#8
Speaking of John Belushi, my friend flew some great flight scenes in his P-40 for the Belushi movie 1941. He said he had a ball, got his SAG card and still gets royalties. If you stop at 1:08 you can see a small man in Levis backing down the wing, that's Tommy.
Just before that scene you can see him almost stall when landing on the small road. The ground controller f-ed up his approach because of the power lines. That plane was a ball, he sold it to Flying Tiger Airlines in the 80s.
He also did some flight scenes, in a different P-40, for the latest Pearl Harbor movie.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/08/2009 14:37 Comments ||
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#11
My fav was definitely the one in the slip for BUtterfield 8. I would call that the peak of her career, in 1960. Next was Cleopatra in 1963 and it kept going downhill from there. Just like the rest of Hollywood.
Code word was "Light the Fire"
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba commander Zarar Shah has admitted under interrogation in Pakistan that he used telephone to handle the gunmen who carried out terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month, a Sunday Times report said, adding the attack began with the direction: 'Aag lagao!' (Light the fire!). "Controllers in Pakistan watched live television and warned the gunmen of the arrival of Indian commandoes, according to evidence amassed by the FBI and handed over to the Pakistani government,"
The controllers repeatedly told the attackers: "Aag lagao!", and during the conversation, the men were also instructed to kill all the Israelis who were held captive in the Jewish hostel but to spare all the Muslims, according to the Sunday Times report. Without quoting anyone, the newspaper claimed Shah had revealed that the 10 assailants were trained in Azad Kashmir and then travelled by boat from Karachi to Mumbai. "He implicated several other Lashkar men," it added. "He is singing,"
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
01/08/2009 15:29 ||
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#1
"we are simple, but well-armed farmers Jim Morrison fans. Behold, the Lizard King!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/08/2009 18:14 Comments ||
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#2
THE DOORS?
"Aag Lagao" > song "KEY LARGO" [Bogey abd Bacall]?
The Pakistan-based handlers of the Mumbai terrorists ordered the murders of civilians over the phone and cheered after hearing the gunfire, according to the dossier of evidence India provided to the Pakistani government.
The documents, obtained by the Indian newspaper The Hindu, provides a cold, calculating, and chilling look at the masterminds behind the late November military-style assault on the Indian financial capital of Mumbai. More than 170 people were killed and hundreds wounded during the 60 hour terror spree that shut down the city. The Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror group allied with al Qaeda and supported by powerful elements within Pakistans Inter-Service Intelligence agency and the military, carried out the attack.
Six Pakistani handlers monitored the news coverage from Mumbai and kept in constant touch with the terrorists holed up in Nariman House and the Taj Mahal and Trident hotels during the three day siege. The handlers are identified as Zarar, Kafa, Wassi, Jundal, Bururg, and Major General.
#1
Damn if even one half of the Mumbai terrorists slaughter went down as Bill Roggio reported here, then clearly the Anti-Western Islamic Animals are in charge of the ISI and in charge of Pakistan's "Civilian" Government also.
The tough questions for US are, How do we handle/control Pakistan's' Nukes... their **** their Talib support***** their sabotage of A-Stan ***** their support of al-Qaeda***** and their support of their Home Grown Islamists?
.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
01/08/2009 1:38 Comments ||
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#5
A senior US military intelligence official familiar with the dossier said that the "Major General" is indeed Hamid Gul, the retired former chief of the ISI. "It's Gul," the official told The Long War Journal. "This is why the US is trying to get him on the UN list of terrorists." In December 2008 the US attempted to get Hamid Gul and other former military and intelligence officials added to the UN list of designated terrorists but has so far been rebuffed.
Maybe after Pakistan gets it's $16 billion from Joe Biden, it might ask Gul to stop being a naughty boy
The Khyber Agency political administration arrested a former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Landikotal chief here on Wednesday, as a military operation continued in the region to clear the supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan. The once and future amir...
The arrested former JUI-F official Gul Rehman told Daily Times from the lockups in Landikotal that he had come to meet the tribesmen who were detained during the military operation when he was arrested, "without any charge or warrants". The JUI-F had recently expelled Rehman from the party.
Arrests: The political administration has also issued warrants for the arrest of JUI-F Khyber Agency chief Mufti Ijaz Shinwari, and for some tribesmen and Taliban leaders and asked them to surrender before the administration.
So far around two dozen tribal elders have been apprehended in the operation. They include a six-member jirga that had given a surety bond worth Rs 7 million, saying that two local Taliban leaders -- Hazrat Nabi and Hazrat Ali -- would appear before the administration whenever summoned and would not indulge in any criminal activity. The six jirga members were arrested two days ago when the two Taliban refused to obey summons to appear before the authorities. Detained tribesmen told journalists they had been imprisoned without being charged with any wrongdoing. They said they had not done anything illegal and had been arrested for protesting against load shedding and excesses by the political administration.
Landikotal Assistant Political Agent Azam Khan had recently told Daily Times that the Khyber political agent was fully aware of the military operation and that anyone could be detained or released on his orders.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Police have arrested four foreigners near Pakistan's border with Iran on suspicion of links with international terrorists, sources said on Wednesday.
According to the sources, Panjgur Police believed the four men were members of Al Qaeda who entered Pakistan via Afghanistan and were planning to go to Iran to pursue terrorist activities.
The raid was conducted in Tasp town of Panjgur to arrest two Turkish nationals and two Azerbaijan nationals, a Panjgur-based police official said on condition of anonymity. All four suspects were immediately handed over to investigation agencies and shifted to Quetta, he added.
The suspects claimed to have come to Pakistan to acquire religious education, although according to police, it seemed they wanted to cross the border into Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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The Taliban in Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan Agency on Wednesday killed two Afghan nationals after accusing them of spying for the United States. Locals found the body of Habibullah at Khadi, 15 kilometres west of Mirali near Mirali-Miranshah Road. The body of the second Afghan, identified as Khan Muhammad Babar, was found in Shera Talla area, 20 kilometres from Mirali on Mirali-Tall Road. Notes found near the bodies said the people spying for the US would be dealt with in the same manner. Meanwhile, police in Swat district found an unidentified body in Kabal tehsil early on Wednesday. The incident follows the recovery of six bodies in the district on Tuesday, three of the deceased were reportedly soldiers.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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The Taliban in Hangu killed three policemen and abducted three others when they stormed a police checkpost early on Wednesday.
Officials said the Taliban attacked the police post in Dalan area of Tal tehsil using heavy weapons. Three police personnel - Taimoor, Fazal Rahim and Daulat Shah - were killed, while Mohibullah, Tariq and Akhlaq were abducted by the Taliban. The Taliban also set the checkpost on fire.
Orakzai: Helicopter gunships targeting Taliban hideouts accidentally hit two civilian houses in Orakzai Agency. The houses were partially damaged, but no loss of life was reported, officials and locals told Daily Times on Wednesday. They said the gunships pounded Taliban hideouts in Kalaya village of Lower Orakzai Agency, but no Taliban casualties were reported.
Curfew: The Pakistan Army took over security operations in Hangu and imposed curfew in the city on the ninth day of Muharram. Troops were deployed on the rooftops of all high-rise buildings in the city and in the nearby hills for monitoring security. Locals said they were asked to stay indoors until the curfew was relaxed.
Meanwhile, unidentified armed men abducted two men at gunpoint from Naryab area of Hangu on Wednesday, locals said. One of the abducted men was identified as Malak Muhammad Amin, locals said. A local leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) - Malak Riaz Bangash- kidnapped 10 days ago, returned to his house along with his driver, family sources said.
Bajaur: Three Taliban were killed and six others injured as jet fighters targeted their hideouts in various areas of Bajaur Agency on Wednesday, official sources said. They said six trenches and some underground bunkers built by the Taliban had also been destroyed in the assault. Fighter jets targeted Taliban hideouts in Dama Dola and Khaza Pahar areas in Mamoond, Salarzai and Chargo Kandaw tehsils of Bajaur. Political administration claimed that most of Bajaur was now under the government's control.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: A cache containing arms and ammunition was found near Talaafar district, a local security source said on Wednesday.
"This afternoon, police personnel discovered a cache in al-Fadiliya village (25 km west of Talaafar)," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The cache contained Kalashnikov rifles, 150 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a large amount of TNT explosive, and 75 mortar shells, according to the source. The cache was found in light of intelligence tips from detainees, the source added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: Two cleaning workers from Mosul municipality were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the downtown of the city, a police source said on Wednesday.
"A small-sized explosive charge detonated close to two cleaning workers who were doing their job on al-Kornish Street, downtown Mosul," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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The United Nations Security Council is expected to approve a newly revised resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza that calls for an international force to prevent arms smuggling.
The resolution also for the first time mentions Hamas by name, which along with the smuggling clause is a key United States demand....
The Egyptian-French proposal regarding the Rafah area- we don['t know the details of the proposal
aims to achieve a lasting halt to both rocket fire into Israel and to arms-trafficking for Hamas and a pullout of Israeli troops, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said Thursday.
#8
No, they want to make sure the end state is one where there is an international force backstopping the egyptians, maybe even Fatah back at the Rafah crossing, and they want to use the Israeli ops continuation as leverage to get that.
The "Islamic World" doesnt exist wrt to this issue. There is the Anti-Iran block (PA, Egypt, KSA,Jordan) Iran, Syria, and the spectators all other muslim countries. The first three players all have different agendas, and the latter group is saying just enought to assuage their street.
#11
actually UN binding resolutions DO matter, they were factors in the timing of the end of the '67 and '73 wars and the 2006 Lebanon op. Israel can laugh off a GA resolution, but not a UNSC res backed by the US. Egypt too.
Now Hamas wont follow a res necessarily, but its not clear how much Hamas is even going to be a player diplomatically. More important is the extent to which res puts pressure on the Euros and Arabs to supply peacekeeping/bordercrossing forces for Gaza.
#13
that calls for an international force to prevent arms smuggling
An international "force" that comes complete with magic blue helmets to put the fear of Allan in Hamass?
It's all pointless.
Unless, of course, the "binding" UN resolution includes a sunset clause that goes into effect the instant:
1) The first rocket gets fired from the area the "Palestinians" are squatting in;
2) the "Palestinians" try to rearm, build another missile, or get involved with any other terror weapons including bombs, militants or terrorists (and no, they don't need an army or anything like it);
3) The "Palestinians" break ground on another one of their tunnelling projects;
4) The incitement starts up, including that fuc&ing rabbit or anything like it;
5) Anything else happens that would make the "Palestians" a useful tool for Iran;
6) Hamass or Fatass start throwing each other off buildings;
7) Nasrallah's spittle hits the camera lens;
8) Try to engage in any activities whose main purpose is to subvert a peace process.
Actually, I don't know why I went past condition number one. Just venting, I guess.
#14
You go to war with the army you have not the army you want. You deal with the UN you have not the UN you want. Yes the UN sucks and is probably a net negative to human civilization but then again lots of things are like that.
If the Israelis are smart they will demand lots of UN observers at Sederot and the other southern cities and towns.
They should also make sure, if possible, that the UN international force has some anti Arab muslims, like Turks and Kurds. The time between this resolution and the immediate cease fire resolution can be used for that.
#18
Great, UN observers, cuz UNIFIL worked oh-so-well.
Bush is in a tight spot here. If he vetoes anything that comes along, that leaves the resolution to Barry. If he doesn't trust Barry, he has no choice but to ink up on the best thing he can.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/08/2009 19:54 Comments ||
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#19
Resolution was just passed. Don't have language yet.
Since the aerial attack on Gaza began, Hamas has sought to suppress individuals it believes endanger the group's fight against Israel and its hold on power in the Strip, as well as public morale. Prime targets include Fatah members, people convicted or suspected of collaborating with Israel, and "common" criminals. An opportunity to settle all family business...
"Hamas rules with an iron fist even now," said one resident. A political activist who says he supports neither Hamas nor Fatah said that given the difficult conditions created by the ongoing shelling and ground invasion, Hamas is likely to try to prevent collaborators or those suspected to be from working with Israel.
Since the operation began on December 27, Hamas operatives have executed several people it classified as collaborators. Members of the group have confirmed the executions took place, and said the victims had admitted giving information to the Shin Bet security service that resulted in the deaths of Palestinians, or had already been sentenced to death by a Palestinian military court but the sentences were delayed for various reasons.
Independent sources said that among the dead were those not known publicly to have been collaborators, as well as others long suspected of cooperation with Israel, or those arrested and later released.
Estimates of the number of suspects executed range from 40 to 80, but amid the prevailing conditions shelling, fear of walking the streets and media blackouts it is virtually impossible to verify the numbers or identities of the dead.
Executions are carried out secretly. In Rafah, for example, at least some of the victims were killed in a caravan erected in the area formerly occupied by the Rafiah Yam settlement, and the victims' relatives were invited to take away the bodies. "Wanna come down and pick up your husband, Mrs. Mahmoud?"
"Why? Did his car break down?"
"Not exactly..." "Should I bring a box?"
"Naw, a coffee can will do."
"The two-pound can?"
Even in the current conditions, Hamas is continuing to arrest those it suspects of criminal activity or Fatah membership, many of whom were arrested on the eve of the IDF operation and fled detention when the shelling began. No one knows where the detained are being held.
Independent sources and those linked with Fatah say Hamas' common methods include confiscating cell-phones, beatings, house arrest and firing at a suspect's legs. So, down the road, they can execute everybody with a limp.
Fatah members say Hamas is following a policy dictated from its leadership and directed against Fatah as a whole. An official in the Hamas-run Interior Ministry told Haaretz that the steps were taken only against Fatah members who expressed "happiness" at the aerial attack and even "distributed candy" in the streets as it began. An independent source corroborated Hamas' account. What's that in your pocket there, Mahmoud? A Milky Way?
Fatah officials said last Thursday that notifications were sent to organization members from the public security forces, under the direction of Hamas's Interior Minister Said Siyam, confining them to house arrest for 48 hours. Other Fatah members were ordered not to leave their homes from 7 P.M. until morning.
Hamas is also targeting common crime, promising the public that prices will not rise due to the closures of crossings into Gaza, nor will looting be allowed from stores that have been shelled. Unless they're doing it...
OPEC's top producer says oil-producing states in the Middle East will not respond to Iran's call to halt crude supplies to Israeli supporters.
"The oil producers who need their income ... are not going to do that," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said at a Wednesday news conference. "The use of oil, especially at this time, is an idea that is at least past its worth," he said. "The important thing, oil is not a weapon. You can't reverse a conflict by using oil."
A senior Iranian commander had earlier in the week urged Muslim countries to cut oil exports to countries supporting Israel and the atrocities it comits in Gaza. "Oil is among major stimuli that can put pressure on Zionist regime's (Israel) supporters in the US and Europe," Brigadier General Mir-Faisal Baqerzadeh, Head of the Foundation for the Remembrance of the Holy Defense, said earlier on Sunday.
The Saudi prince said the idea of cutting oil production would only put pressure on oil-producing states causing them to "suffer as much as anybody else suffers."
The Saudi prince's remarks come amid dramatic slides in crude prices. Oil prices have lost more than $100 since hitting a record high of above $147 a barrel in July. The global financial turmoil, brought on by the US subprime-mortgage crisis has sharply slashed the demand for oil.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
headline should be corrected. While I VERY much appreciate KSA's role, including their refusal to embargo Israels SUPPORTERS, they are not currently shipping any oil to Israel itself, AFAIK.
Israel has started the shelling of the populated border region of Rafah amid an escalated Israeli military incursion into southern Gaza. The military forces stepped up attacks on the southern Gaza Strip late Wednesday, destroying at least 30 homes The Jerusalem Post reported.
The Army claims the operation was aimed at destroying "smuggling tunnels" in the border crossing. It vowed to continue the attacks through the night, the Israeli channel 10 reported.
The military had earlier dropped flyers on Rafah calling on residents to evacuate the area. "Because Hamas uses your houses to hide and smuggle military weapons, the IDF will attack the area, between the Egyptian border and the beach road," the leaflet said, according a local UN official.
Tel Aviv has launched Operation Cast Lead against the Gaza Strip December 27, bringing the densely populated area under a full-scale aerial, naval and ground offensive. The military operation has so far claimed at least 710 lives and left over 3,100 others wounded.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli warplanes bombed 3 schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip. The attack left at least 48 people who had taken refuge inside the schools killed.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
I am making signs for the pro-Israel, anti-Hamass rally planned in my local community this Sunday.
I am making a sign that says "Hamas = Al-Qaeda" and "God Commands All to Bless Israel..Genesis 12:3."
Israel has urged residents in southern Gaza to evacuate the area, as the Israeli army mulls over ground assaults into populated cities.
The Israeli air force dropped leaflets in and around the southern Gaza town of Rafah on Wednesday, urging residents to evacuate their homes. The Israeli army "demands those who live (in the areas bordering Egypt) to leave their houses. You have until 20:00 (1800 GMT)", the leaflets said.
The Israeli military says it is going to target the area on suspicion that it is being "used by terrorists to (dig) tunnels and to stock up" on arms.
The spokesman for the UNWRA, Chris Gunness, called the warning useless as there are no safe havens in Gaza. What is the use of getting a leaflet that says; "Leave your house. It's about to be attacked. Go to safety," when there in no safe place in Gaza, Gunness said.
The vast network of tunnels between the two sides of the Rafah border crossing has been used to import rockets, grenades and ammunition fuel, food and medicine since Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza in November, leaving Rafah as the territory's only connection to the outside world.
The Israeli warnings come shortly after the Israeli security cabinet approved the expansion of ground offensive into the Gaza Strip to push deeper into populated areas of the coastal sliver.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
The spokesman for the UNWRA, Chris Gunness, called the warning useless as there are no safe havens in Gaza. What is the use of getting a leaflet that says; "Leave your house. It's about to be attacked. Go to safety," when there in no safe place in Gaza, Gunness said.
Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday fired 25 rockets into Israel's southern communities, including Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon. The number was significantly lower than the average absorbed by these communities in recent weeks.
Two rockets exploded in Be'er Sheva just after 4 P.M., minutes following the expiration of a 3-hour truce between Israel and Hamas which was meant to ensure a temporary free flow of aid to Gaza residents. Some structures in the city were lightly damaged, but there were no casualties. Following that attack, more rockets were reported exploding in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, close to the Gaza Strip.
Earlier in the afternoon, two rockets hit Ashkelon, one exploding in the backyard of a three-story building. Nine people were treated for shock, but no other casualties were reported. Four rockets struck Sderot earlier Wednesday, Ofakim and Netivot were each hit by two rockets and one landed in Kiryat Malachi.
Palestinian militants this week have continued the daily barrage of rockets that Israel has sought to halt in its 12-day air and ground campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
On Tuesday, a Grad rocket fired by militants struck Gedera, located 30 kilometers from Tel Aviv, and lightly injured a 3-month-old baby. The rocket struck a road in the southern section of Gedera, close to residential housing, in the first such attack on the central Israel city. The baby sustained wounds from shards of glass that hit her face, and was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment. Four people were also treated for shock, including the baby's mother.
Gaza militants fired almost 30 other rockets into Israel on Tuesday, causing neither casualties nor property damage. Most of the rockets hit the western Negev, and the southern towns of Netivot and Ofakim.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Isn't there some sort of fire finder radar that can pin point launch sites for counter fire? Or, have I been reading too much Tom Clancy?
#2
it exists, but you need the will to order the counter battery. Hamas tends to set these off in the close proximity of fluffy ducks and bunnies so a 155 barage while satisfying, might not be optimal if you have no balls and are enslaved by PC ideals and worried about 'international opinion'.
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
01/08/2009 19:14 Comments ||
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Palestinian eye witnesses said they saw IDF tanks heading towards the town of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, British Sky News reported late on Wednesday night.
In the southern city of Rafah, Palestinians reported that the IAF struck a house and a tunnel, Israel Radio reported. Sky News quoted Palestinians in Rafah as saying the IAF had targeted a mosque, killing 15 people.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
So, when will we hear that Haniya is enjoying white risins?
Despite mounting international pressure for an end to hostilities between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, Hamas declared on Wednesday that it would not accept any permanent cease-fire with Israel. According to the deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouk, the group would not talk about a permanent cease-fire so long as Israel continued its "occupation," and would instead continue the "resistance." He said that Hamas stood by its demand for Israel to immediately halt its offensive, to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and to open all of the border crossings.
The borders between Israel and Gaza were closed when Hamas took control of the area in a violent coup against Palestinian Authority forces in June 2007.
In July 2008, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was signed which permitted the borders to be opened permanently so long as Palestinian rocket fire into Israeli territory ceased. As rocket fire persisted, Israel periodically closed the borders. In December 2008, Hamas declared it would not renew the cease-fire due to Israeli "violations."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#2
They will only agree to a ceasefire if they are worried about being beaten. They have hardly been engaged yet, let alone beaten, so a ceasefire is a long way off.
#3
Hamas will NEVER agree to a permanent cease-fire. They can't even adhere to a temporary one. Wasted time and breath trying to get an agreement from them.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/08/2009 18:54 Comments ||
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Hamas has rejected an Egyptian proposal to place the Rafah border crossing under forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas officials said Wednesday.
Hamas also rejected an Egyptian proposal to deploy international troops in the Gaza Strip in the context of a new cease-fire agreement with Israel, the officials added. The Egyptian proposals are backed by a number of Arab and EU countries, they said.
Hamas officials, meanwhile, continued to issue contradictory statements regarding their readiness to reach a new cease-fire with Israel. Hamas leaders in Syria and Lebanon said they would not agree to a long-term truce because they wanted to "preserve the right to respond to Israeli violations and aggression."
But their colleagues in the Gaza Strip sounded more optimistic. Ahmed Yussef, an adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, said he did not rule out the possibility of reaching a cease-fire agreement "within 48 hours." He said Hamas would stop firing rockets at Israel once the IDF halted its military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Yussef added that any cease-fire agreement should include the reopening of the border crossings and an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
In Cairo, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Gen. Omar Suleiman met with Hamas representatives to discuss the latest proposals and ways of ending the violence in the Gaza Strip. Suleiman reportedly told the Hamas delegation - whose members included Imadal-Alami and Muhammad Nasser - that Egypt would not reopen the Rafah border crossing unless Abbas's forces were allowed to return to the terminal.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Hamas also rejected an Egyptian proposal to deploy international troops in the Gaza Strip in the context of a new cease-fire agreement with Israel, the officials added. The Egyptian proposals are backed by a number of Arab and EU countries, they said.
I think Hamas boxed themselves into a corner. Egypt and the Euros have already put a reasonable offer on the table, Israel can now say they accept it fully. If Hamas continues to reject it, they justify the op continuing. If they accept it, they look like losers - not only have they done poorly on the ground, not only have the accepted Fatah back into the Strip, but they have accepted what they just rejected. If France and Egypt change their proposal, Israel can reject that with less opprobrium.
It seems like Hamas still thinks it can win on the ground, by either a real big Qana type event, by a kidnapping event, or by big IDF casualties. So far they are failing on the latter two, and even the former isn't playing well enough to give them a win.
basically I agree but one other area of interest is the rocket attacks
I think there were about 25-30 yesterday from Gaza which is down from the 70+ before the IAF air operation began and down from 50+ when the IDF ground ops began. If the IDF can knock out enough Hamas launch teams (or the teams run out of stuff or their stuff breaks down) to get that down below, say, five (with none of them Grads), Hamas will look like a loser to the faithful.
#4
right now Hamas' only strength is Fatahs weakness. If Israel presses Hamas too hard, Hamas falls.
Who takes over the strip next? Israel doesnt want to. Egypt doesnt want to. Fatah DOES want to, but they didnt do such a great job before, and it could be a mess again. Barak apparently really DOES not want Hamas gone, he wants them to cry uncle and give Israel a win, after which they can leave Gaza showing themselves teh strong horse. Livni, often thought of as a dove, seems to be taking a harder line toward the ceasefire initiative (this per an oped in todays Haaretz) My read is thats cause she has closer ties to Abbas than Barak, and is more willing to make a bet on Fatah control of the Strip.
#6
How about letting Fatah have south Gaza, say, within 2 miles of Rafah which would include the Yasser Arafat International Airport, the rafah crossing and Kerem Shalom crossing. Let Hamas have the rest.
#7
hmmm. Maybe. Would that be stable though? Would Hamas reconstituted not try to push out Fatah from anyplace where Egyptian/international troops didnt protect them? OTOH if Hamas is unable to reconstitute strongly wont Hamas fall - to a Fatah that craves the rest of the strip, but also to every from Islamic Jihad, to Al Qaeeda, to the Dogmush and other clans? IE chaos.
#9
My solution was designed to give Egypt two borders regions close to each other which gives them double the opportunity for graft while minimizing the number of troops they have to use to keep the graft going.
#10
Im not convinced graft is a big issue. To be crude, why would Mubarak endanger his graft in Cairo and Alexandria and Suez (IE his RULE) for peanuts from the Gaza border? Hamas IS tied to the muslim brotherhood and it DOES endanger his rule. If he hasnt stopped smuggling, its either cause he cant, or cause of some political game hes playing.
#12
Egypt could close the tunnels in an afternoon with 200 troops. The fact they haven't is to allow Mubarack to claim he is doing all he can for the Gazans.
The mystery is why he allows the free flow of weapons into Gaza. You can't exactly hide a Grad rocket in your sock when you go through customs.
Arming Gaza means arming the Sinai bedouin and probably the Muslim Brotherhood as well. That is some extremly dangerous fire Mubarack is playing with.
#13
If he hasnt stopped smuggling, its either cause he cant, or cause of some political game hes playing
I would conjecture that permitting the smuggling is essentially a make-work programme for the Bedouin. It keeps them happy by earning a bit of money. The Egyptian economy, albeit underground to an extent, makes money. The goods and weapons are outbound for Gaza instead of into Egypt. The tourists are not being slain.
The Sri Lankan government officially outlawed the Tamil Tiger rebel group on Wednesday, a formality that ruled out the possibility of restarting peace talks any time soon to end a brutal quarter-century of civil war. The Cabinet unanimously agreed to ban the group after the guerrillas ignored an ultimatum to allow hundreds of thousands of civilians living in rebel-held areas to leave, Cabinet Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. The government, as well as international rights groups, have accused the Tamil Tigers of holding civilians as human shields to protect them against the military offensive into rebel-held territory.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Phhhhew. I'll bet there's thousands of pseudo Jihadis that are breathing easier...
And their Moms. Don't forget all their sainted mothers...
Iran's top leader has banned hard-line Iranian volunteers from leaving the country to carry out suicide bombings against Israel.
Someone sent a message, did they ...
Iran's state television on Thursday quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying that Iran can't allow volunteers to cross its border and take military action against Israel. But he said Iran won't spare any efforts to assist Hamas in other ways.
In other words...good luck, boys. Give em hell for us.
"Youse guys could always stage a sit-in! Or maybe take over an embassy!"
Hard-line Iranian student groups asked the government to authorize volunteers to go carry out suicide bombings in Israel in response to the IDF assault on the Gaza Strip.
Lemme at em! LEMME AT EM!!
"I want to moidalize 'em!"
"Finish yer education first, sonny."
"But I've memorized the Quran! And I can shoot-off a gun! What else do I need to learn?"
Iran is Hamas's main backer, though the country denies sending weapons to the Islamic terrorist movement.
"No, no, certainly not!"
Just good wishes and happy thoughts.
The volunteers staged a sit-in at Teheran's international Mehrabad airport this week, demanding they be sent to Gaza, the online Rooz agency reported.
Worked about as well as any other student sit-in around the world ...
The volunteers, numbering up to 200 people, belonged to an Iranian group, which issued an advertisement earlier this week offering a reward of $1 million to anyone who would assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Betcha the Mad Mullahs would react different if someone offered a million to whack Short Round ...
#1
The Iranians finally realized that non-verbal provocations launched by the supreme leader constitute an act of war. Not that Israel is going to bomb Iran any less, mind you.
#3
"provocations launched by the supreme leader constitute an act of war"
I don't think Iran cares much about that.
What Iran REALLY cares about is being seen backing a loser. And Hamas is losing BIG.
Posted by: Minister of funny walks ||
01/08/2009 12:36 Comments ||
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#4
Believe it or not, a LOT of Iranian people love Americans and Israel more then the amount of people that wish for both of our destruction and would carry out such attacks. Seems to me the bluff didn't work IN Iran either.
#5
lftbhndagn, I believe it but how can the US help them remove their government? Any kind of prying tends to backfire and every year they have riots and seem to be waiting for something before everything collapses into status quo again.
#7
Imteresting - it forestalls Iran from giving Israel any excuse to attack and destroy its budding Nucprogs, while also indir fostering pro-Islamist, anti-US-Isr-Western destabilization in EGYPT, etal. as per the Israeli-HAMAS fight in Gaza. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PALEOS GET SHAFTED - AGAIN - BY THE GEOPOLITICS OF THEIR NEIGHBORING MUSLIMS. THERES ALWAYS SYRIA + NIGHTLY ROWBOATS.
#8
I don't think we'd be getting rose petals thrown at our feet if teh mullahs and thugocracy in Iran were smited. It's not the Arab/Persian way to show gratitude.
Typically, they ask: "why not faster, why so much collateral damage, when can you leave, support us with financial aid, don't expect oil favoritism, you bastards(!) you killed Abu Kenny!"
That said, most of Iran is educated and western-looking whether they acknowledge it or not. They'd do OK if the black turbans ate shrapnel. There would be "death to Juice!" rallies, but they'd eventually get over it
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/08/2009 19:31 Comments ||
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#9
UNFORTUNATELY, THE PALEOS GET SHAFTED
Funny how that happens over and over again. Do you suppose the Paleos will ever catch on that the entire Middle East is using them?
#10
The Iranians finally realized that non-verbal provocations launched by the supreme leader constitute an act of war
It is more like the Iranian government has no problem with the protests and the volunteering. That keeps the fools from remembering that they are for the most part jobless with no hope of employment soon.
The problem the Iranian government has with the fools is that most of them will never become shaheed. Either the Israelis will kill some of them, or they will linger in Gaza both disrespecting and being disrespected by the Palestinians and perhaps get a bit too fond of the hashish.
Eventually they will return to Iran, disillusioned and bitter. And that is what the Iranian government does not want to happen.
#3
Game on, Tehran? Raging conflict while the new (unimpressive) crew takes the reins? Desperate attempt to forestall pre-emptive strike on mullah-nukes? Too much wine in my evening? (actually, not a drop tonight)
At least three Katyusha rockets fired from southern Lebanon land in Western Galilee region Thursday morning, near town of Nahariya; two people reported wounded in attack. School day cancelled in town
Ynet reporters
Published: 01.08.09, 07:50 / Israel News
A Katyusha barrage was fired Thursday at the Nahariya area in the Western Galilee. Police reported that two people were lightly wounded and evacuated to the local hospital. Several residents were treated for shock.
Police sappers received reports of three rocket hits, one in town and two others in open fields nearby.
Residents rushed to take cover in shelters and fortified areas, as children throughout the town were on their way to school.
The Magen David Adom emergency services raised their alert level to the maximum following the attack.
Foresight
Northerners prepare for possible attacks / Hagai Einav
Gaza operation and deteriorating situation in southern Israel prompt northern communities to prepare for possible attacks. Kiryat Shmona, other towns inspect bomb shelters, Ziv Medical Centers instructs staff to stay nearby
Full Story
The Home Front Command ordered residents to remain close to fortified areas.
Nahariya Mayor Jacky Sabag ordered school day in town cancelled in light of the attack. School was also cancelled in the neighboring community of Shlomi.
Hizbullah's television station al-Manar reported of the Katyusha attack at northern Israel, but did not attribute the fire to the organization.
Hizbullah forces have been put on the highest alert level this week, the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat reported on Tuesday.
Earlier in the week Ynet reported that Lebanon was anxiously following the developments in Gaza. According to Al-Hayat, Hizbullah raised its alert level after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called up thousands of reserve soldiers and said some of them would be deployed along the northern border.
A Lebanese source was quoted by the paper as saying that the Shiite group is determined "not to give Israel a chance to avenge its defeat in the July 2006 war and has therefore raised its alert level for defense purposes."
Ahiya Raved, Hagai Einav, Roee Nahmias and Sharon Roffe-Ofir contributed to the report
#5
4 Injured in attack up North.
8:55 AM First reports are saying that Palestinians in Lebanon fired the missiles on their own initiative and not Hizbollah. No confirmation yet on this report.
#6
I Hope and Pray that the Israelis quits possy footing around with Iran.
YES! What's needed:
A Focused and Liberal SHOCK and AWE Campaign, extended and sustained OVER, UNDER, AROUND and THROUGH Iran including plenty of left over 50,000,000 degree heat which should permanently impress and fuse Iran's ankle biters hiding out in South Lebanon.
Israel must deal with her sworn enemies because no one else will save her especially the Bad Actors and Bastxrds here in the West who are only willing to watch Israel commit suicide while they scold her.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
01/08/2009 2:22 Comments ||
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#7
p ssy =
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
01/08/2009 2:24 Comments ||
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#8
Attack in North hit a Nursing Home
9:28 AM Rocket launched up North were not short-range Katyushas indicating the likelihood that Hizbollah did launch them.
(from http://muqata.blogspot.com/)
#12
You're exactly right Verlaine. The Hez-beasts and their Iranian masters have stepped into the trap and the jaws or closing. Israel has 12 days to engage and, if humanly possible finish off Iran's nukes before the Obama administration takes office.
#13
Oil Rises as Lebanon Rockets Hit Israel, Widening Gaza Conflict Crude oil rose, rebounding from its biggest decline in seven years, after rockets fired from Lebanon hit Israel, raising concern the widening Gaza conflict will threaten Middle East oil supplies.
Further rockets fired from Lebanon landed in northern Israel after a salvo launched last night, Agence France-Presse reported. Venezuela said it cut crude sales in accordance with last months OPEC decision, following similar notices from other members including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Yesterday, crude plunged the most since 2001 as U.S. stockpiles increased more than expected.
Investors fear that if the conflict escalates Arab countries could unite against Israel, said Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst with VTB Group in London. And you have a huge producer, Iran, right next door, so events like this really intensify the geopolitical risk premium that exists generally in the Middle East
#14
Reports the Katyushas from this morning were fired from next to UNIFIL base.
The Ahmed Jabril terror organization take responsibility for rocket attack in North
Hamas declines to progress with the Egyptian cease fire proposal
the question of the hour from the twitter site: Why is Hamas shooting at Israel during the 3-hour Humanitarian Cease Fire? Sederot is under heavy rocket fire the past 15 mins.
#16
Ahmed Jibril heads the PFLP-General Command. He's of Paleo descent, and was a captain in the Syrian army before breaking the group off from PFLP. PFLP-GC is a Syrian sock puppet.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 9:04 Comments ||
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#20
Reports the Katyushas from this morning were fired from next to UNIFIL base.
Why am I not surprised? But, uh, just for future reference, when the UN tries to broker a ceasefire with promises of a UN security force to enforce it, keep this little incident in mind.
#24
Well, my guess is everyone is going to bitch out Israel for "oppressing" the Palestinians, and they're going to bail. Obama's only comment was that he felt sorry for the civilian casualties (i.e., his Palestinian buddies).
Then, Obama is wanting to tube the economy so that his "new world order--one world government" thing can get rolling, and this is a prime time to do it. The Dems already were successful in tipping the economy for their "October Surprise" and now they want to finish it. Like I said before, we're going to be watching the Presidency of (sociopath) Bill Ayers throughout Obama's term. His one goal is to take the US (vicariously his daddy) down. It's a personal thing.
Remember when Biden said, "something's gonna happen (after Obama takes office), and it might not seem like what we're going to do is the right thing, but you have to trust us that it is the right thing,"
Whatever "IT" is, it's already been planned. Everything else is just fluff, and designed to guarantee the "cooperation" of the populace. Nothing like taking people's money as a way to get them to cooperate . . .
With Gaza and the north hammering Israel, "SOMEONE" is going to have to come into the situation and bring "peace." My guess, Obama. And he'll make Jerusalem an "international city" under the auspices of the UN.
We'll see.
I agree that Israel should wipe out Iran's nukes now rather than later, since "later" is up in the air, and more like never with Obama leading the US.
#25
And here it is . . . the beginning of the new world order. All these pesky wars. All this economic turmoil . . . who will save us. OBAMA WILL SAVE US, and the WORLD (start music).
(from drudge)
PARIS The leaders of France and Germany appeared to put disagreements over economic policy behind them Thursday, calling on the U.S. to join global efforts to address the financial crisis.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, leading a two-day conference with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the future of capitalism, said the crisis has shown that no country can go it alone on economic policy. "In the 21st century, there it is no longer a single nation who can say what we should do or what we should think," he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the system "cannot continue as it is" and called for better-regulated financial markets.
. . .
"Leaders should look beyond financial markets, she (Merkel) said, singling out the American budget deficit and China's current account surplus or trade balance as problems upsetting the global economy.
A Congressional Budget Office report estimates that the U.S. federal budget deficit will hit an unparalleled $1.2 trillion for the 2009 budget year and that is before President-elect Barack Obama's sweeping stimulus package is calculated.
(WHICH WILL GET US IN THE HOLE FOREVER)
Merkel said the International Monetary Fund has not managed to regulate global capitalism, and she called for the creation of an economy body at the United Nations, similar to the Security Council, to judge government policy.
But no more: "In capitalism of the 21st century, there is room for the state," he (Sarkozy) said.
So, there is more to the Katusha's than one might think . . .
WAR + BAD ECONOMY + SOCIALIST USA PRESIDENT = new world order
Maybe they'll listen to someone from a long time ago . . . .
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.
An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly.
But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.
For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.
He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.
A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.
Marcus Tullius Cicero (Ancient Roman Lawyer, Writer, Scholar, Orator and Statesman)
#28
My wish: Obama vs. Cicero in debate on the fundamentals of democracy. Oh wait, Obama's too busy deciding which FAMILY DOG will get him the most public brownie points . . .
A deficit during a RECESSION makes sense. It doesnt make sense during a boom. Guess who ran a massive deficit during a boom. Can you spell B-U-S-H?
There has been some coordination of macro economic policy since Bretton Woods. Google that, if you dont know what it is. Yes, it IS an inevitable result of economic ties between nations. NO it doesnt mean the end of sovereignty. hell the euros cant even manage to coordinate macro econ policy among themselves very well, and the EU is supposed to be this eevil superstate.
and yes, there is a role for the state in modern capitalism. Social welfare goes back to Bismarck. Economic regulation in the US goes back to the 1880s, and in a bigger way to Theodore Roosevelt.
Note Bene, if you think Obama is a commie on economics, you would NOT feel comfortable living in Israel.
Calm down. Take a deep breath. Obama has so far proposed a more moderate admin than I for one expected.
#32
I think he would have a hard enough time vs. Clay Jenkinson, nevermind Cicero...so long as we don't have a Alcibiades on our hands. He changes his story so much I personally cannot believe a word he says.
Hamas wanted a prize fight and now they got it. Those working against Israel and trying to make it a 3 round limit now that their boxer is getting pummelled so as to let the judges decide the winner rather than have a KO. Smoke any location a rocket has been fired from and do it before they call the fight.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/08/2009 18:00 Comments ||
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#37
same site:
Over 450 Rockets fired at Israel from Gaza, since start of Cast Lead operation.
Today officially marks the legal end of Abu Mazeen's presidency. According to PA law, Hamas now controls the Presidency of the Palestinian Authority - including within Palestinian Occupied Judea and Samaria (West Bank). Will Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazeen) step down? Will Hamas fight to take control? Who does the (American trained) Palestinian Police now take orders from? Will America demand that PA law be upheld and Hamas legally take over, or will it demand a coup and keep Abu Mazen in power?
According to PA law the presidency now automatically goes to the Speaker, but (Hamas) Speaker Aziz Dweik is currently in jail in Israel, making (Hamas) Gaza-based Deputy Speaker Ahmed Bahar next in line. Abu Mazeen is claiming he can extend his presidency for up to another year (he has been taking lessons from Ehud Olmert).
#38
This northern salvo is a shot at the UN. They are administering the ceasefire in Lebanon, and making all the noise in Gaza about the humanitarian crisis. They clearly cannot manage either.
It will not take long for the truthers to accuse the Israelis of fired the rockets themselves, as it put the UN in a very embarrassing position.
#39
A number of Netters are arguing that, as per this posting time, ISRAEL may not think this is an actual HIZB-LED ROCKET STRIKE given the IDF's lack of strong counterresponse yet to same???
A group of Iranian hackers says they have managed to bring down the Israeli secret service's web site to voice solidarity with Gazans.
Ashiyaneh, a group of Iranian hackers announced they had carried out the cyber attack against Mossad's web site to protest the ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.
"The Zionist Regime considers the merciless killing of the defenseless people in Gaza as its right and assumes that the world people will keep silent about it," the hacker group announced in a statement.
The head of the group has said the fact Mossad's web site has been hacked despite high security measures makes the spy agency a laughing stock.
It is more than two hours that the web site is down and the Israeli intelligence service has failed to resume the function of the Web site, the report added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/08/2009 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11130 views]
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Khyber Agency political administration arrested a former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Landikotal chief here on Wednesday, as a military operation continued in the region to clear the supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan. 
The Taliban in Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan Agency on Wednesday killed two Afghan nationals after accusing them of spying for the United States. Locals found the body of Habibullah at Khadi, 15 kilometres west of Mirali near Mirali-Miranshah Road. The body of the second Afghan, identified as Khan Muhammad Babar, was found in Shera Talla area, 20 kilometres from Mirali on Mirali-Tall Road. Notes found near the bodies said the people spying for the US would be dealt with in the same manner. Meanwhile, police in Swat district found an unidentified body in Kabal tehsil early on Wednesday. The incident follows the recovery of six bodies in the district on Tuesday, three of the deceased were reportedly soldiers.
