Rare bird last seen in Britain 22 years ago reappears - only to be killed by wind turbine in front of a horrified crowd of birdwatchers
There had been only eight recorded sightings of the white-throated needletail in the UK since 1846. So when one popped up again on British shores this week, twitchers were understandably excited.
A group of 40 enthusiasts dashed to the Hebrides to catch a glimpse of the brown, black and blue bird, which breeds in Asia and winters in Australasia.
But instead of being treated to a wildlife spectacle they were left with a horror show when it flew into a wind turbine and was killed.
John Marchant, 62, who had made the trip all the way from Norfolk, said: ‘We were absolutely over the moon to see the bird. We watched it for nearly two hours.
‘But while we were watching it suddenly got a bit close to the turbine and then the blades hit it.
‘We all rushed up to the turbine, which took about five minutes, hoping the bird had just been knocked out the sky but was okay.
‘Unfortunately it had taken a blow to the head and was stone dead.
‘It was really beautiful when it was flying around, graceful and with such speed. To suddenly see it fly into a turbine and fall out the sky was terrible.’
The last sighting of a white-throated needletail was 22 years ago. A relative of the common swift, it is said to be capable of flying at an astonishing 106mph.
The bird was thousands of miles off course when it was originally spotted in Northumberland, before travelling further north. But it hadnÂ’t reckoned on the wind turbine hazards of the Hebrides when it landed on the Isle of Harris.
Syrian fighter jets and ground forces attacked rebel-held neighborhoods in the city of Homs as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad pressed their offensive across the country.
The Syrian army brought in reinforcements during the past week as it tries to seize areas in the city under rebel control, the Coventry, U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on its Facebook page today. The Khaldiya, Qusoor and Jourat al-Shayyah neighborhoods were under “violent regime bombardment,” the group said.
Assad, supported by the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, dealt the opposition a series of strategic blows this month. His troops this week captured Tal Kalakh, a town west of Homs, cutting off another arms transfer route for the opposition. Rebel forces retreated after more than four days of fighting. Hezbollah, which the U.S. and Israel classify as a terrorist group, is backed by Iran.
Tal Kalakh is near to the Lebanese border and the Homs-Tartous highway. Earlier this month rebel forces lost al-Qusair, a city about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Homs, cutting their supplies from Lebanon. After al-QusairÂ’s fall, AssadÂ’s troops, backed by Hezbollah militiamen, headed north to the nationÂ’s commercial capital of Aleppo and to Damascus.
Syrian government forces “continued pursuing armed terrorist groups” in the Khaldiya neighborhood in Homs “to restore security and stability to the neighborhood.” the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported today, citing an unidentified official. The Syrian army also destroyed weapons and killed and injured rebels in towns and villages in the Damascus southern countryside, the news service said.
h/t Instapundit
There had been only eight recorded sightings of the white-throated needletail in the UK since 1846. So when one popped up again on British shores this week, twitchers were understandably excited.
A group of 40 enthusiasts dashed to the Hebrides to catch a glimpse of the brown, black and blue bird, which breeds in Asia and winters in Australasia.
But instead of being treated to a wildlife spectacle they were left with a horror show when it flew into a wind turbine and was killed. Save the environment, use nuclear power!
#5
Daft and slow o'thought birdie e' was. His synchronization gear experienced a catastrophic in-flight malfunction (completely tits up as it were). Not enough time to manually compute flight speed and beak to blade clearance ratios, correct, etc. Cut it a bit short e' did. Too bad for the onlookers. Oh the bloody horror. Probably won't witness another incident such as that for another 167 years. The Royal Military Aviation Authority (MAA) Military Air Accident Investigation Branch (MilAAIB) report is yet pending.
#2
I'm not going to disagree that this whole deal is a farce. I would like to point out that a proper investigation into whether a crime was committed or not is what the rule of law calls for, and it is that very rule of law which has prevented mob justice.
Now, this mob justice was fanned by very large national powers to push an agenda. There is really nothing remarkable (local vs. local with a death involved) about this case, except for the attention it is getting.
What I think happened is that somebody was looking for a story to follow the Belcher fiasco and fortify the gun grabber push, saw the name Zimmerman followed by kills minority and said roll with it; I think someone or some group put it all on 35 black to push or make a white guys randomly shoots down black child just for being black and came up 00. Now we are getting the self-falacio is really an accomplishment of our flexibility. It really shows that they are so far in the tank their toilet has a door bell.
Not being funny, but I think this time the system is working. With all the calls for automatic justice, from the president himself, the call ins, call for riots, attempted influencing of jury members and court officials, we are still having a trial open to the public in peers. So for that, perhaps this case is now remarkable.
There is a lot going on now in this case. Conceal Carry, Neighborhood Watch, Self-Defence, Racism, Political Influence on the Justice System, Rule of Emotion vs. Rule of Law, and the Media Industrial Complex, and Petition to Disarm America.
#3
As always I tout Legal Insurrection if you want to follow what's going on at the trial. Andrew Branco, a defense attorney, is blogging there and has been brilliant.
I guess I see this differently: Champ and his people needed a way to get black voters to the polls in 2012. There was evidence that even his core of core voters were tuning out. Champ needed a reason to get them excited, and by gum he found one.
Worked, too.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/29/2013 12:13
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Sure, why not. Barry is at his most effective in the agitation event. Now, if Barry had a daughter-in-law she would be...so if we are to learn the merits of Black English, let's start with syszurp, the transcendental musing of Three Six Mafia, and why Obama not speaking Black English makes him a cornball.
Rep. Hank "Guam might tip over"
Johnson, D-Ga., attacked Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for voting to invalidate a section of the Voting Rights Act, saying that he damaged the country more than Edward Snowden, the defense contractor on the run after committing the biggest national security leak in American history. Jim Crow - a Democrat Policy
"Comparing it to Snowden, I'd say the offense is worse," Johnson told The Huffington Post. "He consciously repeats those same steps over and over again to the detriment of the African-American community." Race Card™ - don't leave home without it
Thomas joined four other conservative justices in finding that the formula used by Congress to decide which states have to seek federal approval before changing their election laws is outdated. Before the ruling, the Justice Department had the authority to approve or block electoral changes in southern states with a history of discrimination.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/29/2013
09:06 ||
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#1
But, but, but if the Republicans could only be more inclusive and embrace minorities [full or partial African-Americans, white-Hispanics, etc] these social and political views can change.
#1
Diana Dors (23 October 1931 – 4 May 1984) was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as "the only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."
During the signing of contracts, casting director Eric L'Epine Smith,changed her contractual surname to Dors, the maiden name of her maternal grandmother, on the initial suggestion of her mother Mary. Dors later commented on her name:
"They asked me to change my name. I suppose they were afraid that if my real name Diana Fluck was in lights and one of the lights blew ..."
Posted by: Au Auric ||
06/29/2013 7:29
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...just another day in the life of the republic: a corrupt bureaucracy dispensing federal gravy to favored clients; a pseudo-legislature passing bills unread by the people’s representatives and uncomprehended by the men who claim to have written them; and a co-regency of jurists torturing an 18th-century document in order to justify what other countries are at least honest enough to recognize as an unprecedented novelty. Whether or not, per Scalia, we should “condemn” the United States Constitution, it might be time to put the poor wee thing out of its misery.
Apparently these units weren't prepped to save our mission in Benghazi that dreadful night. Perhaps Champ is learning on the job?
U.S. Marines stationed in southern Europe have been put on alert as a precaution in advance of expected large demonstrations and potential unrest in Egypt this weekend, CNN has learned. The planned demonstrations are aimed against the Egyptian government.
About 200 combat capable Marines in Sigonella, Italy, and Moron, Spain, have been told to be ready to be airborne within 60 minutes of getting orders to deploy, according to two administration officials. The units have several V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft that would carry troops and infantry weapons to Egypt to protect the U.S. Embassy and American government personnel and citizens if violence broke out against Americans.
The officials both emphasized this is contingency planning in advance of the expected demonstrations to ensure American military assets, including rescue forces, can act if needed. In the event Americans had to be evacuated from Egypt and could not get to the airport due to the unrest, there are about 2,000 additional Marines on board three Navy warships in the Red Sea, officials said.
A third official said the decision to keep the warship in the Red Sea was "very precautionary."
The United States expects Egyptian security forces will be able to protect American assets and personnel. No plans for personnel to leave have been announced, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Friday.
"This is not Libya," said the third official, alluding to last year's attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.
And why isn't it?
During that attack, the military was unable to muster resources fast enough to protect the mission.
That is a damned lie. The military was ready to go. It was Champ and Hillary who failed.
Since then, after much criticism from Congress about the inability to respond, the Pentagon has been particularly sensitive about ensuring troops are within deployment distance of potential trouble spots in North Africa.
The embassy had already planned to be closed Sunday and Monday because of the demonstrations, according to a notice on the embassy's website. American citizens in Cairo have been advised to avoid areas where the demonstrations are taking place and "limit their movements."
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/29/2013
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#1
You mean like sending a fire team of Marines in a Jeep down to the edge of Cholon to get three American Nurses out because they couldn't trust the streets? The nurses just had a telephone during Tet and asked for help. That was fun ( once we got clear) and very exhilarating.
( Gunny sez: I need three Volunteers..you, you..and you)
#6
When the Commandant of the Marine Corps states publicly that paying forward to support real time actions at the expense of future readiness (sequestration effect) , I have to wonder if "...getting the Marines ready to deploy..." anywhere in two years will even be an option.
Hat tip to Information Dissemination. Interesting, long article with photos on the PLAN's effort to build a blue-water carrier-based navy. Worth a read on a slow Saturday. Just the top end here.
The People's Republic of China is in the process of jump starting a complete carrier aviation industry and capability for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and doing it in relative short order. Nations like the United States, which commissioned it's first aircraft carrier, CV-1, USS Langley in 1922, have been operating carriers and establishing their doctrine through war and peace over the last 91+ years. China is attempting to pull it together in less than two decades.
This development has occurred over the last 10+ years as the PRC purchased, transported to Dalian Shipyards, and then completely refurbished and refit the former Russian Carrier, Varyag, into their own, modern short-take off but barrier arrested (STOBAR) carrier, CV-16, the Lianoning. The Chinese had studied numerous carrier designs before this, including the older Austalian Carrier, HMAS Melbourne, and two of the older Russian Kiev class carriers which they had purchased to scrap and/or create theme parks out of them.
Towards the end of the construction/refit of the Liaoning, the PRC created an entire mockup of the carrier, from the hanger deck up, and set it atop a large research building on Lake Huangjia near Wuhan. This facility has continued to be developed and is now called the Wuhan Naval Research Institute. Deck handling, logistical considerations, armament and weapons handling, and hanger placement and movement of aircraft can all be researched and trained upon at this facility, which will be the object of a seperate article.
Shortly therafter, the PLAN announced and then displayed and flew the prototype of a new carrier strike fighter, the J-15, which is an indegenous, modernized version of the Russian SU-33 aircraft. This aircraft, in conjunction with the trials and commissioning of the Liaoning has now started Low Rate Initial Productrion (LRIP).
But simply having a carrier and having some fighters does not equate to carrier aviation. The individuals flying and maintaining the aircratf must also be developed, significantly trained, and steeped in carrier aviation doctrine, policy, and procedure. This is not an immediate process. It takes many years, and takes significant investment.
The PRC, and the PLAN in particular are in the process of making that investment.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/29/2013
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#1
Wondering about the translation; in this case 'barrier-arrestment.' That turns aircraft into junk real quick. the pix show traditional wires, that makes more sense
Keith Alexander, the general in charge of the National Security Agency, told ABC News on Sunday that intelligence revelations by fugitive contractor Edward Snowden had "caused irreversible and significant damage to our country and to our allies."
But no worries, President Obama seems to think it's no big deal. "I have not called [Chinese] President Xi personally or [Russian] President Putin personally" about the case, Mr. Obama said on Thursday in Senegal.
And why not? "Number one, I shouldn't have to," Mr. Obama said. "Number two, we've got a whole lot of business that we do with China and Russia, and I'm not going to have one case of a suspect who we're trying to extradite suddenly being elevated to the point where I've got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues." Oh, and he doesn't want to "be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker."
That's a revealing answer, and not in a good way. Mr. Obama has invested precious diplomatic capital trying to "reset" relations with Russia and personalize relations with China's leaders, including this month with Mr. Xi in Palm Springs. Hanging with dictators can't be Mr. Obama's idea of a good time, but if there's a point to the exercise it's precisely so he can pick up the phone and intercede with Vlad and Jinping over this kind of issue.
It's worth wondering whether Mr. Obama didn't make the calls because he feared a personal rebuke, or he wants to downplay the national-security and diplomatic humiliation, or he thinks the Snowden affair is beneath his dignity and best handled by consular officials filling out paperwork—or because he really thinks Gen. Alexander is exaggerating the damage Mr. Snowden has done.
If it's the latter, Mr. Obama could do the public a service by confirming that Mr. Snowden hasn't put the crown jewels of U.S. intelligence in foreign hands. Especially because that's not the view emerging from other government sources.
The Washington Post reports that U.S. analysts fear Mr. Snowden stole much more than he's disclosed. "They think he copied so much stuff—that almost everything that place does, he has," a former government official said.
Several reports quote intelligence sources as saying that al Qaeda and terrorist groups have gained insight into how to avoid NSA detection. The Russian and Chinese intelligence services almost certainly copied whatever Mr. Snowden hauled with him to Hong Kong and Moscow. Nearby on these pages, journalist Edward Jay Epstein connects a few dots and suggests that Mr. Snowden took his consultant job with plans to steal and that he may have had help. In short, there is much more to this debacle than we know so far.
#3
Champ doesn't want Eddie back in the States. Time and distance are key elements of successful deflection.
Oh, flew in from Miami Beach B.O.A.C.
Didn't get to bed last night
On the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man I had a dreadful flight
I'm back in the U.S.S.R
You don't know how lucky you are boys
Back in the U.S.S.R
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/29/2013 5:22
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President Obama 2013 on national security : "Number one, I shouldn't have to," Mr. Obama said. "Number two, we've got a whole lot of business that we do with China and Russia, and I'm not going to have one case of a suspect who we're trying to extradite suddenly being elevated to the point where I've got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues." Punt
Candidate Obama 2008 on Abortion “… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.”Punt
Can anyone tell me what is important to Mr. Obama ?
Posted by: Au Auric ||
06/29/2013 8:23
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#6
"Can anyone tell me what is important to Mr. Obama?"
Tee-time.
Posted by: Barbara ||
06/29/2013 8:28
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It's worth wondering whether Mr. Obama didn't make the calls because he feared a personal rebuke, or he wants to downplay the national-security and diplomatic humiliation
I'll take " He doesn't have the balls for $500, Alex."
#10
Besoeker, you realize when and why Bin Laden was tech phobic? He used a sat phone from 1996 until 1998. But he stopped in 1998 after a little dick senatorial aid tried to make himself look like he ha a bigger one, by bragging to a reporter that we could geolocate and track him and who he was talking to by use of that sat phone. Then the reporter did what any moron would do, he published it with no regard or consideration of the consequences. With that, our ability to get SIGINT, Geolocation and ELINT on OBL ceased.
#12
Snark all you like, but the fact remains: Snowden's admirers were played for fools.
From the vfery start, this was obviously a case of espionage. People who cheered on this disgusting little sh!t as a way of scoring points against the president deserve our scorn.
Snowden (and if there's any justice, Greenwald) will end up in prison in due course. Whether his foolish admirers will ever admit they were duped is another matter.
26 June 2013:
World Tribune reports, “A top communist defector is warning of an unprecedented “alliance” between the Democratic Party and the Communist Party, reflected in the CPUSA’s endorsement of Barack Obama for president in 2008 and the party’s continued support for Democratic Party policies. But is this warning going to be too hot to handle for the media? And the Republicans? An unprecedented "alliance" or institutional mandate ?
Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa, “highest-ranking official ever to have defected from the former Soviet Union says in an article for PJMedia that any doubt that the Democratic and the Communist parties had secretly joined forces was erased in 2009, “when Van Jones, part of a left fringe of declared communists, became the White House’s green jobs czar.” Van Jones is but one of many, and that fails to count hundreds of of thousands of IRS, EPA, and DoJ facilitators.
“Pacepa, who served as a top aide in the Romanian communist regime, tells Accuracy in Media, “The Democratic Party has become dangerously infected with the Marxism virus. I recognize the symptoms because I once lived through them, and I believe it is my obligation as an American citizen to help the conservative movement to prevent any further spread of Marxism in my adopted country.” We're now at stage four. A bit tardy, but a welcomed assessment.
He adds that he is personally convinced that Obama is a Marxist. Our conclusion as well thank you.
#2
CPUSA (Co-pus-ta), published on its website once, a list of past and present United States politicians (100% of them were in the Democrat Party) who support the platform of the Communist Party of the United States of America. I believe in 2008, the CPUSA website "buried or burned" the page from its website. However the page was "saved" by another website in Acrobat pdf format, Alas I have lost track of the website which has the list. I'll try doing a web search if anyone is interested in this topic, and post the results here. I believe the document supports the position of Lt Gen Ion Pacepa.
I like to pronounce CPUSA - Co-PUS-ta ~ it sounds like the word 'Cabbage' in some Slavic languages, like Russian.
Posted by: Au Auric ||
06/29/2013 10:44
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The U.S. Park Police has lost track of a huge supply of handguns, rifles and shotguns, according to a report released Thursday on the law enforcement agency responsible for safeguarding the National Mall and critical American landmarks.
In the scathing report, the inspector general's office of the Department of Interior faults staff at the agency for having no idea how many weapons they control and says the department has no clear policies or procedures for investigating missing weapons. The office said top managers, including the police chief, have shown a "lackadaisical attitude toward firearms management."
"Historical evidence indicates that this indifference is a product of years of inattention to administrative detail and management principles," deputy inspector general Mary Kendall wrote to Jonathan Jarvis, the director of the National Park Service, in a letter that accompanies the report.
While surveying Park Police field office armories, investigators found more than 1,400 extra and unassigned weapons that were intended to be destroyed. They also found 198 handguns that were transferred from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and stored in an operations facility firearms room without being recorded in an inventory system.
#1
Silly Goose. They are all being used to protect parks along the TX border, I think. Let me get back to you in that one.
Posted by: Steven ||
06/29/2013 1:33
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I believe the very distinct possibility of a BATF connection was mentioned yesterday. No post-graduate research experience or critical thinking required on that one however. I wonder who is being covertly armed ?
Victim, whose name remains unconfirmed, reportedly worked as a journalistic photographer
A US citizen was killed in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria on Friday during clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi, bringing the city's total death toll on Friday to two.
The American man died from a stab wound to the chest, according to Amin Ezz El-Din, head of Alexandria's security directorate.
Ezz El-Din said the young American had been taking pictures with his mobile phone near one of the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which President Morsi hails, when he was attacked by unknown assailants.
The victim was rushed to a military hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Security sources told Ahram Online's correspondent that the victim's name is Victor Andrew. He was a 21-year-old photojournalist.
The details have not yet been officially confirmed.
The report of his death was confirmed by Ibrahim El-Roubi, head of emergencies at Alexandria's health department, along with two other security officials.
In May, American academic Chris Stone was stabbed in the neck outside the US embassy in Cairo. Stone, however, survived the attack.
#2
Somehow I confess to having no feelings whatsoever for being stabbed in Egypt....WHY would anybody go to Egypt if he could go somewhere else? There are so many nice places on Earth and so many of them are close-by most of the time. Why go stand in a crowd of smelly Egyptians sweating and yelling and ....well you get stabbed?
Stupid doesn't live to get old.
Was it NECESSARY that this CLOWN went to Egypt to get stabbed? Was his souvenir photo of Pres. Morsi's office building worth it? True, Darwin would be interested in this.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/29/2013 9:39
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#4
by the way Threater - he was working as a journalist/photog - taking pictures of the unrest. I would hope being an American would carry some weight. I would also hope you were less of an a-hole. I expect I'll get neither
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/29/2013 9:42
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#5
I don't think Egypt gets F-15s, has that changed?
#10
#4: Frank, he was actually a "an American nonprofit engaged in education, training and development activities in the region", at least according to Fox News. So PhotoJourn was probably his major. And I don't think they hand out press kits to non-profit grad volunteers.
Also, Fox says that he was shot according to the AP. It's what set off the giant melee, the initial shots, and he got caught in between two factions trying to get a picture. I'm not unsympathetic that he died. However there's something to be said about 'common sense' when even actual accredited journalists are keeping their distance.
Posted by: Charles ||
06/29/2013 14:39
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#11
no disagreement. My a-hole comment has been building....
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/29/2013 15:40
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#12
However there's something to be said about 'common sense' when even actual accredited journalists are keeping their distance.
Charles, especially since he was Jewish-American
[Pak Daily Times] A bear broke into a Tennessee zoo earlier this week, Yahoo News reports.
A neighbour called the Knoxville Zoo late on Monday night and alerted a ranger, saying there was a bear in a nearby park, according to the zoo's assistant director of marketing Tina Rolen.
A short while later, the ranger saw what he presumed to be the same bear climbing over a fence and into the zoo. But it was unclear where, exactly, the ursine interloper wound up.
The ranger had to wake up the zoo's four resident bears to conduct a "nose count".
"They weren't too happy with us," said Rolen. After multiple sweeps the next morning, zoo employees once again counted only the four bears that are supposed to be there.
Rolen said the bear was probably a black bear, based on what is native to Knoxville.
"He must have left as quickly as he came," said Rolen. While the zoo has encountered dogs, cats and other small animals trying to break in, Rolen said a bear visit was "a first for us". However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... she wasn't surprised since numerous bear sightings have been reported in the area recently. Rolen said because it is breeding season and because the bears are in the process of "fattening up" to get ready to hibernate, they are more likely to "roam around the area" looking for food and mates.
"They can sneak up on you" but usually "they really don't want any part of us, they're afraid of us," said Rolen, adding that their diets consist mostly of berries, acorns and insects.
A chairman of the Bear Specialist Group and expert on human-bear relations, John Beecham, said in an email, "bears moving through urban areas do not pose much of a threat to people".
Posted by: Fred ||
06/29/2013
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Probably felt safer in the zoo, what with the Nat'l Park Service having guns running loose.....
#7
Deer used to break into the San Diego Wild Animal Park and take up residence. (I wonder if they still do...). Made me think about what could get out.
#8
Dopey - are you a SD resident? Others here are...
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/29/2013 16:52
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Was from 1978-82. SDSU, Class of 1980. Met The Wife (she was born in San Diego) at a restaurant we both worked at (Kelly's Steak House)((Daddy, what did you do with your journalism degree?). After a brief stint in Montana, we've lived in SLO County ever since.
[Ynet] British police have tossed in the clink ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... a 75-year-old man on suspicion of causing an kaboom after a homemade bomb went off near a mosque.
West Midlands Police said the man was arrested by counterterrorism officers Thursday at his home in Walsall, near the central England city of Birmingham.
A trial began seven weeks ago in the North Caucasus Military Court in Rostov-on-Don of the Ingush insurgency commander known as Emir Magas, who had been betrayed to Russian security and detained three years earlier. He faces 24 charges ranging from setting up an armed militant group, illegal arms trafficking, and inciting a rebellion to the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and terrorism.
From the beginning of the hearings, Magas has denied almost all the charges against him, including two suicide car bombings, one in June 2009 in which Republic of Ingushetia leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was seriously wounded, and a second two months later that killed 25 people at the Nazran central police station and wounded 140 more.
[An Nahar] Sidon Mufti Sheikh Salim Sousan condemned on Friday the recent clashes in the southern city, demanding that the state assume its responsibilities in following through with the investigation in the unrest.
He said: "We reject the use of arms on the internal scene in Lebanon regardless of which side they belong to."
"We also oppose call for soldiers to defect from the army," he declared during the sermon of the Friday Muslim prayers that was held at the Zaatari mosque in Sidon.
"We condemn the assault on the army and the resulting deaths in the clashes that followed," he told worshipers that included a number of officials, such as the head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora.
In an indirect reference to Hizbullah and its alleged participation in the city's recent clashes, Sousan said: "We condemn the raids and arrests carried out by some armed groups and hold the state responsible for this development."
"Sidon is the capital of the South and it has offered martyrs, confronted the Israeli enemy, opened its pockets and home to the residents of the South" during the July 2006 war, he added.
"Sidon is a city of diversity. It is not one of sectarian and violence," he said.
"Sidon abides by the law and its role as the symbol of the country's salvation should be restored," demanded Sousan.
"I call on its residents to preserve the city and its national principles," he stated.
The city has the right to know the whereabouts of the wounded and those arrested, and the numbers of those killed, he declared.
"In the name of the Sidon residents and Ulemas, we reject oppression and humiliation against the city by any side and we hold the state responsible for ensuring our rights otherwise protesters will take to the streets," Sousan warned.
He also demand a transparent investigation in the video that showed soldiers abusing a man suspected of supporting Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir.
Soon after the prayers, supporters of al-Asir staged a demonstration in Sidon and Beirut's Tariq al-Jadideh neighborhood.
Some of the Sidon demonstrators attempted to enter the Bilal bin Rabah mosque where al-Asir was based, but they were prevented by the army that fired gunshots into the air in order to disperse the angry protesters.
Eighteen soldiers were killed and 50 were wounded in clashes between the army and armed supporters of al-Asir in Sidon on Sunday and Monday.
More than 20 of al-Asir's supporters were killed, according to a security official.
Dozens of them were also arrested, but there was no sign of the cleric.
The Ulemas accused on Wednesday Hizbullah fighters of taking part in the battles alongside the army, despite assertions by various officials that the army acted alone in combating the gunmen.
The army on Thursday handed over a group of soldiers accused of abusing a detainee to the military police for questioning, a military source and the state-run National News Agency said.
The move came after amateur video emerged showing a group of soldiers humiliating, beating and kicking a man suspected of supporting al-Asir.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/29/2013
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LibyaÂ’s government earlier this month released a key terror suspect who U.S. officials say was involved in planning the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on U.S. diplomatic and intelligence facilities in Benghazi.
Faraj al Chalabi, (also spelled Shibli) an al Qaeda terrorist also linked to the 1994 terrorist murder of two German tourists, was detained by the Tripoli government in March. However, al Chalabi was released June 12 based on claims that there was a lack of evidence to hold him custody. Chalabi, who was arrested by the Libyans in March after returning from Pakistan, is believed by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials to be one of the people who organized the attack on the diplomatic compound.
A U.S. official said the U.S. government has evidence al Chalabi was linked to the Benghazi attack but did not provide that information to the Libyan government. It could not be learned why the evidence was not used to hold the suspect.
Regarding his questioning by U.S. officials, al Chalabi said: “They pretended to know everything, because they were rigid in their questioning, but the truth is that until now, the Americans do not know who carried out this attack which led to the death of their ambassador or who destroyed their consulate; they are confused. At times they say that it happened against the backdrop of a popular attack over the film that offends the prophet, peace be upon him, and at other times they say it was planned. If it was planned, they do not know who did it.” Al Chalabi said a judge ruled that there was no evidence against him and allowed him to be released, adding that he believed “the Americans did not want to do so.”
His passport was seized to prevent him from leaving Libya and he must report to a police station once a week, he said.
The release of al Chalabi was first reported by the Benghazi publication New Quryna Online on June 13. That report quoted a relative as saying al Chalabi was detained in Pakistan for three months.
[Al Ahram] The death toll from violence in ethnically divided central Nigeria has risen to at least 48, with dozens of homes also burnt, a military spokesman said Friday.
"We now have a total of 48 dead from the attacks on three villages," Captain Salisu Mustapha, spokesman for a military task force in the region, told AFP of Thursday's violence. He said the dead included 28 residents and 20 assailants killed by soldiers who responded.
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06/29/2013
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South Africa – several sources, other than online, have confirmed that the great Nelson Mandela has passed away last night.
The reasons to keep this under wraps was because the family needed time alone and because of several political issues. The primay issue being that US president Barack Obama will visit South Africa this Friday. The visit could be overshadowed by the passing of Mandela and therefore the family and government agreed not to tell the world just yet. Therefore keeping Nelson MandelaÂ’s passing away under wraps because of ObamaÂ’s trip. But we continue to wait for official verification.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/29/2013
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#1
I'll put my money on a well planned unplugging and international foto opportunity.... {mainly because Champ said yesterday he "didn't need one"). If die groot Madiba is dood, the entire week end and much of next week's news will be consumed by the migration of dignitaries and reporting, with Champ and entourage at center stage.
No tears here, he was little more than a communist and terrorist.
Gertz said the story had been percolating in intelligence circles and around Capitol Hill for nine months, and he called the development bad news for the Obama administration's arms-control agenda. I thought Cmdr. Zero had only a domestic arms control agenda....go figure....
#2
There are agreements and treaties made for public consumption and there are shadow agreements made between comrades. The uitlanders (outsiders) and little people always pay retail. Special reserve is for family.
Soldiers killed two Islamic extremists and injured five others in the southern Philippines as government forces continued searching for two kidnapped filmmaker sisters.
Abu Sayyaf group members opened fire upon a military helicopter on the southern island of Jolo on Thursday, leading the armed forces to counter-attack, said Marine commander Colonel Jose Cenabre. He said, "The aerial attack was launched immediately on the area which led to the two killed," followed by a ground assault.
He added there had been no sightings of Linda Bansil and her sister, Nadjoua, who were seized in the area of the attack on Saturday while working on a film about Jolo's impoverished coffee farmers.
The abduction shocked local residents, with the Muslim sisters active in human rights activism and having worked on films showing the plight of the Muslim minority in the Philippines.
Posted by: ryuge ||
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[ALLAFRICA] A member of Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... Islamist sect shocked the people of Ngomari Airport Ward 'Bakin Borehole' area in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, when he confessed to have killed 23 people in two days, including a village head and Police officers in the area.
The Boko Haram member, who was nabbed Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! Tuesday evening, was said to have rented a room in the area about a year ago.
A resident of Ngomari, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen yesterday in Maiduguri that the sect member was arrested wearing a jeans trouser and vest at a borehole, where he went to fetch water.
According to him, the sect member who was arrested by vigilante youths, called 'Civilian JTF' was a resident of Gwange, a stronghold of the sect.
He said the arrest was made possible when the youths went looking for him and arrested his younger brother, who took them to Ngomari where the suspect had been hiding.
The resident said: "We were shocked when we heard that Civilian JTF came and arrested a sect member in our area. We never imagined we could have somebody like that in our area because we have been living peacefully.
"We were most shocked when the sect member confessed that he killed 23 people in two days. That is horrible and unimaginable but a reality."
He added that while members of the youth group were beating the arrested sect member, they also asked him of one Idris Musa, who they believed was one of the sect members.
Meanwhile, ...back at the desert island, Bert was realizing to his horror that he'd had only one bottle for one message, and he'd forgotten to include a return address... over 50 locked away Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! members of the sect have appealed to Federal Government to give them a second chance as they were ready to assist the government in bringing the crisis to an end.
The sect members made the appeal when the presidential committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the North visited one of the detention centres in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
One of the detainees, Adam Konto, introduced himself to the chairman of the committee, Kabir Turaki as the Amir (Commander) of the Bayan quarters, one of Boko Haram's stronghold in Maiduguri.
He said he was speaking on behalf of the other detained members of the sect and that they would not take up arms against the government again.
Konto said: "We pledge to assist the authorities if given a second chance as most of us were brainwashed and recruited into the sect and given instructions to carry out dastardly acts without our full understanding of what we were doing."
Another detainee, who identified himself as Babagana Saje, said that he was ready to denounce the sect and that the Police should be commended for keeping them alive.
He said: "The police have been treating us fine. We have been allowed to take our bath and have been well fed."
Chairman of the presidential committee, however, promised the detainees that their cases would be looked into.
He said: "If you are sincere with this information we have gathered, we will bring you into the proposed amnesty agenda."
Posted by: Fred ||
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With media stars such as Gleenda "Good day, sir!" Greenwald, Alex "Ferociusly Smart" Pareene, David "white Boston terrorist bombers" Sirota, Joan "What's the Matter with White People" Walsh and Curtis "The Bugger" Morrison, no wonder Salon is a media star of such intense magnitude.
Or something...
As Gerard Van der Leun quipped, who says there's no good news?
What a special little snowflake!
From TFA:
News business Salon Media Group Inc. lost $3.9 million in the year ended March, and that pushed the company's accumulated deficit to $116.4 million.
The San Francisco company (Pink Sheets: SLNM) had revenue of $3.6 million for the year, up from revenue of $3.5 million the previous year, when it lost $4.1 million. Reach for those stars, Salon! Let's get to an even $120 million for 2014! You can do it! I know you can!
This article starring:
Reach for those stars, Salon! Let's get to an even $120 million for 2014! You can do it! I know you can!
#3
Sounds like the Interim Chief Financial Officer of Salon Alex Fernandez excels at juggling debt. I'm guessing the previous CFO of Salon Norman Blashka couldn't withstand the pressure or likely needed to save what was left of his professional reputation.
Posted by: Au Auric ||
06/29/2013 8:04
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They suck the life out of everything. Support always for takers means no revenue. Takers only take for themselves. No one nation but a diversity of cancer cells supporting only their own interests. No melting pot in this country anymore. We simply are going through the motions now. Why do they wish to change 200 year old laws?. Answer,"congress wrote the laws and congress can change the laws" I got that comment from a Representative in DC.
[Pak Daily Times] Malaysian groups on Friday slammed an Islamic law enabling one parent to give consent for the religious conversion of a child, a contentious issue in the Mohammedan-majority country.
In 2009, the government said existing legislation would be amended so that children's conversion required the consent of both parents.
But amendments put forward in parliament this week retain a provision that a minor below 18 can convert to Islam if "his parent or guardian" consents. The Malay-language text of the new law says the consent of "mother or father or guardian" is required.
Interfaith group Malaysian Consultative Council Of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said in a statement that the Federal Territories Bill -- effective for the capital Kuala Lumpur -- was unconstitutional and should be withdrawn. "Any conversion of a minor by a single parent will cause serious injustice to the non-converting parent and the children of the marriage," it said. "Such conversions are not only unconstitutional but are morally and ethically wrong." The Malaysian Bar Council also said that "unilateral conversion of minor children to any religion by a parent, without the consent of the non-converting parent, is contrary to our constitutional scheme".
Government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
It was not clear why the government has proposed the amended bill now, but lawyers said it could be part of a general overhaul of the decades-old law.
Parliament still has to approve the new law, but Prime Minister Najib Razak's coalition has the majority and legal amendments proposed by the government usually pass.
Conversion is a sensitive issue in Malaysia, where around 60 percent of 28 million people are Mohammedan Malays, with sizeable non-Mohammedan ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
Conversions of children and "body-snatching" cases -- where Islamic authorities tussle with families over the remains of people whose religion is disputed -- have raised tensions in past years.
Under Sharia law, a non-Mohammedan parent cannot share custody of converted children.
Non-Mohammedans also complain that they do not get a fair hearing when such cases end up in the religious courts set up to administer civil matters for Mohammedans.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Islam reelee sounds like it's on the run, desperate.
As President Obama and his family continue their tour of Africa, the White House put out a Fact Sheet entitled "U.S. Support for Strengthening Democratic Institutions, Rule of Law, and Human Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa." One of the first items highlighted by the White House is a $53 million program in Kenya that helps young people "obtain National identification cards, a prerequisite to voter registration." But isn't that going to deter minority voters? Intimidate them?
Civil society and independent media play a critical role in any vibrant democracy. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the United States supports efforts to ensure civil society organizations and independent media can organize, advocate, and raise awareness with governments and the private sector to improve political processes, transparency, and government performance. Examples include:
In Kenya, the $53 million Yes Youth Can program empowers nearly one million Kenyan youth to use their voices for advocacy in national and local policy-making, while also creating economic opportunities. In advance of Kenya's March 2013 general elections, Yes Youth Can's "My ID My Life" campaign helped 500,000 youth obtain National identification cards, a prerequisite to voter registration, and carried out a successful nationwide campaign with Kenyan civic organizations to elicit peace pledges from all presidential aspirants.
At an August 2012 press briefing, Jay Carney had the following to say about a Texas voter ID law:
"And on the voter ID case, I can tell you that, as you know, this administration believes it should be easier for eligible citizens to vote -- to register and vote. We should not be imposing unnecessary obstacles or barriers to voter participation." Yes, it imposes barriers to voting by the dead, un-registered people, and other illegal practices. That's why they don't want it here. It makes it harder to rig the vote.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
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#1
It's a sad day for America. Even Jerry Moran, Senator of rural Kansas ignores the budget constraints and votes for the perverted aircraft industry over his constituents.
#2
When did the aircraft industry become 'perverted'? And I bet they are one of the largest employers in the Senator's district. So he's doing what's right for his constituents AND helping America's defense
[Pak Daily Times] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight... has said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... government would generate sufficient electricity in the next five years to meet the energy needs of the country. He assured that the PTI would establish an exemplary government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and introduce a model of good governance for other provinces to follow. Imran said that the PTI government would eliminate the class-based education system in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and introduce a uniform education system, syllabus. He vowed to remove dichotomy from the education system in the province. Imran said the PTI provincial government would establish an independent accountability institution to ensure transparency and accountability in the province. He said that there is an immense need to devise a common national agenda and ensure national reconciliation to form a counterterrorism strategy.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
And if you don't vote for us, and follow our lead, you can't use "OUR" power.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/29/2013 6:58
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#2
til the Bugtis migrate and continue their traditional pylon demolition festivities
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/29/2013 10:44
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[Pak Daily Times] At least three people including a woman bit the dust, and around 18 were maimed, when dozens of Lyari ...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot.... gangsters carried out an armed massacre in streets of Kharadar, here on Friday.
Police said the incident took place in early hours of Friday, when more than four dozen Lyari gangsters on cycle of violences reached at Kharadar and resorted gun sex in first place. Later they opened straight fire at people near a poultry shop at Kharadar Chowck, which resulted in several people sustaining bullet injuries.
Three people including Fatima, wife of Jawaid, Fazal Mola, son of Shareen Khan and Faisal, son of Iman bit the dust at the hand of these gangsters. Around one and a half dozen people got injured who were identified as Amjad, Shabaab, Saleem, Ali, Saleem, Ahmed, Fareed, Imran, Faisal, Tariq and others. The bodies and injured were shifted to Civil Hospital for an appointment with Dr. Quincy and medical treatment respectively.
SHO Kharadar Idrees Bangash said that motive behind the incident was extortion, but sources in police said that Lyari gangsters reached there to abduct a man Aziz Baloch, on failure they resorted to indiscriminate firing.
Following the incident, scores of protesters reached Tower area and placed barricades, torched tiers and rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud against Lyari gangsters. Protesters demanded an immediate action against criminal elements.
Protesters said that scores of people have been killed and numbers of others were maimed in each attempt to capture the areas by these gangsters, but law enforcement agencies did not bother to take action against the gangsters. Following the protest heavy contingents of police reached the spot and resorted gun sex to disperse the mob.
Enraged protesters offered resistance and continued protest, they later dispersed after reaching to a settlement with law enforcers. Police has started the paperwork but haven't done much else against Lyari gangsters namely Wasiullah Lakho, Sami, Sheraz Kamraid, Omer Kachi and Saqib Boxer.
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[Pak Daily Times] Egypt's leading religious authority warned of "civil war" and appealed for calm amid scattered violence on Friday, days before mass demonstrations that the opposition hopes can force the Islamist president to quit.
One man was rubbed out and dozens maimed in Alexandria when protest marchers and Islamists clashed. A member of the ruling Moslem Brüderbund was also rubbed out overnight in the city of Zagazig.
Friday's demonstrations were called in advance of a day of mass marching on Sunday, when President Mohamed Morsi's critics hope millions will hit the streets to demand new elections.
Continued on Page 49
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[Ynet] Three Paleostinians caught in possession of confiscated weapons in West Bank village: 'A major disaster has been averted'
A Border Guard force tossed in the clink Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! three Paleostinians near the village of Al-Khader in the West Bank on Thursday. The three were carrying sniper rifles, silencers, telescopic sights, magazines and a pocketknife.
They were turned over for questioning to security forces, who say they admitted they were planning a terror attack.
The weapons were discovered during a search in the village after a Molotov cocktail was hurled at a Border Guard vehicle. The forces spotted a car with three men who raised their suspicion and ordered it to stop.
It is being checked whether the suspects had specific targets for the attack.
Security forces in the West Bank are extra vigilant in light of six shooting attacks that have occurred recently. There is specific concern over the use of silencers which could be employed in more elaborate attacks.
"We're always on alert, but it's clear we're concerned in light of the weapons that have been seized and what the Death Eaters might have done," a source said. "It looks like a major disaster has been averted. The combatants should be praised for their work."
[Al Ahram] A Kurdish militia allied with Turkey's rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) imposed a curfew on the Syrian border town of Amuda on Friday after its forces shot three protesters dead, activists said.
The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has controlled large swathes of Hasakeh province in northeastern Syria since government troops withdrew from Kurdish-majority areas last year, said one of its fighters was killed in an ambush by a rival gang.
Dozens of demonstrators were also injured when PYD fighters opened fire on Thursday on a protest against the militia's detention last week of a group of activists opposed to its grip on the town, the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"At about 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Thursday, hundreds of residents of Amuda... gathered in the streets to demand the release" of three detainees from the PYD's prisons, said citizen journalist Havidar.
As protesters chanted anti-PYD slogans, "the Asaish (the PYD's security police) opened fire... on the protesters," Havidar said.
Amateur video distributed by activists showed fighters on a white pick-up truck firing live rounds, as cries were heard from the crowd.
The PYD said that its fighters had been ambushed by a rival gang in Amuda, which lies on the border with Turkey.
"A PYD fighter has been killed at the hands of mercenaries from Amuda... Two others have been injured," the party said in a statement.
But independent Kurdish journalist and activist Massoud Akko said he did not believe anyone in the protest was armed.
"The protest was peaceful... There is no excuse for the use of weapons there," Akko told AFP via the Internet.
Amuda-based activist Neeshan Malle said that the PYD, the largest of the gangs operating in Kurdish areas, had imposed a curfew on the town.
"No one is allowed on the streets, and there are snipers everywhere. All the shops are closed," Malle told AFP via the Internet.
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[Al Ahram] Iraqi Shia Moslems are fighting in Syria alongside troops of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Trampler of Homs... , Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Friday, while insisting this was not the policy of the Shia-led Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... government.
"I do not deny that Iraqi Shia fighters are participating in combat in Syria, just as Sunnis from the Gulf are doing in that country," he said in remarks published by pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat.
"But that does not come under government policy," added Zebari, himself a Kurd and a Sunni Moslem.
At a Friday news conference in Stockholm, he said he had "no first hand figures" on the number of Iraqi Shia ighters in Syria, but that there were "not several thousand... maybe several hundred".
Fighters from Leb's Shia Hezbollah movement have also intervened in Syria alongside troops loyal to Assad, whose Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
Their presence has been roundly denounced by rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, most of whom come from Syria's Sunni majority, and by influential Egyptian-born holy man Sheikh Yusef Qaradawi.
While "Hezbollah militia are engaged in combat in Syria, there are also Sunni fatwas, such as the one by Qaradawi calling for jihad in Syria," Zebari said.
At the beginning of June, the Qatar-based holy man called on Sunni volunteers from around the Moslem world to fight alongside the rebels.
"The Syrian conflict has become more dangerous, because the sectarian confrontation has been brought to the fore. This is very dangerous and I think all countries should be aware not to push things in this direction," Zebari said in Stockholm.
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As it fragments into various camps, the country is being held together by a common popular culture
Something likewise both depressing and encouraging is happening to the United States. Few Americans seem to worry that our present leaders have lied to or misled Congress and the American people without consequences.
Most young people cannot distinguish the First Amendment from the Fourth Amendment — and do not worry about the fact that they cannot. Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln are mere names of grammar schools, otherwise unidentifiable to most.
Posted by: Au Auric ||
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#1
Probably the only thing kids today learn about Washington and Jefferson is that they were slave owners.And the only thing of interest about Lincoln was that he freed the slaves.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
06/29/2013 0:25
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#2
"teach your children well" Crosby, Stills and Nash sometime during the 60's///
#5
SSSMD; I fear you are correct and so predicted when the Obamanation was elected the first time.
I asked yesterday in a different thread "Where do we get our values from now?"
Few Americans seem to worry that our present leaders have lied to or misled Congress and the American people without consequences
The reason for this is that moral relativism has triumphed to such an extent that the answer if you ask young people why they don't worry about this is "Everyone always does it and always have done it so what's the big deal." Corruption becomes a self replicating machine.
#6
.just another day in the life of the republic: a corrupt bureaucracy dispensing federal gravy to favored clients; a pseudo-legislature passing bills unread by the people's representatives and uncomprehended by the men who claim to have written them; and a co-regency of jurists torturing an 18th-century document in order to justify what other countries are at least honest enough to recognize as an unprecedented novelty. I am sure Scalia is just channeling John Hancock, Jefferson and Washington and other men like Benjamin Franklin who all were tolerant and appreciative of what homosexuality could contribute to the best interests of our Republic.
Like we really needed to be told the homoxesuals are just as good as Mom and Dad. And now we can look forward to marriage with your pets and with several of your closer friends. And when you go to Church you can sit right beside Bruce and Dwayne and smile cause they are just as good as anybody else.
Levitcus is so tre yesterday. So is the entire Bible for that matter. Just a hate book that built Western Civilization. Fugetaboutit.
#7
Well said Threater Flusoper. Makes me quite sad to look back at how it once was, and of course there is the danger of turning into a pillar of salt.
#8
Detroit was once one of the great cities of America, hey, in the world. Then it forgot why it was a city. Insert all the usual aggrandizing ego driven agendas that help kill the goose that laid the golden egg [of course being modern, urban, and hip, that ancient tale of human behavior could never apply to them]. Other then the pols and specials interests in exploiting the carcass of the place, no one cares or is willing to invest any of the energy and efforts in keeping it around. The 'takers' are engendering that same attitude among the real productive strata of America. It's not my city will become it's my country. As history is replete with examples, a crisis will arise, one of the those down the road, and the people that provided the real foundation of it all, will shrug their shoulders and say 'so what'. The Left can not, will not grasp that event. For them its always about power, to the last.
By then we'll have our new 'undocumented' slaves that will work in factories under conditions much like the chinese and the Democrat party will officially again be the party of slavery. So you'll have slaves doing the work while 'citizens' sit on welfare and taxpayers continue to work like dogs in the slowly shrinking amount of middle-class jobs.
It really is too much like Pournelle's CoDominium series, especially with places legalizing pot to keep the 'citizen' class stoned and having a taxpayer class.
[Ynet] Anti-missile system heads north day after IDF chief Gantz made unusual comments about situation in Syria
An Iron Dome battery has been deployed in the Haifa area in accordance with the situation assessment, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said Friday.
On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz discussed the situation in Syria and remarked that "Syria is still bleeding, and in Leb the flames have started to creep up on Nasrallah."
The IDF chief added that that the Israeli Air Force is "the strategic arm of the IDF; it can make our enemies pay, anytime, anywhere."
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the IAF's 166 flight course, Gantz said "All fronts -- from south to north -- are turbulent," Gantz noted. "In the face of a changing reality, we are required to be more prepared than ever."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the graduates and said, "We want peace and hold out our hand, but will not close our eyes or be delusional. We closely monitor what is happening within our borders.
"We have defensive and offensive capabilities, and we are prepared to use them if forced to. Whoever needs to know that we don't only talk but also follow through, knows it."
[Al Ahram] Lebanese soldiers opened fire to break up a protest outside a mosque in the southern port of Sidon on Friday, days after the army fought Sunni Islamist gunnies there and seized control of the area.
The fighting earlier this week was the deadliest outbreak of violence in Leb to be fuelled by the two-year conflict in neighbouring Syria. Some 18 soldiers were killed and dozens of supporters of firebrand ...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments... holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir also died.
On Friday a witness at Sidon's charred and bullet-scarred Bilal bin Rabah mosque said he saw the army fire shots as a crowd of pro-Assir protesters marched towards it after finishing Friday prayers at another place of worship in the city.
The army said soldiers had had gun sex and not at the protesters.
Assir, now on the run, was a staunch supporter of Syria's Sunni-led uprising and accused the army of backing the interests of the Shi'ite Musselmen group Hezbollah, which has openly entered the fighting in Syria on behalf of Assad.
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[Pak Daily Times] Two Mohammedans were rubbed out and six others maimed when security forces shot up a camp for some of those displaced by last year's violence in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state, the UN refugee agency said Friday.
The incident, on Thursday morning, took place as security forces tried to break up a dispute at the Kyein Ni Pyin camp in Pauktaw, home to at least 4,400 displaced people -- mainly Rohingya Mohammedans whose homes were torched in deadly festivities with ethnic Rakhine locals.
"Gunfire was used by the authorities to disperse the crowd, resulting in the fatalities and wounding," the UNHCR said in a statement, adding two of the maimed were minors.
It was unclear if the casualties were Rohingya, according to a spokeswoman for the UNHCR, explaining the camp is home to both the ethnic group and Kaman Mohammedans.
"We are appealing to the authorities to handle the matter in a peaceful and calm way to avoid fuelling further violence and loss of life.
A front man for Rakhine State government confirmed that two Mohammedans were killed in the incident.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#3
The problem is that only Islam provides its adherents with enough belief in a glorious future (combined with a terrible enough present) to give them the WILL to engage in interminable war. In the West we have no FAITH in the future and the communists no longer have a sucky enough present to make massive and sustained sacrifice. Not only that, we (the West) are so perversely guilt-ridden we don't even have the WILL to "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."
Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?
Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigueÂ… a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily IÂ… I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
#2
“One can smell from the crisis in Syria the coming … of the end of times and the coming of the last Islamic messiah,” said Ruhollah Hosseinian, a member of the Islamic regime’s parliament. Previously he was deputy of the Intelligence Ministry and a member of board of trustees of Islamic Revolution Document Center.
[MAGHAREBIA] Terrorism is a new phenomenon in Tunisia. With a notorious political liquidation, weapons caches in the desert, armed bully boyz setting up camp in the remote border forests and homemade bombs killing and maiming Tunisian troops, many wonder whether al-Qaeda has found a new home in the once-peaceful country.
Magharebia met with Bassel Torjeman, a Tunis-based expert on terrorist and salafist groups in the Maghreb, to learn more about the looming crisis.
Magharebia: Who is funding these terrorist groups in Tunisia and in the greater Maghreb?
Bassel Torjeman: One of the complex issues preoccupying countries where terrorism has spread... is the sources of financing, especially in view of the mechanisms that have been internationally established to prevent money from reaching these groups. Although many years have elapsed since the establishment of these international restrictions, money is still coming in -- in huge amounts - to terrorist groups all over the world.
As to the Maghreb, and Tunisia in particular: where do these forces of Evil and salafist jihadist groups get money?
Using simple math, the cost for Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafi Islamist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends... members from various areas of Tunisia to rent buses to get to Kairouan to hold their congress, and other costs for organising the meeting (in which 50,000 of them were expected to take part) give us an amount of more than 1 million Tunisian dinars (464,391 euros). This, by all means, is very big for any party or group that wants to hold a celebration.
The sources of financing are varied. It takes place at mosques and streets, via book sales and uncontrolled donation collections, with the knowledge of state agencies, which turn a blind eye to it although this violates laws.
Another means is through money transfer from one country to another, using fraudulent means. Then there is zakat and alms money, which is considered the first source of financing terrorist groups. It is difficult to list these amounts or to know their sources or where they are spent....
If we want to speak in a more serious way, according to Tunisian interior ministry sources, the number of Tunisians who joined the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra for combat in Syria is 800.
This is much different from numbers reported by media outlets, especially with the increase of Tunisian detainees held by the Syrian regime and the Tunisians who were killed, whose number is much more than one hundred.
Transporting hundreds of fighters through air flights and providing pocket money for them until they reach assembly points along the Turkish-Syrian border needs hundreds of thousands of dinars.
I don't think that this money comes from donations and in-kind subsidies.
Without any exaggeration, money needed to transport those people is estimated at millions of dinars. Such numbers can't be generated from donations or smuggling....
Terrorist groups have what is called easy money: they don't exert much effort to secure it. This shows that they have fixed and guaranteed sources of income....
Unveiling the financing sources of terrorist groups and drying up their sources can't be done by just one country. It needs sincere international effort to make it a success, and also needs continuous monitoring to prevent such money from reaching these groups.
Tunisia's efforts to monitor the financing sources of these groups are definitely weak and need a political decision that doesn't seem to be forthcoming.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/29/2013
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[Pak Daily Times] Twin bombings west of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... killed nine people -- most of them anti-al Qaeda bully boyz -- while four others were dead in a blast at a funeral in Dujail on Friday, pushing Iraq's nationwide corpse count above 400 for a third month, sparking fears of a revival of sectarian war.
The surge in violence has coincided with months of protests by the Sunni Arab minority and a protracted political deadlock which analysts warn could persist until general elections due next year. The bombings on the outskirts of Ramadi, capital of western Anbar province, are the latest in a spate of attacks which have killed more than 140 people in the past week, including 27 killed on Thursday, mostly in bombings targeting cafes.
The two kabooms went off at around mid-day, the first being a magnetic 'sticky bomb' attached to the car of a member of the Sahwa. As onlookers gathered at the scene another device detonated, a common tactic used by Death Eaters in Iraq to maximise the number of casualties.
Overall, nine people were killed and 21 maimed, according to militia Colonel Jubeir Nayef and Dr Ahmad al-Aani of Ramadi hospital. Most of the victims were Sahwa fighters, they said. The Sahwa are a collection of Sunni tribal militias who turned against al Qaeda and joined forces with the US military from late-2006 onwards, helping to turn the tide of Iraq's bloody insurgency.
They are paid by the government, and officials have pledged to integrate them into the civil service or security forces. But they are often targeted by al Qaeda-linked Death Eaters who regard them as traitors.
Also on Friday, a Sahwa officer was found dead south of Storied Baghdad after being kidnapped a day earlier.
The latest attacks pushed the overall nationwide corpse count for June to above 400, the third successive month the figure has reached that level, according to an AFP tally based on reports from officials.
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[Al Ahram] Turkey's Transportation and Communications Minister calls Twitter a 'crime', denounces the micro-blogging site for refusing to deliver personal information on its users
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#1
Try the threat of an IRS visit or an EPA non-compliance citation. That usually brings them around.
[Al Ahram] Offices of the Moslem Brüderbund's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in different Egyptian governorates were reportedly raided and torched on Friday.
In the Nile Delta governorate of Daqahliya, the FJP's office was set on fire by protesters after the latter claimed to have heard shotguns being discharged from the building, eyewitnesses told Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website.
The office remains besieged by thousands of protesters.
Eyewitnesses also told Al-Ahram that the number of injured were estimated at ten, including four who had since been transferred to hospital.
The Moslem Brüderbund, for its part, released a statement holding members of the anti-Morsi 'Rebel' campaign responsible for the violence.
Meanwhile, ...back at the fist fight, Jake ducked another roundhouse, then parried with his left, then with his right, finally with his chin... in Alexandria, which has seen festivities between the two rival camps since Friday afternoon, the FJP's office in the coastal city's Sidi Gaber district was set on fire.
The festivities in Alexandria have left over 40 injured, according to Ahram Online's Sayyed Gamal.
A Moslem Brüderbund office was also reportedly attacked in the Nile Delta Beheira governorate.
In a statement issued by Ikhwan Online, the Brotherhood's official website, the group accused former regime elements and members of the 'Rebel' campaign -- who they called "thugs" -- of being behind the attack in Beheira.
"The attackers looted the office," the statement read. "Although the party's young cadres appealed for help, police have refused to intervene."
The Nile Delta Gharbiya and Kafr Al-Sheikh governorates, meanwhile, also witnessed attacks on the Islamist group's offices.
The attacks come as rival protests -- both for and against President Mohamed Morsi, propelled to power last year by the Moslem Brüderbund -- take place in governorates throughout Egypt.
On Saturday, the Islamist group's office in Morsi's hometown of Zagazig in the Nile Delta was also attacked, leaving one dead and 26 injured.
Street battles between the rival camps have also erupted in a number of northern governorates. In Mansoura, one person was killed and over 200 maimed.
Fifty-three people have also been injured in Sharqiya and two in Gharbiya in similar confrontations.
On Friday evening, there were reports that the Freedom and Justice Party's headquarters in Al-Khanka in Qalioubiya governorate were raided by locals, according to state-owned news agency MENA.
According to eyewitnesses, the office was empty at the time of the attack.
Ynet adds: Israeli Flag Burned, 2 Killed As Protests Sweep Egypt
The corpse count in anti-government protests in Egypt rose Friday to five after one man was killed in a brawl that erupted between supporters of Egyptian President Mohamad Morsi in Mansura, in the Delta Nile.
And additional reports claimed that a US citizen was the one killed in Alexandria.
The man apparently died from a stab wound to the chest, General Amin Ezzeddin, a senior Alexandria security official said. The account was confirmed by Ibrahim al-Roubi, head of the emergency unit in the Alexandria health department, and two other security officials.
Ezzeddin said that the young American was using a mobile phone camera near an office of Morsi's Moslem Brüderbund when it was being attacked by protesters. He was rushed to a military hospital, where he died.
All over the country pro-Morsi supporters rallied, crying "you won't be able to oust Morsi." They gather in front of the famous mosque in the Nasser neighborhood in Cario waving flags, chanting the president's name and calling on opposition protesters to stay at home Sunday, the day marking a year to Morsi's rise to power and which is expected to see mass protests nationwide.
Nonetheless, Morsi's detractors decided not to wait until Sunday and in Tahrir square thousands rallied against the president, calling for his resignation and early elections. The protesters burned pictures of Morsi and those of the American embassy in Cairo while shouting: "Morsi, June 30 is your last day."
Protesters also gather before the government's main building. Acording to Al Yom Al Masri paper, the protesters even went as far as burring an Israeli flag in response to what they call "Zionist and American involvement in Egyptian affairs."
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06/29/2013
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#1
Leads one to ask, what is behind the violence?
Let's count the ways.
1. Political deadlock. Parliamentary elections are not expected to begin before October, due to legal wrangling over a new election law. Reform thus remains on the back burner.
2. Investor flight leads to an ever sagging economy. Would you take the family to see the pyramids this summer? Thought not.
3. Sagging economy means no jobs which leads to cause 3 "dashed expectations of the youth."
4. Vigilantism is tied to EgyptiansÂ’ loss of faith in the security forces.
Sure, me and my 14 other coppers will gladly go out there and face 10,000 armed protesters.
Egypt needs serious leadership and the Moslem Brüderbund can't or will not, provide it.
[THENATIONONLINENG.NET] The scale of the massive destruction carried out by Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... in Yobe State was laid bare yesterday.
The government said it had spent over N4billion battling the Death Eaters. Yobe, Borno and Adamawa are under a state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan ... 14th President of Nigeria. He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He is a lover of nifty hats, which makes him easily recognizable unless someone else in the room is wearing a neat chapeau... last month.
Deputy Governor Abubakar Aliyu, who stood in for Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, told the visiting members of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, led by Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, that since November 2011, many lives had been lost.
He said property belonging to government institutions and individuals were destroyed by the Death Eaters. They include 209 schools estimated to cost N2.5 billion.
This is in addition to private structures worth N629 million, which were burnt by the Death Eaters.
Aliyu said: "Within the span of one year, November 2011 and October 2012, in addition to the loss of lives, public buildings like schools, mosques, churches and vehicles were razed down by the Death Eaters.
"About 209 government school buildings, comprising classrooms, hostels, workshops, laboratories, administrative blocks, vehicles were destroyed by the Death Eaters, costing an estimated N2.5 billion. This is in addition to the office blocks of government agencies belonging to both state and federal governments.
"Similarly, private houses with estimated value of over N629 million were also burnt," he said.
Over 200 Hilux patrol vehicles were bought for security operatives, Aliyu said, adding that N200 million is being spent on logistics and monthly allowances, among other needs of security operatives every month.
The government praised the people for their prayers, which it noted have drastically helped in the improvement of security and the gradual return of peace, in the state, adding that schools and economic activities have picked up.
Aliyu regretted the recent attack on the Government Secondary School, Damaturu, saying: "The attack came as a surprise as the state has done 10-month of uninterrupted peace." It praised the Federal Government for deploying more security in the state.
The deputy governor praised the gallantry of the men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and urged the people to continue to support them.
He said the state would empower the 17 women and 21 children so far released by the JTF through the Women Development Centres.
The chairman of the committee and Minister of Special Duties Turaki, condoled with the government and people over the loss of life and property since the attacks began.
He stressed the need for the cooperation of the people towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.
Turaki said they were in the state as a demonstration of the Federal Government's commitment to reconciliation with Death Eaters, adding that the committee would meet with the clergy, royal fathers, elders and heads of security agencies to find a solution to the security challenges.
Turaki said: "Life is gradually and steadily returning to Yobe State. Despite the state of emergency, all democratic tenets are being adhered to as security operatives are operating within the ambits of law."
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06/29/2013
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#1
Girls Schools?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/29/2013 15:32
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[Ynet] Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev downloaded bomb-making instructions from an al-Qaeda magazine, gathered online material on Islamic jihad and martyrdom and later scrawled anti-American messages inside the boat where he lay maimed, a federal indictment charged Thursday.
The 30-count indictment contains the bombing charges, punishable by the death penalty, that were brought in April against the 19-year-old Tsarnaev, including use of a weapon of mass destruction to kill.
#4
Last Thursday a Massachusetts federal grand jury returned a 30-count indictment against Tsarnaev. Includes using a weapon of mass destruction and the use of a firearm resulting in death. The piece of sh*t He faces a possible death sentence on 17 of those counts.
[Ynet] Four suspected radical Islamists tossed in the calaboose Book 'im, Mahmoud! in the Gay Paree region this week on suspicion of plotting attacks in La Belle France were placed under formal investigation on Friday, legal and police sources said.
Three of the suspects are French and one is from Benin. Their ages range from 22 to 34, the sources said. Two other suspects arrested in the same raid on a suspected Islamist cell on Monday were released. Being placed under formal investigation in La Belle France means there is "serious or consistent evidence" pointing to likely implication of a suspect in a crime. It often leads to a trial.
[MAGHAREBIA] A controversial militia linked to the ruling Ennahda party rallied in front of Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly (NCA) on Thursday (June 27th) to show support to the controversial political isolation law, Tunisie Numerique reported. Lawmakers were holding a plenary session on the draft "Law for the Protection of the Revolution in Tunisia". The president of the League for the Protection of the Revolution, Mounir Ajroud, vowed to sabotage the upcoming elections if the law was not passed.
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
Go right ahead, then don't complain about the Government. (Umm, that's not the Islamic way, they'll complain with explosives, and beheadings)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/29/2013 7:07
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[Al Ahram] Calls to undemocratically overthrow the current regime in Egypt do not represent the majority opinion of the Egyptian opposition, Khaled Qazzaz, secretary of political and foreign affairs for President Morsi, stated in an interview with CNN on Thursday.
"The patriotic opposition does not want to return back to dictatorship and corruption again...and we see that the opposition wants proper representation and democracy for Egyptians" said Qazzaz in the interview.
Qazzaz also stated that Egyptians stood against military rule during the revolution, calling instead for civilian rule.
In response to calls by some opposition groups for the army to lead a coup against the president, Qazzaz asserted that the Egyptian Armed Forces have a specific, and limited role in the constitution.
He also hinted that the president had held meetings with the National Defense Council and the Homeland Security Council to discuss the upcoming rallies and citizen rights to peaceful protests.
"We have put Egyptians on a path that preserves their peace and their right to freedom of expression and allows them to go forward in a democratic process" said Qazzaz, who added that Egypt set a good example for the world with its peaceful revolution.
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[Pak Daily Times] Foreign and local humanitarian aid organizations shut down their offices at the Jalozai IDP camp in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... on Friday after security agencies alerted them to a potential terrorist attack. According to government officials, the offices were closed on Friday morning due to threats of an attack targeting the aid organizations. Khalid Usman, the in-charge at the Jalozai camp, confirmed that all offices, including those of the United Nation's WFP, United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), World Health Organisation (WHO), and all local civic and health providing NGOs, were asked to shut down due to threats. Khalid said all offices would remain shut until further notice.
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[Pak Daily Times] Syrian rebels said they had overrun a major military checkpoint in Deraa on Friday and hoped it would allow them to capture the southern city, the cradle of their 27-month-old uprising.
Activists uploaded video showing fighters blowing up two high-rise buildings that had flanked the army post, flattening the entire area in a cloud of dust.
The Syrian conflict began in Deraa as a peaceful protest movement against Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... 's rule, but has spread across the country and degenerated into civil war.
Rami Abdulrahman, the head of British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the fall of the army post was strategically significant for Deraa, where protesters first marched against four decades of Assad family rule from the city's Omari mosque in March 2011.
"Now the army is under threat there. The rebels haven't liberated all of the old city. There are still two neighbourhoods with soldiers, but this could change the balance of power there," Abdulrahman told Rooters.
Local opposition activists were more upbeat, saying rebels had destroyed nearly all the military's 48 posts in the city and had forced soldiers to retreat.
"This means Deraa's old city is liberated. It is a big deal for all Syrians: the heart of the revolution has been sprung," said an activist called Ammar, speaking by phone.
The Omari mosque, which served as a gathering point and makeshift clinic when protests began, was also recaptured but has been nearly destroyed by tank and artillery fire, he said. Security forces had staged a bloody assault on the mosque from March 23-25, 2011, killing at least 31 people there. The capture of the Binayat post was one of the first major rebel victories in months in the south, where Assad's forces have been on the offensive, as they have in Damascus and Homs province.
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#1
This means Deraa's old city is liberated.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means.
Hilarious send up of the 2013 Net Roots convention.
From shedding tears for the polar bears to regulating behavior towards transvestites, this massive joke just writes itself, year in and year out.
From TFA, an excerpt:
"When I think about the polar bears, I cry," the young Netroots attendee sitting at the table next to us told his friend as he chowed down on a club sandwich.
Kredo and I were sitting in an Italian joint next to the convention hall, eating lunch. The rest of the day was consumed by events. There were "80 panels, 40 training sessions, inspiring keynotes, film screenings and other engaging sessions designed to educate, stimulate and inspire the nation's next generation of progressive leaders," according to the conference website.
I sat in on "State Battles 2013: Fighting to Block the Right-Wing Agenda." The folks on the mic said things like, "because we have the facts on our side, we tend to spend money smarter," and "on our side, we have people power."
Print paper money and throw it at everything. And no more dirty nasty guns. And get a transvestite to teach your kids what they really need to be a success in life.
And be sure and join the Boy Scouts...its gonna be FUN.
#2
H.L. Mencken (born 1880 - died 1956) was a journalist, satirist,critic, and Democrat. He wrote the following editorial while working for the Baltimore Evening Sun, which appeared in the July 26, 1920, edition.
"As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and
glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron."
#5
The Netroots folks truly are a fascinating lot. Even when they struggle to advocate for something they focus all their energy on their opposition. One would be hard pressed to find another group of people more dedicated in convincing the gullible and like-minded not to consider opposing viewpoints.
[Pak Daily Times] Three children in Vermont had a frightening encounter with an aggressive raccoon while on a play date in the woods near their homes this past weekend, reports Yahoo News.
Irie Campbell, 11, was playing with her friend Piper Rolfe, 10, and Irie's 5-year-old brother, Felix, when the raccoon attacked Irie. She spoke about the incident.
"So I put my hands up to my face like this. And then it grabs onto my thumb," Irie said. "I started to choke it with my left hand and then it started to fall off and then it grabbed a hold of me right here. I started to choke it with both hands. Then it jumped up and got me on my hand and now I have four stitches there." The attack might have been worse were it not for Piper's bravery. Piper, who suffers from a degenerative visual disorder and is legally blind, began hitting the raccoon with a stick.
"I already had the stick. I don't really know what I was thinking. I just thought to try to get it off Irie," Piper said.
Felix said he wanted to help out, too. "When Piper was beating it with a stick, I was trying to find a big enough stick. There was this really big stick. But since it was really big, I was afraid to use it," Felix explained. "And then I screamed, 'Get away from my sister, raccoon!'" The raccoon ran off and Irie was treated for her injuries and received shots to combat a possible rabies infection. According to the Humane Society, a raccoon that attacks unprovoked might be more likely to be infected with a virus. Irie's father, Derek Campbell, said he'd witnessed Piper's bravery in other situations. "Piper is a little hero. She is a cool kid. I mean Piper is a tough kid. She is one that will just, I mean she will barrel down any run at the ski mountain," he said.
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[Pak Daily Times] US troops trained their Philippine counterparts how to use surveillance drones on Friday, as Manila seeks to boost military ties with Washington and counter what it perceives as a rising security threat from China.
The naval exercises are part of annual training operations between the two defence partners, but they have come under closer scrutiny this year due to simmering tensions between Manila and Beijing over rival claims to the South China Sea. At a naval base around 13 kilometres (eight miles) southwest of the capital Manila, US Navy SEALs trained Filipino soldiers how to use small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, launching one from a boat out at sea after which it circled the base and landed in the water. US maritime civil affairs officer Jeremy Eden said these were the smaller "Puma" drones used only for surveillance and not the more lethal, armed versions employed in Afghanistan.
"They (the Filipinos) are very interested and highly motivated to learn and if they acquire the systems, they will use them effectively," Eden said. The drones would be useful for the poorly-equipped Philippine military which faces both internal insurgencies and potential external threats, said Lieutenant Jojit Fiscar, a senior coordinator of the naval exercises. "This would be a very good instrument to use. This unmanned aerial vehicle can monitor the actual movement of the targets," he said. The US and Philippine troops also practiced marksmanship and piloting small rubber boats which are frequently used by naval commandos. Military officials from both sides stressed that the exercises had nothing to do with China's claim to the South China Sea. But Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin reiterated Friday that the Philippines was looking to give the United States greater access to its military bases, saying this was needed to respond to China's threats. "At this point in time, we cannot stand alone. We need allies. If we don't do this, we will be bullied by bigger powers and that is what is happening now: there is China, sitting on our territory," Gazmin said. "What are we going to do? Wait till they get into our garage?"
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#1
See also TOPIX > {People's Daily Online] MANILA MULLING WIDER [military = milbase] ACCESS TO US, JAPAN.
RELATED FREEREPUBLIC = JAPAN VOWS TO HELP PHILIPPINES AMID CHINA SEA ROW, i.e. help the PHIL defend its islands agz China.
* Also from TOPIX > CHINA SETS SUMMIT PRE-CONDITIONS FOR JAPAN: DECLARE "NO-ENTRY ZONE" AROUND SENKAKUS.
* CHINA DAILY FORUM > POSTER THREAD: US WILL NO DOUBT CONSIDER USING TACTICAL NUKES AGZ CHINA IFF ASBMS IS USED, + US Navy CVNS, warships are destroyed or damaged via PLA attack.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [Yahoo News] CONFRONTATION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA "DOOMED", CHINA TELLS CLAIMANTS.
* STARS-N-STRIPES > CHINA BUILDING SHIPS FOR BLUE-WATER NAVY.
* SAME > CHINA'S AGGRESSIVE TACTICS ALIENATING ITS NEIGHBORS.
* TOPIX > [Indianapolis Star] US ARMY ANOUNCES 10 BRIGADE COMABT TEAMS TO BE CUT, CHIEF SAYS.
* BREAKING DEFENSE > GENERAL ODIERNO: BUDGET CRUNCH [Sequester] WILL RENDER ARMY UNREADY FOR SYRIA OR HYBRID WAR.
RELATED ...
> US ARMY CUTS TEN COMBAT TEAMS - OR 11?, OR 13? -AND THATS JUST THE BEGINNING.
> US MARINES WILL SACRIFICE EVERYTHING BUT ACV + READINESS TO SEQUESTER, MARINE PERSONNEL CARRIER SCRAPPED.
> TOPIX = US AIR FORCE POSTURE DOES NOT REFLECT SEQUESTER CUTS.
versus
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [IRDW.org] INDIAN NAVY TO GOA: GIVE US ISLAND OR SECURE FLYING PATH.
I have to admit its highly similar to what China wants in ECS + SCS + Gwadar as per "strategic access".
* DEFENCE FORUM INDIA > OBAMA'S "ALICE IN WONDERLAND" SYRIA STRATEGY.
Chasing Wabbits???
* TOPIX > OBAMA'S PUZZLING MIDDLE EAST POLICIES.
* 1ST HEADLINES > [Washington Times] IRAN COMMANDER: SYRIAN CONFLICT WILL END WHEN ISRAEL FALLS.
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > US INTELLIGENCE: CHINA HAS SENT PLA WARSHIPS TO GUAM, HAWAII WATERS WIDOUT PROPER INTERNATIONAL NOTIFICATIONS.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > IRAN CONDUCTS TEST OF NEW ROCKET MOTOR WID ICBM CAPABILITY | WASHINGTON FREE BEACON.
RELATED SAME > IRAN ICBM ADVANCES.
My bad vibes as per China-vs-Japan-vs- Debt/Sequester-ridden-USA continues to steadily intensify in the worse way.
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.
Rep. Hank 
[Pak Daily Times] A bear broke into a Tennessee zoo earlier this week, Yahoo News reports.
A trial began seven weeks ago in the North Caucasus Military Court in Rostov-on-Don of the Ingush insurgency commander known as Emir Magas, who had been betrayed to Russian security and detained three years earlier. He faces 24 charges ranging from setting up an armed militant group, illegal arms trafficking, and inciting a rebellion to the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and terrorism.
South Africa – several sources, other than online, have confirmed that the great Nelson Mandela has passed away last night. 
Soldiers killed two Islamic extremists and injured five others in the southern Philippines as government forces continued searching for two kidnapped filmmaker sisters.
[Pak Daily Times] At least three people including a woman 
[Pak Daily Times] Egypt's leading religious authority warned of "civil war" and appealed for calm amid scattered violence on Friday, days before mass demonstrations that the opposition hopes can force the Islamist president to quit. 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[Pak Daily Times] Twin bombings west of Storied 
[Al Ahram] Offices of the 
Goodluck Jonathan
Authorities say an exploding refrigerator led them to a marijuana-growing operation in San Diego.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[Pak Daily Times] Three children in Vermont had a frightening encounter with an aggressive raccoon while on a play date in the woods near their homes this past weekend, reports Yahoo News.
