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Singapore: Iran assassination plot against Israeli Defence Minister Barak foiled
Today's Headlines
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
US, Armenia Agree on First-Ever Joint Military Exercises
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 21:14 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
The Egyptian Nuke ?
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 19:58 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  As said before, VARIOUS "ARAB/MUSLIM SPRINGS" + NEW PRO-ISLAMIST GOVTS = neither Iran, nor even Pakistan, etc. is Radical Islam's sole source(s) for NucTechs anymore.

IMO, in the Islamist view the GLOBALIST PREMISE FOR OWG-NWO DIVERSE, "BIPOLAR" OR "MULTIPOLAR WORLD", ETC = telling the Islamists that there is allowance for NUCLEAR ISLAM/ISLAMISM = NON-TRADITIONAL STTAE POWERS + WANNABES, + no longer just for simply those from the Cold War-era.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 20:44 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israeli paratroopers recently had first mass jump in years - preparing for?
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 19:51 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I know we have speculated that a couple of the sites in Iran are too deep to take out with just bombs. But a couple battalions of paratroopers would make short work of 'em.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 20:29 Comments || Top||

#2  How do they come home? Or is it a suicide mission? Or a story in need of salt?
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 02/29/2012 20:40 Comments || Top||

#3  Its been awhile for the IDF - the Paras are likely gonna need more than one JUMPEX.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:01 Comments || Top||

#4  I can't say for IDF tactics, but from an American standpoint the best way would to come in behind any fighter strike. The paratroopers could land and form a nice little perimeter, with special ops conducting the strike into the facility.

A FARP for helicopter support would be set up in Kurdistan or in Saudi Arabia so some close air support would be available.

After the raid, the paratroopers and commandos would leave via C-130 or equivalent aircraft with any intel/prisoners.

Whole thing would take two hours from the first bomb falling to wheels up on the C-130.

The trickiest part would be setting up the fuel depot in Kurdistan or Saudi and not have it be detected and deniable by the host countries.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 22:47 Comments || Top||

#5  Ariel refueling?
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/29/2012 22:58 Comments || Top||

#6  Aerial, even.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/29/2012 22:58 Comments || Top||

#7  Aerial refueling only goes so far. They would need a FARP for support since the distances are just too great. The coalition did it quite successfully during GW I.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 23:17 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
NV Health Inspectors raid community picnic and destroy all food with bleach
Posted by: Dar || 02/29/2012 18:42 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Yusuf Bey IV Tries To Bribe Honest Guard In San Quentin
Convicted triple killer Yusuf Bey IV, who was accused of trying to order followers to kill witnesses at his murder trial last year, has been placed in solitary confinement at San Quentin state prison after trying to bribe a guard to give him a cell phone, a Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman said.

Bey IV, 26, the former leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery, "offered an officer money and sports tickets in exchange for a cell phone," corrections spokesman Luis Patino wrote in response to questions. Documents detailing the charges are not public and cannot be released, he added.

State law prohibits inmates from having cell phones. It was unclear Wednesday if Bey IV was trying to order retaliation against any of the more than 70 people who testified against him at his murder trial, including former followers and a lover he had previously allegedly targeted for violence.

Bey IV was convicted in June of ordering the murders of journalist Chauncey Bailey and two other men and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without parole. Prosecutors had accused Bey IV of trying to get a hit list against witnesses in his murder trial smuggled out of Santa Rita Jail, where he was being held, and get it to a follower. Bey IV was never charged in connection with that incident.

A bakery follower, Antoine Mackey, was convicted of killing Bailey and another man and sentenced to two life terms without parole.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 18:28 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Science & Technology
Synthesis of Pseudoephedrine From N-Methylamphetamine
h/t Instapundit, SayUncle
A novel and straightforward synthesis of pseudoephidrine from readily available N-methylamphetamine is presented. This practical synthesis is expected to be a disruptive technology replacing the need to find an open pharmacy.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 16:25 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  While N-methylamphetamine itself is a powerful decongestant, it is less desirable in a medical setting because of its severe side effects and addictive properties [3]. Such side effects may include insomnia, agitation, irritability, dry mouth, sweating, and heart palpitations. Other side effects may include violent urges or, similarly, the urge to be successful in business or finance.

O. Hai and I. B. Hakkenshit? LOL. Smartass chemists.
Posted by: RandomJD || 02/29/2012 16:58 Comments || Top||

#2  Yeah, the paper is satirical (Journal of Apocryphal Chemistry, indeed), but the authors do have a point: Meth is easier to get than Sudafed AND you don't have to stand in line, sign your name and show a driver's license. Sounds like a win to me.

The downside, aside from the illegality of it all, would be the Mrs. objecting to chemistry experiments in the kitchen. "What? Are you doing organic synthesis with my good pans? AGAIN?"
Posted by: SteveS || 02/29/2012 18:08 Comments || Top||

#3  Steve - not to mention making the kitchen a EPA toxic clean-up site.
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 19:13 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Guantanamo Bay soccer field pricey addition to prison
The military unveiled a $744,000 soccer field yesterday, a dusty enclosure with two-toned gravel and fences topped by barbed wire — all designed as a quality-of-life improvement for cooperative captives.

The goals were missing, but the military had erected two guard towers, lights and surveillance cameras at the site outside a building called Camp 6, where the Pentagon imprisons about 120 of the 171 detainees.

Prison officers brought about a dozen visiting journalists to the 28,000-square-foot field yesterday, a day before the arraignment of Majid Khan. The former Baltimore resident has agreed to plead guilty to war crimes and testify against other captives in future military commissions.

While the tour was under way, the Pentagon unsealed part of a secret deal with Khan that postpones his sentencing until 2016.

Khan, who turned 32 yesterday, is accused of acting as a courier to carry $50,000 from Pakistan to Thailand for use in the 2003 suicide bombing of a Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. Eleven people were killed, and dozens more were wounded.

Khan also is accused of researching U.S. gas stations as targets for an al-Qaida leader, and at one point, donning a fake bomb vest in a test of his willingness to kill himself and then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 15:58 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Obits-
Buck Compton, Band of Brothers paratrooper passes away at 90.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 15:19 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Great guy. Didn't know he convicted Sirhan.

Thank you for everything you did for us, Mr. Compton. I sure hope we're worthy.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 16:28 Comments || Top||

#2  He wrote a book about his war years. Pretty good, too.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 02/29/2012 16:34 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Place names that offend
h/t Gates of Vienna
...thousands of places across the United States still saddled with names that are an insight into our divisive past, when demeaning names given to areas settled by ethnic or racial minorities were recorded on official government maps and often stuck. Some, like Wop Draw in Wyoming; Jewtown, Ga.; Beaner Lake, Wash.; Wetback Tank reservoir in New Mexico and Polack Lake in Michigan, can sound rudely impolitic to the ears of a more inclusive society.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 15:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  naughty word lane
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 15:09 Comments || Top||

#2  There's always Intercourse, PA
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 02/29/2012 19:20 Comments || Top||

#3  Long time ago I worked for a mapping company. We had software that looked for dirty words. Bloody was frequently flagged as a dirty word (in UK). What I found funny was sewage treatment plants were always flagged. Can't have sewage treatment without EATME I guess.
Posted by: Rjschwarz || 02/29/2012 22:12 Comments || Top||

#4  Hell, MI.
Posted by: Broadhead6 || 02/29/2012 23:19 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Pakistani Majid Khan pleads guilty in key Guantanamo case
Pakistani national Majid Khan pleaded guilty on Wednesday at a Guantanamo military tribunal in a landmark case that could speed the trials of September 11 suspects.

Khan, 32, a protégé of September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, murder and attempted murder in violation of the laws of war, and to material support for terrorism and espionage.

Dressed in a dark suit and pink tie, he spoke in fluent English without the aid of an interpreter, denying he every met or spoke to slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden but admitting to taking part in a "conspiracy" in Pakistan, Thailand and Indonesia.

Khan, who has spent the last nine years behind bars, faced possible life in prison but will receive a reduced sentence of no more than 25 years as part of a plea agreement that requires him to co-operate with US authorities.
This article starring:
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Majid Khan
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 14:59 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
Obama: I’ll veto bill that will provide water to California’s Central Valley
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 14:45 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Simply frightening. I hope this is quickly resolved.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 23:39 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
July 7 bomber's widow 'on the run' over links with terrorist cell
Police in Kenya have issued an arrest warrant for a woman using the name Natalie Faye Webb, and carrying a forged in Pakistain South African passport.

Helped by officers from Scotland Yard who flew out to offer advice, they have published her picture to alert the public. But investigators say the woman has three separate identities and one is that of Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to Jermaine Lindsay, one of the 7/7 bombers.

Lindsay killed 26 people when he blew himself up on the Piccadilly Line between King's Cross and Russell Square in July 2005.

Lewthwaite, from Aylesbury, Bucks, who converted to Islam at the age of 15 and married Lindsay in 2002, is said to be travelling with her three children.
This article starring:
Jermaine Lindsay
Natalie Faye Webb
Samantha Lewthwaite
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 14:45 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
We must be crazy to want for Turkey to enter EU -- Dutch MP
In an interview with Hurriyet daily of Turkey, Dutch MP Barry Madlener, who attended an international conference in Istanbul, yet again stressed that Turkey has no place in the European Union.

He noted that Turkey is a Muslim country, and many Dutch do not feel safe because of the thousands of Muslims living in the Netherlands. He added that the immigrants have contributed to the escalation of crime in the country.

In Barry Madlener's words, Turkey is not a democratic country, since the criticizing of Islam is banned and journalists are arrested there. "We must be crazy to want for Turkey to enter the European Union," the Dutch MP concluded.
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 13:53 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: WoT
Project Gunwalker: Holder Pouts before a Different Committee
Different committee this time -- John Abney Culberson, Texas called this one because of maybe a similar program was running out of Texas. Video at site (Megan Kelly) shows Holder and then Megan's interview with Issa.
A visibly frustrated Attorney General Eric Holder slammed the table when responding to a question about Operation Fast and Furious during a Tuesday budget hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies.

"That was a fundamentally flawed program, fundamentally flawed," Holder said of Fast and Furious. "And, I think that I can agree with some of my harshest critics that there are legitimate issues that need to be explored with regard in which the way Fast and Furious was carried out."

"But, I think one thing that also has to be understood is that once this was brought to my attention" -- Holder said before slamming his hand on the committee room table he was sitting at -- "I stopped it. I stopped it."

During an interview with Fox News host Megyn Kelly shortly after Holder's comments, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa -- the lead congressional investigator into the Fast and Furious scandal with Sen. Chuck Grassley -- said he and others in Congress don't think Holder is telling the full truth.

"Well, certainly one of the reasons we doubt the legitimacy of that claim is, on Feb. 4 [2011], we received what was in fact an untruthful, a lie, a false letter that has now been retracted," Issa said. "Lanny Breuer, one of his chief aides and number three at Justice, was in Mexico lobbying for more gun-walking. Additional evidence shows that [U.S. agent] Jaime Zapata was killed with a similar program weapon. In other words, this was a policy change that happened and continued up until fairly recently. We need to get to the bottom of it."

In addition, Issa said that if Holder wants to show he's cooperating with the congressional investigation and is interested in really ending gun-walking, he'd fork over the rest of the lawfully-subpoenaed documents he's still hiding from Congress.

"The inspector general at Justice has 80,000 pages and we have 6,000 pages, but even in those 6,000 pages we find damning evidence that high-ranking people in Justice knew all along and not only didn't stop this program, but believed in it," Issa said.

Holder shifts blame to Bush DOJ

During the hearing, Holder also took a stab at the George W. Bush administration, implying that previous attorneys general were briefed on operations similar to Fast and Furious. "In spite of what other attorneys general might have done with briefings that they got, when this attorney general heard about these practices, I said to the men and women at the United States Department of Justice, to the field, to Main Justice, 'This ain't going to be the way we conduct business. Stop it.'
Posted by: Sherry || 02/29/2012 13:44 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Britain
Lady Tonge resigns Lib Dem party whip over Israel remarks
Peer rejects ultimatum from Nick Clegg, saying she stands by comment that 'Israel will not be there for ever'
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 13:41 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Tonge, who was sacked as the Lib Dem children's spokeswoman in the Commons in 2004 when she suggested she could consider becoming a suicide bomber, sparked the row after raising questions about the future of Israel.

I will not pass remarks in her appearance, except to say that's what she looks like when she's trying.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 13:50 Comments || Top||

#2  People like her been saying things like this for 4000 years.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 14:14 Comments || Top||

#3  More info here
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 19:31 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Dupe URL: House Democrats flee Iowa Capitol in protest of gun bills
Iowa House Democrats this morning left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today that critics contend would make the state part of the “Wild, Wild West.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused House Leader Linda Upmeyer of failing to properly inform legislators about planned debate today on the bills. The short notice hindered Democrats from offering amendments to improve the bills, McCarthy said.

But Upmeyer, R-Garner, shot back this morning that Democrats did have adequate warning, and suggested their flight from the Capitol was an attempt to make a political scene.

“Iowans didn’t send us down here just to do easy stuff,” she said. “The Second Amendment is a question that many Iowans would like placed before them. I don’t know why they’re afraid to have a debate on a subject just because they don’t like the subject. That seems ludicrous to me.”

One bill would alter the state constitution to specifically include gun rights. Another would rewrite the law on “reasonable force” so that a person may use force — including deadly force — against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury or who is committing a violent felony.

“(Upmeyer) said they will debate those bills today whether we like it or not,” said McCarthy, D-Des Moines. “I told her that we’ve been double crossed, and we will not be debating those bills today.”

In response, Democrats have moved to an undisclosed location. Republicans hold 60 of 100 seats and could debate the bill without Democrats since they have a quorum. The majority party sets the calendar for debate and guides the course of business on the House floor.

“We have been double-crossed as a caucus, and we’re not going to sit back and be treated with historic misuse of power,” McCarthy said.

In a statement released after the Democrats exited the Capitol, McCarthy said the Republican leadership told Democrats yesterday the gun legislation would not be considered today. Because they didn’t believe the bill would come up today, he said, Democrats did not file all the amendments they wanted to offer on the bills prior to the deadline set in the House rules.

When met by a reporter after the Republicans adjourned from a party caucus, Upmeyer rejected McCarthy’s argument. The gun bills were noticed in the same manner as any other bill that could come before the House, she said — in a calendar that is updated and circulated to lawmakers everyday.

When Democrats asked what the Republicans intended to bring up today, Upmeyer said she gave them a list of non-controversial bills, but left consideration of other bills “open-ended.”

“Every member knows that anything that comes out of committee and is placed on the calendar is eligible,” Upmeyer said.

At this point, any lawmaker that abandons their post needs to have their position stripped from them, then they need to be tarred and feathered. Enough with this bullcrap.
Posted by: Darth Vader || 02/29/2012 12:48 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Southeast Asia
Singapore: Iran assassination plot against Israeli Defence Minister Barak foiled
Mossad, Singaporean authorities foil Hezbollah-Iranian plot during Israeli minister's visit, according to Kuwaiti report, three arrested.

A plot to assassinate Defense Minister Ehud Barak was foiled by Singaporean authorities in cooperation with the Mossad, during his visit to the island country earlier this week, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper report.

The report in Al Jarida, claimed that three members of a Hezbollah-Iranian terror cell were arrested by Singapore’s security agencies.

The information on the plot was obtained by the Mossad which passed it on to Singapore prior to Barak’s visit there earlier this week. The Israeli defense minister was in Singapore to attend the annual Air Show and for talks with local officials.

According to the report, the Hezbollah-Iranian cell was in possession of accurate information on Barak’s schedule during his three-day visit to Singapore and that it had planned to try and assassinate him at his hotel.

Barak is currently in Japan on a four day visit and is scheduled to return to Israel on Monday.

News of the assassination plot comes as Israeli security agencies are on high alert overseas following a spate of bombing attacks against Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia and amid concern that the Iranian cells apprehended in Bangkok was plotting to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Thailand.

On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda warned Barak against attacking Iran during a meeting they held in Tokyo.
Yes, yes, thank you very much. You don't want your oil supply messed up, and Israel doesn't matter
.During the meeting, Noda told Barak that military action would be dangerous and could escalate the current standoff between Iran and the West, a Japanese news agency reported.
it's going to escalate anyway. Might as well get something useful out of it.
Barak’s office issued a statement on the meeting but left out the warning he heard from the Japanese premier. Barak’s office said that he had asked Noda to step up its efforts to reduce its oil imports from Iran.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 12:05 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Coincidence? Just another country with angry random Iranians venting right?
Posted by: Fat Bob Unotch3711 || 02/29/2012 14:26 Comments || Top||

#2  Reads like a ally gathering trip.
"This is what I'm going to do...and this is how we think you will be affected. Can you live with that?"
Posted by: Skidmark || 02/29/2012 15:21 Comments || Top||

#3  Singapore apparently hands out death sentences for attempted murder. Usually carried out within 3 years of arrest. These guys will get to find out real soon whether Allah really exists.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 02/29/2012 22:29 Comments || Top||

#4  Peace be upon him, for that.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 22:53 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Dupe entry: House Democrats flee Iowa Capitol in protest of gun bills
Iowa House Democrats this morning left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today that critics contend would make the state part of the “Wild, Wild West.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused House Leader Linda Upmeyer of failing to properly inform legislators about planned debate today on the bills. The short notice hindered Democrats from offering amendments to improve the bills, McCarthy said.

But Upmeyer, R-Garner, shot back this morning that Democrats did have adequate warning, and suggested their flight from the Capitol was an attempt to make a political scene.

“Iowans didn’t send us down here just to do easy stuff,” she said. “The Second Amendment is a question that many Iowans would like placed before them. I don’t know why they’re afraid to have a debate on a subject just because they don’t like the subject. That seems ludicrous to me.”

One bill would alter the state constitution to specifically include gun rights. Another would rewrite the law on “reasonable force” so that a person may use force — including deadly force — against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury or who is committing a violent felony.

“(Upmeyer) said they will debate those bills today whether we like it or not,” said McCarthy, D-Des Moines. “I told her that we’ve been double crossed, and we will not be debating those bills today.”

In response, Democrats have moved to an undisclosed location. Republicans hold 60 of 100 seats and could debate the bill without Democrats since they have a quorum. The majority party sets the calendar for debate and guides the course of business on the House floor.

“We have been double-crossed as a caucus, and we’re not going to sit back and be treated with historic misuse of power,” McCarthy said.

In a statement released after the Democrats exited the Capitol, McCarthy said the Republican leadership told Democrats yesterday the gun legislation would not be considered today. Because they didn’t believe the bill would come up today, he said, Democrats did not file all the amendments they wanted to offer on the bills prior to the deadline set in the House rules.

When met by a reporter after the Republicans adjourned from a party caucus, Upmeyer rejected McCarthy’s argument. The gun bills were noticed in the same manner as any other bill that could come before the House, she said — in a calendar that is updated and circulated to lawmakers everyday.

When Democrats asked what the Republicans intended to bring up today, Upmeyer said she gave them a list of non-controversial bills, but left consideration of other bills “open-ended.”

“Every member knows that anything that comes out of committee and is placed on the calendar is eligible,” Upmeyer said.

At this point, any lawmaker that abandons their post needs to have their position stripped from them, then they need to be tarred and feathered.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 12:02 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Election 2012
Dupe entry: House Democrats flee Iowa Capitol in protest of gun bills
Iowa House Democrats this morning left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today that critics contend would make the state part of the “Wild, Wild West.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused House Leader Linda Upmeyer of failing to properly inform legislators about planned debate today on the bills. The short notice hindered Democrats from offering amendments to improve the bills, McCarthy said.

But Upmeyer, R-Garner, shot back this morning that Democrats did have adequate warning, and suggested their flight from the Capitol was an attempt to make a political scene.

“Iowans didn’t send us down here just to do easy stuff,” she said. “The Second Amendment is a question that many Iowans would like placed before them. I don’t know why they’re afraid to have a debate on a subject just because they don’t like the subject. That seems ludicrous to me.”

One bill would alter the state constitution to specifically include gun rights. Another would rewrite the law on “reasonable force” so that a person may use force — including deadly force — against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury or who is committing a violent felony.

“(Upmeyer) said they will debate those bills today whether we like it or not,” said McCarthy, D-Des Moines. “I told her that we’ve been double crossed, and we will not be debating those bills today.”

In response, Democrats have moved to an undisclosed location. Republicans hold 60 of 100 seats and could debate the bill without Democrats since they have a quorum. The majority party sets the calendar for debate and guides the course of business on the House floor.

“We have been double-crossed as a caucus, and we’re not going to sit back and be treated with historic misuse of power,” McCarthy said.

In a statement released after the Democrats exited the Capitol, McCarthy said the Republican leadership told Democrats yesterday the gun legislation would not be considered today. Because they didn’t believe the bill would come up today, he said, Democrats did not file all the amendments they wanted to offer on the bills prior to the deadline set in the House rules.

When met by a reporter after the Republicans adjourned from a party caucus, Upmeyer rejected McCarthy’s argument. The gun bills were noticed in the same manner as any other bill that could come before the House, she said — in a calendar that is updated and circulated to lawmakers everyday.

When Democrats asked what the Republicans intended to bring up today, Upmeyer said she gave them a list of non-controversial bills, but left consideration of other bills “open-ended.”

“Every member knows that anything that comes out of committee and is placed on the calendar is eligible,” Upmeyer said.

At this point, any lawmaker that abandons their post needs to have their position stripped from them, then they need to be tarred and feathered. Enough with this bullcrap.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 12:02 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Culture Wars
House Democrats have left the Iowa Capitol in protest of gun bills
Run away, run away
More cowardice from the Democrats, who once again find themselves on the losing side of an issue.
Iowa House Democrats this morning left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today that critics contend would make the state part of the "Wild, Wild West."

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused House Leader Linda Upmeyer of failing to properly inform legislators about planned debate today on the bills. The short notice hindered Democrats from offering amendments to improve the bills, McCarthy said.

But Upmeyer, R-Garner, shot back this morning that Democrats did have adequate warning, and suggested their flight from the Capitol was an attempt to make a political scene.

"Iowans didn't send us down here just to do easy stuff," she said. "The Second Amendment is a question that many Iowans would like placed before them. I don't know why they're afraid to have a debate on a subject just because they don't like the subject. That seems ludicrous to me."

One bill would alter the state constitution to specifically include gun rights. Another would rewrite the law on "reasonable force" so that a person may use force -- including deadly force -- against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury or who is committing a violent felony.

"(Upmeyer) said they will debate those bills today whether we like it or not," said McCarthy, D-Des Moines. "I told her that we've been double crossed, and we will not be debating those bills today."

In response, Democrats have moved to an undisclosed location. Republicans hold 60 of 100 seats and could debate the bill without Democrats since they have a quorum. The majority party sets the calendar for debate and guides the course of business on the House floor.

"We have been double-crossed as a caucus, and we're not going to sit back and be treated with historic misuse of power," McCarthy said.

In a statement released after the Democrats exited the Capitol, McCarthy said the Republican leadership told Democrats yesterday the gun legislation would not be considered today. Because they didn't believe the bill would come up today, he said, Democrats did not file all the amendments they wanted to offer on the bills prior to the deadline set in the House rules.

When met by a reporter after the Republicans adjourned from a party caucus, Upmeyer rejected McCarthy's argument. The gun bills were noticed in the same manner as any other bill that could come before the House, she said -- in a calendar that is updated and circulated to lawmakers everyday.

When Democrats asked what the Republicans intended to bring up today, Upmeyer said she gave them a list of non-controversial bills, but left consideration of other bills "open-ended."

"Every member knows that anything that comes out of committee and is placed on the calendar is eligible," Upmeyer said.

A House spokeswoman added that Democrats had in fact already offered an amendment to one of the gun bills, indicating that they had had ample time to develop proposed changes.

Upmeyer said she was not sure whether the House would convene and begin considering bills in the Democrats' absence. As of 10:45 a.m., the chamber remained at ease, with Republican lawmakers sitting casually at their desks or chatting in small groups on the House floor.
Posted by: Beavis || 02/29/2012 12:01 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Don't let the door... etc.
Posted by: Pancho Unert7742 || 02/29/2012 13:06 Comments || Top||

#2  Already a superminority, the ones still left are just practicing for after the next election.
Posted by: Chesney Shusoling7348 || 02/29/2012 14:39 Comments || Top||

#3  At this point, any congresspeople that flee and abandon their post need to be stripped of their positions and publicly tarred and feathered. It is a cowardly disgrace for any public official to abandon their oath and duty.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 14:43 Comments || Top||

#4  Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense?”
― Patrick Henry (One of the authors of the Constitutional Bill of Rights)
Posted by: George Ebbeamp4828 || 02/29/2012 15:13 Comments || Top||

#5  Dems are kind of mainstreaming this tactic.
Posted by: Iblis || 02/29/2012 15:22 Comments || Top||

#6  Good to see them protesting the high cost of self-defence.

More guns = less crime = less need for police = lower social costs. A positive externality that should be sales-tax free.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 15:49 Comments || Top||

#7  One bill would alter the state constitution to specifically include gun rights. Another would rewrite the law on "reasonable force" so that a person may use force -- including deadly force -- against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury or who is committing a violent felony.

I welcome the Deomcrat's attempt to be on the other side of this issue. Please keep up the good work.
Posted by: Secret Master || 02/29/2012 19:44 Comments || Top||

#8  Yokay, I'll bite, whose going to defend us = all things Americana when the North Koreans invade Colorado ala "RED DAWN II"???

Oh wait ...

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > PENN JUDGE: MUSLIMS ALLOWED TO ATTACK PEOPLE FOR INSULTING MUHAMMED.
Pennsylvania State Judge Mark Martin.

Not unlike the DemoLeft on various Lefty/Lib agendums oer the yarns, ala SECULAR QUASI-"SHARIA" = SOCIOPOLITICAL STRATIFICATION, THEY CAN DO IT TO US - WE, HOWEVER, CAN NOT DO IT TO THEM???

versus

* TOPIX > ANTONY: CHINESE SHIPPING TO BYPASS INDIAN OCEAN, to RFE + Pacific Ocean, + northern Canada into Atlantic Ocean, vee melting Arctic land routes.

Well now is Indjuh going to sink the PLAN???

* DEFENCE FORUM INDIA > [Brazil] BASE IN ANTARCTICA [South Pole]: WHY IT IS IMPORTANT LEGALLY?

Biggest last, unclaimed, unsettled or colonized, undeveloped place on Earth - perhaps more importantly, WHY SHOULD CHINA + INDIA, ETC. CLAIM RIGHTS BUT NOT BRAZIL???

The Brazilians are coming, the Brazilians are coming - led by OWG PAULA "DELILAH/BATHSHEBA" ABDUL???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 22:07 Comments || Top||


-Short Attention Span Theater-
The Stache Act
The American Mustache institute earlier today made this surprising announcement:

After barnstorming the Nation's Capitol in support of the proposed Stache Act (details and white paper here), the office of of [sic] Maryland 6th district U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett informed the American Mustache Institute that the congressman has begun the process of ensuring the'Stache Act becomes law by passing the proposal to the House Ways and Means Committee for study -- an essential first step for tax legislation.
I wonder, the bigger the 'stache, the bigger the tax break?
The surprising thing is not that a congressman--Rep. Bartlett, a Republican--would support the creation of another tax loophole. "The Stache Act (Stimulus to Allow for Critical Hair Expenses) aims to earn a well-deserved $250 annual tax deduction for every Mustached American for expenditures on mustache grooming supplies," the website reads.
What about beards? We need relief, too!
Instead, it was odd that Bartlett would even participate in what clearly seems to be an elaborate parody of Washington, D.C., think tanks and advocacy groups--and Congress. (The group is, after all, holding a rally on Capitol Hill on April 1.)

So I called Bartlett's office to see if something so silly could possibly be real. Sure enough, it is--but there's a wrinkle: Congressman Bartlett was never aware that the bill had been referred to the committee in his name.
I know nothing!
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 02/29/2012 11:53 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  HEY!! Can we make this retroactive for the length of time that the stache has continually been present?

I've had mine for 40 years (only added the goat about 3 years ago). $10,000 would come in handy right about now.
Posted by: AlanC || 02/29/2012 13:57 Comments || Top||

#2  John Bolton, of course, is the honorary chairman, and Roseanne Barr is the honorary chairwoman.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 18:27 Comments || Top||

#3  "and Roseanne Barr is the honorary chairwoman"

That's not very nice, Steve.

True, but not nice. Keep it up. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara || 02/29/2012 19:55 Comments || Top||


Economy
Chu to Congress: We’re not interested in lowering gas prices
“We agree there is great suffering when the price of gasoline increases in the United States, and so we are very concerned about this,” said Chu, speaking to the House Appropriations energy and water subcommittee. “As I have repeatedly said, in the Department of Energy, what we’re trying to do is diversify our energy supply for transportation so that we have cost-effective means.”

Chu specifically cited a reported breakthrough announced Monday by Envia Systems, which received funding from DOE’s ARPA-E, that could help slash the price of electric vehicle batteries.

He also touted natural gas as “great” and said DOE is researching how to reduce the cost of compressed natural gas tanks for vehicles.

High gasoline prices will make research into such alternatives more urgent, Chu said.

“But is the overall goal to get our price” of gasoline down, asked Nunnelee.

“No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy,” Chu replied. “We think that if you consider all these energy policies, including energy efficiency, we think that we can go a long way to becoming less dependent on oil and [diversifying] our supply and we’ll help the American economy and the American consumers.”
Posted by: Beavis || 02/29/2012 11:50 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  “But is the overall goal to get our price” of gasoline down, asked Nunnelee.
“No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy,”


This guy is a genius? The economy is inextricably tied to the price of oil.
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/29/2012 13:13 Comments || Top||

#2  Genius doesn't translate between fields.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 14:18 Comments || Top||

#3  Well they actually said it. The O Administration is not interested in trying to lower gas prices. The higher gas prices forces people to drive less and use less gas. Get used to it - they know what is good for us and we will comply. The priority is on alternative fuels. They think US gas prices should be like Europe. They can't see beyond their own existence - high rise apartment buildings, shopping at street level, taxis and trains and mass transit. Forget about the rest of the country - Let them eat cake.
Posted by: Hank || 02/29/2012 14:33 Comments || Top||

#4  Reminds me of the woman on TV talking with dreamy eyes about how glad she was that she wouldn't have to worry about putting gas in her car or paying her rent since O had been elected.
Rubes.
Posted by: Slineter Dark Lord of the Slytherins8562 || 02/29/2012 14:47 Comments || Top||

#5  > The economy is inextricably tied to the price of oil.

Sort of. The economy is tied into the affordability of oil.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 15:45 Comments || Top||

#6  No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil...

In one respect you gotta give Chu his props. He did properly describe the US reliance on oil as a "dependency". His boss, on the other hand, prefers to call it an "addiction". In other words, when it comes to oil americans have a compulsive disorder. Always remember, if you don't agree with the progressives...your irrational.
Posted by: DepotGuy || 02/29/2012 19:08 Comments || Top||

#7  A guy who was reported (by TV) to be driving his car on Bio-Diesel in Illinois was arrested for "trying to avoid the gas tax" so advocating people switching to Nat-Gas or Electric power in Illinois would have to be viewed (by president) as advocating the non-payment of state gas tax and therefore a criminal act.
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 19:18 Comments || Top||

#8  So the Bammer wants the US to reduce its dependency on effec fossil fuels in order to support our new desired future national, pro-SPACE GOVT-ORDER dependency on various Internat SpaceProgs which are either budding, or in the alternate crashing???

Yet, while also holding off on dev reliable "Global/Universal" Govts, Perts Consensus on PEAK OIL/RESOURCES LEVELS in support of said SPACE GOVT-ORDER.

AND WHEN THE OIL SANDS = SHALE OIL IS NO MORE, WHAT THEN???

LACK OF RELIABLE GOVTS, PERTS CONSENSUS = the US-World could be running out of vital resources, + wouldn't know about it until it was too late.

["TANK GIRL" Movie here].

Lest we fergit, 1990's NET > GLOBAL ENERGY, RESOURCES COLLAPSE = ISLAM WINS BY DEFAULT, as per the mandatory worldwide protection of leftover resources, i.e. the NOW RESOURCES-POOR "GLOBAL DESERT/STEPPE".

SHEIKH SEAN CONNERY in "THE WIND + THE LION" > IIRC "When the Trees are all gone + the Good Soil is now burning sand/desert, My People [Berbers = Muslims] will still be here [long after the last European has died or left]".

Or words to that effect.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 22:31 Comments || Top||


Investors study: Lowest taxed states generate more jobs and vice versa
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 11:48 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Fixed spelling of Investor.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 15:08 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Blue on blue: Landrieu blasts Salazar, White House over drilling moratorium
Nice collection of You tube clips and other sources at hot air. Seems the dhimocrats are starting to hear from their constituents, and the voters are pissed.
There's an election coming, I hear. I bet Landrieu gets back on the reservation in January, 2015 when she has another six years.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/29/2012 11:43 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Why Syria's Christians are angry
In Syria, the Christians are angry. For eleven months, many of their leaders have stood firmly behind the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. However, Syria's new constitution explicitly says in Article 3 that the president of the country has to be a Muslim, thereby barring Christians from the right to run for the top post.

On Sunday, pro-government Syrians went to the polls to approve the new constitution. In protest of Article 3, Christians voted with a "no," while the opposition movement boycotted the election altogether, saying that it was inconceivable for it to take place while the country is up in flames. Nevertheless, the new constitution passed.

Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 11:41 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
YouTube: Pakistan's textile industry on 'verge of collapse'
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 11:12 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I guess that means hundreds of thousands of additional unemployed with nothing to do except grow more poppies. At least the price of drugs will come down a bit.
Posted by: gorb || 02/29/2012 11:32 Comments || Top||

#2  Riots and jihad. Both pay, although on a piecework basis.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 12:14 Comments || Top||

#3  In this global economy, the loss of Pakistans textile industry (formerly known as South Carolina's textile industry) , along with the loss of Egypts version will impact prices on your Walmart and Targets and Kohls right here.
Look for higher prices in this category too.
Posted by: Capsu78 || 02/29/2012 12:32 Comments || Top||

#4  Because of power blackouts, according to the video...and the fequipment is being sold to producers in India and Bangladesh, whose power supplies can be trusted.

I suppose that could be counted as yet another war the brave and clever generals of the Land of the Pure have lost to India and Bangladesh, though it may not occur to them to think in such terms.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 13:59 Comments || Top||

#5  So, they'll start importing fabrics for suicide vests?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 14:17 Comments || Top||

#6  ..experiencing one of those boom and bust cycles?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/29/2012 18:49 Comments || Top||

#7  What Pak Industry isn't on the verge of collapse???

Here on Guam, PAK has competition from both China + Bangladesh + even Myanmar [Burma] as per Personal Sportswear + other.

* ION BHARAT RAKSHAK > DESPERATE TIMES: IRAN OFFERS PAKISTAN 80,000 BARRELS OF OIL ON THREE-MONTH CREDIT.

Pak power "load shedding" has never stopped.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:13 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
U.S.: North Korea Agrees To Suspend Nuclear Activities
The United States says North Korea has agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and implement a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also said the communist-ruled North had agreed to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to verify and monitor the moratorium on uranium enrichment and confirm disablement of the North's nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.

The U.S. statement on February 29 also said that U.S. and North Korean officials would meet to finalize details of a proposed package of 240,000 metric tons of food aid to the impoverished North.

The U.S. announcement came after envoys from the two sides met earlier in February in China's capital, Beijing.
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 10:34 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  FTFY, tipper. :-)



If it doesn't involve trading nukes for food, it proves yet again that the Obama administration is bumbling and incompetant.
Posted by: gorb || 02/29/2012 11:15 Comments || Top||

#2  Lucy van Pelt says it all.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 02/29/2012 11:29 Comments || Top||

#3  gorb, or they're just on the other side.
Posted by: Hellfish || 02/29/2012 12:06 Comments || Top||

#4  Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Posted by: Korora || 02/29/2012 12:08 Comments || Top||

#5  The best Charlie Brown football Joke I ever saw,

Charlie Brown comes running and Kicks Lucy out of the picture, the football stays, he grins.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 02/29/2012 12:29 Comments || Top||

#6  Even the naive gits that toil for Her Eminence the Secretary of State cannot be this stupid. What they can do is put lipstick on something designed for the electioneering of the Manchurian Candidate, so he can claim a huge success. All the while spending Chinese dollars to feed the most evil, dishonest, duplicitous nation state in history who will barely pretend to do anything more than talk to IAEA inspectors after the hundreds of millions of dollars of food get there. Oh, and watch who gets fed, the NKPA, not the peasants. All we have done is prop up another generation of despots, allies, of China, with money we borrowed from them, effectively rescuing their own client state on the verge of chaos, and paying for it. Brilliant on their part, and spending huge amounts of debt for the American people for a brief little press clipping for the Obumble Campaign. They have no shame or sense of duty beyond their own ambitions.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 02/29/2012 12:41 Comments || Top||

#7  Instead of sending all that food to NK they should think about the starving in the US..
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 13:20 Comments || Top||

#8  It does kinda make you wonder whose side they're on.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 02/29/2012 15:38 Comments || Top||

#9  We have been over this same subject for years in the 'Burg. Norks are at a tipping point of their regime's existence and we will continue to enable this horrific regime to exist.

This Administration is devoid of all principles, and just plays for the power. With every foreign policy position and move, they are pushing the world to war and instability. Whose side are they on, indeed.

This action would gag a maggot.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 02/29/2012 18:04 Comments || Top||

#10  "North Korea Agrees To Suspend Nuclear Activities Lies Again"

Fixed.
Posted by: Barbara || 02/29/2012 18:25 Comments || Top||

#11  "Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me"
Fool me three times shame on us all.
Posted by: Dale || 02/29/2012 20:13 Comments || Top||

#12  I'm interpreting this news as the DPRK Nucprogs going more covert + "underground" than it already is.

IMO, as per the DPRK's new econ agreements wid Mama Russia, the real story here is that the DPRK desires new or expanded FDI + other to counterbalance its FTA vee Rising China.

I suspect that Iran's hallowed "JAPAN MODEL" as per its NucProgs, i.e. possessing the covert ability to quickly produce NucWeaps in the future whilst not doing so in the present, is also favored by Jong-un + Pyongyang Boyz.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 20:54 Comments || Top||

#13  Not to be outdone by Jong-un + Pyongyang Boyz ...

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > OBAMA, IRAN IN SECRET NUCLEAR DEAL?

Iran to allegedly hand over 20%-0r-higher HEU in exchange for the US publicly admitting before the World that Iran has no NucWeaps nor intent to build NucWeaps???

versus

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [SecState Hillary]CLINTON THREATENS PAKISTAN OVER IP [Iran-Pakistan] PIPELINE | PAKISTAN COULD FACE DAMAGING CONSEQUENCES IFF IT OPTS FOR IP GAS PIPELINE.

Vee Iran Sanctions Act.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:40 Comments || Top||

#14  Meanwhile, oer at TOPIX ...

* TOPIX > HEY NORTH KOREA, WE WON'T ATTACK YOU, BUT ITS OKAY IFF YOU ATTACK US, LOVE BARACK OBAMA.

* SAME > NORTH KOREA'S RETREAT ON NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES MAY SIGNAL NEW ERA.

* SAME > US SEES "MORE OF THE SAME" FROM NEW KOREAN LEADER.

US = Jong-un is a wily dastardly Son-of-A-Kim surrounded by Kims.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 23:19 Comments || Top||

#15  Peanuts: the same jokes, over and over. And poorly drawn at that. Why do people love it so???

The only good gags:

Shroeder at the piano vs. Linus + blanket.
Lucy and the football.
Snoopy flying his doghouse.
Snoopy dancing.

LAME!!!
Posted by: Scooter McGruder || 02/29/2012 23:37 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian Troops Advance on Rebel Area of Homs
Syrian troops advanced Wednesday on a key rebel-held area in the central city of Homs, where three Western journalists are trapped by a government assault that has raged for weeks. The forces appeared to be starting a ground operation to retake the area that has become a symbol of the uprising to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Government forces have been heavily shelling Homs, and particularly the rebel-controlled Baba Amr neighborhood, for more than three weeks with tanks, artillery and rockets. The announcement by a Syrian official of the new troop advance indicated a ground assault was beginning to recapture Baba Amr.

A Syrian official vowed Baba Amr would be "cleaned" within hours. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 09:59 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Culture Wars
James Murdoch has stepped down as executive chairman of News International.
Also via Drudge
MAG: TED TURNER UNLEASHED...
SUICIDE THOUGHTS; HASN'T BEEN INSIDE STORE FOR 5 YEARS; CONSIDERED RUN FOR PRESIDENT; THE WOMEN, THE BOOZE, JANE; DOESN'T WATCH CNN 'HEADLINE NEWS'; WARNING TO MURDOCH... DEVELOPING...
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 09:30 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Science & Technology
Ship Accidents Sever Data Cables Off East Africa
Prob'ly all were accidents. But curious, nonetheless, andawfully good timing if one wanted to dip more deeply into the message flow. Just saying...
NAIROBI—Undersea data cables linking East Africa to the Middle East and Europe were severed in two separate shipping accidents this month, causing telecommunications outages in at least nine countries and affecting millions of Internet and phone users, telecom executives and government officials said.

A ship dragging its anchor off the coast of the Kenyan port city of Mombasa severed a crucial Internet and phone link for the region Saturday, crippling electronic communications from Zimbabwe to Djibouti, according to a public-private consortium that owns the undersea cable.

The Indian Ocean fiber-optic cable, known as The East African Marine Systems, or Teams, is owned by a group of telecom companies and the Kenyan government. It was the fourth cable to be severed in the region since Feb. 17.

The Teams cable had been rerouting data from three other cables severed 10 days ago in the Red Sea between Djibouti and the Middle East. Together, the four fiber-optic cables channel thousands of gigabytes of information per second and form the backbone of East Africa's telecom infrastructure.

Telecom companies were reeling over the weekend as engineers attempted to reroute data south along the East African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 09:12 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Isn't this Artic from EOY 2011???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:32 Comments || Top||

#2  No, this is a recent cut. Someone dragged anchor across some cables.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/29/2012 23:01 Comments || Top||

#3  Total bull.

These multiple service cuts are done to ensure that anti-virus programs don't get updates.

Someone somewhere in the denied area is being pwnd. Why and how is for the future to describe. And they will not see this comment until the operation is complete.

As for now, all your base belong to us.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 23:35 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iranian Defense Minister: Enemies will face 'rainy day' weapons in case of attack
Iran is prepared with hidden "rainy day" military capabilities it is saving for when it is attacked, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Tuesday, warning potential enemies of a "new environment" created by Iran's developing arms industry.

"These days Americans badly fear that an incident happens in the region and they can't stand against the Islamic Republic's firm positions vis-à-vis that given event," Vahidi told Fars.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 08:51 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We can deal with umbrellas.
Posted by: Grunter || 02/29/2012 9:44 Comments || Top||

#2  Versus the dreaded "slightly overcast" weapons.
Posted by: Steven || 02/29/2012 10:19 Comments || Top||

#3  will these rainy day weapons put out the sea of fire?
Posted by: chris || 02/29/2012 10:26 Comments || Top||

#4  Suggesting that maybe making nukes is not such a "sin" as their spokesmen suggest becayse the only rainy day weapon that we would give a darn about would be a nuke.

Too bad they wouldn't be around long enough to enjoy it. Unless Obumble is in charge, then he will apologize to them for making them upset enough to use it.
Posted by: gorb || 02/29/2012 11:18 Comments || Top||

#5  gorb, I suggest you're overly sanquine. Rainy day weapons could consist of easy to deliver bio and chemical weapons.

Float a boat load into any or all harbors of ours and/or allies and see what hits the fan. They could even mount a plausible deniability campaign.
Posted by: AlanC || 02/29/2012 12:39 Comments || Top||

#6  I was at the Senate office Building in October of 2001, participating in a meeting with members of Senator Feinstein's Office on issues of terrorism and state government capabilities and plans. The anthrax event in the building sent us to the emergency room of George Washington University for treatment and the start of a series of prophylactic treatments for possible exposure. The initial group of people actually in the building and proximate to the exposure site filled the auditorium with several hundred and we got an initial briefing from medical staff there. In the course of the afternoon and evening I watched the massive numbers of people who self identified as possible exposure cases flodded local hospitals with thousands.
A real anthrax or bio/chem even in major cities, even in limited actual size, mere ounces of confirmed agent in multiple locations, would create a panic across the nation of enormous proportions and expense. The cost, difficulty, effect, denial analysis of such an attack would make any terrorist planning group giddy.
Do you really think there haven't been backchannel communications about these sort of things between allies and even protagonists?
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 02/29/2012 13:18 Comments || Top||

#7  flooded
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 02/29/2012 13:20 Comments || Top||

#8  NMB, sure there have been discussions. But, to what effect?

It wouldn't take much in the way of hard-line jihadis to do this and if they were suicide types with no identifiable tie to a particular country what then? Nuke the entire ME? add in Indonesia and Malaysia and the Magreb for good measure?
Posted by: AlanC || 02/29/2012 14:04 Comments || Top||

#9  It wouldn't take much in the way of hard-line jihadis to do this and if they were suicide types with no identifiable tie to a particular country what then?

There are ways to trace the material.
Posted by: Pappy || 02/29/2012 15:48 Comments || Top||

#10  Pappy,

maybe yes, maybe no. The question is plausible deniability. If it starts getting down to chemical formula then the lefties and "progressives" can stop things pretty easily. Look at what happened in Iraq and the "failed" intelligence about WMD. Could you really be sure that the kind of tracing you're speaking of could come to a real conclusion with the sort of resistence you would see (not to mention if Zero is still around)?
Posted by: AlanC || 02/29/2012 16:58 Comments || Top||

#11  maybe yes, maybe no. The question is plausible deniability

I'm talking 'technical'.

You're talking 'political'.

Big difference.
Posted by: Pappy || 02/29/2012 18:26 Comments || Top||

#12  Yokay, I'll bite - "rainy day"???

SON, AHZ IS PERPLEXED, TRULY + UNDENIABLY.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 20:58 Comments || Top||

#13  Nuke the entire ME? add in Indonesia and Malaysia and the Magreb for good measure?

Works for me.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man || 02/29/2012 22:19 Comments || Top||

#14  NoMoreBS, thanks for your service to me and our nation. I am sorry you had to deal with that situation, and more sorry that our government hasn't been willing to put the stick on the real perps of that crime.

I too had unusual, uncomfortable, experiences in September and October of that year, but here we are ten years hence; so, they were not so bad.

Similarly, do not overestimate the Iranian threats. God has been generous to the United States in providing such weak adversaries. One nuclear weapon detonated over Qom would release the Iranian people from their bondage. The Iranian leadership living there will never do anything to make that happen, which deploying chem/bio weapons in the US would certainly, definitely, absolutely, and quickly cause to happen.

For people outside of the United States a largely Christian nation, you must understand that we really energetically love you in a New Testament way, and we want to help you succeed. Love and hate are not so far apart though, and to reject our love makes us unhappy. To attack us and make us afraid -- that would be bad for you, in an Old Testament way.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 23:18 Comments || Top||

#15  you must understand that we really energetically love you in a New Testament way, and we want to help you succeed. Love and hate are not so far apart though, and to reject our love makes us unhappy. To attack us and make us afraid -- that would be bad for you, in an Old Testament way.

Oh my, rammer. That was certainly effective communication.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/01/2012 0:00 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Doubts over identity of al-Qaeda militant held in Cairo
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 08:35 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Is this another one of those AQ types with more nommes d'plume and nommes d'guerre, that the total number exceeds his IQ?
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 02/29/2012 10:52 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Stratfor cache: Russia gave Israel Iranian system's codes
Quite possibly this is true. But Stratfor's George Friedman says some of the documents are forged, so we may never know. Still, it's useful to know what's being bruited about.
Document by intelligence company suggests Israel, Russia contracted deal several years ago under which Israel provided Russia with codes for UAVs it sold to Georgia in exchange for Iranian aerial defense system codes

WikiLeaks has released an email exchange between employees of Stratfor, the US-based global intelligence company, which reveals Israel and Russia made a deal to swap access codes for defense and surveillance equipment.
 
According to the leaked document, Israel gave Russia the "data link codes" for unmanned aerial vehicles that the Jewish state sold to Georgia, and in return, Russia gave Israel the codes for Tor-M1 missile defense systems that Russia sold Iran.

In a document by a Stratfor employee dated February 2009 she says that she had met with a "Mexican source/friend" who told her that Israel and Russia had contracted a deal several years ago as part of which Israel provided Russia with codes of UAVs it had sold to Georgia. In exchange Moscow provided the Israelis with the codes for Iran's Tor-M1 aerial defense systems.
 
The document suggests that the deal was signed before the Russia-Georgia war of August 2008 during which Russian forces invaded Georgia. At the time it was reported that Georgia was using Israel-made weapons.
 
It can also be understood from the document that the Georgians had at one point realized that their UAVs were compromised and were looking for a replacement for the Israeli made drones.
 
The Mexican source also addressed the S-300 aerial defense systems which Israel and the West have spent years trying to dissuade Russia from handing over to Tehran. The source said that Israel and Turkey were collaborating very closely in regards to the system and that since Russia sold them to Greece – Turkey's longtime rival – Ankara has been busy trying to crack their codes.
 
He added that Ankara shared intelligence with Israel to make sure it has an edge over Iran should it get the systems from Russia.
Does dear Mr. Erdogan know about this?
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 08:04 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This kind of code swapping might be responsible for the Iranians grabbing the US stealth drone. Not that either Israel or Russia were involved, but it makes more sense than Iran having some magic attack system.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 02/29/2012 14:48 Comments || Top||

#2  If the Georgia accusations are true it could destroy Israel's arms export and arms rehabilitation industry.
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 18:32 Comments || Top||

#3  OTOH DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS [Debka] RUSSIA HAS MODERNIZED TWO RADARS IN SYRIA TO WARN OF US + ISRAELI ATTACK AGZ IRAN.

Russia being a "FRENEMY" to both Iran + Israel???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:29 Comments || Top||

#4  So let's say the Russians give you a code for the Iranian air defense network. And you surge your entire air force way out on the mission. And someone punches in the code.

Let's say it doesn't work on the first try.

Who do you call?

Dumbass.

Always verify what the Russians say.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 22:49 Comments || Top||


Europe
Truth no defence: French court overturns acquittal in al-Dura case
A Paris appellant court overturned a ruling exonerating a French-Jewish politician who claimed that a France 2 TV report suggesting that the IDF killed Palestinian boy Mohammed al-Dura was staged.
 
A libel suit filed against Carasenti had once been rejected but will now return to court. The France 2 report caused a global stir and caused grave damage to Israel.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 06:41 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I gather this event was so heavily staged that they could make a behind-the-scenes documentary for the DVD extras.

But "Old Europe" seems utterly impervious to common sense. A libel law that ignores that a duck is a duck, even if it is a duck, looks and sounds like a duck, and acts like a duck; because it is in some weird way more important that the duck is *offended* by being called a duck, will eventually cause a breakdown in society.

"Offensensitivity", as Berkeley Breathed called it, is a path to madness.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 9:09 Comments || Top||

#2  ..from the people who brought you the Dreyfus Affair. When its a fight between the truth and the ruling caste, it's a good bet on the ruling caste. Or as in America, we say "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/29/2012 10:01 Comments || Top||

#3  I haven't read the decision but Cour de Casstioon is not supposed to judge and not supposed to consider the facts, it only examines if everything was according to the law and in case it doesn't it nominates another court for judging again.
Posted by: JFM || 02/29/2012 12:13 Comments || Top||

#4  So it's an interim step, JFM? Good to know.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 12:16 Comments || Top||

#5  It's like the referendums re joining EU, JFM?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 14:12 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
Trend: Afghan troops killing ISAF counterparts
US commanders are increasingly worried about the trend of Afghan security forces using their weapons to kill their US and Nato counterparts - not because of an insurgent plot but due to resentment, reports said.

A recent report showed there is much distrust and suspicion between Afghan and US troops. Such murder incidents are "no longer isolated; they reflect a growing systemic threat. They are provoking a crisis of confidence and trust among Westerners training and work with ANSFs {Afghan National Security Forces}," the AFP quoted the 2011 report as saying.

Various surveys have shown that Afghan soldiers think US soldiers are "rude, disrespectful and reckless with their gunfire when civilians were nearby."

American troops see Afghan soldiers as "traitorous, lazy, drug-addled and corrupt."

In the most recent incident, which is still being investigated, an Afghan policeman shot two US officers at their desks at the Ministry of Interior. This prompted Nato to withdraw its advisers from Afghan ministries. Isaf's General John Allen has not yet said when they will be reinstated.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 06:31 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  American troops see Afghan soldiers as "traitorous, lazy, drug-addled and corrupt."

Afghan soldiers proudly see themselves as "traitorous, lazy, drug-addled and corrupt."


Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 8:51 Comments || Top||

#2  This is why we had a Phoenix program in Vietnam. The ARVN was riddled with Viet Cong and just plain worthless types. So part of the program was to create elite units that *were* trustworthy and loyal to their country. And *these* units got all the action, and far more perks, whereas the less trustworthy units got rural checkpoint duty.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 9:12 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Netanyahu slams Abbas for incitement in meeting with Norwegian FM Støre
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 06:22 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I imagine the left in Norway is in full panic because of the massacre. They cannot sustain their political power without their jugend as the next generation. So they are probably trying to deplete national resources so badly that Norway will be impoverished for decades, led by the right, until the left can recover.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 9:15 Comments || Top||

#2  IMO: it would be more productive to slam Norwegian FM---with a sledge. Unfortunately, not practical yet.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 14:14 Comments || Top||



Home Front: Culture Wars
Blackstone CEO gets $213.5 million in 2011 pay, distributions
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 05:46 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  In August 2010, Schwarzman compared President Barack Obama's plan to raise carried interest taxes to Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939.[21]

Not where the similarities end, but I agrew with Mr. Scharzman on this one. Maybe he'll loan some dough to Mitt.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 8:45 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
Tawriya: "Creative Lying" Advocated in Islam
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 05:37 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Reminds me of Clinton's "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" statement - seems to be some common ground between Islam, Clinton, and probably lawyers.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the news we see "Popular outrage erupted after Afghans learned that copies of the Koran were brought to an incinerator at the U.S.-run Bagram airbase. Top U.S. and NATO officers have apologized and insisted the incident was a grave error but not intentional." One wonders if there was some creative islamic lying involved in that event.

Posted by: Glenmore || 02/29/2012 7:43 Comments || Top||

#2  Pick a village, any village.

ISAF Key Leader Engagement (KLE) member:
"Hello my brother. Any Taliban in this village?"

Village Elder: No, no Taliban here in three years.

Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 7:49 Comments || Top||

#3  Tawriya: "Creative Lying" Advocated in Gaiaists
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 9:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Why would a great god need to deceive?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/29/2012 20:36 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria: The Salafist Who Launched the Rebellion
"I am al-Qaeda." Al-Qaeda has been at the forefront of the rebellion from the start.
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 05:33 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  To me it could be a case of better the devil you know as these Sunnis are more fanatical than the Shias imo.
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 02/29/2012 8:30 Comments || Top||


Iran says making nuclear bombs a "great sin"
Iran, facing growing international pressure over its nuclear program, called for more talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Tuesday and condemned production of atomic weapons as a "great sin."

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful but negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have stalled and Western powers have grown increasingly concerned over the possible military dimensions of Tehran's atomic work.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, in a speech to the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, said he expected talks to continue and that he was optimistic they would proceed in the right direction.

"I would like to re-emphasize that we do not see any glory, pride or power in the nuclear weapons, quite the opposite based on the religious decree issued by our supreme leader, the production, possession, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, are illegitimate, futile, harmful, dangerous and prohibited as a great sin," he said.

However many in the Western camp were skeptical, with the IAEA saying no further talks were scheduled, given what Western diplomats have described as Iran's unwillingness to address allegations of military nuclear research.
Posted by: tipper || 02/29/2012 05:26 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ....Clearly then, if building bombs is wrong, they don't wanna be right.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 02/29/2012 5:44 Comments || Top||

#2  Good morning Mike. I don't see much on the possible strategy of Iran regarding Saudi Arabia.
It looks to me that the Saudi have been encircled. I understand the Persians invented chess. Knowing how they like to play the media game could they be working on securing interests in oil there. We now have several choke points on the flow of oil here. The Arab spring could have been or will be worked to the advantage of Iran. I believe Iran longs for the days of history past.
Mecca would be a supreme necleus of power. Whirlwind of a propaganda event. In politics of our time the bait and switch technique is a very common pratice. Should this be true then their efforts with Isreal will now be tempered. Saved for another day while the python coils about its prey.
Posted by: Dale || 02/29/2012 7:58 Comments || Top||

#3  This is actually funny. Like saying they wouldn't build nuclear weapons because the Catholic Pope wouldn't approve.

There is no original sin in Islam. In fact, the very idea of sin in Islam is almost a nonsequitur, because they believe Allen is omnipotent and everything is predestined. Thus there is also no need for repentance, and forgiveness is also nebulous.

And most of all, they clearly believe that a Muslim can do anything they want to infidels, assuming it is hostile, without it being a sin.

Not just making, but *using* nuclear weapons against infidels would be "A-O.K." as far as Allen is concerned.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 9:24 Comments || Top||

#4  I cannot even begin to imagine what audience this guy is playing to. Nobody believes it. Nobody believes anybody else will believe it. Not even Obumble.
Posted by: gorb || 02/29/2012 11:24 Comments || Top||

#5  Playing for time, first of all, and that new word...tarawiya? It is not a lie by a Muslim when the spoken words are narrowly understood by the speaker and completely and deliberately misleading to the listener. Closing his eyes, "I don't see him," he said, so the questioner continued the search elsewhere.

In this case, it would be a sin for Israel or any of Iran's opponents to make atomic weapons, with which they might fight off Iran's jihad. It perhaps might be a sin -- though as Anonymoose points out, not if aimed at enemies of Islam as defined by the speaker, or perhaps if sin is defined as resulting in harm to Iran -- for Iran to produce atomic weapons at the moment he is speaking. And of course, Iran's nuclear weapons program is peaceful in that once the unbelievers and enemies have submitted to the threat of Iran's nukes, there will be peace...for Iran's rulers, at least.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 13:43 Comments || Top||

#6  Tawriya. good article, tipper.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 14:01 Comments || Top||


Africa North
US & Egypt negotiating: Blind Sheikh Rahman & 49 others to be swapped for 19 American hostages
Large grain of salt required.

Does Obama understand that if this occurs his presidency is over? Over, over, over? Even Mittens can beat this drum.
Posted by: Glavimble Sheck7109 || 02/29/2012 03:18 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  He must really hate the USA.
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/29/2012 8:45 Comments || Top||

#2  The "fix it team" soundly rejected by host nation. How very strange.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 8:47 Comments || Top||

#3  WTF!I am not American but if he hands over terrorists to the Taliban and now the Muslim Brotherhood he is a traitor to the US!
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 02/29/2012 8:48 Comments || Top||

#4  Gruth McGurque5303

Wisdom packed her bags, took the first set of silver wings out of America she could book, and left America a long time ago. Now in regards to Egypt, around here it is, pass the bloody popcorn.
Posted by: wr || 02/29/2012 9:33 Comments || Top||

#5  43 pro-democracy workers, including 19 Americans, who face criminal charges from the authorities in Cairo for operating without proper registration and receiving foreign money.

The bottom line is that these are not "hostages", but "righteous busts", who were supporting agitators. I suspect a goodly number of them are employees of George Soros.

There are also other Americans who were caught throwing Molotov cocktails at police.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 9:33 Comments || Top||

#6  If the empty suit is actually thinking about this, it is proof that Soros was up to his eyeballs in the Tahir Square festivities.

Of course, one man's hostage is another man's provoctuer.
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 02/29/2012 10:13 Comments || Top||

#7  If the empty suit is actually thinking about this, it is proof that Soros was up to his eyeballs in the Tahir Square festivities.

How so, Bill? (I'm still recovering from your post on the Afghanistan Koran psyops -- that pulled the whole thing into focus for me.)
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 10:54 Comments || Top||

#8  Even if Obumble is stupid enough to go along with this, I cannot imagine that he hasn't been warned not to do it. Hard to believe.

But hey, every cloud has a silver lining, and the silver lining here would be the guaranteed end of him, his administration, and his ideology. Nobody would want to stand next to him.
Posted by: gorb || 02/29/2012 11:28 Comments || Top||

#9  gorb, you are assuming we will get a Republican candidate with the stones to call him on it. Hope we do. Such a candidate could also have a field day talking about Zero's apology to Hamid Karzai over the Quran burning. But I dunno if Romney will do it.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 02/29/2012 14:39 Comments || Top||

#10  From what i have watched in the UK there is no outstanding Republican Presidential hopefuls who could wipe the floor with Bambi?
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 02/29/2012 15:35 Comments || Top||

#11  Trading the blind Sheikh for hostages would be bad, but why would this move finish Obama politically?

Rahman was involved with the 1993 attack which was trivial compared to 9/11. Yet the Taliban who were the state sponsors of 9/11 are no longer a target for elimination (they won't share in Bin Laden's fate), rather the US gov wants to negotiate a return to power and danegeld aid payments with the Taliban.

Mullah Omar is currently not a cabinet minister in Kabul, protected and paid by the West, because he has refused Karzai's (and the West's) offers, not because the West wants to hold him responsible for 9/11.
Posted by: Glavimble Sheck7109 || 02/29/2012 20:57 Comments || Top||


Good morning
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:06 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Happy Birthday/Daily Gam Shot

Michèle Morgan (French) aka Paula Matrac in "Passage to Marseille (1944)" aka Julie in "The Fallen Idol (1948)" aka Nelly in "Le quai des brumes (Port of Shadows)(1938)" aka Marie-Louise Rivière in "Les grandes manoeuvres (The Grand Maneuver)(1955)" aka Countess Natalie de Clairefons in "Lost Command (1966)" aka Joan in "Joan of Paris (1942)" (age 92)



You Silly Wabbit
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 02/29/2012 1:25 Comments || Top||

#2  Lost command was a good one.

Posted by: Dale || 02/29/2012 7:10 Comments || Top||

#3  Good morning Joan. Would you like a cup of coffee?. Oh, you don't have to get up.
Posted by: Dale || 02/29/2012 7:13 Comments || Top||

#4  Somehow Joan Blondell looks a little healthier. Did that have anything to do with avoiding randy defense ministers?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 02/29/2012 11:22 Comments || Top||

#5  I've always liked Blondell when she appears here. Blondell was married three times, first to cinematographer George Barnes in 1933—divorced in 1936. In 1936, she married husband two, actor, director, and singer Dick Powell--divorced in 1944. In 1947, Blondell married producer Mike Todd (3rd Liz Taylor's eight marriages), whom she divorced in 1950. Her marriage to Todd was a disaster. She died of leukemia Christmas 1979. The picture above was censored in 1932 as too risqué for eyes.
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/29/2012 12:15 Comments || Top||

#6  amazing. When I was watching those's '50s sitcoms as a kid, I had no idea,,,, oh, Joanie
Posted by: Snish Unusotle2994 || 02/29/2012 13:00 Comments || Top||

#7  I'm glad I'm not the only guy who has a fondness for this woman. (I pretty much love all her stuff, including Here Come The Brides.)
.
Posted by: OregonGuy || 02/29/2012 14:44 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Wanted Thai terrorist killed in gun battle
A man believed to be a key figure in the Runda Kumpulan Kecil terrorist separatist group was killed in an exchange of gunfire with security forces in Yala province yesterday.

Military rangers cordoned off a village in Raman district around 4:40 a.m. and searched for a group of RKK members. About two hours later, the force moved on to surround a house and saw a man later identified as Mazahutee Samae, 38, trying to flee with several other people.

Mazahutee began shooting at rangers, starting a gun battle that lasted for about 10 minutes. After the clash, the body of Mazahutee was found near a .38 pistol. Other suspects escaped.

Mazahutee faced three arrest warrants from Dec 22, 2007, to Feb 25, 2009. He is believed to have been involved in a gun attack that killed Lomae Arbu, a village leader, in 2010.

The military rangers found a man hiding in a bathroom of a nearby house around 8:30 a.m. The man was identified as Tameezee Baka, 35, who claimed he was so frightened by the sound of the gunfight that he decided to hide. Police said they found a bulletproof vest in his house, although it could not be established if he was linked to the RKK.

In Narathiwat province, three soldiers were wounded in a bombing in Bacho district yesterday. They were among six soldiers traveling on a six-wheeled truck about to cross a bridge.

In Pattani, an assistant village leader and a villager were killed in a gun attack on Monday night. They were identified as assistant village head Zakaree Wicha, 32, and Muhamudroyalee Kalong, 35, who were attacked by gunmen while talking near a house.
Posted by: ryuge || 02/29/2012 00:03 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
Perpetrators of Kohistan killings will be taken to task: Malik
[Dawn] Minister for Interior Rehman Malik
Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men.
on Tuesday said the firing on Gilgit-bound bus in Kohistan
...a backwoods district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distinguished by being even more rustic than is the norm among the local Pashtuns....
was a conspiracy to destabilize the country and its perpetrators would be taken to task.

Talking to media persons after having a meeting with Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah, the Interior Minister said President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
and Prime Minster Yusuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
soon after the incident issued directives for taking security measures in order to avoid such incidents in future.

He said out of 18 victims, eight belonged to Gilgit, seven to Hunza Nagar and three to Astore district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Terming the incident unfortunate, Rehman Malik said those, who were trying to give the incident a sectarian colour, would not succeed in their designs.

"We have got some clues and will trace out the perpetrators soon."

He said he had already constituted a joint team to thoroughly probe the incident which would submit its report in three days.

Answering a question, he said he would be able to give further information about the incident after receiving the inquiry report.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  More succintly, DEFENCE FORUM INDIA > MILITANTS CLAD IN [Pak] MILITARY UNIFORMS KILL 18 SHIA MEN IN PAKISTAN.

Iran is gonna demand answers, + measures, from Pakland.

* DITTO CHINA as per the above, which is demanding that Pakistan take measures to protect Chinese Citizens in thier country after a Chinese woman was seemingly shot + killed down in cold blood.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 20:36 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinians Urge Security Council Visit to Occupied Territory
[An Nahar] The Paleostinian leadership on Tuesday called on the U.N. Security Council to visit the occupied territories to see the impact of Israel's settlement campaign.

The Paleostinian U.N. envoy, Riyad Mansour, made the request as U.N. under secretary general for political affairs, B. Lynne Pascoe, told the Security Council that events in Gazoo and the West Bank are "dangerous and ultimately unsustainable."

Mansour said he had sent a letter to the 15-nation body calling for the visit as soon as possible. The council is currently discussing future trips but diplomats said the demand was part of a Paleostinian campaign to draw international attention back on the Middle East conflict.

Mansour said he had met ambassadors from several Security Council nations to discuss "the explosive situation in the occupied territory as a result of the provocations of Israel in intensifying the settlement campaign."

"It is an appropriate time for the Security Council to come and visit Paleostine and for members of the Security Council to see with their own eyes the reality of the Paleostinian people in the occupied territory," Mansour told news hounds after a Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

The U.N. expressed concern
...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended...
at the council about new settlements and the destruction of Paleostinian homes in the occupied territories and East Jerusalem. Pascoe also raised concerns about violence between Israeli settlers and Paleostinians and rocket fire from Gazoo into Israel.

Talks between Israel and the Paleostinians have been deadlocked since September 2010. The Paleostinians have refused to hold talks until Israel freezes settlement building, which has also been condemned by the United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
and the major powers.

Exploratory contacts between the two sides were held in Amman in January but nothing has come from them.

Israel's U.N. ambassador Ron Prosor said he was "surprised" by the Paleostinian request which he called an attempt to divert attention from the Syria uprising.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Palestinian Authority


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian Media Hails Referendum 'Victory'
[An Nahar] State media on Tuesday hailed as a "victory for Syria" the adoption by referendum of a new constitution that ends the ruling Baath party's monopoly on power but which leaves extensive powers in the president's hands.

"The success of the referendum on the constitution represents a victory for Syria, and not for any party, government or political movement, as some are trying to claim," said the official daily al-Baath.

The new law fundamentally "opens the way to an era of political consensus and the consolidation of liberties and the concept of citizenship," said the mouthpiece of the ruling Baath party.

Syrians' voted on Sunday for a new constitution brought in by Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
after 11 months of anti-regime protests, with 89.4 percent of voters backing the charter and a turnout of 57.4 percent, according to Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar.

The constitution ends the legal basis for the five-decade stranglehold on power of Assad's Baath party but still leaves huge powers in his hands.

The opposition said the changes were cosmetic after nearly a year of repression by Assad's security forces that human rights
...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
groups say have left more than 7,600 people dead.

"The opinions of 750,000 (no) voters and of the six million who abstained will be respected, since the goal is to overcome the current (crisis), al-Baath newspaper said.

"Those who drafted the constitution do not claim that it is perfect and that it cannot be subject to amendment."

The official Tishrin newspaper Tishrin said the vote amounted to a "defeat" inflicted on "states which incite violence by urging the opposition to refuse all dialogue or through their support for gangs."

Those states "have delivered diatribes and have made threats such as those of (Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh) Hamad bin Jassem (al-Thani), who advocates arming the opposition to make the blood of Syrians flow."

The Qatari premier on Monday called for the arming of Syrian rebels.

"We should do whatever necessary to help them, including giving them weapons to defend themselves," he said during an official visit to Norway.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Clinton Says Calling Assad 'War Criminal' May Complicate Things
[An Nahar] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
... sometimes described as The Woman to Call at 3 a.m. and at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as Another Edward Everett ...
said Tuesday an argument could be made for declaring Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Lord of the Baath...
a war criminal, but said such action could complicate a solution in Syria.

"Based on definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an argument to be made that he would fit into that category," Clinton told a Senate hearing on the State Department budget.

"People have been putting forth the argument," the chief U.S. diplomat said.

"But I also think that from long experience that can complicate a resolution of a difficult, complex situation because it limits options to persuade leaders perhaps to step down from power," Clinton said.

The secretary appeared to be referring to Yemen, where the United States supported a deal that gave outgoing Yemeni president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
"complete" immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down.

The United States defended that deal as a way to promote democracy in Yemen.

In Brussels on Monday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said La Belle France wants to see the Syrian regime dragged before the International Criminal Court
... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ...
(ICC), saying he would plead for such action before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He said he would say that he hopes to "see the international community reflect on the conditions of a referral to the ICC."

But he said that, as Syria was not a party to the Rome convention establishing the ICC, the tribunal could not initiate action itself and it would be up to the U.N. Security Council to refer the matter.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  What a subtle, wily diplomat she is, to be sure.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 6:22 Comments || Top||

#2  I wouldn't recommend calling him a "snob" either.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 7:22 Comments || Top||

#3  Assad shouldn't think anything of it, Hillary considers Trunks to be War Criminals(tm) as well. When you're both National/International Socialists using 'Nazi' as a pejorative lacks perspective. 'War Criminal' has a greater degree of separation from each other.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/29/2012 9:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Is this Bashir the "reformer we can work with" al-Assad, or was that some other Bizaro World al-Assad?
Posted by: SteveS || 02/29/2012 18:12 Comments || Top||

#5  "Bizaro World al-Assad"

I think there's only this one in real life, Steve. :-(
Posted by: Barbara || 02/29/2012 18:26 Comments || Top||

#6  PIAPS is a major demon and a constant vexation to the Christian, as is her demonic,rapist $pousal unit and "filthy lucre" cash-generator.
Posted by: Thosh Omugum4787 || 02/29/2012 22:15 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
Rasmussen Says NATO Showing 'Restraint' in Afghanistan
[An Nahar] NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization....
troops are displaying "great restraint" in Afghanistan in the face of a wave of violent unrest that left four U.S. troops dead and others maimed, the alliance's secretary general said Tuesday.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen insisted trust had not broken down between alliance-led troops and Afghan cops, despite incidents in which Afghans turned their weapons on their American partners.

The assaults did "not represent the full picture of the daily cooperation" between the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan troops, he told news hounds during a visit to Washington.

"I deplore the violence we have seen during the last week. But across the country ISAF troops are showing great restraint and professionalism. And Afghan cops have shown considerable courage in their effort to minimize the violence," he said.

Two U.S. military advisers were bumped off in the interior ministry in Kabul on Saturday, days after two American troops were killed by an Afghan soldier in the east. On Sunday, seven U.S. soldiers were maimed in a grenade attack during an anti-U.S. demonstration in northern Kunduz province.

NATO promptly pulled its military advisers out of Afghan government ministries following the shooting over the weekend.

Popular outrage erupted after Afghans learned that copies of the Koran were brought to an incinerator at the U.S.-run Bagram airbase. Top U.S. and NATO officers have apologized and insisted the incident was a grave error but not intentional.

Rasmussen accused Islamist snuffies of attempting to exploit anger over the Koran burning
...One of the basic tenets of Islam is that once a Koran has been printed it is expected to last for all time, no matter how old, ratty, and smelly other, lesser holy books may become. Should it actually become necessary to put a Koran out of its misery there is a ritual that includes extensive charivari, long drawn-wailing and head bonking, ritual wife beating, and the sacrifice of dozens of women's noses and pubic lips. When the actual disposal has been completed there is a prescribed period of celebratory gun sex with the expectation of a minimum of two hundred casualties. Should actual infidels dispose of a Koran, Islamic custom calls for three weeks of rioting and a minimum of three dozen dead, which is a holdover from the days of Moloch worship...
and said he hoped that NATO military advisers would soon return to their posts at Afghan government ministries.

"The enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in dividing us from our partners. We want to resume with the close cooperation as soon as possible," he said.

"But of course we also have to take the necessary measures to ensure our people can do their work in a secure environment."

Echoing comments by U.S. officials on Monday, Rasmussen said the turmoil would not trigger any change in the alliance's timeline for a gradual troop withdrawal and handover to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

NATO has a 130,000-strong U.S.-led military force fighting the Taliban, which has led an insurgency against the Western-backed Kabul government since being toppled from power in 2001.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Caribbean-Latin America
Lesion Removed from Venezuela's Chavez in Surgery
[An Nahar] Venezuelan His Excellency President-for-Life, Caudillo of the Bolivarians Hugo Chavez was in good condition Tuesday after surgeons in Cuba "totally extracted" a lesion from the same pelvic area where they cut out a cancerous tumor last year, Vice President Elias Jaua said.

"The diagnosed pelvic lesion was totally extracted," said Jaua, adding that that "surrounding tissue" was also removed and that there were "no complications" with nearby organs.

Venezuelan officials have never specified what kind of cancer Chavez suffered from, but have denied that the cancer has spread to other organs.

The operation in Havana "took place according to plan, and the result was satisfactory, after which a recovery plan has been programmed to take place in the next days," Jaua said.

"President Chavez is in good physical condition," he said, reading a statement on Chavez's health during a special radio and television broadcast.

Jaua said doctors will study the results of the operation to determine "the optimum way to treat the lesion."

Chavez declared himself cancer-free last October, only to deliver the shocking news on February 21 that a small lesion had been discovered.

"Nobody can say right now that it is another malignant tumor," he said at the time, adding that "the likelihood that it is malignant is greater than that it is not."

The possible return of Chavez's cancer has cast doubt over his October 7 re-election bid, likely to be the most closely contested presidential election in years.

Chavez, 57, who remains the active duty president while away from Venezuela, has been in power since 1999.

Chavez, a leftist anti-American firebrand
...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments...
, faces a strong challenge from 39-year-old Henrique Capriles, who was chosen as the sole opposition candidate in a primary earlier this month.

Chavez has used Venezuela's vast oil wealth to help keep his Communist ally Cuba afloat for a decade, as he courted anti-U.S. allies from Iran to Syria to Libya and Bolivia.

His survival in power is pivotal for both his nation -- South America's preeminent oil power and an OPEC member -- and Cuba, which depends on Venezuela for cheap oil.

As during his initial cancer care in Havana last year, Chavez did not delegate power to Jaua as some opposition members sought.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Commies

#1  "The diagnosed pelvic lesion was totally extracted . . . the likelihood that it is malignant is greater than that it is not."

They found his brain, then.
Posted by: RandomJD || 02/29/2012 0:33 Comments || Top||

#2  When you're cured and it comes back, you're not cured.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 0:40 Comments || Top||

#3  They said they cut out everything, wonder if he can stand?(Or pee)
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 02/29/2012 2:25 Comments || Top||

#4  Steroids, amphetamines and painkillers can only keep you going for so long. Look for the puffy look of edema, showing that his liver and kidneys are starting to go, followed by the concentration camp look of starvation.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 8:25 Comments || Top||

#5  The lesion they really need to remove is the one on the top of his neck.
Posted by: Glenmore || 02/29/2012 8:27 Comments || Top||

#6  Malignant Chavez removed from cancer.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 11:13 Comments || Top||

#7  Cheering for metastasis.
Posted by: mojo || 02/29/2012 11:20 Comments || Top||


Iraq
Iraq must get out of Chapter VII
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Iraqi Parliamentary Foreign Relations Commission today called the international community to play greater role in removing Iraq from UN Security Council's Chapter VII and adopting a clear stand to support its legitimate issues, according to a statement.

The statement added that the Commission today received a delegation from the British Embassy in Baghdad. During the meeting, the Commission called upon Britain to play a role in assisting Iraq get out of Chapter VII in order to have its pioneering role in the Arab world and the region.

Iraq is subject to Chapter VII of UN Charter following its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, where force was used against it as it was "threatening world peace."

This led to freezing Iraqi assets in world banks to pay compensations to Kuwait and others.
Removing Iraq from Chapter VII would require the U.N. to stop meddling. Two chances of that; slim and none.
The statement added that the Commission along with a delegation from the International Energy Agency discussed the oil situation in Iraq and its legislations in order to have a complete study on oil in Iraq. It is expected that the details of such visit will be published in Agency's annual report on world energy estimations of 2012 next October.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What a shame Iraqi leaders were such dicks when negotiating the SOFA. I'm afraid your pity tickets have all expired. It's realpolitik from here on out; so, what is in it for me the average American who bailed your Shia ass out, when Saddam was hunting you down?

Think hard, and make a persuasive case, I am pitiless and angry.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 0:20 Comments || Top||

#2  Saddam, Uday And Qusay would all be laughing about now, had they made it to Switzerland with the gold.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 7:39 Comments || Top||


Europe
EU to recall all ambassadors from Belarus
But I think we all saw this coming...
European Union states have reached an agreement to recall all their ambassadors from Belarus after Minsk requested the EU and Polish ambassadors to leave the country, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing diplomatic sources.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry advised earlier on Tuesday that the head of the EU delegation to Belarus, Ambassador Maira Mora, and Polish Ambassador Leszek Szerepka leave the country. Minsk also recalled its ambassadors from Warsaw and Brussels, RIA Novosti reported.

European Parliament President Martin Schultz said Minsk's decision to recall its Ambassador to Poland Andrei Yevdochenko and Ambassador to the EU Viktor Gaisenok was a "hostile act."

The ambassadors were told to "leave for their capitals for consultations to inform their leadership of Belarus' firm position that pressure and sanctions are unacceptable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh said.

EU members on Monday agreed to expand a black list of Belarusian officials subjected to restrictive measures, namely police officers and court officials considered responsible for arrests and condemnation of opposition activists. The sanctions envision an asset freeze and an EU entry ban.

Belarus will also ban entry to the country for those EU officials who contributed to the introduction of the new sanctions, Savinykh said.

"The Council of Europe's decision testifies that the EU continues to pursue a policy of open pressure. We have repeatedly explained at all levels that this policy has no prospects in relations with the republic of Belarus," he said.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
South Sudan Rebels Sign Truce Deal with Government
[An Nahar] South Sudan has signed a ceasefire with the largest of several rebel groups which threaten the stability of the world's newest nation, the government said on Tuesday.

The deal to integrate an estimated 1,800 guerrilla fighters into the South's army comes after rebel chief and renegade general George Athor was killed by government forces in December.

"The Republic of South Sudan has signed an agreement with the former rebels of George Athor, in which they have agreed to the amnesty laid down by President Salva Kiir," Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told Agence La Belle France Presse.

The pact was signed on Monday in Pigi county, a rebel base in the troubled eastern state of Jonglei.

"They immediately declared a ceasefire after the signing," Benjamin added.

Rebel front man James Nuot said their forces would integrate into the South's army after leaders were promised senior positions in the government and military, without giving further details.
So the senior guys take the Boeing and the cannon fodder snuffies rubes get enlisted into the army that hates them. Shrewd, real shrewd...
"We reached agreement because we decided to reconcile with the government, and because the government accepted what we need from them," Nuot told AFP.

South Sudan had accused Athor of acting on behalf of Sudan in a bid to destabilize the country, which won independence in July after the end of a two-decade civil war with Khartoum.

Despite a peaceful split, both nations accuse each other of funding proxy rebel groups across their borders. South Sudan has long claimed that the north backed Athor, a charge he denied.

"This is the biggest of South Sudan's rebel groups, and they will not be used by Khartoum any longer to destabilize South Sudan," Benjamin said.

Athor rebelled in April 2010 after claiming that electoral fraud cheated him out of the governor's post in Jonglei.

"Our forces were not funded by Khartoum -- we get our own things differently," Nuot said, without elaborating.

Kiir's amnesty has encouraged several groups to end their rebellions but Athor's militia -- the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army (SSDM/A) -- had long been the grand prize for South Sudan.

Instability is a major stumbling block for the new nation, and the guerrilla army turned government is unable to give estimates on how many rebel groups it is battling.

Benjamin said that negotiations with the rebels started before Athor was rubbed out in a clash with a border patrol, after allegedly going on a recruitment drive in Central Equatoria state.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Putin Says Unafraid of Assassination Plots
[An Nahar] Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
...Second President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits he is the current Prime Minister of Russia. His sock puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was installed in the 2008 presidential elections. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law. During his eight years in office Russia's economy bounced back from crisis, seeing GDP increase, poverty decrease and average monthly salaries increase. During his presidency Putin passed into law a series of fundamental reforms, including a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile...
said Tuesday he was unafraid for his life and had grown used to plots to kill him, after state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
reported a new conspiracy days before Russia's presidential poll.

"You cannot live with constant fear -- let them fear us. I have been living with this since 1999," when Putin first became prime minister before heading the Kremlin in 2000-2008, Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.

Princess: Nothing hurts you, does it?
Conan: Only pain.
Russia's Channel One television on Monday showed two men with links to Islamic fascisti in Chechnya purportedly confessing to plans to blow up Putin's car after his expected return to the Kremlin in Sunday's ballot.

Several independent analysts and some opposition media said the report's timing appeared aimed at inciting a groundswell of public support around Putin in the face of almost daily street protests against his rule.

Putin, whose earlier career is linked closely to the decision to launch Russia's second war in Chechnya in 1999, said he had been informed of the plot in advance as a safety precaution.

"They reported it to me because people in my position have to live with it," he said after inspecting the site of an apartment block collapse in the southern city of Astrakhan that claimed at least eight lives.

"Such things should never reflect" on how you conduct your daily business, said Putin. "They were never a bother and they never will be."
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic Emirate of Caucasus

#1  Starting from: Bag End, Hobbiton, The Shire
Arriving at: The Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow

(distances in miles)

1. Start out going South from THE HILL. 0.6
2. Cross THE WATER. 1.0
3. Turn LEFT onto ROAD TO BYWATER 9.3
4. Turn LEFT onto EAST ROAD, toward FROGMORTON 47.8
5. Cross BRANDYWINE BRIDGE 0.1
6. EAST ROAD becomes EAST-WEST ROAD toward BREE 106.3
7. Turn RIGHT onto GREENWAY toward DUNLAND 359.1
8. Cross R. GWATHLÓ/GREYFLOOD 0.5
9. GREENWAY becomes NORTH-SOUTH ROAD 415.0
10. Ford R. ISEN at FORDS OF ISEN 90.5
11. Cross R. SNOWBOURNE 219.0
12. Cross MERRING STREAM 330.4
13. At MINAS TIRITH, turn LEFT toward MINAS MORGUL 120.8
14. Continue East toward CIRITH UNGOL. 37.3
15. Bear East-North-East toward ORODRUIN 84.7
16. Climb UP toward CRACKS OF DOOM 19.4
17. South on MOKHOVAYA STREET. .8
18. Turn LEFT Past TROYTSKOYA TOWER with the EYE OF PUTIN
to the GRAND KREMLIN PALACE.

When using any walking directions or map, it is a good idea
to stop at an inn or hostelry and inquire about news from
abroad. Find out whether any wars are brewing, and if so,
whether agents of the enemy are pursuing you. This is only
an aid in planning. Your eventual route and mileage may vary.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 8:20 Comments || Top||

#2  Thats because he controls all the threats in his country(Blowing up flats and making up Chechen threats come to mind)
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 02/29/2012 8:33 Comments || Top||

#3  said Tuesday he was unafraid for his life and had grown used to plots to kill him, after state television

Sorry Puttie, I don't believe you for an instant.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 19:06 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Tunisian President Says Ready to Grant Assad Asylum
[An Nahar] Tunisia is ready to grant asylum to Syrian leader Bashir al-Assad as part of a negotiated settlement to the crisis, President Moncef Marzouki said in an interview to be published Wednesday.

Marzouki had last week called for judicial immunity for Assad and his family during an international conference on Syria held in Tunis.

"Tunisia is ready to grant asylum to Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Light of the Alawites...
and his relatives in the framework of a negotiated settlement to the Syrian crisis," he told La Presse newspaper.

During Friday's Friends of Syria meeting in Tunis, Marzouki had called for an Arab peacekeeping force for Syria in tandem with diplomatic efforts to try to persuade Assad to quit.

"A political solution must be found, such as granting the Syrian president, his family and members of his regime judicial immunity and a place to seek refuge, which Russia could offer," he said Friday.

World powers have piled pressure on the Assad regime to end its deadly crackdown on dissent, which human rights
...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions...
groups estimate has killed more than 7,600 people since March last year.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  "You can stay with us. Bring money. Lots of money."
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 8:01 Comments || Top||

#2  New $750,000. astro-turf soccer field at GITMO opens this week. It's just like the new one at KAF built for our NATO partners. Give it some thought.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 8:10 Comments || Top||

#3  7x3x6?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 14:16 Comments || Top||


Afghanistan
Afghan bombs kill 14: all red-wire green-wire related
[Dawn] Two separate blasts in southern Afghanistan killed 14 people, including a group of gun-hung tough guys who were trying to rig an improvised bomb against Afghan and foreign forces, officials said Tuesday.

In the volatile Nawzad district of Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
province, a group of seven Talibs died while trying to cut a pipe bomb and fit it into a vehicle on Monday, provincial front man Daud Ahmadi told AFP.

"The explosive-packed pipe detonated killing a Taliban capo along with six of his fighters," he said.

Roadside bombs are the most commonly used weapons by the Taliban, who are leading a 10-year insurgency, and are responsible for the bulk of deaths among the US-led coalition and Afghan cops.

On the same day, seven people, including six women, were killed in an kaboom in Nawa district of the same province inside a house used by a local Taliban capo Mullah Manan, a security bigshot said.

"We have intelligence that the Taliban capo was making bombs inside the house," Mohammad Ismail Hotak told AFP.

Helmand has experienced increasing militancy over the past couple of years despite Afghan and NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
-led operations.

The number of civilian casualties, many of them killed by roadside kabooms, hit a record of 3,021 last year, according to a UN annual report.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Taliban

#1  Don't you just hate when that happens. You go to Kaboom University in downtown Kaboomastan and you cut one freakin' class.
Posted by: Steven || 02/29/2012 0:12 Comments || Top||

#2  Pakistan madrasa curriculum's no bomber left behind is failing miserably.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 8:05 Comments || Top||

#3  so I suppose the six wymyns were "civilians" and not camp whores for snuffies?
Posted by: Frank G || 02/29/2012 8:10 Comments || Top||

#4  Pakistan madrasa curriculum's no bomber left behind is failing miserably

But their "no bomber left behind in one piece" is succeeding splendidly.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 02/29/2012 10:58 Comments || Top||

#5  Seems to me like the time to cut the pipe is before you pack it with explosives. But then, I never graduated from Kaboom U.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 02/29/2012 11:39 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
China Irked by Seoul's Efforts for N. Korean Defectors
Beijing is increasingly irked by South Korean efforts on behalf of a group of North Koreans who were arrested in China and face repatriation. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated the North Koreans "illegally crossed the border for economic reasons. There are no sufficient grounds to consider them refugees."

Hong was replying to a question whether China intends to help defectors given that they face persecution if they are sent back to the North.

"Some defectors were sent back because they frequently crossed the border illegally. Some of them had crossed the border a dozen times," Hong said. "No country would tolerate illegal border crossing or criminal activities assisting such people."
I can think of one...
"I'd like to say once again that the dignity of the Chinese laws should be duly respected and protected," he added. "China will deal with the issue on the basis of domestic and international laws and humanitarian principles."
Or one of those three...
Hong complained that South Korean media reports "are taking an emotional and political approach to the defector issue. This neither accords with the facts nor helps in finding a solution."

He urged Seoul "to maintain a large framework of bilateral relationships by dealing with this issue calmly and narrowing differences between the two countries through communication and cooperation."

In a speech marking the fourth anniversary of his inauguration on Feb. 22, President Lee Myung-bak urged the Chinese government to treat defectors in accordance with international norms unless they are criminals.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Objecting to China turning people over to Nork for torture and murder hardly qualifies as "interfering in China's internal affairs". Instead it should be suggested that those ordering such turnovers are subject to prosecution for "crimes against humanity".
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 7:59 Comments || Top||

#2  Moose, China considers the area of North Korea to be a historical vassal kingdom of Greater China. As such, these 'refugees' are simply considered and treated as miscreants of their proper lord and master who literally kowtows to the officials running the Imperial court.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/29/2012 9:54 Comments || Top||


Arabia
HRW Calls on Bahrain to Release Democracy Activists
[An Nahar] Human Rights Watch
... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world...
... except in those parts of the world in which HRW observers would be tortured themselves...
on Tuesday called for the release of hundreds of Bahraini freedom fighters locked away after last year's uprising and for all charges against them to be dropped.

"Grossly unfair military and civilian trials have been a core element in Bahrain's crackdown on pro-democracy protests," HRW said. Cases "against everyone convicted on politically motivated charges" should be dropped.

The New York-based group also called for the release of at least four Shiite protest leaders who remain in prison for expressing anti-government sentiments and demanding political reform.

According to HRW, hundreds of Bahraini activists have been tried in special military courts set up after King Hamad
...King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its emir (from 6 March 1999). He is a Sunni, while the rest of Bahrain is predominantly Shiite...
declared a quasi-state of emergency last March as his security forces crushed a month-long uprising in Manama.

The rights group said that by October, all the special military court cases had been transferred to civilian courts.

But "egregious violations of fair trial rights in political cases" continued in Bahrain's criminal justice system "with serious systemic problems," despite government pledges to reform, HRW said.

"Serious abuses included denying defendants the right to counsel and to present a defense, and failure to investigate credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment," it said, citing a 94-page report on judicial violations.

The report is based on 50 interviews with defendants, lawyers, and observers as well as examination of court documents.

Earlier this month, Amnesia Amnesty International said Bahrain's government had failed to implement human rights
...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you...
reforms demanded by an independent commission which investigated the crackdown.

They said the government was still "far from delivering the human rights changes" recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI).

The BICI report was commissioned by the king last June after the violence left 35 people dead and triggered international pressure on the ruling Sunni dynasty.

Near daily protests have continued in Shiite neighborhoods of the kingdom, with the main opposition formation, al-Wefaq, charging that "violations" by the authorities have been on the rise.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Africa Horn
Sudan Rebels Say Border Battle Killed 150 Army Troops

[An Nahar] Sudanese rebels said Tuesday they killed 150 government soldiers along the disputed border with South Sudan in a battle that prompted Khartoum to threaten retaliation against its newly independent neighbor.

Sudan's military denied the casualty toll and said it had killed a "huge number" of rebels, but gave no figure.

The casualties came during Sunday's "surprise attack" against a government base in the Jau area, said Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

Rebels counted the bodies on the ground, he said, and seized three tanks along with hundreds of weapons and vehicles in the joint operation with a small number of fighters from Darfur's Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The bully boys, who last year formed a "revolutionary front" aimed at toppling the Khartoum regime, claimed the attack in the contested Jau area -- part of an oil-rich region on the poorly defined border -- as their first combined operation against government forces.

After the Jau attack, SPLM-N rebels moved on Sunday evening into the key location of Taruje, about 20 kilometers north, and on Monday retook a government outpost at El-Ahmier, 30 kilometers southeast of the state capital Kadugli, Lodi told Agence La Belle France Presse.

Rebels had seized the el-Ahmier outpost in mid-January but the army retook it, and now it has changed hands again, he said.

Sawarmi Khaled Saad, the Sudanese army front man, denied rebels had taken Taruje or el-Ahmier. He said the only fighting had been around Jau, from which rebels had since withdrawn.

"Now SAF troops are clearing the area," he said.

Access to the state is heavily restricted, making independent verification difficult.

Khartoum threatened retaliation on Sunday after accusing South Sudan of backing the rebel attack on the Jau area, six kilometers inside the border, in violation of a memorandum on non-aggression and cooperation signed this month.

It said rebels accompanied by officers from South Sudan's army launched a "direct attack", but Juba denied supporting opposition groups in Sudan.

Ethnic minority beturbanned goons in the SPLM-N fought alongside the former rebels now ruling the South.

Although political and military ties between the South and the SPLM-N have not been fully severed, "the two are now separate entities with distinct leaderships," the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based independent research project, said in a report late last year.

South Sudan broke away last July after an overwhelming vote for independence that followed more than two decades of war.

Border tensions have since flared, with each side accusing the other of supporting rebels within its territory, while a major dispute over oil transit fees remains unresolved.

Fighting in South Kordofan broke out in June, followed in September by a similar conflict in nearby Blue Nile state, as Khartoum moved to assert its authority in the wake of southern secession.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Venezuela Confirms Sending Oil to Syria
Venezuela's oil minister confirmed that it sent two shipments of diesel to Syria last year and said it would send further supplies "when required" despite Western-led sanctions.

The United States and the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
have tightened sanctions in an effort to isolate Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
's regime over its deadly months-long crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

But Venezuela's left-wing His Excellency President-for-Life, Caudillo of the Bolivarians Hugo Chavez has defended Assad, accusing Western "colonial powers" of meddling in its internal affairs.

Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez, who also heads state-run oil company PDVSA, said Monday that the country had sent two shipments of diesel to Syria last year, without providing further details.

Caracas has been critical of sanctions against both Syria and Iran, with which it has forged closer political and economic ties in recent years.

EU foreign ministers slapped fresh sanctions on Syria Monday, including a freeze on its central bank assets.

More than 7,600 people have been killed in violence across Syria since anti-regime protests erupted in March 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Spain Arrests Suspected 'Anonymous' Hackers
[An Nahar] Spanish police locked away four suspected hackers of the subversive online movement Anonymous accused of sabotaging websites and publishing confidential data on the Internet, officials said Wednesday.

They are suspected of hacking political parties' and companies' websites and adding fangs to the faces of leaders in photographs online, and publishing data identifying brass hats' security guards, police said in a statement.

The arrests were part of an international raid against Anonymous in which police traced suspects by trawling through computer logs, it said.

It also netted 10 suspects in Argentina, six in Chile and five in Colombia.

Police said one of the suspects went by the nicknames Thunder and Pacotron and was suspected of running the computer network used by Anonymous in Spain and Latin America, via servers in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

He was locked away in the southern Spanish city of Malaga.

Two of the suspects were in detention while one was bailed and the fourth was a minor who was left in the care of his parents.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I am curious.

Does "left in the care of his parents" roughly translate to "given over to his irate father for a sound thrashing?"
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 02/29/2012 10:50 Comments || Top||


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Fossils Show Huge Penguin once Roamed New Zealand
[An Nahar] Fossilized remains of one of the largest penguins ever, an "elegant" giant standing 1.3 meters (52 inches) tall, have been found in New Zealand, scientists said Tuesday.

The penguin lived 27-24 million years ago, when New Zealand was mostly underwater and consisted of isolated, rocky outcrops that offered protection from predators and plentiful food supplies, researchers said.

The first traces of the penguin, dubbed Kairuku -- Maori for diver who returns with food -- was found embedded in a cliff at Waimate in the South Island by University of Otago paleontologist professor Ewen Fordyce in 1977.

Over the years, Fordyce discovered more complete remains and invited University of North Carolina specialist Dan Ksepka to help reconstruct the lost giant in 2009.

They determined the bird was much larger than the biggest modern penguin, the Emperor, which grows up to 1.0-metres, and weighed in at 60 kilograms (132 pounds), twice as much as the Emperor.

"Kairuku was an elegant bird by penguin standards, with a slender body and long flippers, but short, thick legs and feet," Ksepka said.

Fordyce said the bird's large size was an adaption that allowed it to swim further and dive deeper than its modern-day counterparts.

He was unsure why it became extinct, suggesting climate change or increased predation from dolphins and seals as possible reasons for its demise.
Or maybe it was because it dived into a cliff...
The findings were published in the latest edition of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

In 2010 scientists reported finding a fossilized specimen from 36 million years ago estimated to have been 1.5 meters tall.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Or maybe it didn't become extinct at all, maybe the Emperor is an adaptation of that penguin where they have evolved to become slightly smaller in the harsher environment of Antarctica.

A New Zealand penguin could feed all year round and wouldn't have to nearly starve through the winter as the Emperors do.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/29/2012 0:59 Comments || Top||

#2  pity the NZ archaeologists don't trumpet the red haired tall European skeletons they find, instead of destroying them (older than the Maurois bu hundreds of years, see ATS.com for details)
Posted by: pikestaff || 02/29/2012 5:44 Comments || Top||

#3  ...This is a Python sketch, isn't it?

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 02/29/2012 5:47 Comments || Top||

#4  Oh, no! It's the dreaded SS KIller Penguins. Is the Orcish Revolutionary Council next?

Posted by: Eric Jablow || 02/29/2012 7:20 Comments || Top||

#5  Dartmoor ponies, Jackass Penguins.... fairly common I'd say.
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 7:26 Comments || Top||

#6  As the Ice Age dragged on, Mammoths became smaller too as food became harder and harder to find.

If there isn't much nutrition in the area's diet, smaller individuals will survive better as they require less and those that are larger starve to death. Do this for a few generations and everyone is smaller.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 02/29/2012 8:15 Comments || Top||

#7  An electric penguin, 20 feet tall with long green tentacles ...
Posted by: Spot || 02/29/2012 8:37 Comments || Top||

#8  Hell, I'm even taller than 1.3 meters. (barely)
Posted by: Penguin || 02/29/2012 8:55 Comments || Top||

#9  Climate change... Gosh darn the end of that recent Ice Age! If only everything had stayed freezing cold forever there would be lots of giant penguins and no annoying humans -- sigh. (/sarc)
Posted by: Scooter McGruder || 02/29/2012 11:51 Comments || Top||

#10  Tennessee Tuxedo was unavailable for comment ...
Posted by: Adriane || 02/29/2012 13:51 Comments || Top||

#11  Chumlee, now working at Pawn Stars, was trying to pawn the fossils.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 02/29/2012 18:37 Comments || Top||

#12  Must have been the enforcer for them Bud Light hockey penguins. "Beware the Penguins!"
Posted by: Dar || 02/29/2012 18:45 Comments || Top||

#13  Pingusaurus Rex
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 02/29/2012 19:40 Comments || Top||

#14  D *** NG IT, NEW ZEALAND = "LAND OF ZENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS" SEEMS TO GET ALL THE COOL OR BIG BIRDS - DODO, IMU, now GIANT PENGUINS.

Personally, I blame Hera, the Queen of the Gods.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:06 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Gilani advises president to appoint new air chief
[Dawn] Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
on Tuesday advised the president to appoint Air Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt as the new Chief of Air Staff of Pakistain Air Force.

Current Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar SLearned Elders of Islamn is retiring from the post on March 18.

The prime minister has moved the summary for appointing the new air chief to President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
who will take the ultimate decision on the matter.

Air Marshal Butt is currently the senior most officer of PAF. He joined the force on March 6 1977 as a GD pilot.

Butt assumed the office of Vice Chief of the Air Staff on October 5, 2010. In recognition of his meritorious and exceptionally dedicated services, he has been decorated with the awards of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) and Tamgha-e-Basalat.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  Perhaps because of ...

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > GILANI: PAKISTANI AIRSPACE [was] NEVER CLOSED FOR NATO. Twas the local Land Routes only.

* DAILY TIMES.PK > US JETS VIOLATE PAKISTANI AIRSPACE.

just sayin'.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 21:21 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Obama Promises Israel Use of U.S. Bases for Iran Attack If It Will Wait
Excerpt:
U.S. intelligence and special operations officials have tried to keep a dialogue going with Israel despite the high-level impasse, offering options such as allowing Israel to use U.S. bases in the region to launch such a strike, as a way to make sure the Israelis give the Americans a heads-up, according to the U.S. official and a former U.S. official with knowledge of the communications.

Truth or dare....?
Neither: it is, rather, control if they can trick the Israelis into going along. After all, once the Israelis agree to make use of U.S. facilities and devise a plan to do so, the plan can be derailed by refusing the use of the facilities. "No, not yet, wait a while longer."

Sure, the Israelis would eventually tire of this and go back to Plan B, but in the meantime perhaps things have changed to render Plan B obsolete.
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I don't buy it. Offering the use of our bases makes us complicit in the act. Might as well take part in the actual strike and work to ensure its success.
Posted by: SteveS || 02/29/2012 1:10 Comments || Top||

#2  Will Obama also promise to provide lebensraum (living space) to the Israelis should things go badly?
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 7:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Wait until when? After the election when he no longer has to maintain any kind of facade?
Posted by: gorb || 02/29/2012 9:01 Comments || Top||

#4  We have bases closer to Iran than Israel? Don't count lend-lease places that have third party clauses* to them. Other than an aircraft carrier, someone point out a wholly owned and operated American base in that region.

*the 'oops, we missed the small print thingy that prohibits us actually carrying through with our agreement'.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/29/2012 9:42 Comments || Top||

#5  Diego Garcia?
Posted by: RandomJD || 02/29/2012 9:45 Comments || Top||

#6  Yeah right...this from the administration who's chief intell officer, Clapper, said that the Muslim Brotherhood is mainly a secular non-violent organization.
Posted by: Jack Salami || 02/29/2012 9:52 Comments || Top||

#7  An Israeli strike on Iran could be the empty suit's October surprise...the US has never voted out a president during a war.

I would almost bet Bebi would time this thing to screw O's reelection chances.

PS everyone that has anything to do with ME intell, policy, or relations in DC is a limp wristed negotiate forever weinie. We would have to fire the entire DOS and start from scratch to ever have any sense or logic in our ME affairs.
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 02/29/2012 10:19 Comments || Top||

#8   Wait until when?

There is always "until it's too late," gorb. Whether that is until Iran has nuclear weapons, so that Israel can do nothing because of the actuality of the threat, or until the world realizes Israel is on her own, or until Israel can be forced to a regional nuclear disarmament conference...lots of "too lates", all of which harm that shitty little country all his friends loathe, led by that man who made him look bad.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 10:42 Comments || Top||

#9  .the US has never voted out a president during a war.

A war we were fighting, Bil, not a war said president refused to fight. A nice majority Americans are strongly pro-Israel, and something like 3/4s are at least somewhat pro-Israel. If Israel gets hit or is seen to be going it alone, it won't change minds, but will be a final straw for a lot of voters to get them to go to the polls and vote against him, I think.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 10:49 Comments || Top||

#10  My apologies for misspelling your name, Mr. Clinton. I'm having a problem with posting half-cocked today for some reason.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 13:28 Comments || Top||

#11  TW

Obama will get the black vote whatever he does or more like dosent do.
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 02/29/2012 15:25 Comments || Top||

#12  "I would almost bet Bebi would time this thing to screw O's reelection chances."

Go Bibi!
Posted by: Barbara || 02/29/2012 18:20 Comments || Top||

#13  This is total bull.

So the offer is "You can use all our bases, just not today."

And when the day comes to do the deed? "Not today." is the answer.

Wave off that.
Posted by: rammer || 02/29/2012 23:23 Comments || Top||

#14  Obama will get the black vote whatever he does or more like dosent do.

It will be interesting to see in November, Gruth McGurque5303 -- I'm reading about surveys that suggest a surprising number (which number varies, so I wouldn't dare predict what it might be, even were I clever enough to do such things) are not satisfied with their economic situation these days, and blame it on the honourable gentleman they put into office last time round. Voting for the other guy may well be a step too far, but staying home instead of voting is easily done.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 23:57 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Egypt Judges Bow Out of Foreign NGO Trial
[An Nahar] The Egyptian judges trying dozens of democracy activists, including Americans, in a case that has strained ties with Washington recused themselves from the trial Tuesday, judicial sources said.

In such instances, the trial, which opened on Sunday, is normally referred to the court of appeals, which appoints a new panel of judges.

State news agency MENA reported that chief judge Mohammed Shukry sent a letter to the head of the appeals court, which designates trial judges, saying that he and his two colleagues could not continue the trial.

It quoted them as using a formulation that could either mean they felt unease at the proceedings or restrictions on their work.

Hafez Abu Saada, a lawyer for three of the defendants, said judges often recuse themselves over a conflict of interest or a sense of pressure.

"Maybe one of the parties in the trial has a relation with one of the judges, or he felt he was facing pressure, whether from the media or public pressure, which won't allow him to judge fairly," he told Agence La Belle France Presse.

He said it was too early to tell whether to welcome the move, which could lengthen the trial.

But Egyptian media have reported that the authorities were considering a way to resolve the rift with Washington, perhaps by retroactively licensing the civil society groups.

The trial opened amid continuing U.S. pressure on its close ally to drop the charges against the activists, who worked with five foreign NGOs accused of receiving illicit foreign funds and operating without licenses.

Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
... sometimes described as The Liberatress of Libya and at other times as Mrs. Bill, never as Another Bainbridge Colby ...
told senators in Washington that the administration was "engaged in very intensive discussions" with Egypt and hoped "to resolve this very soon."

Egyptian judicial sources say 19 Americans are among the 43 defendants of various nationalities. None of the foreigners showed up at Sunday's hearing.

Several of the Americans have sought refuge in their Cairo embassy, including Sam LaHood, the head of the U.S.-based International Republican Institute and son of U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood.

The other defendants are Egyptian, Paleostinian, Norwegian, Serbian and German. Four of the groups are American and the remaining one is German.

The trial sparked a rift between Washington and Egypt's military rulers, who took power after an uprising ousted president Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
a year ago.

U.S. politicians have threatened that pressing on with the trial could imperil more than $1.3 billion the U.S. yearly gives to Egypt, mostly to the military.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  The check cleared?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/29/2012 6:34 Comments || Top||

#2  Either that or the Mohmammedans got their way.
Posted by: Pappy || 02/29/2012 11:29 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
U.S. Man Arrested for 'Scamming Nuns'
[An Nahar] A U.S. runaway charged with swindling several nuns has been incarcerated in Las Vegas after more than three months on the run, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

Adriano Sotomayor, 54, of New Jersey, has been charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and is accused of having scammed the Dominican Sisters of the Rosary of Fatima, an order based in Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, the FBI said Monday.

The indictment alleges that Sotomayor told an elderly nun that she had been left $2.1 million in a will by a parishioner and then convinced her and others to send money for taxes, processing and legal fees.

Sotomayor allegedly convinced at least 24 victims to send a total of at least $439,153 from May 2009 to June 2011.

If convicted, Sotomayor faces a maximum sentence of 260 years in jail and a $3.25 million fine.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Check his knuckles for scars.. could be payback.
Posted by: Black Bart Spamp3341 || 02/29/2012 13:02 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
UK Journalist Flees Homs to Lebanon, French Reporter Fate Unclear
[An Nahar] Wounded British journalist Paul Conroy has been smuggled safely out of the besieged Syrian rebel city of Homs and crossed into Leb, officials said on Tuesday.

But there was uncertainty over the fate of French news hound Edith Bouvier, who was first reported to have also beat feet before that was denied.

An international NGO, Avaaz, said three activists were killed in a rescue operation for the maimed journalists.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy
...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit...
retracted an earlier statement in which he had confirmed that Bouvier, who has multiple fractures, had beat feet from the besieged district of Baba Amr in Homs.

"It is not confirmed that she is now safe in Leb," he said, adding that the situation was "unclear" and "complicated".

Bouvier "is not in Leb but still in Syria," a management source at her newspaper, Le Figaro, told Agence La Belle France Presse. "It is wrong to say she is 'safe and sound in Leb,'" the source said.

On its website, the newspaper also noted that "the French embassy in Beirut has indicated it is not able to confirm rumors about the journalist's evacuation to Leb."

Earlier, a Lebanese official told AFP the "two journalists, Edith Bouvier and Paul Conroy, arrived overnight in Leb and they are safe."

"Paul Conroy is at the British embassy and in good condition. Edith Bouvier is also here in Leb but we have no information as to where she is exactly," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


India-Pakistan
Chinese woman, local man shot dead in Peshawar: police
[Dawn] A Chinese woman was rubbed out with a male companion on Tuesday in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, which borders the tribal belt stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked beturbanned goons, police said.

They were killed by gunnies on cycle of violences while walking in the Kohati bazaar in the historic centre of the northwestern city, but the motive of the shooting was not immediately clear, police official Tahir Ayub told AFP.

"Those who were killed are one man carrying a Pak ID card and one woman carrying a Chinese passport," Ayub told AFP.

They were walking in the Kohati Bazaar when gunnies on motorbikes shot them and decamped, he said.

Police found a Chinese passport with a Pak tourist visa inside, a laptop, digital camera and biscuits in the woman's bag, Ayub said.

Police said initially that two foreigners had been killed.

It was the fifth shooting or kaboom in Pakistain's northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
since Thursday, raising fears that violence is again on the rise following a relative decline in unrest in recent months.

Peshawar is a city of 2.5 million close to the Afghan border and has long been on the frontline of violence blamed on a five-year Taliban insurgency led by forces of Evil opposed to the government's alliance with the United States.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: TTP

#1  A Chinese woman with a local, male companion in Peshawar? Isn't that an odd combination? Possible tour guide, sure, but an oriental woman on her own in Peshawar instead of with a group?
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 5:53 Comments || Top||

#2  See map of Western China. There are a slew of different ethnic groups in the mountains on the borders of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kirghizstan, etc. So the lady may not have been ethnic Han, but one of the local groups born on the other side of the line.

It is also possible that China sent the lady on business out there, or that somebody wanted to visit, although that would suggest a nomination for a Darwin.
Posted by: mom || 02/29/2012 9:30 Comments || Top||


Europe
Ireland Shocks Europe With Plans For A Referendum On The EU's Fiscal Treaty
Premier Enda Kenny said Dublin was acting on legal advice from Ireland's attorney-general that "on balance" the fiscal compact requires a vote under the country's constitution. "It gives the Irish people the opportunity to reaffirm Ireland's commitment to membership of the euro," he told ashen-faced members of the Dail.

All three major parties back the treaty but analysts say there is a high risk of rejection by angry voters in the current fractious mood. The compact gives the EU intrusive powers to police the budgets of debtor states, and has been denounced as feudal bondage by Sinn Fein and Ireland's vociferous eurosceptics. The Irish voted "No" to both the Nice and Lisbon treaties before being made to vote again. Dublin has ruled out a second vote this time.

The Taoiseach's announcement sent the euro into sharp dive against the dollar, though it rebounded later. Europe's leaders thought they had tweaked the wording of the text just enough to avoid an Irish vote.

Ireland cannot stop the process since a quorum of 12 states brings the treaty into force, but it would be politically untenable to create a new eurozone structure that left one member in limbo.

The fiscal compact has totemic significance in Berlin and any sign that the package is fraying may harden opposition in the Bundestag to further EMU rescue measures. Mrs Merkel suffered a serious blow on Monday when she had to rely on opposition votes to pass the Greek loan package due to mounting defections in her own ranks. Her coalition base is in revolt over demands from Brussels and the International Monetary Fund for a boost in the EU rescue machinery (ESM) to €750bn (£635bn), the unspoken condition imposed by the rest of the world for unlocking global aid.

Any decision has been postponed until after this week's EU summit. The new requests would push the German share of the funding to well over €300bn, breaching a €211bn ceiling set by the Bundestag in September.

Ireland will continue to receive loans under its €67bn package from the EU-ECB-IMF "Troika" even if it votes "No" but would be in serious trouble if it needed a second package later. The fiscal compact forbids to use of the ESM bail-out fund for non-signatories.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "It gives the Irish people the opportunity to reaffirm Ireland's commitment to membership of the euro," he told ashen-faced members of the Dail.

Fearing the will of the little people were they? Reach for your knot flask you wonk!
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/29/2012 8:01 Comments || Top||

#2  I strongly suspect that other countries will suddenly realize that "Golly, we forgot to have a referendum on this, which we will *have* to have before it goes into effect. Because of, you know, stuff."

Aka, rats can be very perceptive about the condition of a ship.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/29/2012 8:28 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Only Jamaat benefits from political reforms in Fata
[Dawn] Since the extension of Political Parties Order, 2002 to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in August last, the Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
so far seems to be the only party taking full advantage of the extended law by holding public meetings in certain parts of the tribal belt.

Senior leaders of JI including its former chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad
... third president (1987--2009) of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. Qazi was also head of the Muttahidah Majlis-e-Amal until his ego became bigger than the organization. Qazi is what is known as a fiery preacher, which means he has lots of volume, a good delivery, and not a lot of reverence for coherence. He was the patron of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Rasool Sayyaf and Osama bin Laden during the war against the Soviets. He used to recommend drining camel's urine to maintain good health before his kidneys started to go...
have addressed largely attended rallies in Bajaur, Mohmand
... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar...
and Khyber agencies during the past three months.

The party`s sitting central deputy chief Sirajul Haq visited Sadda, lower Kurram Agency
...home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, where the laws of cause and effect are assumed to be suspended, conveniently located adjacent to Tora Bora...
tehsil headquarters, on Sunday and addressed a big gathering there.

He is the first politician, who visited this sensitive part of Fata that remained cut off from the rest of the country for four years owing to violence.

President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
, through a presidential order extended the order to Fata in August 2011. Civil society considers extension of the law to Fata a positive step to bring the area into the mainstream. Fata with over three million populous has total 12 National Assembly and eight Senate seats.

Unlike Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
-Fazl, Pakistain People`s Party and Awami National Party, which have sufficient vote bank in this isolated and ignored region of the country, JI took the lead and started aggressive campaign since the order has been extended.

JI chief for Fata Sahibzada Haroon Rashid said that rallies had been planned in Wana, Miranshah
... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas...
and Orakzai Agency
... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers...
in April and May.

He said that Jamaat chief Syed Munawar Hassan
... The funny-looking Amir of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He joined the National Students Federation (NSF), a lefty student body, and was elected its President in 1959. He came into contact with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Pakistan and studied the writings of Mawlana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, The Great Apostasizer. As a result, he joined IJT in 1960 and soon he was elected as President of its University of Karachi Unit and member of the Central Executive Council. He was Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistain in 1992-93, and became Secretary General in 1993. After years of holding Qazi's camel he was named Amir when the old man stepped down in 2009...
and Qazi Hussain Ahmad would address a rally in Bajaur on April 1 and would also visit Khyber Agency on April 28.

"It was risky to organise public rallies in Fata at this critical time, but we did and our rallies were very successful," said Mr Rashid, a former parliamentarian from Bajaur Agency, aka Turban Central, adding that the party had already nominated 10 candidates from Fata for the next general elections.

After extension of the order, Fata Civil Secretariat in collaboration with political parties has designed code of conduct for every tribal agency for holding political rallies. The party will take permission from respective political administration before holding public meeting.

Mr Rashid said that political authorities were very cooperative and did not create any hurdle for them.

The JUI-F has strong vote bank in Fata especially in North Wazoo, South Waziristan and Mohmand agencies, but it has yet to start any significant activities.

However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth...
JUI-F provincial secretary information Abdul Jalil Jan claimed that they had organised public meetings in Mohmand
... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar...
, Bajaur, North and South Wazoo agencies.

He said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
`s younger brother Maulana Ataur Rehman had recently addressed a meeting in North Waziristan and more activities were planned.

Analysts say that prevailing circumstances in Fata were in favour of religious parties as compared to secular parties and they (religious groups) are exploiting situation.

Professor Ijaz Khattak, chairman International Relations department, University of Peshawar, said that presently religious parties had advantages, but nationalists and other parties would balance out the difference.

"Religious parties have the benefit of using mosques and seminaries in Fata," he observed, saying that ANP and PPP had also started some activities there, but it would take time.

On the other hand, coalition partners in the centre and the province (PPP and ANP) have yet to undertake activities in Fata. Recently ANP organised tribal jirga in Peshawar, but the party has yet to intervene inside Fata. Like Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
, PPP is also in disarray in Fata.

Under the constitution Fata was governed by the federal government, but the area seemed not on the list of priorities of PPP, complained president PPP Fata president Malik Waris Khan Afridi, who stated that party workers were not happy with the leadership.

"President, prime minister and governor are from the party, despite that workers have got nothing and local MNAs are taking credit for the reforms introduced and developments activities in the area," he remarked.

He added that he had taken up grievances of the workers in the party`s core committee meetings. "We can organise much bigger rallies in every tribal agency, but have nothing to satisfy our workers," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami


Meddling in country`s affairs to be thwarted, says Hoti
[Dawn] Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Monday said no one would be allowed to use Pakhtun land for terrorist activities and that `international game` for interference in the country`s affairs would be thwarted.

Addressing a public meeting here, the chief minister said acts of terrorism were carried out in Pakistain to defame Islam and ruin the already fragile local economy.

He said schools, mosques and religious seminaries were not safe due to bad turban activities but his government would continue fighting terrorism until it was eliminated to bring the province on a par with developed provinces.

Mr Hoti renewed the government`s conditional peace offer to bad turbans, saying the latter would have to lay down arms and accept the government`s writ for talks with it.

"We are followers of Bacha Khan, who always preached non-violence and peace but it shouldn`t be considered our weakness," he said.

The chief minister announced the Rs2.20 billion development projects, including construction of roads, laying of water lines, improvement of sanitation system and establishment of a media colony, for Nowshera district.

He claimed his government had done unprecedented development work in the province and that ANP would contest next elections on the basis of its performance in power.

Mr Hoti listed his government`s educational initiatives and said 100 to 200 new schools would be established under the Rukhana Pakhtunkhwa schemes, while thousands of scholarships would be awarded to brilliant students.

In his address, provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain asked faceless myrmidons to leave the province to prevent death, adds APP.

He said Pakhtun land was dear to ANP leaders and workers, who rendered lives for its protection and would continue doing so. He warned people against sheltering terrorists.

Mr Iftikhar said the government wouldn`t leave people at the mercy of faceless myrmidons and would ensure by all means protection of their life and property.

He regretted that the Taliban justified violence in light of frequent drone attacks by the US and said.

"What a pity that they (Taliban) are holding negotiations with drone attackers while targeting innocent and poor people," he said.

The minister said his government was against drone attacks and terrorism alike and that both were intolerable.

He said the government repeatedly asked the US to share with it drone technology for fighting terrorism. He regretted that drone attacks led to increase in acts of terrorism in the country.

Mr Iftikhar said ANP followed Bacha Khan and that his ideology and philosophy would remain alive forever.

He welcomed the announcement of Rs2.5 billion development package for Nowshera district and establishment of cadet colleges in Nowshera and Mardan and said the initiatives would usher in a new era of development in the region.

The minister said ANP would win the next elections, too, on the basis of its performance over the last four years. He said despite facing terrorism, his government had completed record development schemes in the province.

ANP provincial chief Senator Afrasiab Khattak, provincial minister Aqil Shah, MNAs Masaud Abbas Khan Khattak and Jamila Gailani, and others were also present on the occasion.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iraq Urges 'Free' Syria Elections under Arab-U.N. Supervision
[An Nahar] Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party....
on Tuesday called for "change" and "free elections" in Syria, which has been rocked by violent festivities between government forces and rebels.

"Iraq backs change in Syria," Maliki told Saudi newspaper Okaz in an as-yet unpublished interview, excerpts of which were released by his office in a statement.

"Change is necessary. The situation will not be stable without change."

Maliki did not elaborate on what kind of change he wished to see, but said Syrians "must receive more freedom, and form a national unity government as a first step, and free elections should be held under Arab and U.N. supervision."

He added that "a national council must be chosen which will write a new constitution," according to the excerpted quotes.

Iraq has shied away from imposing punitive measures against Syria as Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Lord of the Baath...
's regime has carried out a bloody crackdown over the past 11 months on an uprising against his rule in which rights groups say 7,600 people have been killed.

Assad is a member of the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, while the majority of Syrians, and of his opponents, are Sunni Mohammedans.

Iraq, by contrast, is governed by majority Shiite Mohammedans, but has a substantial Sunni Arab minority.

Storied Baghdad
...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate...
said on Friday it would not invite the Syrian government or opposition to an Arab summit to be held in the Iraqi capital in late March, after an Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
request that Damascus
...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world...
not attend.

Arab League member states voted in November to suspend Syria's participation in the vaporous Arab League because of the violence.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


102 Civilians, 5 Troops Dead as Thousands Rally in Damascus
[An Nahar] Syrian security forces killed 102 civilians across the country on Tuesday, among them 35 in a "massacre" in the central region of Hama, as five regime soldiers were killed in fighting with deserters in the restive southern province of Daraa, activists and a rights group said.

Thirty-seven non-combatants were killed in the central province of Hama, among them 35 in a massacre in the town of Halfaya, and 50 non-combatants were killed in the central opposition bastion Homs, among them 26 in the besieged neighborhood of Baba Amr, the Local Coordination Committees, the main activist group spurring protests on the ground, said.

Elsewhere, six non-combatants were killed in the northern province of Aleppo
...For centuries, Aleppo was Greater Syria's largest city and the Ottoman Empire's third, after Constantinople and Cairo. Although relatively close to Damascus in distance, Aleppans regard Damascenes as country cousins...
, five in the northwestern province of Idlib, three in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour and one in the southern province of Daraa, the LCC said.

"Five soldiers were killed and three others maimed in fighting which broke out at 3.00 am (0100 GMT) in the (Daraa province) village of Dael with a group of deserters some of whom were maimed," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Shooting continued for several hours, it added, with Syrian troops firing on the town in Daraa, the cradle of the protests that erupted against Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
's regime in March last year.

Separately, in the flashpoint central city of Homs, under assault by regime forces for more than three weeks, the Observatory and activists reported fresh shelling on Tuesday morning.

The rebel-held Baba Amr district was "bombarded for the 25th straight day by regime forces," according to a post by activists on the Syrian Revolution 2011 Facebook page.

"The shells are falling and the world watches," said an activist in a video showing columns of black smoke rising from bombed buildings.

Explosions were also heard in the Khaldiyeh and Karm al-Zaytoun districts, while fighting broke out in Hamidiyeh, another embattled Homs neighborhood, between deserters who control a large part of it and regular troops, the same source said.

The Observatory on Monday reported more than 100 people killed across Syria, including 11 members of the security forces, and 68 civilians in what the Britannia-based monitoring group called a "massacre" in Homs province.

Meanwhile,
...back at the bake sale, Umberto's Mom's cannoli were a big hit...
thousands of mourners erupted into the streets of the Syrian capital on Tuesday for the funerals of civilians killed in the regime's crackdown on dissent, activists said.

"Thousands of people attended at noon the funeral of two deaders killed on Sunday and Monday in Kfar Sousa," a residential neighborhood in western Damascus
...Home to a staggering array of terrorist organizations...
, said Mohammed al-Shami.

"The protesters were surrounded by security agents who threw tear-gas grenades," said the front man of the Damascus chapter of the Local Coordination Committees.

The head of the Observatory said 5,000 people took part in the funeral protest.

"At least 5,000 people, including a large number of students, marched in Kfar Sousa," said Rami Abdul Rahman.

Damascus has seen relatively few protests since the dissent movement against the Assad regime erupted nearly a year ago.

"The number of protests is increasing as the repression worsens," said Abdul Rahman.

Hundreds of protesters also filled the streets of the historic neighborhood of Midan on Tuesday for the funeral of another civilian killed by regime forces, Shami said.

Mourners emerged from mosques and erupted into the streets, he said.

Demonstrations were also reported in the districts of Barzeh, Zamalka and Irbin near Damascus despite a massive deployment of security sources, activists said.

According to the Observatory, more than 30 students were tossed in the clink at Damascus University.

Also on Tuesday, Red Thingy and Red Islamic Thingy rescuers left the rebel city of Homs after talks to evacuate trapped Western journalists foundered, front man for the two aid groups said.

"Our team returned to Damascus at around 2:30 pm (1230 GMT) after negotiations yesterday and today with a sheikh (religious official) who was serving as an intermediary," to evacuate the journalists, Abdul Rahman Attar told AFP.

"He asked for food and medical supplies for the residents of Baba Amr and our team accepted. We asked in return to meet the journalists, but he refused," Attar added.

The International Committee of the Red Thingy in Damascus said its delegates had left Homs for the same reasons.

"The ICRC team has returned. The negotiations have been halted and the situation is very tense in Baba Amr," the rebel stronghold of Homs where journalists are believed trapped, said ICRC front man Saleh Dabbakeh.

There are three Western news hounds trapped in Baba Amr, a rebel stronghold of Homs, where a rocket attack last week on a makeshift media center also killed two other journalists.

Attar confirmed that British photographer Paul Conroy was successfully smuggled out of Homs across the border with Leb, where the international NGO Avaaz earlier said he was "safe."

President Nicolas Sarkozy
...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit...
and a Lebanese official, meanwhile, confirmed that maimed French news hound Edith Bouvier had also crossed into Leb.

The French journalist works for the daily Le Figaro and was maimed last week in a rocket attack on a makeshift media center in the Homs rebel stronghold of Baba Amr.

Conroy was also maimed in that attack which killed veteran U.S. news hound Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik.

Two other journalists trapped in Homs are William Daniels, a photographer who also was on assignment for Le Figaro, and Spaniard Javier Espinosa who works for the Spanish daily El Mundo.

"It's a real shame but I have the impression that those inside Baba Amr are not being very clear with us," Attar said, in apparent reference to the people his team were negotiating with.

Conroy was safely smuggled across the border to Leb from Homs earlier.

"The Sunday Times can confirm that the photographer Paul Conroy is safe and in Leb. He is in good shape and good spirits," a spokeswoman for the newspaper said in London.

Wissam Tarif of the international activist organization Avaaz said it coordinated his rescue from the battered city of Homs in central Syria and across the border into Leb.

"Avaaz coordinated with Syrian activists Conroy's exit from Homs and his arrival in Leb," Tarif told AFP in Beirut.

Conroy's father also told British media that his son beat feet to Leb. "We've just had word from Beirut," Les Conroy said.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Caribbean-Latin America
Federales bag 11 bad guys in Zacatecas

For a map, click here. For a map of Zacatecas state, click here

By Chris Covert

Mexican Policia Federal (PF) troops killed 11 armed suspects and seized a number of contraband including weapons and vehicles in a Monday afternoon operation, according to Mexican news accounts.

The confrontation took place in Fresnillo municipality in a southwestern area near the border with Valparaiso municipality in the village of El Salto at around 1330 hrs.


PF agents had conducted a rescue operation of an unidentified individual at a safe house against a band a kidnappers by blocking roads. Armed suspects reacted by themselves blocking roads at seven locations including roads leading to Jerez municipality to the southwest and Valparaiso, also to the southwest. Roads with blocks includes Bulevar Varela Rico.

Seven narcobloqueos were removed with the assistance of Zacatecas state and local municipal police agents, but seven armed suspects still managed to escape the PF cordon. One unidentified armed suspect was detained.

In the aftermath, 12 abandoned vehicles were found as well as 12 rifles.

Reports have surfaced that some of the dead were prison escapees from the Apodaca CERESO prison massacre that took place over the weekend in Apodaca, Nuevo Leon ten days ago. None of the dead criminal suspects have yet been identified.

Five PF agents were wounded in the encounters, two requiring hospitalization. The death toll for the armed suspects could rise by four, though Zacatecas Procurador General del Estado Arturo Nahle Garcia denied more had died in the encounters.

Policia Federal units have been operating in increasing concentrations in Zacatecas state, either by augmenting army patrols or by providing a placeholder as army units have been dispatched to other locations in Mexico. Three Mexican Army battalions are known to have bases in the state.

PF units were involved in a shootout in Fresnillo ten days when agents intercepted a two-vehicle convoy of armed suspects killing six and seizing 37 weapons, tactical gear and military C4 detonation charges. Another eight unidentified suspects were detained, all Guatemalan nationals.
Posted by: badanov || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
Only Jamaat benefits from political reforms in Fata
[Dawn] Since the extension of Political Parties Order, 2002 to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in August last, the Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
so far seems to be the only party taking full advantage of the extended law by holding public meetings in certain parts of the tribal belt.

Senior leaders of JI including its former chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad
... third president (1987--2009) of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. Qazi was also head of the Muttahidah Majlis-e-Amal until his ego became bigger than the organization. Qazi is what is known as a fiery preacher, which means he has lots of volume, a good delivery, and not a lot of reverence for coherence. He was the patron of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Rasool Sayyaf and Osama bin Laden during the war against the Soviets. He used to recommend drining camel's urine to maintain good health before his kidneys started to go...
have addressed largely attended rallies in Bajaur, Mohmand
... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar...
and Khyber agencies during the past three months.

The party`s sitting central deputy chief Sirajul Haq visited Sadda, lower Kurram Agency
...home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, where the laws of cause and effect are assumed to be suspended, conveniently located adjacent to Tora Bora...
tehsil headquarters, on Sunday and addressed a big gathering there.

He is the first politician, who visited this sensitive part of Fata that remained cut off from the rest of the country for four years owing to violence.

President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
, through a presidential order extended the order to Fata in August 2011. Civil society considers extension of the law to Fata a positive step to bring the area into the mainstream. Fata with over three million populous has total 12 National Assembly and eight Senate seats.

Unlike Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
-Fazl, Pakistain People`s Party and Awami National Party, which have sufficient vote bank in this isolated and ignored region of the country, JI took the lead and started aggressive campaign since the order has been extended.

JI chief for Fata Sahibzada Haroon Rashid said that rallies had been planned in Wana, Miranshah
... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas...
and Orakzai Agency
... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers...
in April and May.

He said that Jamaat chief Syed Munawar Hassan
... The funny-looking Amir of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He joined the National Students Federation (NSF), a lefty student body, and was elected its President in 1959. He came into contact with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Pakistan and studied the writings of Mawlana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, The Great Apostasizer. As a result, he joined IJT in 1960 and soon he was elected as President of its University of Karachi Unit and member of the Central Executive Council. He was Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistain in 1992-93, and became Secretary General in 1993. After years of holding Qazi's camel he was named Amir when the old man stepped down in 2009...
and Qazi Hussain Ahmad would address a rally in Bajaur on April 1 and would also visit Khyber Agency on April 28.

"It was risky to organise public rallies in Fata at this critical time, but we did and our rallies were very successful," said Mr Rashid, a former parliamentarian from Bajaur Agency, aka Turban Central, adding that the party had already nominated 10 candidates from Fata for the next general elections.

After extension of the order, Fata Civil Secretariat in collaboration with political parties has designed code of conduct for every tribal agency for holding political rallies. The party will take permission from respective political administration before holding public meeting.

Mr Rashid said that political authorities were very cooperative and did not create any hurdle for them.

The JUI-F has strong vote bank in Fata especially in North Wazoo, South Waziristan and Mohmand agencies, but it has yet to start any significant activities.

However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
JUI-F provincial secretary information Abdul Jalil Jan claimed that they had organised public meetings in Mohmand, Bajaur, North and South Waziristan agencies.

He said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
`s younger brother Maulana Ataur Rehman had recently addressed a meeting in North Waziristan and more activities were planned.

Analysts say that prevailing circumstances in Fata were in favour of religious parties as compared to secular parties and they (religious groups) are exploiting situation.

Professor Ijaz Khattak, chairman International Relations department, University of Peshawar, said that presently religious parties had advantages, but nationalists and other parties would balance out the difference.

"Religious parties have the benefit of using mosques and seminaries in Fata," he observed, saying that ANP and PPP had also started some activities there, but it would take time.

On the other hand, coalition partners in the centre and the province (PPP and ANP) have yet to undertake activities in Fata. Recently ANP organised tribal jirga in Peshawar, but the party has yet to intervene inside Fata. Like Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
, PPP is also in disarray in Fata.

Under the constitution Fata was governed by the federal government, but the area seemed not on the list of priorities of PPP, complained president PPP Fata president Malik Waris Khan Afridi, who stated that party workers were not happy with the leadership.

"President, prime minister and governor are from the party, despite that workers have got nothing and local MNAs are taking credit for the reforms introduced and developments activities in the area," he remarked.

He added that he had taken up grievances of the workers in the party`s core committee meetings. "We can organise much bigger rallies in every tribal agency, but have nothing to satisfy our workers," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Security Council Mulling Resolution on Syria Humanitarian Ceasefire
[An Nahar] La Belle France on Tuesday urged Russia and China to accept a new U.N. Security Council resolution on halting the violence in Syria to allow in humanitarian aid.

"A resolution for a humanitarian ceasefire and access for humanitarian aid in the most threatened areas is under discussion at the Security Council. We can hope that China and Russia will not veto this resolution," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told RTL radio.

"We hope that Russia and China will not oppose the adoption of this resolution on the free access of humanitarian aid to victims and that all members of the Security Council, without exception, will agree to end the barbarism," foreign ministry front man Bernard Valero added.

"The talks (on the resolution) should begin today in New York," Valero said.

"The text that is on the table calls in particular for a halt in the violence and immediate and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to the most threatened areas and most vulnerable people," he said.

U.N. rights chief Navi Pillay on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Syria during a special meeting of government ministers in Geneva.

Russia and China have blocked attempts by the Security Council to adopt a resolution on Syria, where monitors estimate that more than 7,600 people have been killed since a crackdown on anti-government protesters began last March.

Juppe said it was possible that Russia would soften its position after a presidential election on Sunday.

"It is undeniable that the pre-election atmosphere in Russia is leading the regime to take nationalist positions," he said. "(Russia) is isolating itself more and more."
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


India-Pakistan
Kohistan bus ambush kills 18
[Dawn] Sectarian gunnies ambushed a bus on Tuesday, killing 18 Shia Moslems in a usually peaceful region of northern Pakistain that neighbours the former Taliban stronghold of Swat, officials said.

The bus was stopped, before passengers were ordered off and shot in the mountainous district of Kohistan
...a backwoods district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distinguished by being even more rustic than is the norm among the local Pashtuns....
as it travelled from Rawalpindi to the northern city of Gilgit.

"Armed men hiding on both sides of the road attacked the bus," local police chief Mohammad Ilyas said.

"Eighteen people have died and eight maimed," he added. The ambush happened near the town of Harban, 130 miles (208 kilometres) north of the capital Islamabad.

Survivors said seven or eight gunnies stopped the bus, forced the passengers to get off and then opened fire, regional administration chief Khalid Omarzai told AFP by telephone, confirming the casualty numbers.

"It appears to be a sectarian attack," local MP Abdul Sattar Khan said.

"Its a remote area. We are getting reports that the gunnies forced people to get off the bus. They checked their papers and shot them dead," he told AFP.

The victims were Shia Moslems, he said. "It could be the outcome of the murder of two Sunni Moslems a few days ago in Gilgit. The people of the area had vowed they would take Dire Revenge™," Khan added.

Authorities were slow to confirm the motive and insisted Death Eaters are not active in the area.

Kohistan borders the Swat
...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat...
valley, where Pakistain in 2009 managed to put down a two-year Taliban insurgency.

Omarzai told AFP that he could not immediately confirm whether it was a sectarian attack, saying that the police were investigating.

President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari
... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ...
and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
had strongly condemned the Kohistan incident.

The two leaders directed the concerned authorities to ensure best medical treatment for the injured.

Gilani said such incidents could not deter the government's resolve to fight the menace.

While the president said the culprits of such heinous crime would not be spared
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Lashkar e-Jhangvi


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria Walks Out of U.N. Human Rights Debate
[An Nahar] Syria walked out of a U.N. debate on the human rights
...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state...
situation in the violence-wracked country on Tuesday, while its ally Russia urged Damascus
...Home to a staggering array of terrorist organizations...
to cooperate with efforts to allow in humanitarian aid.

Syria has been rocked by 11 months of anti-regime demonstrations and a military crackdown against a growing protest and rebel movement that has left more than 7,600 people dead, according to opposition activists.

Moscow, which triggered Western outrage by vetoing U.N. Security Council resolutions on the crisis, called on Damascus to cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Thingy as it tries to negotiate a daily two-hour ceasefire to help civilians caught up in the fighting.

The Syrian representative to the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
, Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, walked out of an especially convened meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, telling the assembly: "We declare our withdrawal from this sterile discussion."

He said the aim of the debate was to "fuel the flames of terrorism" in his country and that a simple measure to help the Syrian people was "to stop inciting sectarianism and providing arms," and putting the Syrian people against one another.

U.S. ambassador to the HRC Eileen Donahoe described the comments as "delusional".

"Anyone who heard the Syrian ambassador should be aware that his comments were borderline out of touch with reality," she told media on the fringes of the meeting.

"I think it's a reflection to some extent of what's going on with the Assad regime itself," she added, citing the move to hold a "farcical" referendum in the midst of a "humanitarian crisis of their own making."

"I think the Syrian ambassador's comments were equally delusional," said Donahoe.

Several HRC members called for the urgent debate to discuss reports of human rights abuses in Syria and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

A resolution filed by Kuwait, Qatar, Soddy Arabia and Turkey calling for access for relief agencies was to be discussed after the meeting, although a U.N. spokeswoman said it was not clear if this would happen on Tuesday.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said fighting must end so help can be delivered to civilians caught up in regime blockades in the cities of Homs and Hama which have left them without food and water.

"There must be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to end the fighting and bombardments," said Pillay.

The U.N. rights chief said that since mid-February she had received reports of a "rapidly deteriorating" humanitarian situation and serious rights abuses, including a massive campaign of arrests by military and security forces.

"The Syrian army has reportedly used tanks, mortars, rockets and artillery to cordon off cities, and shelled densely populated neighborhoods in what appears to be an indiscriminate attack on civilian areas," said Pillay.

"The crisis has exacerbated pre-existing high levels of poverty and unemployment. The humanitarian situation is dire."

Pillay also reiterated her view that the situation in Syria should be referred to the International Criminal Court
... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ...
.

Before walking out of the debate, the Syrian envoy said he was not pretending that the human rights situation in his country was "perfect".

He said that services were lacking but blamed gangs which he said were responsible for attacking hospitals, health centers and ambulances.

"We are convinced that the real aim (of the debate) is to cover up for the violence and murder perpetrated by gangs against innocent civilians," he said.

La Belle France reacted to the Syrian walkout calling it "another illustration -- added to so many other dramatic examples -- of the Syrian regime's deliberate will to choose the option of violence and the pursuit of repression ... This will strengthen a bit more the isolation of the regime in Damascus," said French foreign ministry front man Bernard Valero.

Russia urged Syria to cooperate with the ICRC which is trying to negotiate a daily two-hour ceasefire.

"It is important that the Syrian government cooperates with the ICRC," Russia's deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov told the meeting.

Russia boycotted a "Friends of Syria" meeting in Tunis on Friday after arguing that its Arab and Western participants were unfairly blaming one side of an "internal conflict".

The resolution set for discussion by the HRC calls on Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
's regime to "permit humanitarian agencies to deliver vital relief goods and services to civilians affected by the violence, especially in Homs, Deraa, Zabadani and other areas under siege by the Syrian security forces."

The draft document denounces "the lack of access to basic food, medicine and fuel, as well as threats and acts of violence to medical staff, patients and facilities, in some areas."
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  They walked out commenting: We don need no steenking human rights."
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/29/2012 12:17 Comments || Top||


Iran Accuses Israel of Plotting Thai Bombings
[An Nahar] Iranian diplomats have visited three Iranian suspects implicated in a series of bomb kabooms in Thailand, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday according to the Fars news agency.

Iran's deputy foreign minister in charge of Asia and Oceanic affairs, Abbas Araqchi, was quoted as saying of the February 14 kabooms in Bangkok: "We still do not know who is behind this and why they have done it."

"The dimensions of this issue are not clear for us and there are ambiguities about this issue, and it seems that the scenario was devised by the Zionists (Israelis) to involve Iran in a new misdeed," he said.

Thai police have said the bombings were part of an alleged plot to kill Israeli diplomats, in a similar fashion to failed attempt
Curses! Foiled again!
s on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia.

Araqchi said Iranian diplomats in Asia were granted consular visits to two Iranians being held in Thailand and one being jugged in Malaysia.

"We are aware of their physical conditions and we were assured that international regulations will be applied to them," he said.

The two suspects visited in Thailand by Iranian officials include a man who inadvertently blew his own legs off when he tried to throw a bomb at pursuing police.
The two suspects visited in Thailand by Iranian officials include a man who inadvertently blew his own legs off when he tried to throw a bomb at pursuing police.

The other suspect visited is an alleged accomplice who shared a rented Bangkok house where a bomb cache was discovered after an apparent accidental kaboom.

Thai police on Monday said they were holding a third Iranian for questioning in the affair, but that he denied any involvement and for the moment he was being jugged for overstaying his visa.

The other Iranian suspect seen by diplomats from his home country was being held in Malaysia, to where he flew straight after the blasts.

Thailand has issued arrest warrants for yet another two Iranians who were believed to have left the country.

Israel has blamed Iran over the Bangkok blasts, as well as the attacks in India and Georgia a day earlier.

Tehran has rejected the accusations. Last week, it said it was ready to help identify those responsible.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  Hell, the muslims have accused the Israelis of causing the Tunguska explosion in Russia despite it being thought to be caused by a large meteoroid strike in 1908.
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/29/2012 12:24 Comments || Top||

#2  Those juices are a clever people, JohnQC. Time travel is but one of their many trickses.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 13:23 Comments || Top||

#3  Yah, but everyone knows the Tungusta Event was really done by Nikolai Tesla. (Or one of his duplicates).
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 02/29/2012 13:36 Comments || Top||


Europe
GM to Take Five Percent Stake in Peugeot
[An Nahar] U.S. auto giant General Motors is in talks to buy out five percent of La Belle France's biggest car builder PSA Peugeot Citroën, business daily Les Echos reported on Tuesday citing several sources.

Sources close to the negotiation said the deal was a so-called standstill agreement in which GM could not increase its stake in Peugeot without prior permission from the car group.

Last week French Labor Minister Xavier Bertrand revealed that GM and Peugeot were in talks towards a strategic partnership confirming a report on a website.

Contacted by Agence La Belle France Presse, Peugeot refused all comment.

Peugeot is La Belle France's top car manufacturer, ahead of Renault, and Europe's second, behind Volkswagen.

The Peugeot family controls 30.3 percent of the capital and 45.75 percent of voting rights in the firm which effectively took over French car manufacturer Citroen in 1976.

Last year, the firm, which employs 205,000 people worldwide, sold 3.5 million cars around the world, two-thirds of them in Europe where the market is under pressure as the economy slows sharply.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Exactly what we need, A Peugeot/Chevy.(sarc)
Chevy hasn't learned a damn thing,

I own a Nissan pickup that's another cross brand/Chevy, It's a fairly good Pickup, but hard to get parts for.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 02/29/2012 2:22 Comments || Top||

#2  GM U.S. taxpayer to Take Five Percent Stake in Peugeot
Posted by: Pappy || 02/29/2012 11:49 Comments || Top||

#3  Savings here in that GM can just strike out the name Saab in that already written business plan and replace with Peugeot... Ought to be able to find a consulting group to do that for under $50,000,000.
Posted by: Capsu78 || 02/29/2012 12:37 Comments || Top||

#4  I foresee another Cadillac Cimmeron - diesel version will be like an Olds
Cutless Diesel redux. Ruining the magnificent if quirky Saab (of which I own one) our tax dollars are now used to buy a true dodo.
Posted by: borgboy || 02/29/2012 19:54 Comments || Top||

#5  What's Frenchish for Fix It Again Tony?
Posted by: SteveS || 02/29/2012 21:31 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Denying suffrage to women of Mianwali and Mardan
[Dawn] In the recent by-elections held in the cities of Mardan and Mianwali, women were prevented from voicing their opinions and were deterred from casting votes by Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
Fazl (JUI-F), alleges Tahira Noor, reported Dawn.com on Tuesday.

Tahira Noor, Communication Manager at National Commission on the Status of Women-Pakistain (NCSW) alleges that, "the political parties did not facilitate women and stopped them from casting their votes."

"The local leaders made public announcements in the mosques and other places to discourage women from voting. In fact this is not the first time that such an incident has taken place. In the previous by-elections held in Kohistan
...a backwoods district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distinguished by being even more rustic than is the norm among the local Pashtuns....
and Shangla, the same 'campaign' was adopted by the local leaders," added Noor.

Noor claims that NCSW has been writing letters to the Election Commission of Pakistain for the past three years however the commission does not even respond to the written complaints lodged by the organization.

The commission said it was regrettable that nothing tangible had been done so far by the Election Commission.

Noor reiterated that feudal and patriarchal systems play an important role in our society. Women are either ordered to cast their votes in favour of a particular political faction or if they try to raise their own opinion, they are deterred from casting their votes altogether.

The NCSW regretted that women in Pakistain were still deprived of their basic democratic, political and economic rights.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  OH THE HUGE MANATEE!

Oer in EGYPT, post-Mubarak "HIJAB-FREE" ZONES are now being accused of unfair discrimination by Islamic-Sharia Conservatives + general Hijab-lovers.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/29/2012 23:12 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria Says 'Terrorist Infiltration' from Lebanon Foiled
[An Nahar] Syrian authorities have prevented an "armed terrorist group" from infiltrating Syria through the Ouyoun al-Shara-Halat crossing point in Talkalakh which borders northern Leb, Syria's state-run news agency
...and if you can't believe the state-run news agency who can you believe?...
SANA reported on Tuesday.

Quoting an official source, SANA said three members of the group were killed and several others maimed in a clash with Syrian security forces.

"One member of the law-enforcement forces was maimed and taken to al-Bassel Hospital in Tartous for treatment," the news agency added.

Earlier on Monday, Syrian authorities prevented an "armed terrorist group" from entering Syria from Jordan, according to SANA.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  Wouldn't it be fun if it were a unit of Hizb'allah?
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/29/2012 5:59 Comments || Top||


Lebanon to Work on Restoring Syria's Membership in Arab League
[An Nahar] President Michel Suleiman
...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
said Tuesday that Leb will exert efforts to restore Syria's membership in the Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
whose decisions are respected by Beirut no matter what its stance is.

"No matter what Leb's stance is at Arab League summits, it commits itself to its decisions," Suleiman said at a joint presser with his Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu in Bucharest.

"We will work on restoring Syria's membership in the vaporous Arab League" which "is not only for Arab regimes but for the Arab people," he stressed.

"Leb's stance has always been in favor of Arab consensus," Suleiman told news hounds, saying that no Arab country should be isolated.

The president also expressed keenness on finding a solution to the Syrian crisis as soon as possible.

The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November. But Leb voted against the decision.

"Leb will attend the next Arab League summit and will take the appropriate decision depending on the resolutions that will be adopted," he stressed.

Suleiman also said he asked Basescu for Romania's contribution to the United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
Interim Force in Leb and stressed on preventive diplomacy as a solution to conflicts.

He reiterated the rejection of Lebanese authorities to naturalize Paleostinians in Leb.

On bilateral cooperation, Suleiman said he agreed with his counterpart to consolidate economic and cultural collaboration between the two countries.

The foreign ministries of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding and preparations are underway to sign a deal to cooperate in the education, cultural and sports fields, Suleiman said.

Basescu, in his turn, vowed to consolidate the Lebanese army by providing it with ammunition. He also said Romania will seek to increase the number of scholarships provided to Leb students.

Suleiman arrived in Romania at the head of a ministerial delegation on Monday.
Posted by: Fred || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria


Iraq
4 killed, wounded in western Mosul blast
NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq: One of the guards of the Badosh prison was killed and three others wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that targeted their patrol in western Mosul city on Tuesday, a security source in Ninewa said.

“An IED went off near a security patrol in the al-Islah al-Ziraie neighborhood in western Mosul, leaving a reformatory guard of the Badosh prison killed and three others injured,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The prison patrol had carried convicts to a hospital in Mosul and came under the IED attack while it was returning,” the source added, noting two are seriously wounded.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/29/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:



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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

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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.
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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2012-02-29
  Singapore: Iran assassination plot against Israeli Defence Minister Barak foiled
Tue 2012-02-28
  Yemen's Saleh formally steps down after 33 years
Mon 2012-02-27
  Congressmen Attacked on Mount of Olives
Sun 2012-02-26
  Afghan interior ministry employee sought in NATO killings
Sat 2012-02-25
  Yemen gets new president after 33 years
Fri 2012-02-24
  Air strke kills al-Shaboobs
Thu 2012-02-23
  Ansar as-Sunna Chief Arrested on Syria-Iraq Border
Wed 2012-02-22
  Hugo has new tumor
Tue 2012-02-21
  Afghans rescue 41 child suicide bombers
Mon 2012-02-20
  Syrian army reinforcements head to Homs
Sun 2012-02-19
  Iran stops oil sales to British, French
Sat 2012-02-18
  SWIFT To Cut Off Iran - No Financial Telecommunications
Fri 2012-02-17
  Feds arrest another thinks-he-is suicide bomber heading to Capitol building
Thu 2012-02-16
  U.S. drone kills five insurgents in Miranshah
Wed 2012-02-15
  Thailand charges Iranian bomb suspects in Bangkok

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