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Us Drone Strike Kills Four In Miranshah
Today's Headlines
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Science & Technology
Dupe entry: Defense cuts put US air superiority on razor's edge
Posted by: Frozen Al || 03/31/2012 14:48 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
Pravda Endorses Obama
Electing Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States of America would be like appointing a serial paedophile as a kindergarten teacher, a rapist as a janitor at a girls' dormitory or a psychopath with a fixation on knives as a kitchen hand.
I like him better already...
Unfortunately, this applies to Obama as well, but between the two Pravda likes the anti-colonialist Kenyan.
No doubt we will all take this into account as we approach the voting booth n November, if only for the pungency of the images
Posted by: Iblis || 03/31/2012 14:44 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Spelling in title corrected.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 15:19 Comments || Top||

#2  ahh the open mike moment
Posted by: Jan || 03/31/2012 16:03 Comments || Top||

#3  Electing Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States of America would be like appointing a serial paedophile as a kindergarten teacher, a rapist as a janitor at a girls' dormitory or a psychopath with a fixation on knives as a kitchen hand.

Paedophile, rapist, psychopath.... through our legal system, we could do something about. Comrade Obama may be an entirely different story.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 16:11 Comments || Top||

#4  Putin is adopting 12 small Kenyan children this year!
Posted by: Crert Unock2983 || 03/31/2012 17:38 Comments || Top||

#5  I smell a quid quo pro. :)
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 03/31/2012 18:19 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Dem Mayors Challange the Teachers Union
Villaraigosa is one of several Democratic mayors in cities across the country -- Chicago, Cleveland, Newark and Boston, among them -- who are challenging teachers unions in ways that seemed inconceivable just a decade ago.
Not to mention last week!
At at time when most Americans believe that U.S. education is imperiled, and cities are especially struggling to improve schools, the tension between the mayors and the unions is causing a fundamental realignment of two powerful forces in urban politics.
It's for The Children!
The mayors risk turning labor friends into enemies, a lesson D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty learned in 2010 when he lost his seat in part because teachers were enraged by his school reforms. The unions, meanwhile, risk appearing recalcitrant and self-serving, further alienating a public frustrated by failing schools and growing cool to organized labor.
Right. So go after Governors next -- how about Wisconsin? It's for the Children!
The mayors want a raft of changes. They want to replace the uniform pay scale with merit pay. They seek to expand public charter schools, which are largely non-union. Some want to lengthen school days, requiring teachers to work more hours. Nearly all of these mayors have set their sights on the one workplace protection that teachers have held central for more than 100 years: tenure.

The unions say many of the "fixes" embraced by the mayors are trendy ideas without evidence that they help children learn.
Not unlike many of the trendy ideas the teachers embrace.
Instead, they allow politicians to appear as if they are making improvements without having to confront the profound problems of urban schools, labor leaders say. "We don't want to have honest conversations about poverty and segregation and race and class, all those other sorts of ills," said Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union.
Wait a minute! Poverty and segregation and race and class and all those other sorts of ills - isn't that the job of Congress?
Posted by: Bobby || 03/31/2012 14:17 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  You mean having an effective and efficient school system would attract the taxable class rather than sending them beyond your excise powers, who'd thought that?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/31/2012 16:18 Comments || Top||

#2  The problem is the U.S. has an education department.

1/ It sounds like something for the states to decide what's taught.
2/ It's subsidised, with the low quality, rant-seeking and marxist invasion that inevitably entails.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 18:03 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
It's All About Race Now
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 03/31/2012 11:38 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hope and Change!
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 12:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Even if George Zimmerman is arrested, tried and acquitted, he will be a marked man for the rest of his life (or at least until Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can find another cause to support).
At this point, no one knows all the facts, except George Zimmerman. All we have is partial police reports, rumors, and demagoguery. Zimmerman has been tried and convicted by the press, and sentenced to death by the New Black Panthers.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 03/31/2012 13:47 Comments || Top||

#3  If it had been a white teenager who was shot, and a 28-year-old black guy who shot him, the black guy would have been arrested.

He would have looked like George W.'s son?
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 14:42 Comments || Top||

#4  Not exactly Rambler. We have an eye witness, doctors reports on Zimmermans injuries, autopsy on the hoody, back ground checks and most importantly, Due Process of law to review all of the above.

Also, we have a mob that is wantong to throw Due Process out the window and demand society adhere to mob rule.

All the ones who are trying to gin up mob rule should be the first ones arrested, prosecuted/impeached and/or deported back to Indonesia or Kenya becauyse every one of these agitators are listed on the visitors log of the oval office.
Posted by: George Ebbeamp4828 || 03/31/2012 14:48 Comments || Top||

#5  I haven't liked the media acting as judge and jury. Why are they using such a young photo of Treyvon? Zimmerman is Hispanic, it seems the media wants Zimmerman to be white. Calling him a white hispanic? Why aren't the panthers being prosecuted for their threats. For what's his name giving out Zimmermans address putting that family in danger.
Without having all the facts; just from what I've heard I don't think Zimmerman can use the self defense law if he was following him. But without knowing all the facts we don't know anything yet.
To see all of these so called leaders making racist remarks it really shows their stupidity. This shows how some of our elected officials act deciding policy, frightening actually.
Posted by: Jan || 03/31/2012 16:24 Comments || Top||

#6  It's also about the U.S. Constitution.

Texas Lawyers who prefer Colts offer Zimmerman attorney $10,000 for Legal Expenses.
Posted by: George Ebbeamp4828 || 03/31/2012 17:08 Comments || Top||

#7  Even if George Zimmerman is arrested, tried and acquitted, he will be a marked man for the rest of his life (or at least until Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson can find another cause to support).

Hell, that could be next week. The secret to being a good huckster is knowing when the game is up, and moving on to the next score.
Just ask Tawana Brawley.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 17:13 Comments || Top||

#8  The media malpractice involved in this case might benefit Zimmerman as folks will be looking for a mugshot looking white guy and not reality. Just change his name to his Hispanic side and he will fade away.
Posted by: Rjschwarz || 03/31/2012 21:25 Comments || Top||

#9  In the NBC segment, Zimmerman says: “This guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.”

The full version, though, unfolds like this:

Zimmerman: “This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.”

911 operator: “Okay. And this guy, is he white black or Hispanic?”

Zimmerman: “He looks black.”

It’s as if they’re pushing a predetermined narrative regardless of the evidence or something.

UPDATE: Reader Michael Costello emails: “ABC did the same thing. Aren’t these the same people who accused Andrew Breitbart of deceptive editing?” Yeah, go figure.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 03/31/2012 21:31 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
South Africa's report card on democracy gets worse
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 10:04 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  South Africa's ruling clique (the ANC) is modeled on the Communist Party of the USSR where most of their leadership was trained. So, of course it's turning into a one-party dictatorship / kleptocracy.
Posted by: AlanC || 03/31/2012 15:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Quite similar I might add to our DNC.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 15:44 Comments || Top||

#3  If it gets any worse, it will turn into another South Africa.
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 17:35 Comments || Top||

#4  Kindly, grand-fatherly Marxist Mau-Mau Nelson Mandela provided much needed "hope & change" in S. Africa.

Like Pharaoh 0bama, Mandela will be missed; but not very much. So sad...
Posted by: canalzone || 03/31/2012 22:20 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
Hot pepper compound could help hearts
The food that inspires wariness is on course for inspiring even more wonder from a medical standpoint as scientists reported this week the latest evidence that chili peppers are a heart-healthy food with potential to protect against the number one cause of death in the developed world. The report was part of the 243rd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, being held in San Diego this week.

The study focused on capsaicin and its fiery-hot relatives, a piquant family of substances termed “capsaicinoids.” The component that gives cayennes, jalapenos, habaneros and other chili peppers their heat, capsaicin already has an established role in medicine in rub-on-the-skin creams to treat arthritis and certain forms of pain. Past research suggested that spicing food with chilies can lower blood pressure in people with that condition, reduce blood cholesterol and ease the tendency for dangerous blood clots to form.
knew it!
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 09:33 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  so my favorite Mexican food is now health food. God is good!
Posted by: Frank G || 03/31/2012 11:27 Comments || Top||

#2  So being a Chile Head as it's rewards. Satan's Toejam for everyone!
Posted by: Blossom Tingle5654 || 03/31/2012 13:19 Comments || Top||

#3  2 was me. Didn't reset my cookie.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 03/31/2012 13:22 Comments || Top||

#4  Whew, Deacon. For a minute there I thought maybe Chris Matthews had sneaked in somehow.
Posted by: gorb || 03/31/2012 13:42 Comments || Top||

#5  Habaneros and dried Chinese chiles.

With beer, Gawd is indeed good!
Posted by: badanov || 03/31/2012 13:49 Comments || Top||

#6  (Does the lawnmower double pump Yess!)
Posted by: swksvolFF || 03/31/2012 17:57 Comments || Top||

#7  IMO R. LEE ERMEY proved it best on his Show "MAIL CALL" - iff Pepper Sauce can make Civil War hardtack more palatable, it can do anything.

[BULLET-TRAIN CONDUCTOR HOMER SIMPSON + TRAIN-SAVING GIANT DONUT here].
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 22:48 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Another $17 trillion surprise found in Obamacare
Senate Republican staffers continue to look though the 2010 Obamacare law to see what's in it, and their latest discovery is a massive $17 trillion funding gap.

The $17 trillion in extra promises was revealed by an analysis of the law's long-term requirements. The additional obligations, when combined with existing Medicare and Medicaid funding shortfalls, leaves taxpayers on the hook for an extra $82 trillion over the next 75 years.

Currently, the Social Security system is $7 trillion in debt over the next 65 years. Medicare will eat up $38 trillion in future taxes, and Medicaid will consume another $2o trillion of the taxpayer's wealth, according to estimates prepared by the actuarial office at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The short-term cost of the Obamacare law is $2.6 trillion, almost triple the $900 billion cost promised by Obama and his Democratic allies, said Sessions.

The extra $17 billion gap was discovered by applying standard CMMS estimates and models to the law's spending obligations, Sessions said.
They'll come out of this experience with their analytical muscles pumped, buff, and oiled, ready to take on anything private industry might throw at them
Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 || 03/31/2012 08:43 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I wonder what the numbers will look like if the individual mandate somehow gets excised?
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 11:21 Comments || Top||

#2  They were discussing that at AoSHQ yesterday or the day before.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/31/2012 11:26 Comments || Top||

#3  Individual mandate for payment gets excised, but mandate for services, especially 'pre-existing condition coverage' to be provided does not. Insurance companies cannot survive financially in that market, so get out. Government becomes the sole option for health insurance. National Health Care. Mission Accomplished.
Posted by: Glenmore || 03/31/2012 11:36 Comments || Top||

#4  Deep six the entire ObamaCare turkey. I sure hope SCOTUS sees these figures. It was never about healthcare anyway. It was a "Cloward and Piven's" strategy to bankrupt the system. However, I think we already passed the bankruptcy point with the free houses for everyone concept hatched by Fannie Mae, Washington politicians and Wall Street.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 13:49 Comments || Top||

#5  There's also a section in there to establish a domestic army.

The whole thing needs to go.
Posted by: gorb || 03/31/2012 23:52 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Three bombs kill seven, injure dozens in southern Thailand
Three bomb attacks killed seven people and injured dozens more on Saturday in the heart of Yala.

The blasts took place just minutes apart at the Ruam Mitr intersection in the main business center of Yala municipality around noon on Saturday.

Colonel Pramote Promin, a spokesman for the southern army region, told said, "Seven people are confirmed dead, more than 70 others were wounded in the Yala bomb blasts. There were three bombs that exploded. The first is a car bomb and the second and third bombs were hidden in motorcycles."

The first bomb was hidden in a motorcycle parked outside a karaoke club. Terrorists Insurgents detonated the second and third bombs, which had been hidden in cars, when the authorities rushed to check the first explosion.

Several shophouses near the bombing sites were on fire and many parked cars and motorcycles were damaged by the powerful explosions.

Yala Governor Dethrat Simsiri said that 68 people were injured by three blasts that occurred within a 100-meter radius and minutes apart.

One policeman was injured in a separate motorcycle bomb attack in neighbouring Pattani province.

The policeman was wounded by an explosion at a food shop near Mae Lan police station in Pattani province. The victim was admitted to the hospital but his identity and dfetails of his condition were not available. Police blamed separatist terrorists militants.

Also,a villager was killed in an ambush while walking home on a local road in Pattani province late Friday night. The victim was identified as Ama Wani, 34. He was walking home with his four-year-old son on the a road in the village when terrorists gunmen lurking in a roadside forest sprayed him with gunfire. Ama was hit in the head and died on the spot. His son was unhurt.
Posted by: ryuge || 03/31/2012 06:37 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Are things actually getting worse there? It seems like Thailand's situation has been popping up more in the news lately.

(I checked the calendar, Water Festival is a week from Friday).
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/31/2012 14:04 Comments || Top||

#2  Guess they should not have went SHOPPING!
Posted by: Snusotle Grutle6273 || 03/31/2012 17:35 Comments || Top||

#3  As per FREEREPUBLIC + TOPIX Artics, MilTerrs may had intended this to be the Thai equivalent of 9-11.

IOW, Thailand's sectarianism/insurgency has come out of the shadows, + the country may now be in an overt, existential? WOT???

* BLOGGERS = opine that the "Thai 9-11" may hearld the kickoff of REGION-WIDE SE ASIA ISLAMIC JIHAD???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 23:03 Comments || Top||

#4  Death toll as per YAHOO NEWS now up to 14, wid 341 wounded.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 23:46 Comments || Top||


Thai MP's house hit by M79 grenades
The family of veteran politician Najmuddin Uma escaped unscathed as assailants attacked their home with two grenades in Narathiwat province yesterday.

Rosidah Uma, 39, his wife, and their two children were sleeping in their bedroom when two M-79 grenades exploded about 2:45 a.m. The grenades landed on the roof above Mr Najmuddin's bedroom, exploded and damaged the ceiling. Mr Najmuddin was not home.

Ms Rosidah said she was awakened by the blasts. She said, "We were lucky the grenades didn't explode in the bedroom or we would be dead."

Police and forensic experts inspected the scene. They found the two grenades had landed on the same spot and it is believed they were fired by someone with skill.

Pol Maj Gen Chote said police initially suspected the attack was meant as a threat against Mr Najmuddin. He works as a security adviser to the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center.

Two rangers injured by roadside bomb

Two paramilitary rangers were injured by a bomb blast on a local road in Narathiwat province while on patrol on Friday morning.

They were members of a ranger squad patrolling in Rangae district. A 5 kg bomb buried under a termite mound near the road was detonated as they passed. The home-made bomb injured rangers Prasarn Kaewkiew and Nanthawat Konthong, who were taken to the hospital.

Police blamed separatist terrorists militants.
Posted by: ryuge || 03/31/2012 06:04 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
Ever Closer Union
h/t Instapundit, Andrew Stuttaford
The central bank of Germany will no longer accept bank bonds backed by Ireland, Greece and Portugal as collateral, becoming the first euro-zone central bank to exercise a new privilege to protect its balance sheet from the region's debt crisis.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 00:52 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Federal judge sends Huffington posters packing
By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A federal judge in New York state Friday dismissed claims that bloggers who had provided content without compensation should be compensated, according to US wire and blog reports.

Judge U.S. District Judge John Koeltl said in the dismissal order that the plaintiffs entered their agreements with Ariana Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, "with eyes wide open" and that they are not entitled to any part of the $105 million in damages alleged in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was brought just after Huffington sold her highly successful news aggregation website to AOL last year for a reported $315 million. Allegations in the lawsuit were that Huffington had unjustly enriched herself at the expense of several bloggers who had provided content over the years, a claim Judge Koetl dismissed.

In the dismissal order Judge Koeltl said that in order for a unjust enrichment compensation to be determined under law, an expectation of compensation was to be explicit in the arrangements between Huffington and her bloggers. Instead, the only thing of value Huffington offered was exposure.

The plaintiffs, in the person of Jonathan Tasini, Tara Dublin, Richard Laermer and Billy Altman, among many others also alleged that they were recruited by Huffington to provide content in exchange for exposure, and use social media such as Twitter to promote their articles and increase visits to the Huffington post. The claim the plaintiffs should receive some part of the $315 million purchase price Huffington reportedly received in the sale of the website was dismissed.

It is known that many other bloggers were formerly with print media, who had been placed on the outs by consolidation and by job losses in the print media business, mainly newspaper and other print media, and had been hoping they would return to their former positions through their work with The Huffington Post.

Judge Koeltl also said many of those writers and bloggers were not kept in their positions at The Huffington Post, that the writers who provided content could have taken other offers during the time in question.

The Huffington Post was set up in May 2005 using money provided by several investors. Before she sold her website, Huffington continually returned to her investors for more money to keep her website running. At one point a year before she sold out to AOL, the Huffington Post was losing a reported $1 million a month.

The Huffington Post also used paid writers and editors during it six year run before being sold.

Chris Covert writes news for Rantburg.com
Posted by: badanov || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1 

Stupid liberals. They always think things should be the way they think they should be, rather than how they are. You were offered exposure and that's it. Someone got rich of your work? That's your fault, not theirs. Personal responsibility.
Posted by: gromky || 03/31/2012 7:31 Comments || Top||

#2  "Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the mtv
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Money for nothin' and chicks for free"
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 9:57 Comments || Top||

#3  I demanded that Fred pay me for what my comments were worth. He said "you have been". Damn...
Posted by: Frank G || 03/31/2012 11:18 Comments || Top||

#4  The most surprising thing here is finding out that AOL actually had 315 million to give to this ditz.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 12:28 Comments || Top||

#5  Don't feel bad, Frank G. It's worth a chuckle now and then.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 13:35 Comments || Top||

#6  Who gets the royalties from all the records?
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/31/2012 15:46 Comments || Top||

#7  Oh, and about the original article... I'm reminded of that line from Animal House. Basically, they F###ed up, they trusted her.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/31/2012 15:47 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Obama says enough world oil to crack down on Iran sales
What would he know?
BURLINGTON, VT/WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said on Friday he has determined there is enough oil in the world market to allow countries to cut imports from Iran, allowing Washington to begin sanctioning countries that continue to buy Iranian oil.

In his decision, required by a sanctions law he signed in December, Obama said in a statement that increased production by some countries as well as "the existence of strategic reserves" helped him come to the conclusion that sanctions can advance.

"I will closely monitor this situation to assure that the market can continue to accommodate a reduction in purchases of petroleum and petroleum products from Iran," Obama said.
Translation: if the shoe begins to pinch we'll pull that sucker off our foot...
The sanctions aim to pressure Iran to curb its nuclear program, which the West suspects is a cover to develop atomic weapons but which Iran says is purely civilian.

Obama is required by law to determine by March 30, and every six months after that, whether the price and supply of non-Iranian oil are sufficient to allow consumers to "significantly" cut their purchases from Iran.

The law allows Obama, after June 28, to sanction foreign banks that carry out oil-related transactions with Iran's central bank and effectively cut them off from the US financial system.

"Today, we put on notice all nations that continue to import petroleum or petroleum products from Iran that they have three months to significantly reduce those purchases or risk the imposition of severe sanctions on their financial institutions," said Senator Robert Menendez, co-author of the sanctions law.

Obama can offer exemptions to countries that show they have "significantly" cut their purchases from Iran.

Washington recently exempted Japan and 10 EU countries from the sanctions because they have cut Iranian oil purchases.

"We welcome the President's determination and applaud the Administration's faithful implementation of the Menendez-Kirk amendment," said a spokesman for Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican who has pushed for additional measures.

"To build on this momentum, we hope the Senate will consider amendments to the pending Iran sanctions bill that would continue to increase the economic pressure on the Iranian regime," the Kirk spokesman said.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Manipulating global energy markets now is he?
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 2:13 Comments || Top||

#2  Determined? This POS makes me sick every time he opens his yap. What will his 'determination' be when SCOTUS kills Obambicare?
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 03/31/2012 11:40 Comments || Top||

#3  See also TOPIX > THERE IS NO MILITARY OPTION ON IRAN.

"Enough oil on the world markets" > IMO this shows that the US-World is not facing a "Peak Oil/Gas" Crisis, by + for OWG-NWO - iff we were, the only prgamatic options for the US would be NO IRAN WAR PERIOD, i.e. the US-Israel-World must accept a NUCLEAR IRAN + NUC RADICAL ISLAMISM INCLUD MILTERRS; or else BLITZKRIEG GROUND WAR ON IRAN, espec to reduce the levels of tote oil consumption for purposes of war.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 23:15 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Saudis In Eastern Province Hold Fresh Protest Rallies
People in Soddy Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province have staged fresh protest rallies, chanting slogans against Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, Press TV reports.

The demonstrations were held on Friday although Riyadh had strictly banned any anti-government gatherings and other public displays of dissent across the country.

Demonstrations in Eastern Province began in February 2011 and turned into protest rallies against the Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province.

Riyadh has intensified its crackdown on anti-government protesters since the beginning of 2012.

The US-based Human Rights Watch
... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world...
called on Saudi authorities last October to stop the ''arbitrary arrests of peaceful protesters, relatives of wanted persons, and human rights
...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions...
activists'' in Eastern Province.

According to the Saudi-based Human Rights First Society (HRFS), the detainees, held in Saudi custody, suffer from both physical and mental torture.

Amnesia Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused the Al Saud regime of silencing dissent through intimidation and the violation of the basic rights of citizens.

According to rights activists, hundreds of detainees are being held in Saudi prisons without trial or charge.

The arrests in Soddy Arabia have been carried out despite the fact that the authoritarian kingdom is a party to the Arab Charter on Human Rights, Article 14 of which prohibits arbitrary detention.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Afghanistan
Al-Qaeda 'plotting another 9/11’ from Afghanistan
Al-Qaeda fighters have returned to Afghanistan and will use the country as a base to launch September 11-style attacks on Western cities, according to the American ambassador to Kabul.

"If the West decides that 10 years in Afghanistan is too long then they will be back, and the next time it will not be New York or Washington, it will be another big Western city.”
Ryan Crocker told The Daily Telegraph that if the West was to leave Afghanistan too early, al-Qaeda would be able to increase its presence.

“Al-Qaeda is still present in Afghanistan. If the West decides that 10 years in Afghanistan is too long then they will be back, and the next time it will not be New York or Washington, it will be another big Western city.”

Nato officials believe that up to 100 al-Qaeda fighters have returned to the country, based mainly in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces near the border with Pakistan. Hundreds more are based in Pakistan and could return if circumstances were to change.

“We have killed all the slow and stupid ones. But that means the ones that are left are totally dedicated,”
Following the shootings in Toulouse this month by an al-Qaeda-inspired gunman, British intelligence officials believe the group is planning a wave of attacks against Western targets, including the London Olympics.

Mr Crocker, who took up his post in Kabul last year, said al-Qaeda remained a potent threat despite suffering setbacks. “We have killed all the slow and stupid ones. But that means the ones that are left are totally dedicated,” he said.

“We think we’ve won a campaign before our adversaries have even started to fight. They have patience, and they know that we are short on that.”
Posted by: || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Core" Al-Qaeda, or Sub-Group/Affiliate, as Perts have argued that its the latter whom are now more dangerous than Ayman's "Core" Boyz.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 0:28 Comments || Top||

#2  One possible solution:

Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 0:37 Comments || Top||

#3  Lake of Rumsfeld?
Posted by: Raj || 03/31/2012 1:11 Comments || Top||

#4  Hundreds more are based in Pakistan

reminds me of the old saying the trouble with Afghanistan is Pakistan.
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 03/31/2012 6:31 Comments || Top||

#5  Tu3031

Wrong country ie should be Pakistan but good idea.
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 03/31/2012 6:34 Comments || Top||

#6  With all of the new ideas for space exploration perhaps we need to dust off some neutron bombs and make a lens so we can see better.
Posted by: Woozle Threrens1073 || 03/31/2012 8:34 Comments || Top||

#7  Wrong country ie should be Pakistan but good idea.

Then it would be the Bay of Pakistan, or just another ecological catastrophe identified in the future by the sedimentary ring left around the Indian Ocean.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/31/2012 9:01 Comments || Top||

#8  Wouldn't it be easier to just keep those people out of our country?
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 13:28 Comments || Top||

#9  You know, stuff like restricting visas and controlling borders?
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 13:29 Comments || Top||

#10  That would be RACIST Abu!

Defending yourself is racist - So says the Congressional Black Caucus and Obama (Trayvon - Zimmermen hype)
Posted by: CrazyFool || 03/31/2012 13:37 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Us Drone Strike Kills Four In Miranshah
MIRANSHAH: A US drone strike killed four suspected cut-throats and maimed three others on Friday in North Wazoo, intelligence officials and hard boyz said. The remotely piloted aircraft targeted a residential compound used by cut-throats in 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...
, a Pakistain Taliban capo said. "The four dead are local Talibs," an intelligence official told Rooters. "Two missiles hit a house and four hard boyz were killed," a security official told AFP. "The attack took place at about 3:00am." Witnesses said the attack triggered a fire, which destroyed the building. The compound was located in the moneychangers market in the commercial district. agencies
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Our dronezaps are generally on rural compounds or vehicles on open roads; this seems to have been in the heart of town, where the risk of collateral damage is a lot higher. Did we have a high-value target or have all the targets moved to human-shielded locations now?
Posted by: Glenmore || 03/31/2012 9:33 Comments || Top||

#2  Obama's desperate to disengage. Can't do that with ramped up Taliban activity, so he's become more aggressive with the zaps, I would guess.
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 10:41 Comments || Top||

#3  Hard to believe it myself, but I actually agree with Obama?
Posted by: Glenmore || 03/31/2012 11:27 Comments || Top||

#4  I would totally stop confirming drone hits.

I would keep putting a story that Taliban munitions mishandling blew it up.

Oh and I'd make sure we weren't THAT careful about "civilians" nearby. pour encourager les autres
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 17:05 Comments || Top||


Britain
Dissident republicans jailed for murder of police officer
Two men were found guilty and jailed for life today for the murder of a police officer shot dead by dissident republicans in Northern Ireland.

Brendan McConville, 40, and John Paul Wootton, 20, were convicted by Lord Justice Paul Girvan at Belfast Crown Court for their part in the ambush of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Constable Stephen Carroll.

The officer, aged 48, from Banbridge, County Down, was the first policeman killed by Republican terrorists since the peace process reforms which saw the Royal Ulster Constabulary replaced by the new-look PSNI.

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Continuity IRA
It's worth keeping in mind that Islamicists aren't the only thugs whose lives center on hatred and murder. More on the Continuity IRA here.
Posted by: || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  For a moment there, I thought this is about USA after Obama's reelection.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:29 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah Says Political Solution Only Option To Syrian Crisis
(Xinhua) -- Secretary General of Leb-based Hezbullies Hasan Nasrallah said Friday a political solution is the only option to the yearlong Syrian crisis.
What in earth brought that on?
The options to oust the Syrian regime by foreign or Arab military involvement or by arming the Syrian opposition have fallen and a political solution is the only remaining option, said the leader of Hezbullies, Leb's Shiite gang.

Nasrallah asserted that a serious solution to the Syrian crisis should be based on dialogue between the regime and opposition and the agreement to conduct real reforms.

He urged the Lebanese parties betting on the fall of the Syrian regime to reconsider their stance, saying that "we can differ about the Syrian situation while preserving Leb and its stability."

The Lebanese parties are divided in their stances regarding the Syrian events while the March 14 bloc betting on the fall of the Syrian regime and the March 8 Alliance supporting the regime of Syria.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Hezbollah


Europe
Land Day Activities Beyond the Middle East
Amnesty International condemns Israel for 'excessive force'

Amnesia Amnesty International issued a condemnation of what it termed Israel's "excessive use of force" on Land Day protesters on Friday.

The organization's deputy director of Middle East and North Africa program said in a press statement that the human-rights group was "extremely worried" by reports that the IDF was using live ammunition on protesters, "particularly in the light of frequent and persistent use of excessive force against Paleostinian protesters."

Amnesty also condemned the PA for preventing protests and Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, for beating up protesters, calling on both to respect freedom of assembly.

Only 50 people attend Land Day protest in Germany

Paleostinian Germans staged a scarcely attended rally in the heart of the government district on Friday to call for the expulsion of Israel from its capital Jerusalem

Police officials told the Post that roughly 50 protesters appeared at the anti-Israel rally across from the chancellery, the seat of Merkel’s administration.

Several pro-Israel activists appeared at the event, including one man who stood in front of the pro-Paleostinian red banner with the words “Global March to Jerusalem 2012: Jerusalem for everybody!” The police intervened to separate the two pro-Israel supporters from the largely Paleostinian group..

US urges restraint after Land Day riots

The United States on Friday urged restraint by both Israel and the Paleostinians after dozens were maimed in festivities during Land Day protests.
 
"We certainly don't want to see any violence by either side," State Department spokesperson Mark Toner told news hounds. "We certainly, as you well know, support the rights of people everywhere to protest peacefully. And so we would just call for restraint," he said.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Major VISA., MasterCard security breach
Mastercard and Visa confirmed the data of as many as ten million customers has been stolen.
Officials are investigating what they believe is one of the largest-known credit card heists in the U.S. after Mastercard and Visa confirmed the data of as many as ten million customers has been stolen.
I've been warned American Express was also hit.
The companies notified U.S. banks of a potential security breach, and they are now going through the process of pinpointing the affected accounts before contacting customers involved.

Customers are urged to check their accounts online or contact their financial institution regarding any concerns they have.

The companies, which are the two largest global credit card processors, said the issue stemmed from a third-party vendor, reportedly Global Payments, and not their own internal systems.
Dominican street gangs are suspected.

More from the WaPo here.
Posted by: || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Butt they have a moat did someone leave the portcullis and drawbridge down or was it a Trojan horse.
Posted by: Waldemar Claiting9786 || 03/31/2012 8:38 Comments || Top||


Arabia
oil Pipeline Blown Up By Gunmen In Southeast Yemen
(Xinhua) -- A group of person or persons unknown blew up a gas pipeline on Friday night in the restive southeastern province of Shabwa, which transports gas from the oil- producing Maarib province to Belhaf port on the Arabian Sea, a security official told Xinhua.

Suspected al-Qaeda Death Eaters sabotaged the oil pipeline, just a few hours after the U.S. drones raided hideouts of the al-Qaeda Death Eaters in the thugs-controlled town of Azzan, 150 kilometres east of Ataq, the quiet provincial capital of Shabwa, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

Blowing up the oil pipeline was apparently a retaliatory attack by the al-Qaeda operatives, the official said.

The official blamed al-Qaeda for criminal masterminding the attack, saying that "al-Qaeda cut-throats have repeatedly attacked Yemen's oil pipelines in Shabwa following any U.S. drone attacks just to take Dire Revenge™ on the Yemeni government."

Local residents near the scene confirmed to Xinhua that they saw smoke rising from the area following the powerful kaboom and the fire was still blazing.

Earlier in the day, U.S. drones raided dozens of the al-Qaeda gunnies travelling in a vehicle in a main road of the al-Qaeda seized city of Azzan in Shabwa, killing at least seven forces of Evil and injuring several others, a security official told Xinhua.

Al-Qaeda Death Eaters who took advantage of the conflicts in the country have seized several towns in Abyan and Shabwa provinces after severe fighting with government troops backed by U.S. drones.

In January 2009, al-Qaeda affiliates in Soddy Arabia and Yemen officially merged and formed Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP).

The group, mainly entrenching itself in Yemen's southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, is on the terrorist list of the United States, which considers it as an increasing threat to its national security.

The AQAP underscores the challenges faced by Yemen's new President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who won support from major Yemeni political forces, the United States and Soddy Arabia.

Hadi is tasked with restoring security and stability to Yemen and putting an end to growing influence of al-Qaeda that threatens the daily oil shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Terror Networks
Dupe URL: Osama bin Laden's life in Pakistan: cock-up or conspiracy?
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
Rise in cases of infant mortality
ISLAMABAD: Cases of infant mortality have registered an increase in December last year as compared to the preceding month - an average of 56 deaths per district out of those monitored and reporting such cases - occurring in December and 51 in November, says a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report.

Infant mortality in this report refers to children who did not live to see their first birthday. Most of the cases were reported in Sahiwal (225), followed by Gujrat (157) and Faisalabad (136).

The report, released on Friday, is based on reported cases of diseases at government health offices in 79 districts. Of the monitored districts, 36 reported cases of infant mortality. It said that 51 children died before attaining the age of five years in seven districts while 124 mothers died due to pregnancy and delivery-related complications in 31 of the monitored districts.

According to the report, 2,199,222 cases of observed diseases were reported.

Among viral diseases, hepatitis was the most reported with 2,803 cases, of which 619 were recorded in Gujrat, another 551 in Gujranwala and 321 in Bahawalpur.

On the polio
...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set...
front, three new cases emerged - one each in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
Central, Dera Ghazi Khan and Vehari, while there were 27 cases of probable poliomyelitis - all being reported in Bloody Karachi Central. Also reported were 19 suspected cases of AIDS - 11 of them in Sargodha, seven in Gujrat and one in Gujranwala, the report said. On the other hand, 1,774 cases of malaria were reported - Hafizabad topping the list with 499 cases, followed by Khyber Agency (362) and Killa Saifullah (233). However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken...
no case of dengue surfaced during the reporting month. There were 111 cases of measles, tetanus (22) and meningitis (13).

Acute respiratory tract infections were the most commonly reported set of diseases constituting 53 percent of the total disease burden. Faisalabad (144,425), Gujranwala (59,517) and Bahawalpur (53,268) were the top three districts reporting such infections. At least 14 percent of the total diseases comprised gastrointestinal infections and 12 percent of skin diseases. Moreover, there were 10,343 cases of animal bites and 1,635 of tuberculosis. Unlike last month, when Bahawalpur reported the highest disease burden, December saw Faisalabad recording the most cases (9 percent), followed by Bahawalpur (8 percent) and Gujrat (7 percent).
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Alternative Title:

"High fail rate in bomb delivery manufacturing".
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 12:03 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Yemenis Hold Fresh Anti-Regime Demos Nationwide
Yemeni anti-regime protesters have once again taken to the streets across the country to call for the fulfillment of revolution's goals.

Demonstrators held protest rallies after Friday prayers in several cities including the capital, Sana'a, and the southern city of Taizz.

They also called for the expulsion of any member of the government, who is affiliated with deposed dictator 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...
, and demanded that the former longtime ruler be prosecuted for the deaths of many protesters that have been killed since last year.

Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years, stepped down in February under a US-backed power transfer deal in return for immunity.

His deputy, UK-trained field marshal Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, replaced him on February 25 following a single-candidate presidential election backed by the United States and Soddy Arabia. Hadi will serve for an interim two-year period as stipulated by the power transfer deal which granted Saleh and his closest allies immunity from prosecution.

Saleh's eldest son Ahmed now commands the elite Republican Guard, his nephew Yehya heads the central security services and another nephew, Tariq, controls the Presidential Guard.

Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party also has17 ministers in the new 34-member cabinet.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
Dupe headline: Land Day Activities Beyond the Middle East
Amnesty International condemns Israel for 'excessive force'

Amnesty International issued a condemnation of what it termed Israel's "excessive use of force" on Land Day protesters on Friday.

The organization's deputy director of Middle East and North Africa program said in a press statement that the human-rights group was "extremely worried" by reports that the IDF was using live ammunition on protesters, "particularly in the light of frequent and persistent use of excessive force against Palestinian protesters."

Amnesty also condemned the PA for preventing protests and Hamas for beating up protesters, calling on both to respect freedom of assembly.

Only 50 people attend Land Day protest in Germany
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Where Does Olbermann Go Now?
Answers to the question few are asking, except maybe The Atlantic...
CBS: Not impossible.
While the expression of interest could hint that the network could reconsider him for some position, a statement by Sandy Socolow, Walter Cronkite's final executive producer, suggests the network would never take the risk at a news gig. "Oh, no, no, no, he's not a newsman," she said. "He's not a reporter. I've never seen anything that he's done that was original, in terms of the information."
That's considered "not impossible"?
News Corp: Don't bet on it.
Olbermann left Rupert Murdoch's Fox Sports acrimoniously and Murdoch told The New Yorker "I fired him... He's crazy."
OK.Not looking good there...
HBO: Not impossible.
If the premium cable network wanted a less funny, newsier voice to add to its lineup, Olbermann would be the guy. He certainly would fit with its liberal programming bent.
...and because HBO isn't hemmorraging enough subcribers lately.
ESPN: Forget about it.
An ESPN official was quoted saying Olbermann "didn't burn the bridges here, he napalmed them."
I'm detecting a trend.
MSNBC: Forget about it.
By all accounts, Olbermann drove MSNBC executives and his underlings up the wall.
I'm detecting a trend becoming a psychosis.
CNN: Not impossible.
CNN has aggressively considered Olbermann as a hire in the past but ultimately decided he was too left-of-center for the brand.
Is this the same CNN that's on cable in this country, or another CNN that I don't know about?
KOTV? Not impossible.
It certainly worked for Glenn Beck, as GBTV was reportedly on track to take in $20 million in revenue for its debut year.
Yeah, but Beck has these things called "viewers".
I'm thinking Farm Reports. Or worse, maybe Oprah TV...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Try hell
Posted by: badanov || 03/31/2012 0:16 Comments || Top||

#2  Senator from Minnesota.
Posted by: Hupick B. Hayes8299 || 03/31/2012 0:32 Comments || Top||

#3  I'm glad he was canned. I never liked him anyway.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 2:07 Comments || Top||

#4  Away, hopefully.
Posted by: gorb || 03/31/2012 7:32 Comments || Top||

#5  "Farm Reports" sounds about right, after all, he went to an "Ivy League" agro college.
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 03/31/2012 8:58 Comments || Top||

#6  I wouldn't trust him with Farm Reports.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 9:31 Comments || Top||

#7  West wing?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 9:31 Comments || Top||

#8  Press Secretary
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/31/2012 9:34 Comments || Top||

#9  Nervous Hospital?
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 03/31/2012 9:40 Comments || Top||

#10  Senator from Minnesota

That is the scariest thing I've heard in a while Hupick B. Hayes8299, not least because it might actually happen.

shiver
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 10:07 Comments || Top||

#11  Olbermann drove MSNBC executives and his underlings up the wall.

Okay, so his time there wasn't all bad...
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 10:19 Comments || Top||

#12  Hey, what have you got against farmers?
Posted by: bman || 03/31/2012 10:45 Comments || Top||

#13  the "Edward R Murrow of gay strip club DJs"
Posted by: Frank G || 03/31/2012 11:14 Comments || Top||

#14  I'm thinking he'll write a book or two and go on the pundit speaking book shilling tour. In five or ten years the leadership at these places will turn-over and forget and someone will give him another chance to fail out of nostalgia and stupidity.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 03/31/2012 11:22 Comments || Top||

#15  The View?
Posted by: Chuckles Gurly-Brown5469 || 03/31/2012 11:45 Comments || Top||

#16  Here's a link that might interest him.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 12:41 Comments || Top||

#17  Senator from Minnesota

Please. Anything but that!

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al || 03/31/2012 13:03 Comments || Top||

#18  Who?
Posted by: European Conservative || 03/31/2012 13:54 Comments || Top||

#19  Maybe he and Rosie can start their OWN network....
Snark of the day.
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 03/31/2012 15:46 Comments || Top||

#20  RTV
Posted by: Varmint Glailet7850 || 03/31/2012 16:59 Comments || Top||

#21  USN, Ret. nailed it. It's a match made in TV Heaven and will appeal to the Totally Insane demographic
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 17:32 Comments || Top||

#22  The Spew. Rosie, Keithy, Rosanne and there's a lot to pick from for "special guests" to fill out the panel. It'll be like the Lunatic Asylum of television
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 17:41 Comments || Top||

#23  Soylbermann Green?
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 20:04 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Five Killed In Us Drone Strike In Yemen
At least five people have been killed in a US assassination drone strike in Shabwa Province in eastern Yemen.

FiveYemenis were killed when a missile slammed into their car in the town of Azzan, 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa, a local official said.

An official at Azzan hospital said six people in a car travelling in the opposite direction of the targeted vehicle were also maimed.

The US liquidation drones also reportedly conducted another attack in Yemen about which no immediate details are available.

The US military uses drones in Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistain, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Report: Mossad Cuts Back On Operations In Iran
[Ynet] The Mossad has scaled back covert operations inside Iran, cutting efforts to disable or delay the Islamic Theocratic Republic's nuclear program "by dozens of percents" in recent months, Time magazine reported, citing senior Israeli security officials.
 
A wide array of operations were cut, including alleged high-profile missions such as liquidations and detonations at Iranian missile bases and efforts to gather intelligence and recruit spies inside the Iranian program, according to the report.
Let us hope someone is playing fast and loose with the facts. If not, we know who to blame for forcing the Israelis to back off.
I think we file this under 'disinformation'...
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Yeah, file under "disinformation." I doubt the Israeli's are going to scale down their activities. However, when significant leaks are coming from your assumed ally, the WH, they just might begin to think they have two enemies to deal with and that's like swimming through mud.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 9:29 Comments || Top||

#2  Just leaving the contamination zone.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 9:31 Comments || Top||

#3  Source: Time magazine. I think I can see Benjamin Netanyahu smiling.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 9:42 Comments || Top||

#4  "Our spies and sleeper allies in the IRGC and Mullah community are already in place and awaiting their orders"
Posted by: Frank G || 03/31/2012 11:11 Comments || Top||

#5  Last years vacation time. We had to use it up before the end of the first quarter....
Posted by: The MOSSAD || 03/31/2012 12:21 Comments || Top||

#6  Well, it's difficult to travel during Passover. Where do you eat?
Posted by: Eric Jablow || 03/31/2012 17:05 Comments || Top||

#7  If somebody is ratting out your secret bases and plans and stuff, then you need to stop with the secret stuff and work on finding the rat.
Posted by: rammer || 03/31/2012 17:09 Comments || Top||

#8  All those mysterious explosions yet to happen, all those whacked scientists, nope, not us. No way. We're gone.
P.S. Please don't throw us in the briar patch.

Of course, another way to look at this is they are pulling their guys out before the bombs start to fall.
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 17:14 Comments || Top||

#9  Meanwhile, not to be outdone by the wily Israelis....

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > IRAN SPECIAL FORCES [Qods/Quds Force] PLANNING ATTACKS IN TURKEY, agz Jewish + Western Personages, Targets.

versus

* IIRC RENSE > [Opimion-Maker = Wayne Madsen] STRATFOR LEAK: ASSASSINATION ON OBAMA? ARE NETANYAHU + MOSSAD PLANNING AERIAL ASSASSINATION OF OBAMA?

POTUS Helo shennanigans???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 23:54 Comments || Top||


New 'fly-In' Planned For April
(Ma'an) -- Pro-Paleostinian activists plan to hold a second "fly-in" to Ben-Gurion International Airport in mid-April, an Israeli newspaper reported Thursday, quoting an organizer.

Mazin Qumsiyeh told The Jerusalem Post that some 1,500 to 2,500 participants from 15 countries were planning to join the initiative, which includes educational and volunteer activities in the West Bank.

Last summer Israeli authorities jugged and expelled more than 100 people who came on a similar trip. Many others were barred from flight lists by airlines following complaints by Israel.

"The point is to show the world that Israel is preventing people from visiting Paleostine," Qumsiyeh, an academic at Bethlehem University, told the English-language newspaper.

"By entering Paleostine through Ben-Gurion airport, hundreds of people over 48 hours will send a message that we want Israel to recognize the basic human right ... of those who want to visit us," he said.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  why don't the paleos build their own airport?
Posted by: texhooey || 03/31/2012 17:41 Comments || Top||

#2  Fly 'em in, bus them to Gaza, and then bring the busses back empty.
Enjoy it, kids.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 17:44 Comments || Top||


Islamic Leader: Obama A Fool
Head of Jordan's Moslem Brüderbund slams US, says Friday's protests harbinger of Paleostine's liberation
Feels good, but has no other result? Too much of that and you'll grow hair on your palms...
[Ynet] US President Barack Obama
They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...
is a fool for supporting Israel, the head of Jordan's Moslem Brüderbund said in a sermon Friday, as Arabs across the Middle East rallied against the Jewish state.
 
Friday's Global March on Jerusalem is the harbinger of the liberation of Jerusalem and Paleostine, Sheikh Hamam Said told followers, adding that Arab and Islamic peoples refuse to sign peace treaties with Israel.
Would it make any difference if you did?
Said also addressed the so-called "Arab Spring," while lauding those killed in the Syrian uprising over the past year.
 
"They were killed as deaders against robbery and tyranny and for the sake of Paleostine's liberation," he said.
You can tell how much people care about "Palestine" by actual donations, which is why both territories haven't been making payroll lately...
Earlier Friday, Jordanian news sites reported that some 20,000 people took part in a mass procession in Jordan. The protesters gathered at Jesus' baptism site and were planning to march towards the border with Israel.
 But the Jordanian army did not allow them near the border, neatly demonstrating whose opinion matters.
According to reports, participants were yelling "where is 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...
on Jerusalem?" and waving Jordanian and Paleostinian flags alongside signs with anti-Israeli slogans.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under: Muslim Brotherhood

#1  I thourght Obama was friends with MB?
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 03/31/2012 6:38 Comments || Top||

#2  I thourght Obama was friends with MB?

Not part of their culture. There are inferiors to be oppressed, and superiors to be appeased. Clearly Obama is not a superior.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 8:32 Comments || Top||

#3  God and Guns win!
Posted by: Helmuth, Speaking for Jasing4758 || 03/31/2012 8:36 Comments || Top||

#4  They care nothing for him but do fear his power. Under sharia law, converting from Islam to Christianity, even the Christianity of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is punishable by death. He will only be fully embraced when he denounces his faith and returns to Allen.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 8:44 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran helping Syria ship oil to China
Iran is helping its ally Syria defy Western sanctions by providing a vessel to ship Syrian oil to a state-run company in China, potentially giving the government of President Bashar al-Assad a financial boost worth an estimated $80 million.

"The Syrians planned to sell the oil directly to the Chinese but they could not find a vessel," said an industry source who added that he had been asked to help [Syrian state oil firm] Sytrol execute the deal but did not take part. The source named the Chinese buyer as Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, a state-run company hit by US sanctions in January.
Posted by: || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Fail. Anonymous planned attack on Web today.
NYT, so no quoting. Members of Anonymous appear to be planning to attack the Domain Name System today, March 31st. DNS is the mechanism that translates web page links to Internet addresses. The planned attack is a distributed denial of service, but DNS has a lot of redundancy so it would have to be massive and sustained to have much effect. If you're reading this, they haven't succeeded at the moment.
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Since Fred's last foray under the hood, Rantburg page loads have been screaming fast on Safari. Perhaps the Anonymous pukes are attacking some other Web...
Posted by: PBMcL || 03/31/2012 12:49 Comments || Top||

#2  Sure, break DNS. And get the entire Internet mad at you. Totally genius idea.
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 17:42 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Two Soldiers, 21 Taliban Killed In Orakzai Fighting
PESHAWAR: Dozens of Islamic fascisti attacked a Pak paramilitary checkpoint overnight, killing two soldiers and sparking festivities which left up to 21 of the Islamic fascisti dead, officials said on Friday.

Security officials claimed the bad boyz were potted when troops retaliated with artillery and heavy weapons.

The attack took place in a Taliban hotspot of the tribal badlands when a group of more than 50 Islamic fascisti attacked a checkpost in the Khadizai area, around 75 kilometres southwest of Kalaya, which is the main town of Orakzai tribal district. "The attack came at around 1:00am. The Death Eaters killed two soldiers and injured 11. We retaliated and killed 21 bully boys," a security bigshot told AFP.

"The clash continued for around two hours," he added.

A local administration official said the injured soldiers and bodies were later flown by helicopter to a military hospital.

Khadizai is in Upper Orakzai and is the scene of frequent festivities between security forces and terrorists. afp
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
Egyptian Protesters Pull Down Wall Erected By Military
Egyptian protesters have brought down a security wall in central Cairo, constructed by the military rulers in December last year to keep demonstrators away.

On Friday, a large number of activists chanting anti-junta slogans used sledgehammers and cables to tear down the concrete blocks of the wall erected on a main street leading to parliament near the Liberation (Tahrir) Square, AFP reported.

The protesters also accused the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which took power after former ruler Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
's downfall over a year ago, of mismanaging the country during a transition period.

Riot police did not try to stop the angry protesters.

The military constructed many concrete barriers in Cairo to keep protesters away from government offices and security headquarters after a string of violent festivities with anti-military protesters have plagued the capital since November.

Mubarak was forced to step down on February 11, 2011 after 18 days of a popular revolution, ending 30 years of rule and paving the way for the SCAF's assumption of power.

The military rulers say they will hand over power after the results of a presidential election slated for June.

The 83-year-old is facing trial for authorizing the use of force that resulted in the deaths of over 800 pro-democracy protesters during the revolution.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israeli troops kill protester in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man in northern Gaza on Friday after a day of protest which saw thousands rallying to mark Land Day, a medical spokesman said.

Mahmud Zakut, 20, was killed in Beit Hanun in an area near the border fence with Israel, emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said in a statement sent to AFP. Witnesses said the injuries occurred when dozens of young men went to the northern border in spite of attempts by Hamas police to stop them from approaching the area.
Kept telling them, "don't go near that fence", but did they listen?
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Horn
Somali rebels repel AU/govt attack on airstrip near Mog
MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked militants clashed on Friday with African Union and Somali government troops, who are struggling to extend their control to territory beyond the capital where the Islamist rebels are still able to fire mortar barrages.

The spokesman for the Burundian contingent of AU troops said his unit had been unable to capture the airstrip in Daynile district, Al-Shabab’s last major stronghold at the edge of Mogadishu. The AU force (AMISOM) and Somali government troops have to capture Daynile and its airstrip so that they can advance toward the Al-Shabab-controlled towns of Afgoi, Elasha and Lafole, a short distance from Mogadishu.

“Mogadishu is in the hands of government and AMISOM, except the Daynile airstrip where Al-Shabab is still fighting,” said the spokesman, Ndayiragije Come.

He said 20 Al-Shabab fighters had been killed in the fighting, while one Burundian soldier had died and four were wounded.

Daynile has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in Mogadishu. In October, the AU said it had lost 10 Burundian peacekeepers in fighting there, but Reuters witnesses said they saw a significantly higher number of bodies.

Al Shabab’s military operations spokesman said the rebels had pushed AMISOM and government troops away from the airstrip and had captured a vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft gun. Reuters witnesses said they saw government troops leave the vehicle behind.

Al Shabab has been under pressure since pulling out of the capital in August and losing control of towns in southern and central Somalia to Ethiopian and Kenyan troops. But its fighters have shown they can still carry out large-scale guerrilla attacks on government targets in Mogadishu using roadside bombs, grenades and hit-and-run raids.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
Majority Of Egyptians Oppose US Economic Aid: Poll
A recent poll has shown that more than 80 percent of Egyptians are against US economic aid to their country, and a similar percentage opposes the US sending direct aid to civil society groups in the Arab state.

The findings of the poll by Gallup, which was conducted in late January and early February, marked an upward trend compared to the findings of an earlier poll by the institute in April 2011.
I think we should make them happy. Granted, that will send them into economic shock sooner than otherwise would happen, but it will happen anyway, no matter what we do.
The survey also found that the Egyptians' approval of aid from international institutions such as the World Bank is waning, too.

The US government used its potential support for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) package for Egypt as a bargaining chip during a recent political standoff between Cairo and Washington over US-funded NGO groups in the North African country.

Earlier, Egyptian authorities had accused 43 foreign and Egyptian activists, including the son of the US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, of receiving illegal foreign funds to fuel unrest in the country.

The tension was, however, alleviated when Egypt lifted the travel ban on the Americans on March 2, virtually allowing them to leave the country and avoid a trial.

The murky circumstances and arrangements that resulted in the prosecution, travel limitations, and then the sudden departure of the US citizens facing trial in Egypt has also inflamed Egyptians' sense of distrust and suspicion regarding what US funds mean for Egyptian illusory sovereignty.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  You should respect their feelings.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:40 Comments || Top||

#2  When you want to teach your children a tough-love lesson, you give them "yes" for an answer.
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth || 03/31/2012 17:18 Comments || Top||

#3  Eighty percent of Americans are probably opposed to it also. It's nice when we can agree on something.
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 17:20 Comments || Top||

#4  Beat me to it, Steve,
Posted by: Barbara || 03/31/2012 18:27 Comments || Top||


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Head of 'faster-than-light' neutrinos team resigns
Can't resist.
GENEVA - The scientist who headed a European research team that last year measured particles traveling faster than light has resigned.

Italy's National Institute of Nuclear Physics says Antonio Ereditato has stepped down from the leadership of the OPERA experiment weeks after a rival team cast doubt on the accuracy of its readings. Ereditato confirmed his resignation to The Associated Press in an email Friday but declined to comment further.
I guess that "close enough for government work" thing doesn't fly over there?
The OPERA team's measurements on the speed of neutrinos were met with surprise by the scientific community when announced in September. According to Albert Einstein's theories, nothing can travel faster than light.
Hey, they said there'd be no math...
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Fear not, TREK fans, Russia is coming to save the day for America = Amerika, vee start construction of NUCLEAR SPACE ENGINES come Year 2017.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 0:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Nice to know that there are still some areas of scientific research there sensationalism still carries a price.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:46 Comments || Top||

#3 
Posted by: gorb || 03/31/2012 0:48 Comments || Top||

#4  The neutrino has a small but non-zero mass. Wouldn't the neutrino mass become infinite according to Einstein's theory when the speed of light was achieved?

Is this one of those deals like green energy, global warming, the Volt, etc.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 9:37 Comments || Top||

#5  Is the mass of the neutrino a component of "dark matter"?

All this stuff makes me laugh as there are so many truck sized holes in the "theories". Sure the math may hold together but all that means is that there is a mathematical puzzle, kind of like the relationship of the Great pyramid to Pi (an artifact of the way they did measurements).
Posted by: AlanC || 03/31/2012 9:58 Comments || Top||

#6  The neutrino has 3 flavours and alternates "rapidly" between them...

If it travelled at light speed it would have 100% time dilation and therefore it would be impossible to alternate.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 10:47 Comments || Top||

#7  As much as I enjoy engaging in public mockery, I'm going to stand up for the CERN guys. They did their experiment, got some *very* interesting results and then PUBLISHED THEIR WORK for open critique. This is exactly how the game is played.

Compare this with Mann and the rest of those global warming grifters who literally said we can't show you our data and methods, you would only try to find something wrong with it.
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 18:36 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
N. Korea Test-Fires Short-Range Missiles
North Korea apparently test-fired two KN-01 short-range surface-to-ship missiles on its west coast on Thursday.
Did they manage to hit the ocean?
The KN-01 has a range of around 120 km and is an upgraded version of China's Silkworm missile, which has a maximum range of around 95 km, and was developed in the late 1990s. It is designed to attack U.S. landing vessels and aircraft carrier groups if they attempt to land on North Korean territory.

A military source here said it seems that the North was testing the capacity of the KN-01 and that the test launch is not related to the regime's upcoming rocket launch. But military officers believe North Korea test-fired the KN-01 as a warning to the South Korean and U.S. military, which have deployed more ships in the West Sea recently.

When North Korea conducted its nuclear test on May 25, 2009, the North also fired two KN-01 missiles near Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province. In January this year, it fired three KN-02 surface-to-surface missiles along the east coast and two more short-range missiles toward the East Sea on Dec. 19 last year, when it announced the death of former leader Kim Jong-il.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Interesting they are firing 2-3 missiles each time.
Wonder if that is execution protocol, for a primary and secondary weapon delivery initiated by local command, or an exercise of C&C as two separate orders?
Wonder if there were primary and secondary targets? Or any. Maybe these were just C&C launch tests.
Wonder if the target telemetry uploads were realtime feeds thru C&C or preprogrammed.
Wonder if ease/west seas and east/west costal defense are centrally coordinated?
Maybe this testing is sequenced as new C&C systems are brought online.
Posted by: Skidmark || 03/31/2012 8:29 Comments || Top||

#2  probably not a good idea to land an aircraft carrier group on North Korean territory
Posted by: Frank G || 03/31/2012 8:48 Comments || Top||

#3  Yeah, they might be hit by 3 working demo missiles.
Posted by: Skidmark || 03/31/2012 16:24 Comments || Top||


Britain
UK To Implement Global Changes To Visa Rules
ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom (UK) Border Agency (UKBA) will implement new global changes to the immigration rules for those aspiring to work or study in the UK, read a British High Commission blurb issued on Friday.

Full details of the changes, which come into effect on April 6, could be found on the UKBA's website. These changes would not be applied to marriage settlement applications.

The UKBA is also introducing new measures to help improve the level of customer service to applicants from Pakistain, including a new online application system and a priority visa service.

From 1 May, all applicants and their dependants who are applying for a UK visa must use the online service to fill in their visa application forms.

UK High Commissioner Adam Thomson said, "People-to-people links are the foundation of the strong bilateral links between the UK and Pakistain. These changes to our visa system are good for the British people and good for Pakistain. Our relationship is too important to allow fraudulent behaviour to tarnish genuine travellers."

The blurb also read that from April 6, those applying for work or study visas (points-based applications) must do so online; From 1 May, applicants and their dependants who are applying for a UK visa must apply online. From this date, the UK Border Agency will no longer accept manually completed paper application forms.

On April 1, the British High Commission will introduce a priority visa service. This will be available to customers who are applying for a UK visit visa; and have travelled to the UK within the last two years; and have complied with the UK's immigration laws.

The fee for the service is Rs 8,400 per application, in addition to the visa application fee, and is payable at the visa application centre. Applicants need to obtain a receipt for every transaction.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  UK High Commissioner Adam Thomson said, "People-to-people links are the foundation of the strong bilateral links between the UK and Pakistain. These changes to our visa system are good for the British people and good for Pakistain. Our relationship is too important to allow fraudulent behaviour to tarnish genuine travellers."

And now we know why they call him the "high" commissioner...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 12:32 Comments || Top||

#2  404 Not Found

The requested URL was not found on this server.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 13:42 Comments || Top||

#3  Try again, Abu Uluque -- it just worked for me.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 14:39 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Four Al-Qaeda militants killed in Yemen
SANAA: An airstrike killed four al-Qaida militants yesterday in a southern district of Yemen that has been under the group's control for around a year, officials said.

The military officials from Shabwa province said that an unmanned US drone carried out the attack on a vehicle carrying seven militants in the district of Azan. The officials said four were killed, while three were critically wounded and under treatment in a nearby Al-Qaeda-run clinic in Shabwa.

A security official said the attack may have killed leading figures in the group, who were attending Friday prayers and left together. He had no further details.

A second airstrike yesterday, just a few kilometers from the first strike, hit a building believed to be used by Al-Qaeda near a main market in the town of Azan. Four residents were wounded, said medical officials.

Last month, Al-Qaeda-linked militants publicly executed a Yemeni in Azan who they suspected of collaborating with the United States by planting electronic devices that help US drones strike militant positions.

Also yesteray, suspected Al-Qaeda militants opened fire on a powerful tribal head who sits in Yemen's upper house of Parliament as he was coming out of a mosque in the southern city of Aden. His two bodyguards were killed in the attack but he was unharmed, according to medical officials. Mohammed Hussein Ashal's tribe fought Al-Qaida last year in Mudya district in Abyan province near Aden, kicking them out of several towns.

Militants killed Ashal's son last year in the capital Sanaa, and have also targeted other officials in Aden, shooting dead an intelligence chief in December.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
Sarkozy Likens Toulouse Shootings To 9/11, Vowing Crackdown
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...
has vowed to continue cracking down on the so-called suspected Islamists, comparing the recent Toulouse shootings to the September 11, 2001 incidents in the US.

"The trauma... is profound for our country, a little -- I don't want to compare the horrors -- a little like the trauma that followed in the United States and in New York after the September 11, 2001 attacks," he said in an interview with Europe 1 radio on Friday.

On March 22, suspected shooter Mohammed Merah killed seven individuals in a shooting rampage in Toulouse.

Merah was later killed by French security forces. Authorities claim he had admitted to having links to al-Qaeda before his death, the circumstances of which remain murky as there are conflicting reports regarding the case.

French police have placed in long-term storage about 20 Mohammedans in pre-dawn raids in Toulouse and reportedly seized Kalashnikov-type assault rifles.

On Sunday, authorities charged the gunman's brother, Abdel-Kader Merah, with complicity in the attacks, although he has denied any involvement in the terrorist incident.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
DOJ on New Black Panther Party Zimmerman bounty - No comment
The U.S. Department of Justice had no comment on the $10,000 bounty the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) was offering for a "citizen's arrest" of George Zimmerman, the 28 year old man who told Sanford, Florida Police he shot and killed 17 year old Trayvon Martin on February 26 in an act of self-defense.

According to a number of reports, the NBPP "called for the mobilization of 10,000 black men" to do the "arrest." Zimmerman and his family have received death threats since the case became a national issue. Mr. Zimmerman has not been arrested by local authorities. Federal, state, and local investigations of the shooting are happening, and he is currently in hiding.

In an e-mail response to an inquiry, DOJ Office of Public Affairs' Xochitl Hinojosa wrote: "The FBI is aware of the statements and we are unable to comment at this time."

Rep. Allen West, Florida Republican, posted a statement on his FaceBook page calling on the Justice Department to prosecute the NBPP for the bounty:

Posted by: || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Maybe the NFL should go after them?
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 1:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Holder leading the New Black Panthers...from behind.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 1:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Just don't go looking for Big Foot on Federal lands you will get fined and or thrown in jail!
Posted by: Gruger Hapsburg2429 || 03/31/2012 8:42 Comments || Top||

#4  IMO, Holder is the key to O reelection.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 9:29 Comments || Top||

#5  I thought the NBPP put out the bounty on Zimmerman "dead or alive?" Wouldn't this be a Florida crime? Shouldn't members of the NBPP be arrested for this crime?
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 9:46 Comments || Top||

#6  Finally found a reason for domestic Drones. The New Black Panther Party. So I say let's sit down at the joy sticks controls, play and party. :)
Posted by: George Ebbeamp4828 || 03/31/2012 16:23 Comments || Top||

#7  IMO the Panthers need to be arrested for being vigilantes and taking matters into their own hands and inciting violence, but nothing will happen, same as blocking voters at the polling site they will get a pass from Holder and Obama.
Now this is racist.
Posted by: Jan || 03/31/2012 17:17 Comments || Top||

#8  Not sure how much more this whole deal could backfire for the left. Perhaps a fight between La Raza and the NBPP. Perhaps latinos will realize that the leftists in DC favor their African-American interests by not just a small amount but by a gulf.

Meanwhile, we must all remember that a part of this story was going to be anti-gun and the discouragement of self defense and neighborhood watch.

And if you want to really break out the tin foil, prep for riots and who controls the streets.

By the way...hoodies ok, but juggalos are gangbangers.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 03/31/2012 18:10 Comments || Top||

#9  "The FBI is aware of the statements and we are unable to comment at this time."

That's just fuc**** pathetic. So, the DOJ and the FBI have no problems with lynch mobs running around America?

I swear, no one in the senior levels of either department should ever have jobs again.

Someone needs MAN UP and stamp out this bullshit PRONTO.
Posted by: newc || 03/31/2012 18:32 Comments || Top||


Home Front: WoT
US Court Jails Dr Fai For Two Years
WASHINGTON: A district court in Virginia on Friday gave Kashmiri leader Ghulam Nabi Fai two-year prison sentence on charge of interfering with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and making false statements about the sources of his funding for his lobbying effort in support of the Kashmire cause.

The prosecution had sought four years in prison for Dr Fai, 63, an American citizen who was executive director of Washington-based Kashmiri-American Council (KAC). The KAC described itself as a non-profit organization run by Kashmiris and funded by Americans. Prosecutors said Fai tried to draw the attention of US officials to India's actions in the disputed territory of Kashmire and away from Pakistain's own actions in the divided mountain area. The two nations have fought two wars over it. Fai's lawyer, Nina Ginsberg, called the sentence "unnecessarily harsh".

But Dr Fai, in his plea bargain arrangement, had waived his right to appeal. After completing his sentence, Dr Fai will remain under court supervision for three years. Pronouncing the judgement, Judge Liam O'Grady said it was necessary to uphold the rule. At the same time, the judge praised Dr Fai's life-long commitment to the cause of Kashmire. While in incarceration, he said, Dr Fai could make his contribution to the Kashmire cause with his writings, and that the KAC could continue to operate. agencies
This article starring:
Ghulam Nabi Fai
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  USA beginning to get it?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:31 Comments || Top||

#2  To get what?
Posted by: American Delight || 03/31/2012 13:30 Comments || Top||


Good morning!
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Happy Birthday/Daily Gam Shot

Jessica Szohr (Butter Face) aka Shelby in "Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011)" aka Kelly in "Piranha (2010)" aka Sasha in "Tower Heist (2011)" aka Vanessa Abrams in "Gossip Girl (TV 2007– )" aka Orange in "Hirokin (Post Production 2011)" aka Cassandra in "Art Machine (Post Production 2012)" (age 27)



This is what happens when you fall asleep next to a blank wall in the Barrio
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 03/31/2012 1:12 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
China World's Biggest Victim Of Cyber Attacks
Of course they are, poor dears. I'm sure that all those hack attacks coming from PLA sites are only a sign of their eternal vigilance against antirevolutionary cadres. Or something.
A report by the National Computer Network Emergency Response Coordination Center of China says the Asian country has become the world's biggest victim of cyber attacks, Press TV reports.

The report adds that 8.9 million domestic computers in china were attacked and controlled by 47,000 overseas Internet Protocol (IP) addresses last year.

Attacks include server destruction, website content distortion and theft of personal data from Chinese Internet users. In one of the attacks hackers changed the content of over one thousand Chinese websites, including more than 400 run by government agencies.

"China's economic, political and military information becomes more interesting to its overseas counterparts and has attracted more hackers," Wang Fengwei of the Shanghai Cenlaw and Partners Law Firm told Press TV.

Computer experts say most of the IP addresses of the attackers originated in Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea.

"Japan and Korea are close neighbors of China with strong political, economic and military links with us; and the US has interest in different countries," Fengwei added.

Most hackers have reportedly used Trojan Horse-style programs to steal personal data. They have also intended to access state networks and steal confidential information.

Experts believe the Chinese cyber defense is not efficient despite the fact that the government has been so prudent about the internet content and there are even Internet "police" supervising it.
'Prudent' is such an interesting term.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What about all the little kid pee spilling on keyboards?
Posted by: Shaviting Smiter of the Veal Cutlets7216 || 03/31/2012 8:44 Comments || Top||

#2  China World's Biggest Victim Of Cyber Attacks


BS. (Or maybe, just maybe, karma is a bisque.)

This sounds hilariously similar to the Mooselimbs whining about nearly non-existent anti-Mooselimb backlash every time Mooselimbs go on their latest wholesale infidel slaughter.
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth || 03/31/2012 18:17 Comments || Top||


Africa Horn
Six Somali Fighters Killed In Clash
At least six al-Shabaab
... successor to the Islamic Courts...
fighters have been killed in the latest spate of violence between Somalia's government-allied forces and the group in a southern Somali border town, Press TV reports.


The clash broke out on Thursday after al-Shaboobs attacked a convoy carrying Somalia's Ahlu Sunna Waljama militias and Ethiopian troops in the Bohol-Bashir village, 37 kilometer east of the Luuq district in Gedo region.

The front man for Ahlu Sunna Waljama said al-Shabaab forces attacked the convoy as it was heading to Yurkud from Luuq.

"Anti-government forces attacked our convoy, include Ethiopian soldiers, but we repelled them. We have killed 6 rebels," said Sheikh Abdullahi Abdirahman (Al-Qadi).

However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
al-Shabaab officials claimed they killed dozens of Ethiopian troops, burning five of their armored vehicles.

"We have ambushed Ethiopian infidels' convoy near Luuq after they went over landmines that we buried; we burned down five of their military vehicles and killed several of their soldiers," Sheikh Abdiaziz Abu Mus'ab, al-Shabaab's military front man told their own radio station late on Thursday.

Bohol-Bashir is located in the West of Gedo, near the borders with Ethiopia and Kenya and has been under al-Shabaab control since 2009.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


China-Japan-Koreas
N.Korea Steps Up Air Force Training Flights
North Korea has stepped up the number of training flights since last month to as many as 650 sorties a day. The North Korean air force is conducting training flights even on weekends, several times flying so far down south near the border with South Korea that the South had to scramble fighter planes to form defensive formations.

A government source here said Wednesday, "We're analyzing the reasons for the marked increase in North Korean sorties compared to its usual winter training flights, focusing on the fact that they have increased after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected air force bases in January."

The South Korean and U.S. military believe North Korea is using up almost twice as much fuel than usual for the increased number of training flights and are looking into whether the North is tapping into fuel stockpiled for wartime.
Just don't give them enough to fly too far south.
Military sources said the North Korean air force conducted less than 100 sorties a day on average until last year and no more than 300 to 400 a day even during the winter months, when the North Koran military normally conducts intensive training exercises. That was still far behind the average of 700 to 800 sorties on per day by the South Korean Air Force.

Since the 1990s, the highest number of daily sorties by the North's air force was 450 to 500, but now that has risen to 650. A military source here said, "It costs W2-3 million each time to fly an F-16 fighter jet (US$1=W1,136). We don't know exactly how much the North Korean military is paying extra for the increased training flights, but the costs must have increased significantly."

As North Korea recently conducted several training flights on weekends, South Korean fighter jets had to be on the alert at all times.

One notable development related to the increased sorties is to do with the whereabouts of the young North Korean leader. In January this year, Kim Jong-un visited eight military installations, and half of them were air bases. One of them houses an elite squadron that operates a relatively advanced Russian MiG-29 fighter jet. North Korean authorities revealed a photo of Kim and unit members posing in front of a MiG-29, providing intelligence here with their first up-close image of the jet.

Some experts believe North Korean pilots appealed to Kim during his visit about the gap in the number of sorties between the North and South, and Kim authorized additional training flights to gain the support of the military, despite the heavy cost. The pilots then apparently conducted sorties even on weekends to demonstrate their loyalty to Kim.

Others say the increased sorties are a response to the South vowing recently to thwart any North Korean provocations by mobilizing its state-of-the-art F-15K fighter jets. Experts say this is probably why the North, during a massive military drill held recently in front of Kim, also deployed its MiG-29 fighter jets, as well as SU-25 close-air-support jets designed to destroy tanks and IL-28 bombers.

A government official here said, "We can't rule out that North Korea is stepping up training to carry out provocations, so we are increasing our readiness."
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ION WORLD MIL FORUM > NDU PROFESSOR ZHAO ZHAOZHONG: JAPAN INTERCEPTION OF NORTH KOREA'S SATELLITE WILL LEAD TO WAR.

and

* SAME > EXPANSION OF SOLE OR JOINT US MISSLE DEFENSE IN ASIA MAY FORCE CHINA TO ALTER ITS MILITARY, POLITICAL NUCLEAR POLICIES; CHINA INDUCED TO JOIN RUSSIA IN DEVELOPING ADVANCED WEAPONS AND TECHNOLOGIES TO OVERWHELM US MISSLE DEFENSE.

Which is why the US is dev not only GLOBAL STRIKE + GLOBAL DEFENSE, but also SPACE/ORBITAL STRIKE + SPACE/ORBITAL DEFENSE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 0:53 Comments || Top||

#2  Just going to wear out those Soviet engines that much faster. They weren't built to last, they were built for war. One war, then the scrapyard.
Posted by: gromky || 03/31/2012 5:11 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Kofi calls for cease-fire, is ignored
DAMASCUS/BEIRUT: International envoy Kofi Annan urged Syria's Bashar Assad to immediately implement a cease-fire, as fighting raged yesterday even after the embattled leader said he had accepted the peace plan.

"The deadline is now," Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said in Geneva. "We expect him to implement this plan immediately."
Kofi Annan, the Joe Biden of international relations...
Removing any ambiguity about the ceasefire terms of a six-point peace plan that Assad has said he accepts, Fawzi said it was up to the Syrian military to move first and show good faith by withdrawing tanks, big guns and troops from cities.

UN-Arab League peace-broker Annan's cease-fire appeal came as monitors said shells rained down on Homs, a main rebel bastion which has been the focus of much of President Assad's year-long crackdown on anti-regime protests.

"We expect him to implement this plan immediately. Clearly we have not seen a cessation of hostilities on the ground. This is our great concern," the spokesman said in Geneva, adding the "deadline is now" for Assad's regime to end all violence.

The plan calls for a commitment to stop all armed violence, a daily two-hour humanitarian cease-fire, media access to all areas affected by the fighting, an inclusive Syrian-led political process, a right to demonstrate, and release of arbitrarily detained people.

"I can't tell you what the next steps will be if they don't stop now," Annan's spokesman said, adding however that Annan was due to brief the UN Security Council on Monday and "we will take it from there."

Annan is also working to convince the Syrian opposition to "lay down their arms and start talking," he said. State-run news agency SANA said on Thursday that "President Assad... has informed Annan that Syria approves the plan (the envoy) submitted but had made remarks about it."

Assad would "spare no effort" for the success of Annan's six-point plan but said the proposal would only work if "terrorist acts" by foreign powers stopped.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "I can't tell you what the next steps will be if they don't stop now," Annan's spokesman said, adding however that Annan was due to brief the UN Security Council on Monday and "we will take it from there."

Sounds like one strongly worded letter coming up...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 1:08 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
IDF: Next challenge -- Prisoner Day
As Land Day protests die down, IDF front man says army is pleased with handling of riots; Army says 50 were maimed in West Bank, Gazoo, but Paleostinians report one man killed, 150 hurt

[Ynet] The IDF expressed contentment with its handling of Friday's Land Day protests, in which one Paleostinian was reported killed and dozens were maimed.
 
"Overall, no dramatic incidents took place, and the security forces in the Paleostinian cities did not allow the demonstrations to spread," IDF Spokesman Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai said.
 
The front man stressed that the soldiers stuck to the rules of engagement, which required the troops to verbally warn protesters to stay away from the border, use various means of crowd dispersal and fire warning shots before resorting to shooting the protesters in the legs, should they not heed the previous deterrence methods.
 
Mordechai noted that the army is already preparing for the next round of demonstrations, expected in the coming months.
 
"The challenge will be to deal with the upcoming memorial days, including Nakba Day, Naksa Day and especially Prisoner Day, which call for bolstered alertness."
 
Mordechai noted that the army is already preparing for the next round of demonstrations, expected in the coming months.
Hezbullies leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday praised the demonstrators in a speech during an opening ceremony held at a religious center in Beirut.
 
"This is a great day for Paleostine and Jerusalem, when our Paleostinian brethren came out to protest within occupied Paleostine and outside it," he said.
 
According to the IDF, some 50 people were maimed in the rallies in the West Bank and Gazoo, but the Paleostinians claimed that 150 were maimed, 100 of whom were hurt by inhaling tear gas in near the Qalandiya crossing north of Jerusalem.
 
According to the reports, 1 man was killed and eight were moderately injured when they approached the border fence near the Erez Crossing in northern Gazoo.
 
Four others were maimed by IDF sniper fire during a protest in the southern region of the Strip, near Khan Younis, aftering ignoring the soldiers' warnings against approaching the border fence. Their condition remains unclear. Also in southern Gazoo, Paleostinians snipers shot at IDF troops, and mortar shells were fired. No injuries were reported in these incidents.
 
In Qalandiya, security forces used tear gas against rioters who threw stones and torched tires. Paleostinian Parliament Member Mustafa Barghouti appeared to have been hit by a rubber bullet fired by the IDF, and was taken to the hospital. He was evidently also hurt by rocks hurled at him by Paleostinian protesters who opposed his participation in the rally. Earlier, the IDF denied having injured the politician.
 
Riots broke out in Jerusalem's Old City as well, prompting the security forces to arrest dozens.
 
Some 300 took part in a violent rally in Bethlehem, near Rachel's Tomb. Three sustained moderate injuries during the riots. One man was lightly hurt during the weekly protests against the construction of the security fence in the West Bank; he was hit in the eye by a gas grenade ricochet.
 
In Jordan, not far from the Allenby Crossing, a larger rally took place, drawing 14,000 people -- including protesters who arrived from Asia to take part in the Pro-Paleostinian event. The Jordanian security forces were able to contain the demonstration; no unusual incidents were reported.
 
Some 5,000 people held an anti-Israel rally in southern Leb, near the Beaufort. Some arrived at the demonstration from Leb's Paleostinian refugee camps, while others travelled from as far as India. Members of the krazed killer anti-Zionist Jewish sect Neturei Karta were in attendance as well.
 
Hundreds of Syrians rallied in Damascus
...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world...
in show of solidarity for the Paleostinians, while the Paleostinian community in Egypt staged a protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
  
Meanwhile,
...back at the bunker, his Excellency called a hurried meeting of his closest advisors. It was to be his last. They discussed the officers's efficiency rating system...
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abed Lahyan toured southern Leb near the border with Israel, and promised that the  Islamic Theocratic Republic will continue to support the Lebanese and Paleostinian resistance "until the entire land is liberated." A Hezbullies delegation attended the reception held for the Iranian official.
 
Israeli Arabs joined in on the Land Day demonstrations; the main event was held in the village of Deir Hanna in the Galilee, and was attended by Arab Knesset members. Other rallies were held in Sakhnin, Arraba, Kafr Kanna, Taibe and Wadi al-Naam. No violent incidents were reported.
Meanwhile in Tel Aviv, normal life continues:
25,000 took part in the annual marathon. Kenyan Sammy Tu finished the course in two hours 15 minutes and fourteen seconds. Tu set a new record and won the $10,000 prize.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Prisoner Day, huh?
Here's a suggestion. Don't take any.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 0:13 Comments || Top||


Arabia
Oil pipeline blown up by gunmen in southeast Yemen
A group of unidentified assailants blew up a gas pipeline on Friday night in the restive southeastern province of Shabwa, which transports gas from the oil-producing Maarib province to Belhaf port on the Arabian Sea, a security official told Xinhua.

Suspected al-Qaida militants sabotaged the oil pipeline, just a few hours after the U.S. drones raided hideouts of the al-Qaida militants in the insurgents-controlled town of Azzan, 150 kilometres east of Ataq, the provincial capital of Shabwa, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

The official blamed al-Qaida for masterminding the attack, saying that "al-Qaida insurgents have repeatedly attacked Yemen's oil pipelines in Shabwa following any U.S. drone attacks just to take revenge on the Yemeni government."

Local residents near the scene confirmed to Xinhua that they saw smoke rising from the area following the powerful explosion and the fire was still blazing.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  They were upset they couldn't fill their order for arms only legs.
Posted by: Zebulon Tojo1179 || 03/31/2012 8:45 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Pakistani Demonstrators Call For Aafia Siddiqui's Release
Demonstrations have been held in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
to demand the release of Pak neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui
...American-educated Pak cognitive neuroscientist who was convicted of assault with intent to murder her U.S. interrogators in Afghanistan. In September 2010, she was sentenced to 86 years in jug after a three-ring trial. Siddiqui, using the alias Fahrem or Feriel Shahin, was one of six alleged al-Qaeda members who bought $19 million worth of blood diamonds in Liberia immediately prior to 9-11-01. Since her incarceration Paks have taken her to their heart and periodically erupt into demonstrations, while the government tries to find somebody to swap for her...
, who is imprisoned in the United States, Press TV reports.

Friday's main demonstration was organized by the country's largest political-religious party 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...
(JI), a Press TV correspondent said.

JI Bloody Karachi chief Muhammad Hussain Mahenti said that the Unites States' judiciary had proved that it was fully biased against Moslems and Islam, when it sentenced Siddiqui for 86 years in prison without due process of law.

The protesters were holding placards and banners bearing anti-US slogans. They also denounced the Pak government for taking a hands-off approach in dealing with the Siddiqui issue.

In September 2010, a court in New York sentenced Siddiqui to 86 years in prison after she was found guilty of 'opening fire' on FBI agents and US military personnel in a cop shoppe in Ghazni, Afghanistan, where she was being interrogated in 2008.

The mother of three vanished in Bloody Karachi with her three children on March 30, 2003. The following day, local newspapers reported that she had been kidnapped by US forces and charged with terrorism.

Human rights groups say that Siddiqui had secretly been transferred to the US base in Bagram, north of Kabul, and tortured for five years prior to the alleged incident in 2008.

She was taken to the US in July 2008 and was convicted in a New York court in February 2010.

In Bloody Karachi on Friday, the sister of Aafia Siddiqui, Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui, led another protest rally from Tebet center to Bloody Karachi Press club.

Fouzia told Press TV that there are serious concerns regarding Siddiqui's health, and that US officials have repeatedly turned down her request to meet her sister.

She described the conditions in Carswell prison as inhuman. Siddiqui is currently jugged at the Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, which provides specialized medical and mental health services to female prisoners.

Fouzia also appealed to American people to raise their voice against the 'inhuman' act.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  We invaded the wrong country.
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 03/31/2012 6:41 Comments || Top||

#2  The one thing Bammer got right in his first Presidential campaign.
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth || 03/31/2012 17:26 Comments || Top||

#3  The Pakis will continue to agitate for her release. I bet some America diplomat or high ranking officer will be kidnapped and traded for her.
They go nuts when they feel one of their females has been violated by infidels.
They ain't going away on this matter.
I say shoot her by firing squad and get it over with. Mark my words.
Posted by: Mikey Hunt || 03/31/2012 23:28 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
In which Henry Kissinger deftly guts the Obama doctrine of intervention
Concise, subtle, deadly. Worth the effort of clicking on the link.
Posted by: || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Bad linky. Clicking only brings you back to the post.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) || 03/31/2012 0:28 Comments || Top||

#2  I think lotp meant this Washington Post opinion piece.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 3:32 Comments || Top||

#3  Much more revealing is the link attached in the title: Henry A. Kissinger was secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and is the author, most recently, of “On China.”

His Obama Doctrine of Intervention piece must have taken him an entire 15 minutes to pen. Quite a blinding flash of the obvious it is.

I'd lump Henry in with the likes of broadcaster Kieth Obberman, except I don't see Obberman facilitating the transfer of American industry to his beloved China. Credit where due I suppose.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 8:36 Comments || Top||

#4  Henry Kissinger got out of Germany shortly before the round-up of all Jews. He was drafted into the Army, got his citizenship, and fought in Europe landing shortly after D-Day. He was in an Infantry unit. I'm not excusing his actions while Secretary of State, just cutting him a bit of slack.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 03/31/2012 9:44 Comments || Top||

#5  Linked fixed - sorry about that.

Kissinger is an interesting fixture in Washington. That short opinion piece wasn't primarily aimed at the general public - it was aimed at the inside-the-Beltway foreign policy wonkdom, and perhaps in support of the Republicans in the general election.

Kissinger's giving the insiders the vocabulary to use in order to disassociate themselves from the fiasco Obama and his Krew have created and the vocabulary the Republicans can use to attack Obama on foreign policy. He's doing this by calling out the huge shift in priorities that have driven this administration's interaction with other countries, using deceptively mild language. The WaPo can scarcely turn down an editorial page column from Dr. K., especially one whose impact probably went right by the J-school grads at the paper. The wonks will realize a major shot across the Dems' bow for the fall.

First volley in the general election campaign on the foreign policy front. It fits well but probably wasn't coordinated with what appears to be Romney's strategy: start by putting Obama on the defensive, hard, on foreign policy grounds while also building the narrative about domestic / economic issues.

It's no accident this appeared in the first Sunday paper after Obama's "flexibility" open mic comment re: Russia.
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 10:20 Comments || Top||

#6  Link's not fixed.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 10:54 Comments || Top||

#7  Link is now fixed.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 10:55 Comments || Top||

#8  Sounds like Kissinger, at an advanced age, might have learned a thing or two. But the overall impression is that our foreign policy during his tenure and now is being formulated by morons.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 13:25 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Israeli diplomat rescued from Morocco: "I was told to leave ASAP"
David Saranga claims he never felt threatened inside Rabat parliament building as scores rallied outside in support of Paleostinian prisoners; says Tunisian rep at conference 'stopped smiling when he learned I was Israeli'

WASHINGTON -- "I was told to get to the airport as soon as possible and leave Morocco," veteran Israeli diplomat David Saranga told Ynet Monday, a day after tens of thousands of people held a mass rally in Rabat to protest his presence there.
 
During the march, demonstrators waved Paleostinian flags and chanted "The people want to free al-Aqsa," and "A million deaders are going to Jerusalem." They also burned Israeli flags.
 
The Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported that Saranga, who was in Rabat for a Euro-Mediterranean Partnership conference, was taken out of the parliament building through a side door for fear that the protesters outside would attack him.

Saranga, the head of the European Parliament Liaison Department at the Mission of Israel to the EU, returned to Brussels safely on Monday.
 
"We were holding talks at the parliament building in Rabat while thousands outside were protesting the presence of an Israeli representative," Saranga told Ynet.

"As early as Saturday, when we were discussing the environment, energy and women's rights, I could see people protesting outside. The Tunisian representative told me they were calling for the release of Paleostinian prisoners. He stopped smiling after finding out I was Israeli," the diplomat recounted.
 
"There were maybe a 100,000 demonstrators who yelled and waved signs -- and that was that."
 
During Sunday's discussions an EU representative turned Saranga's attention to the commotion outside. "I looked out the window and saw thousands of people. The parliament building's gates were locked so we were protected, but from the second-floor windows I saw swastikas and people burning Israeli flags," he said.
 
"The talks inside continued as scheduled, but every now and then people would look out the window to see what was going on," Saranga recalled. "Inside the building the photographers began focusing on me, and I asked security personnel for advice. They told me to get to the airport as soon as possible and leave Morocco."
 
Within an hour the conference organizers had a team of bodyguards prepared to escort Saranga to his hotel. "They took me out of the building through a side door, but I did not feel threatened at any time. After picking up my belongings at the hotel, I was quickly taken to the airport, where I boarded the first flight to Gay Paree," he said.
 
The incident left the Israeli diplomat disappointed: "It's a shame that instead of receiving positive feedback, our projects, which promote peace and understanding, draw anti-dialogue demonstrations."
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "If that plane leaves the ground and you're not on it, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon and for the rest of your life."
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 2:05 Comments || Top||


Europe
Terror In Europe Fuels Immigration Tensions
LONDON: An al Qaeda-inspired gunman kills paratroopers and Jewish children in southern La Belle France. A far-right fanatic enraged by Moslem immigration guns down dozens of youths at a summer camp in Norway.

Two atrocities in the space of the year, coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, are raising fears across Europe that a growing climate of ethnic and religious hostility is inspiring thug violence, and creating the conditions for deadly festivities. The attacks in La Belle France and Norway represent the most horrific extremes of two trends of intolerance troubling Europe: strengthening far-right sentiment that has sometimes bled into the mainstream, and growing Islamic radicalisation in Europe's disadvantaged, immigrant-heavy neighbourhoods.

With Europe still stunned by last week's killings in Toulouse, La Belle France, a loosely knit group of xenophobic "defence leagues" plans to rally in Denmark on Saturday against what they call the growing Islamic presence in western Europe.

The rally was organised by one of the rising forces of Europe's far-right scene -- the Danish Defence League. It's backed by the English Defence League, which gained prominence in Britannia amid urban rioting last summer. Similar groups from Russia, Finland, La Belle France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden are expected.

"These terrorist events are creating sparks, and a small spark can set off a huge fire," said Magnus Ranstorp, research director of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies in Sweden. "It can set off huge social polarisation, and this is what the hard boyz want to achieve. Now there is an increased rightwing climate -- the counter-jihad movement -- feeding off these Islamophobic forces."

The mood is volatile, Ranstrop said, made more so by the methods of the killers -- citing how in La Belle France, Mohamed Merah shot video of his attacks that was mailed to the Al-Jazeera television network.

For decades, western Europe has been the envy of the world with its high standard of living and tolerant social climate. Today, Europe is gripped by a profound economic crisis and festering conflict over immigration, religion and cultural identity. Tensions over immigration from northern Africa and other countries with large Islamic populations have fuelled the rise of far-right movements across Europe.

In La Belle France, the ultranationalist National Front is expected to make gains in upcoming presidential and legislative elections. Xenophobic parties in Austria, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands have all gained support in recent years.

As anti-immigration rhetoric grows more strident, ideas that were once considered on the fringes of political dialogue have entered the mainstream -- with 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...
often seeming to borrow from National Front rhetoric as he campaigns for re-election.

At the same time, anti-Western diatribes on the Internet and sometimes in local mosques have played a role in radicalising some young Moslems in Europe, even as Moslem community leaders try to steer young people toward productive futures. The long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have also enflamed passions among Moslems. ap
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Europeans beginning to get it? Neh!
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:31 Comments || Top||

#2  Since the European countries don't have the equivalent of a First Amendment that's actually taken seriously, the ruling elites can keep the lid on only so long before the pot boils over. Europeans are used to being the obedient subjects of their "betters," but at some point the societal climate can change and make for some reeeeally ugly happenings. That's how you can wind up with people packed into cattlecars heading to undisclosed points east...
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) || 03/31/2012 0:45 Comments || Top||

#3  What about saving the Levant and all that stuff and Nation building as per articles in the Financial Times neat how their MAP matches up to the steady progress huh?
Posted by: Grese Sinatra3427 || 03/31/2012 8:49 Comments || Top||

#4  What does MAP mean, Grese Sinatra3427?
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 10:48 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Another Green Graft Fail
A Waltham-based electric car battery supplier -- now facing financial implosion despite receiving $249 million in federal stimulus cash -- was a heavy donor to congressional Democrats before scoring the hefty taxpayer handout, the Herald has learned.

A123 Systems CEO David Vieau has donated $16,900 to Washington, D.C., power brokers and Democratic committees since 2008, including $2,400 to Bay State Rep. Edward J. Markey, the chairman of the climate and energy committees, in 2009 -- just three months before A123 received $249 million in federal stimulus funds. Vieau donated another $1,500 to Markey last year as the company pushed for even more federal dollars through government loans.
Posted by: Beavis || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The best thing about Mass? You can buy our pols really cheap. 3900 for 249 million? Grandstand Eddie's one cheap whore...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 0:11 Comments || Top||

#2  We missed the "D **** OUR ALLIES, THE US MUST RETURN TO THE MOON ASAP" Conference again, didn't we???

Before our future OWG UNO or successor decides to ban fracking as a post-Peak Oil/Fossil Fuels "Crime agz the Planet".
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 0:44 Comments || Top||

#3  Mission Accomplished.
Posted by: gorb || 03/31/2012 0:50 Comments || Top||

#4  The "green" part failed, the "graft" part was successful.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/31/2012 9:32 Comments || Top||

#5  #4 The "green" part failed, the "graft" part was successful.
Posted by JohnQC


'Spot on' JohnQC!
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 10:10 Comments || Top||

#6  Thats a lot of green (Money) down the tubes.

SOLYNDRA, LIGHTSQUARED, Evergreen, SpectraWatt, BrightSource, Tonopah Solar, Abound Solar, Nevada Geothermal Power, sun power, Granite Reliable, ProLogis, Monroe Regional Airport, Beacon power, Siga Technologies Inc, Fisker,Willard & Kelsey, Ener1, Amonix, Tesla Motors and A123
Posted by: newc || 03/31/2012 18:23 Comments || Top||

#7  It would be interesting to see who donated to Obrother's 2012 campaign. And maybe the last one, too.
Posted by: gorb || 03/31/2012 23:53 Comments || Top||


Europe
Ethnic violence belies Balkans peace
This year will mark seventeen years since the end of the Bosnian War, thirteen since Kosovo and eleven since the brief Macedonian conflict between the central government and Albanian insurgents. Peace has been restored, but it is an unsettled one. Agreements have not done away with tensions between ethnic groups, and they have left large populations unhappy with the new status quo.
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
JUI-F Set To Join 'MMA' For General Elections
* Party says will not join PPP in coming elections

ISLAMABAD: As political activities in the country gain momentum as part of preparations for the next general elections, 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) is all set to enter an MMA-style religious camp to fetch electoral sympathies during the next general elections, clearly saying it would not be with Pakistain People's Party (PPP) in the days to come.

Sources close to the PPP-JUI-F nexus told Daily Times that some top players of the PPP tried to convince JUI chief Fazalur Rehman to forge an election alliance before the polls. The JUI-F chief categorically rejected the offer, expressing his clear stance to go with religious parties during the next general elections by entering into either in an MMA-type alliance or at least have settlement with right-wing religious forces, the sources said.

The sources privy to the whole diplomacy further claimed that the top brass of the PPP desired to have an electoral alliance with the JUI-F, as they had established a formula of seat adjustment with Pakistain Moslem League-Quaid (PML-Q), but the situation turned against the expectations of the PPP as JUI-F leaders wanted electoral alliance with other religious parties, including 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...
(JI).

Sources, however, said both parties (JUI-F and JI) are on negotiating table to finalise the possible electoral alliance. On the other hand, MQM also rejected PPP's offer to join hands in next general elections, as a top leader of the MQM said they believed in political alliances after elections, not before elections.

JUI-F central leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed on several occasions has underlined the need of early revival of 'MMA' because of changing political conditions in the country, which suggests JUI-F would go for an 'MMA' in near future.

In this regard, both the JUI-F and JI have brought flexibility in their previous stance. Earlier, JI had struck the condition that 'MMA' could not be revived unless JUI-F quit the PPP-led coalition government, while 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 ...
linked the JI's return to the fold of 'MMA' to its seeking 'apology over causing harm to unity of religious parties'.

The sources further said the former coalition partners of 'MMA' have increased contacts, to make functional their religio-political group in national politics. The JUI-F was part of the MMA that garnered 58 of the 342 seats in parliament, a provincial majority in NWFP and provincial minorities in Sindh and Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
. MMA later collapsed in 2005 amid differences among participant political parties. In the 2008 general election, only the JUI-F participated because the other major component party of the MMA, the JI, boycotted the elections on issues regarding the eligibility of former president Pervez Perv Musharraf
... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ...
and restoration of the judiciary. However,
it's easy to be generous with someone else's money...
unlike the 2002 elections, when the MMA swept national and provincial assemblies, in 2008 the JUI-F won seven general seats in the National Assembly, which got them one additional seat on women's reserved seats, raising the total to 8 in the Lower House.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Terror Networks
Osama bin Laden's life in Pakistan: cock-up or conspiracy?
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  How many Zombie andor publicly/legally outlawed Personages show up to Pak Rallies in full view of Army-Police Security???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/31/2012 0:33 Comments || Top||

#2  I bet Perv knew his whereabouts since 911
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 03/31/2012 6:37 Comments || Top||

#3  I am not so sure this is true
"No smoking gun evidence has emerged of officials helping hide the bin Laden family. If the US had found links to the shadowy Inter-Services Intelligence agency – with its long connection to Afghan Jihadi groups – among data recovered from the Abbottabad house, then you can be sure we would have heard about it by now."

It could be that Pakistani intelligence always covered its tracks and/or the US intelligence for its own reasons is not talking.
Posted by: BernardZ || 03/31/2012 6:50 Comments || Top||

#4  I have a theory:
The ISI was keeping Osama as a bargaining chip. The goal was to extrort as much money and military hardware as possible before giving him up. Throughout the entire GWOT, I've noticed a pattern: Whenever the US began to complain publically about Pakistan's cooperation, they'd arrest another Al Qaeda big whig.

The takedown of Bin Ladin seems outside the usual pattern (at least from the Pakistani reaction to it). They seem especially angry that the Americans were able to do this on their own.

My suspicion is that they grabbed Zawahiri from his safehouse and have him protected in a super secure and defended location. I expect them to play super hard-ball with us before they give him up.

al
Posted by: Frozen Al || 03/31/2012 13:24 Comments || Top||

#5  Agree Al.

This country like Paelo rely on handouts.

He was a cash cow simple as that.
Posted by: Gruth McGurque5303 || 03/31/2012 14:25 Comments || Top||

#6  I vote for cock-up AND conspiracy. It is Pakistan, after all.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder || 03/31/2012 14:47 Comments || Top||

#7  How often does some Islamic chick show up at the local medical service and have a baby?

Prolly a bunch.

Unaccompanied by her male relatives?

Prolly not very many.

Sounds like a conspiracy or willful negligence.
Posted by: rammer || 03/31/2012 17:17 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
30 Taliban Killed, 15 Injured In Farah Province: Police
KABUL: Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in US air strikes and a gunbattle in western Afghanistan after an turban attack on an Afghan army patrol, NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
and Afghan officials said on Friday. A front man of the International Security Assistance Force said the patrol came under attack in Gulistan district in western Farah province on Wednesday, prompting a call for air support. "Numerous Islamic fascisti were killed, and several cycle of violences were damaged or destroyed" following two strikes by coalition aircraft, he said. Abdul Raoof Ahmadi, a police front man in western Afghanistan, said 30 Taliban were killed and another 15 maimed in the fighting in the remote area. Officials have warned of a hard summer ahead as the fighting season resumes and Afghan national forces assume responsibility of security in more parts of the country from NATO combat forces set to leave by the end of 2014. Taliban are active in parts of Farah including Gulistan, which falls on a desert highway connecting both Kabul and Kandahar to the western city of Heart. Muhammad Yunus Rasouli, the deputy governor for Farah, said five vehicles of the Afghan national army came under attack when they were crossing Gulistan and three soldiers were burnt inside the vehicle.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Africa North
Mali coup leader appeals for help to fight rebels
BAMAKO: Mali's junta leader appealed on Friday for foreign help to secure the West African country against a separatist Tuareg uprising after the rebels entered the strategic northern town of Kidal.
Some seriously butt-ugly uniforms there, guys...
My nephews have pajamas like that...
The West African country is an indirect victim of last year's conflict in Libya, from where weapons spilled out and bolstered a northern rebellion. The coup was led by soldiers who complain the government has not given them adequate means to fight off the uprising.

The call by Corporal Sergeant Lieutenant Captain Amadou Sanogo, who seized power last week during an army mutiny, came a day after Mali's neighbors gave him 72 hours to hand back power to civilians - an ultimatum he did not directly address in a short statement.

"Our army needs the help of Mali's friends to save the civilian population and Mali's territorial integrity," Sanogo told a news conference at the army barracks just outside the capital Bamako now serving as the country's presidency.

The rebels, who began fighting for an independent north in January, have seized on the confusion caused by last week's coup to prepare offensives on the three regional centers in Mali's remote north. In their most important victory so far, rebel forces entered Kidal early on Friday after soldiers abandoned one of the two local military camps there, military and diplomatic sources told Reuters.

"Ansar Edine (rebel) forces are entering from the south. The military has fled left," a diplomat in touch with civilians in the area said, requesting not to be named.

A military source in Kidal told Reuters the soldiers abandoned their positions in one camp so as to coordinate a counter-offensive. Kidal residents said the besieged town had come under heavy weapons fire from rebels on Thursday.

"The rebels are going around town, telling people to go about their businesses as usual. They are all armed in technicals pickup vehicles. Women uttered cries of joy to greet them at the airport," said Kidal resident Moussa Maiga by phone.

Ironically, the mutiny was sparked by army anger that the government had not provided it with adequate weapons to combat northern rebels bolstered by arms that leaked out of Libya during last year's conflict. But if anything it has emboldened the rebels and allowed them to make further advances.
That's what rebels do: take advantage of government discord and dissolution.
Mali's neighbors on Thursday demanded the leaders begin handing back power to civilians by Monday or face a crippling closure of trade borders, diplomatic isolation and a freeze in funding from the regional central bank.

The measures, if applied, could further damage the interests of international miners in Africa's third biggest gold producer. Uncertainty over the future has already pushed their shares lower on Western stock exchanges.

While not responding directly to the ultimatum, Sanogo said the junta "understood the situation" of the 15-member West African ECOWAS bloc, but pleaded for them to look again at land-locked Mali's plight and possible solutions.

"We are inviting ECOWAS to deepen its analysis of the situation in Mali and how Mali got here," said Sanogo, who has previously described the entire political class around ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure as corrupt and incompetent.

Fragile neighbors such as Niger and Ivory Coast are concerned that a successful coup in Mali could encourage copy-cat moves on their soil. ECOWAS has threatened to use military force as a last last last last resort to reverse the coup.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  what a waste.
Posted by: newc || 03/31/2012 18:25 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
Israel's Next-Generation Drones: Smaller, Smarter, Deadlier
(Xinhua) -- David Harari nostalgically recalls the day the Israel Air Force, stunned by the loss of fighter jets and aviators to Syrian missile batteries in the 1973 war, first requested pilotless aircraft for battlefield surveillance.

"We embarked on an ambitious endeavor to create a tool for gathering real-time intelligence over combat zones," says Harari, an electrical engineer credited with pioneering the drone program at the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) early in 1974.

A few years later, Harari and his team rolled out the Scout, a 200-kilogram drone that loitered at about 3000 meters. It made its debut in the 1982 Leb War, relaying images of troop movements and enabling Israel to achieve aerial superiority early on by neutralizing Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. It also made the Israeli military the world's first operator of a modern unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

"It was a revelation," says Harari, who holds a PhD in physics from the Sorbonne. "Suddenly we were managing a battlefield four- dimensionally, where the fourth dimension was time. It totally changed military doctrine."

Indeed it has. Drone squadrons presently shoulder the bulk of the IAF's reconnaissance missions, logging more flight hours annually than all of its manned aircraft combined. In recent years, they are regularly tasked with overflying the Gazoo Strip to hunt for Paleostinian rocket launching squads, lead helicopter gunships and artillery to the locations of hidden arms caches and are also reportedly involved in the periodic assassinations of orcs.

UAVs are also thought to be playing a critical role in the collection of intelligence ahead of a potential Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

In February 2010, IAI delivered to the air force its flagship drone, the Heron TP II. With a wingspan of 26 meters (the size of a Boeing 737), the fourth-generation, all-weather craft has a cruising altitude of about 13,500 meters, carries nearly five tons of payload and can remain aloft for 36 hours. The range is classified, but one IAI executive says that the Heron's linkup to satellite communications enables it to fly "immense distances" and reach any country in the region.

The ever-growing reliance on drones, which have become indispensable in minimizing the risk to aircrews and trimming defense budgets, has Israeli manufacturers scrambling to quench the IAF's and foreign markets' insatiable thirst for systems that stretch technological boundaries.

"The demand usually far exceeds the industries' ability to develop the required systems," Lt. Col. (res.) Dan Bichman, a consultant for UAV marketing at IAI's MALAT military aircraft group, told Xinhua, at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Tel Aviv last week.

"We are in a constant race to meet operational needs and upgrade capabilities: to fly farther and higher for longer durations, to produce a sharper video image and greater autonomy, to enable the operation of diverse payloads simultaneously, and better cope with extreme climate conditions," Bichman said.

While the Heron and similar -- albeit significantly lighter and less sophisticated -- UAVs currently spearhead the Israeli army's operations, and those of numerous armies worldwide, the hottest trend is miniaturization.

Mini and micro-UAVs are the latest technological craze. Last August, IAI unveiled the Ghost and Panther, two electric engine- powered drones that take off and land vertically. Weighing four kilograms and 145 cm long, the stealthy Ghost, modeled after the twin-rotor Chinook helicopter, was designed to support infantry and special operations units in built-up areas and rugged terrain on short missions. It hovers, can maneuver inside a room and transmits images via daylight and infrared night sensors.

Other products that have rolled off IAI's assembly lines in recent years include the Mosquito and Bird Eye, both of which are catapult-launched by a single soldier. Smaller local companies are also moving into the niche, like UVision Global Aero Systems, which offers the Sparrow and WASP.

At last week's AUVSI conference, the group's first in Israel, IAI touted a prototype of the Butterfly, a tiny, virtually soundless drone capable of flying through windows and into buildings for delicate spying operations.

IAI officials say that urban warfare involving irregular forces, whether in the Gazoo Strip, Afghanistan or, until recently, in Iraq, has created the demand for what they describe as over-the-hill tactical intelligence.

"Ghost and its smaller counterparts offer simple operation and quick deployment. They come in a suitcase carried on the back of a single soldier," said Bichman, a former helicopter pilot who has served in IAF drone squadrons for the past 25 years. "The clear advantage lies in being able to receive a visual of what is happening beyond a house or beyond an alley. It's helpful in averting unpleasant surprises."

Miniature drones, however, are the tip of the iceberg. Israel Defense magazine reports in its March issue that IAI's laboratories are abuzz with research aimed at ushering in a new era of UAV technology. Some concepts on the drawing board include nano air vehicles (NAVs), fuel cell and solar-powered drones with dramatically enhanced flight durations and a fully autonomous cargo carrier.

Armed UAVs, known in the U.S. military as Predator or hunter- killer drones, are also gaining popularity. Israel denies having them, but independent experts say it has used such hardware on numerous occasions, including to strike targets far beyond its borders. According to one source, IAI's Pioneer, a drone said to have been equipped with 16-inch guns, saw action as far back as 1982, and was used extensively by the U.S. Navy in the 1991 Gulf War.

Senior IAI executives, many of whom command drone squadrons as reservists, flatly refuse to comment on the issue.

"We're precluded from discussing this subject," said Bichman. " The Hunter, which we produced exclusively for the Americans, has been in service for many years and they are satisfied with it. They already published long ago that they armed that tool themselves."

Harari says that IAI, like all other local drone manufacturers, are kept in the dark on mission details.

"Our role is to provide (the military) tools for gathering information and that's where it ends. How they use them, I don't know," he says.

However,
by candlelight every wench is handsome...
while missile-equipped drones are a closely guarded secret, some platforms, which one expert here described as "flying hand grenades," combine reconnaissance with offensive capabilities and are openly acknowledged in shiny marketing brochures. IAI's Harop and UVision's Blade Arrow loiter on the battlefield in search of targets and attack by self-destructing into them. The former has been sold to Turkey, India and Germany.

Whether for scouring ravines or unleashing precision munitions, military drones are big business. One speaker at the AUVSI conference forecasted revenue of 10 billion U.S. dollars in the global market over the next decade. Doron Suslik, IAI's vice president for communications, estimated that 20 to 25 percent of the company's annual 3.5 billion dollars sales come from UAVs and ground robotics exported to some 50 countries worldwide.

However,
by candlelight every wench is handsome...
industry experts concur that the future lies in the civilian market, until now uncharted waters that hold the promise of vast fortunes.

"What's coming in the U.S. and Europe and all around the world is a way to open up the airspace to allow these things to fly and be used for commercial markets, which we think ultimately is going to dwarf the military market," said Brett Davis, vice president for communications and publications at the AUVSI.

The civilian market in the U.S. has so far remained stagnant, mainly due to licensing regulations and cost, but Davis said that is changing.

"It's sort of at a point in time when the Internet switched from ARPANET (for years the U.S. armed forces' and defense establishment's Internet) to the Internet that we know today. It opened up markets that no one had even dreamed about before."

As a tool for search and rescue, drones can find humans lost in the wilderness or adrift at sea. The uses, said Davis, are endless- - from pipeline and railroad inspection to assisting first- responders in traffic accidents and hostage standoff situations.

"We're seeing and feeling the change in direction. There definitely is tremendous potential in the civilian market," said Bichman. "A slew of areas are increasingly opening up: paramilitary, maritime surveillance, border and aerial monitoring, ferrying cargo."

Taking challenges head-on is nothing new at IAI and its subsidiaries, who pay top dollar to some of the country's best and brightest to keep pace in the fierce competition posed by heavy hitters like Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics, as well as local manufacturers.

Bichman voiced confidence that IAI will come out on top when the race to win mega contracts for civilian drones begins.

"We are at the phase preceding breakthrough. It will happen. I' m convinced," he said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  IAI's Pioneer, a drone said to have been equipped with 16-inch guns

Probably means length.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:37 Comments || Top||

#2  You beat me to it gromgoru.

Although I kind of like the idea of a flying battleship.
Posted by: phil_b || 03/31/2012 4:31 Comments || Top||

#3  Iowa class drone?
Posted by: Chuckles Gurly-Brown5469 || 03/31/2012 11:38 Comments || Top||

#4  Would make an awesome sci-fi novel.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 15:44 Comments || Top||

#5  Yeah, it must have been 16 inch length. According to Wikipedia, the USS Iowa's 16 inch guns fired shells that were 1900 to 2700 pounds each. That doesn't count the weight of the propellant, which could be as much as 660 pounds. Plus of course, the weight of the gun, and extra shells, etc.

Although, I agree that an Iowa class drone would have been cool.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 03/31/2012 18:33 Comments || Top||

#6  Special Drone - Space Battleship Yamato

Posted by: linker || 03/31/2012 19:56 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
Chinese Company and Employee Deny Any Involvement in Hacking Attacks
Wadn't us, honest. Everyone knows Chinese don't hack Japanese companies or Indian military research organizationses, and we certainly wouldn't do such a thing to Tibetan activists.

NYT article. Paul Krugman is probably ginning up an article on the honest entrepreneurial activities of Chinese comp sci majors as we speak.
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) || 03/31/2012 0:33 Comments || Top||

#2  If you can't trust people who eat eggs boiled in little kid pee who can you trust!
Posted by: Ulosh Glosh4116 || 03/31/2012 8:40 Comments || Top||

#3  shrug

Not what I want to eat myself, but urine has historically had a lot of folk uses. I know some Native Americans who swear it dries up poison ivy rashes and fungal infections quickly and without scarring. FWIW
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 10:16 Comments || Top||

#4  Urine is useful in making black powder and in tanning hides too.
Posted by: Glenmore || 03/31/2012 11:28 Comments || Top||

#5  I check out the ip addresses of suspicious hits on my company's web server. An awful lot of them come from China. Next up is Russia, Ukraine, Romania. If I had my way we'd just firewall the whole lot of them.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 03/31/2012 12:47 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
General Motors pulls funding from climate sceptic thinktank Heartland
[Guardian]. General Motors, the world's largest carmaker, has confirmed that it is pulling funding from the Heartland Institute, an ultra-conservative thinktank known for its scepticism about climate change.

The decision by the GM Foundation to halt its support for Heartland after 20 years underlines the new image the carmaker is seeking to project as part of its social responsibility programme.
The fact that the Obama administration controls GM via tax money extorted from you and from me has nothing to do with this, at least in the eyes of the Guardian.
In the past GM has itself been associated with efforts to discredit climate change science, but in recent years it has been investing heavily in green technologies and cars including the electric/petrol hybrid, the Chevy Volt.
Market distortions created by the Obama administration using tax money extorted etc. etc. apparently isn't involved in this shift, either.
In a statement, GM said that it now runs its business "as if climate change is real and believe we have a role to play in developing new cars, trucks and technologies that can make a difference".

The funding cut -- just $15,000 a year -- is small beer for the institute, which has a multi-million dollar turnover, largely from a single anonymous donor. But it is a blow to the standing of the thinktank and to the leading role it plays as an advocate of climate change scepticism.
A blow. A most grievous blow. An entire $15k blow. Take that, deniers!!!!
The thinktank has long been an incubator of ideas casting doubt that the world is warming as a result of man-made pollution.

GM's funding of Heartland was first revealed in a series of internal documents that have themselves become hotly contested as they were obtained under false pretences by prominent climate change scientist Peter Gleick. A specialist in water science who stepped down as president of the Pacific Institute as a result of the controversy, Gleick had persuaded the Heartland to pass him information about its policies and procedures by posing as a board member.

In fact, GM's donation was not related in any way to climate science but to a wholly different area of Heartland activity. Even so, the relationship has become too awkward for the carmaker to sustain.

The Heartland Institute said in a statement that GM's breach with it had been prompted by "false claims contained in a fake memo circulated by disgraced climate scientist Peter Gleick". The comment was a reference to one of the documents obtained by Gleick that appears to have been a forgery.

However, the disclosure of GM's funding was likely to have been contained in a separate document whose authenticity has not been called into question and that clearly contained accurate information about funders.
Posted by: lotp || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  In a statement, GM said that it now runs its business "as if climate change is real and believe we have a role to play in developing new cars, trucks and technologies that can make a difference".

Oh wow, man.

And here all this time I thought they were in the business of making money selling cars.

Didn't know there was a percentage from saving the planet.

Oh, wait.

There ain't
Posted by: badanov || 03/31/2012 0:12 Comments || Top||

#2  15 grand, huh?
That'll probably pay for an extra fire extinguisher in every Volt that they've sold.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 0:20 Comments || Top||

#3  What's gonna be in those fire extinguishers? Halon? Carbon Dioxide?
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/31/2012 0:29 Comments || Top||

#4  What's gonna be in those fire extinguishers? Halon? Carbon Dioxide?

Knowing the left, it'll prolly be silly string
Posted by: badanov || 03/31/2012 0:37 Comments || Top||

#5  Unicorn farts...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/31/2012 0:38 Comments || Top||

#6  Farts? First thing I learned in college was how to light my farts. Does that mean I had a Chevy Volt prototype coming out of my butt?
Posted by: Raj || 03/31/2012 1:15 Comments || Top||

#7  From Wik. How times they have changed:

The song "See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet" (title as filed for 1950 copyright)[1] is a commercial jingle from circa 1949, with lyrics and music by Leo Corday (ASCAP) and Leon Carr (ASCAP),[2] written for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors Corp.[1] The song was the Chevrolet jingle sung on the show Inside U.S.A. with Chevrolet by Chevrolet's real-life husband-wife duo, Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy,[1] years before it became associated with Dinah Shore through Chevrolet's decade-long sponsorship of her television shows. Dinah Shore sang the song after 1952,[1] and it became something of a signature song for her. Later the song was also sung by male spokesman Pat Boone on his Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom (ABC) from 1957 through 1960. When the games of the Los Angeles Dodgers were televised in the 1960s,
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 1:56 Comments || Top||

#8  I hope Heartland sues Glieck's butt off. The guy rode the AGW gravy train for well over 20 years.
Posted by: phil_b || 03/31/2012 4:38 Comments || Top||

#9  I wonder if they do the Two Minute Hate?

Of course it being GM, it probably takes twelve minutes.
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 11:08 Comments || Top||

#10  First read of the headline, I saw septic tank. Considering it was GM being talked about, figured a case of 'Redundant Editor Redunancy Insertion'
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 03/31/2012 11:48 Comments || Top||

#11  Obama Motors.

They should call it the Solyndra Institute to get funding.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 03/31/2012 12:01 Comments || Top||

#12  GM said that it now runs its business "as if climate change is real...

We also run our business as if arithmetic no longer applies and even though we are losing money on every Volt sold, we hope to make it up on volume. We're too big to fail!
Posted by: SteveS || 03/31/2012 17:29 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Tuareg Rebels Seize Key Northern Mali Town
Witnesses say Tuareg rebels have taken control of a key town in northeastern Mali. The rebels entered Kidal on Friday, a day after launching an offensive on the remote town, the capital of Mali's Kidal region.

Reports from the area say the rebel MNLA was assisted by an Islamist group known as Ansar Edine.

The rebellion began in January, a couple of months after heavily-armed Tuareg fighters returned from Libya, where they were assisting ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  VW call your office.
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth || 03/31/2012 17:13 Comments || Top||


Britain
UK Muslim Man Sacked From Job Over Beard
About the headline: Iran Press TV's journalist thought the detail of the concerned party's gender important. Who am I, a mere American housewife, to question it?
A Mohammedan man from Croydon has fallen victim to Britannia's rising Islamophobia
...the irrational fear that Moslems will act the way they usually do...
, as he has been sacked on the first day of his new job at a phone shop because of his beard.

Shahid Saleem who has a beard due to his religious beliefs is now taking legal action after the discrimination he faced at Vodafone shop in Sutton High Street, London.

Saleem had an appointment with the store manager on September 9, 2011 after being placed there by the recruitment agency, Adecco. But he was told that he could not work at the store because of his beard.

The 21-year-old then asked the manager to see the dress code to check whether Vodafone had an official policy through which the employees should be clean shaven. But his request was refused and was instead escorted to the exit door and told to talk to his job agency.

"Throughout the whole time [the store manager] was talking to me, he spoke to me condescendingly in public in front of a Vodafone employee, which completely demoralized and upset me as well as causing me distress," Saleem said.

"What [the store manager] did was blatant discrimination, and discrimination in this country is illegal, especially in regards to the work place."

Vodafone then probed Saleem's complaint and sent him an apology, claiming the manager thought Saleem's appearance was "rather scruffy and not business appropriate" but confirming he should not discuss about Saleem's beard.

The store manager was then asked to join a training course to help him comprehend more about the diversity and the company's policies.
Ah. Diversity Training. That solves everything...
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
Merah May Have Been A Govt. Informant
French and Italian newspapers say gunman Mohamed Merah involved in a shooting spree in Toulouse that killed 7 people may have been an informant for La Belle France's intelligence services.

The 23-year old French was killed after a 32-hour standoff following three multi-ethnic and multi-confessional shootings.

Italian newspaper Il Foglio said Merah's trip to Israel and Afghanistan in 2010 was made with the knowledge of the French foreign secret service, which rejects the report.

Also, head of La Belle France's domestic intelligence service DCRI, Bernard Squarcini was quoted by Le Monde as saying that Merah asked for a local DCRI agent by name during the standoff, the same agent who questioned Merah after returning from his 2010 trip.

Merah told the agent "Anyway, I was going to call you to say I had some tip-offs for you, but actually I was going to [kill] you," Squarcini told the paper but rejected speculation that Merah worked as a French government informant.

Many now believe that Merah could have had a friendly relationship with the agent, which could explain why police did not initially suspect Merah.

However,
by candlelight every wench is handsome...
a former head of a French intelligence service Yves Bonnet said it was "striking" that Merah appeared to have a DCRI "handler" adding, "Having a handler, that is not an innocent thing. I don't know how far his relationship, or collaboration, with the service went but it is a question worth raising" the Toulouse newspaper La Depeche du Midi quoted Bonnet as saying.

Mohamed was suspected of killing a rabbi and his 3 and 6-year-old sons in a shooting spree at a Jewish school in Toulouse. The school principal's 10-year-old daughter was also killed in the incident that left a fifth person injured.

The French police have linked the attack to two other shootings days before Mohamed's death, in which three soldiers of North African or Caribbean descent were killed.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda

#1  MAJ Nidal Malik Hasan redux? At least the French were smart enough to terminate the project with prejudice.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 2:18 Comments || Top||

#2  Suspected?
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 03/31/2012 6:31 Comments || Top||

#3  OMG multi-ethnic and multi-confessional shootings.

Is it possible to get anymore PC, waffley, squishy, insulting and despicable?
Posted by: AlanC || 03/31/2012 9:25 Comments || Top||

#4  Yes.
Posted by: Pappy || 03/31/2012 11:01 Comments || Top||


Arabia
UN To Launch Vaccine Program In Yemen After Deadly Measles Outbreak
Nothing like hitting a struggling nation while it's down. In this case, beating it with a Number Seven truncheon, accompanied by a barrel of mustache wax, doesn't begin to cover it.
(Xinhua) -- The United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
Children's Found (UNICEF) is to launch a measles vaccination program in Yemen, after an outbreak of the disease in the Middle East country has killed over 170 children and left more than 4,000 infected since mid-2011, a UN front man told news hounds here Friday.
Strange, this sort of thing doesn't happen in the civilized world...
The UNICEF will kick off the vaccination drive in Yemen in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Yemeni Ministry of Health, UN front man Eduardo del Buey told news hounds here during a daily news briefing.

"The near breakdown of Yemen's health services during the political crisis, and severe malnutrition amongst children under the age of five were the leading factors behind this outbreak," del Buey said.

The vaccination campaign, which will be launched on Saturday, is aimed to reach over 8 million children under the age of five. Currently, more than 1.2 million children benefit from the polio
...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set...
vaccine and vitamin A supplement.

In 2009, UNICEF released a report where Yemen was listed as one of the many countries to have severe cases of undernourishment in children.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Don't they know this is how infidels sterilize Muslims so they can't breed?
Posted by: gromky || 03/31/2012 8:47 Comments || Top||

#2  UNICEF is the enemy of natural selection, always has been.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/31/2012 8:48 Comments || Top||

#3  Shhhhh: loose lips sink ships, gromky.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 8:50 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran Set To Import 3mn Tons Of Wheat From India
The Indian government has initiated the process of exporting wheat to Iran after Tehran offered its official request to the Indian government for an import requirement of up to 3 million tons of wheat.

Iranian firms such as Kengan Wheat Flour Factory, ALP Company and Magna Business Management have already sent wheat import requests to an Indian government-run agency, The Economic Times reported.

The requests have been sent to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), through the Indian embassy in Tehran, and two Indian firms have shown interest in shipping wheat to Iran, the report added.

An APEDA official noted that India has produced 88.31 million tons of wheat in 2011/2012 crop year, adding that after opening wheat exports in last September, the country has shipped about 600,000 tons of wheat to Bangladesh, UAE, Nepal, Thailand and other countries.

Indian traders were already concerned about payment for their exports to Iran after the country defaulted on rice imports from India. However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things...
the report added, a payment mechanism recently set up by the two countries, which allows using the rupee for 45% of oil dues and to pay Indian exporters, has instilled confidence in Indian exporters.

"More companies will come forward now to export wheat and other items to Iran if the new mechanism works well," said an Indian exporter.

According to the report, Iran is scaling up grain imports to foil Western sanctions against the country and has so far imported large quantities of grain from Russia, Australia and Pakistain.

On Saturday, March 16, Rooters reported that Iran had purchased 60,000 metric tons of American wheat, reopening grain trade ties between the two countries amid Washington's tough sanctions against the Islamic Theocratic Republic.

The report added that it was the first time in three years that Iran purchased US wheat. The industry sources said Iran was close to completing purchases of another 220,000 metric tons to be shipped as early as April, and in talks with exporters to buy another undisclosed amount.

Trade sources said grain giants Cargill Inc. and Bunge Ltd were the likely suppliers to Iran.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/31/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Get paid in advance.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/31/2012 0:38 Comments || Top||

#2  Ask the Russians how the payment history was with Iran and the Bushehr reactor. The Russians went on a cash basis because the MMs wouldn't pay.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 03/31/2012 1:00 Comments || Top||



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Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2012-03-31
  Us Drone Strike Kills Four In Miranshah
Fri 2012-03-30
  France nabs at least 17 Islamists in raids across the country
Thu 2012-03-29
  Gunmen kidnap Saudi diplomat in Yemen
Wed 2012-03-28
  Syrian Troops Kill 57 amid Clashes near Lebanese Border
Tue 2012-03-27
  Terror plot uncovered when 11 suicide vests found at Afghan military HQ
Mon 2012-03-26
  Toulouse killings: Mohamed Merah brother charged
Sun 2012-03-25
  Syrian Rebel Chiefs Form Military Council to Unify Ranks
Sat 2012-03-24
  At Least 26 Dead as Tens of Thousands Rally in Syria
Fri 2012-03-23
  German court gives online terror recruiter five year sentence
Thu 2012-03-22
  Gunman dead as French siege ends
Wed 2012-03-21
  French police in standoff with Jewish school killing suspect
Tue 2012-03-20
  Turkish Diplomat Says Two More Syrian Generals Defect
Mon 2012-03-19
  Heavy Shelling Kills 16 'Qaida' Fighters in Yemen
Sun 2012-03-18
  Five Killed In Bali Terror Raids
Sat 2012-03-17
  Qaeda suspects kidnap Swiss woman: Yemeni officials

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