trying to picture a 'dead cat bouncing...' big question and certainly off topic: will the corpse land on its stiff little feet?
Posted by: USN, ret. || 09/20/2006 14:06 Comments || Top||

#16  Unless its back is buttered, lol.
Posted by: Seafarious || 09/20/2006 14:15 Comments || Top||

#17  We've been pavlovianized

I wondered why I've been drooling everytime I've been filling up.
Posted by: Capsu 78 || 09/20/2006 16:25 Comments || Top||

#18  I've been conditioned to fill up every time the needle hits the "E"?

Posted by: kelly || 09/20/2006 17:51 Comments || Top||

#19  No, to think that $2.25 per gallon is a bargain.
Posted by: mcsegeek1 || 09/20/2006 23:14 Comments || Top||


G'morning...
Sean Penn to play Einstein (No, really)Thai military issues statement on successful coup'Holy war training camps' to open in SomaliaTiger arms ship originated in Indonesia: Sri Lanka Yemen arrests ‘major terrorist’ over US attack plotJapan, Australia slap sanctions on N KoreaMashal Threatens HaniyehBush assures Muslims US not at war with Islam
Posted by: Fred || 09/20/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Fred - the Sean Penn / Einstien story correctly links from here, but is not listed on any of the pages, AFAICS. Missing a field value, perhaps? Just FYI.
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 1:03 Comments || Top||

#2  Fixed: accidentally posted into yesterday. Should be okay now. AoS.
Posted by: Steve White || 09/20/2006 1:13 Comments || Top||

#3  Cool - Thx!
Posted by: flyover || 09/20/2006 1:36 Comments || Top||

#4  Anchors Aweigh!
Posted by: mcsegeek1 || 09/20/2006 11:12 Comments || Top||

#5  And that, Miss McDonald, is how a Torpedo works
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 09/20/2006 11:48 Comments || Top||



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Wed 2006-09-20
  Meshaal threatens to murder Haniyeh
Tue 2006-09-19
  Close shave for Somali prez in assassination boom
Mon 2006-09-18
  Afghan boomer targets crowd of kiddies
Sun 2006-09-17
  Mujahideen Army threatens Pope with suicide attack
Sat 2006-09-16
  Somali cleric calls for Muslims to hunt down and kill Pope
Fri 2006-09-15
  Muslims seethe over Pope's remarks
Thu 2006-09-14
  General Udi Adam resigns
Wed 2006-09-13
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Tue 2006-09-12
  Bush rallies nation to ‘struggle for civilization’
Mon 2006-09-11
  Five Years: Never Forgive, Never Forget, Never "Understand"
Sun 2006-09-10
  NATO troops kill 60 Taliban in Afghanistan
Sat 2006-09-09
  5 more suspects held in Danish terror probe
Fri 2006-09-08
  Blasts near Indian mosque kill 20
Thu 2006-09-07
  Iraq hangs 27 on terrorism charges
Wed 2006-09-06
  7 held in Denmark after anti-terror sting

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