Taliban terrorists militants beheaded a headmaster in southern Afghanistan in the latest fatal attacks targeted at teachers and schools. The terrorists killers forced his wife and children to watch the murder. Malim Abdul Habib, 45, was killed at his home near Qalat, capital of Zabul province, on Tuesday night. He had been headmaster of the Shaikh Mata Baba High School for two months. "Four armed terrorists Taliban came to my uncle's house at 1am," said his nephew Abdullah Hakim, 25. "They told him he had to go with them. When he refused they stabbed him in the stomach in the yard and then cut off his head."
The killing follows other recent attacks on schools and teachers, particularly those educating girls, in the insurgency-afflicted south of the country. Under the Taliban interpretation of Sharia law female education is banned. Since the fall of the Taliban the Afghan government claims that more than five million Afghans, many of them women, have returned to education. But Kabul's education director, Mohammed Nabi Khushal, said only 70 of the province's 170 schools are currently open because of repeated arson attacks and threats against teachers by the terrorists insurgents.
Shaikh Mata Baba school had both male and female students, he said. Mr Habib, who had seven children, was well known in the area as a teacher with more than two decades experience. Relatives said he had previously taught children injured by mines for the Belgian charity Handicap International. Deteriorating security forced Handicap International to suspend its operations in Zabul four months ago, a spokesman for the charity said. Habib's murder follows the killing of another teacher by suspected Taliban terrorists militants at a school in nearby Helmand province on Dec 14. Mohammed Laghmani was shot dead at the school gate. Provincial officials said he had ignored repeated warnings to stop teaching female students.
Rat bastards. Next time a liberal friend starts wanking on about the usual stuff, cite this article and pin them down.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 03:02 ||
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#1
Wouldn't the beheading make him the "headless master"?
Posted by: Al A. Akhbar ||
01/05/2006 10:53 Comments ||
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#3
I know the NEA is anti War. Have they taken a position on this?
Posted by: billy hank ||
01/05/2006 17:29 Comments ||
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#4
Sounds as if Karzai needs to retake at least one of his provinces, namely Zabul.
The Taliban certainly know a threat when they see one. Educating females is one form of the end-game for them. They are the embodiment of Shari'a. Education, though far slower and less effective than eradication, is one cure for this pathogen.
The government dispatched more helicopter-born troops on Wednesday to encircle a rugged mountain hideout and cut off water deliveries to the region where a reneged tribe is holding five Italian tourists hostage. The Associated Press saw dozens of soldiers emerge from helicopters in the Jahan area of Marib province, near where security officials say the kidnappers are holed up with their captives. Other helicopters could be seen flying low through the mountains, apparently trying to spot the tribesmen.
Tribal elders, who had been negotiating with the kidnappers, said the Italians â taken captive Sunday â still were held somewhere in the vast Sirwah region of Marib province, about 120 kilometres northeast of Sanaa. Showing its growing impatience with the standoff, the government stopped delivering water to communal tanks in the area on Tuesday, a government official told The AP on condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to speak to the press. Also, Prime Minister Abdul-Kader Bajammal declared the government would strike hard against the kidnappers, whom he called terrorists.
An interior ministry official had told AP the army was about to launch an attack against the kidnappers, but aside from increasing the number of soldiers on Wednesday, there were no other signs of an imminent assault. The Italian government asked Yemeni authorities not to attack, fearing the tribesmen holding the three women and two men would kill their hostages.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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In which the Dhaka beat cops and the intel guys have a Jan Brady moment...
Personnel of the police department and intelligence agencies are feeling very frustrated because of the âconcealmentâ of their success stories in combating terrorism, especially Islamist militancy, in order to âglorifyâ the Rapid Action Battalion.
Prediction: The Bangla ship of state is about to spring so many leaks, you could use it for a colander.
Sources in the police and intelligence agencies claimed that the higher authorities, by undermining their successes, were out to establish RAB as a âvery competentâ force, which has caused great discontent in their rank and file.
Hmmm. The rank and file is suddenly finding itself feeling greatly discontented. Aren't they usually too busy to seethe? Unless someone higher up, you know, keeps pointing out to them how discontented they ought to be feeling. Someone with a grudge, perhaps.
They said that the frustration began in the early stage of formation of the RAB in 2004 over fixing the ranks of army and police officials incorporated in the force, in which the army always got preference. Despite lucrative advantages, some senior police officers managed to keep out of the RAB while many lobbied for not being included, assuming that they would be put under army personnel of lower rank than theirs.
Hehe. They chose unwisely and get to watch RAB busting heads and getting all the glory.
Their previous experience of working alongside the army, especially during the army-led Operation Clean Heart in 2004, left a bad taste in their mouths. Relations between police and army took a bad turn over the death of 44 persons who, the army claimed, had died of heart attack during interrogation. The frustration was fuelled further when the mid-level and field-level officials of the intelligence agencies felt that their achievements were not being given due recognition. They said their efforts had led to the capture of many important miscreants and recovery of a large number of arms and ammunition, but those were kept secret and credit rightfully belonging to them was given to RAB.
The leaks get more ominous. Allegtions of deaths in custody and illegal procedures being followed. All breathlessly reported by Bangla media. It's almost like the leakers are following...a script.
In combating militancy and other crucial tasks, the RAB has been given authority over the police and intelligence agencies, which has acutely displeased the latter, said police officials. They said the growing frustration of the police intensified after the arrest of JMBâs military head, Ataur Rahman Sunny. Though RAB played no role in Sunnyâs arrest, it was given full credit of it.âIt was a team of intelligence personnel who arrested Sunny from the Latif Hall of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute in Tejgaon,â an intelligence official, who was part of the team, told New Age. He claimed Sunny was under their custody for hours before authorities asked them to hand him over to RAB. âThis constant non-recognition and undermining of our success is psychologically damaging and belittles our image,â a police official, posted in the Police Headquarters, said regretfully. He said police and the intelligence agencies played the leading role in other successes but in each case RAB was given the credit. âIf this goes on it will have a boomerang affect on the ruling alliance,â he said.
Crikey! A anonymous threat!
Citing a number of examples in which police successes were kept secret, a senior police official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said that the police either raided or helped RAB to raid militant dens and seize arms and explosives in Dhaka and elsewhere. A superintendent of police in Rajshahi division said the government might get prompt results from the RAB, but they should know that they are mainly dependent on the police for maintaining law and order in the country.
Oooo...I think that's another threat. Thinly veiled, of course.
The growing frustration has made many police and intelligence officials reluctant to put in full effort or go out of their way to do their duty, which has weakened the current anti-militant drive, observed the SP who came to Dhaka to attend Police Week. A police officer who was awarded a cash amount by prime minister Khaleda Zia in the inaugural ceremony of the Police Week on Wednesday told New Age that everyone should get due recognition for his or her achievement.
In the delicate balance that is Bangla politix, it may very well be that the gov't needs a high profile team to be the face of their anti-terror policies, while the intel and cops do the heavy lifting safely away from the prying eyes of the press. (Though RAB *does* seem to crossfire many more commies than jihadis.) It may be equally as possible that these complaints are legit and that the RAB is an agency hopelessly out of control, a private plaything of the sinister puppetmasters, dispensing its own justice and subject to no laws whatsoever.
In either case, the pasta is ready; I need to drain it and slap on some sauce. Can you hand me that colander?
#3
According to a Bangladeshi friend of mine, the people love the RAB precisely because they are effective and not dipping deep into everyone's pockets.
An Awami League (AL) leader survived a bomb attack in front of the party office at Phulbari ghat in Khulna last night. Sheikh Yunus Ali, 58, ward-2 AL president and commissioner of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) of the same ward, escaped the attack on his life without a scratch. Eyewitnesses said the bomb was hurled around 9:15pm from the rooftop of the nearby Janata Shopping Complex and it exploded only a few yards away from Yunus. "I was the target. I ran into the party office after the explosion," Yunus told The Daily Star. Two shops were damaged in the blast and plying of vehicles on the Khulna-Jessore highway was disrupted for hours. The AL leader claimed the Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddha) threatened him few days ago.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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A Bogra court yesterday framed charges against the Ahle Hadith Andolan, Bangladesh (Ahab) Ameer Asadullah Al Galib and three others in connection with the bomb blast at Laxmikola village on January 14 last year. The other accused in the case are Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman, Shafiq Ullah of Narayanganj and Joynal Abedin of Gabtoli, Bogra. Police excluded previously accused Monowara, Joynal's wife, from the charge sheet. The court scheduled March 13 for the trial. Meanwhile, members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested four suspected militants at the court premises during the hearing and recovered some jihad related books.
The Bogra unit of Ahab arranged a rally yesterday at the district's Edward Park area and demanded release of Galib and other Ahab members claiming the organisation has no links with militancy.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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The Satkhira Bar Association general secretary filed a sedition case against a lawyer yesterday accusing him of sending threat letters to other lawyers using the name of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). According to the first information report (FIR) of the case filed by Shah Alam, Advocate BD Zaman on December 13 sent seven letters bearing the name of the banned Islamist militant group to several lawyers, threatening to kill them and blow up their houses within seven days.
The sedition case is yet to be recorded with the police station since it requires the permission of the home ministry, said Superintendent of Police Abdur Rahim. The police arrested one Hafizur Rahman, a typist on the court premises, for typing the letters. Hafizur told the police that Zaman forced him to type the letters and gave him Tk 25. Zaman was expelled from the Bar and his licence was seized, Shah Alam said. Shahjahan, officer-in-charge of the Satkhira PS, confirming the incident said proper measures will be taken after receiving the home ministry permission.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Damn - I was hoping from the headline that it was in this country.
Wratts. :-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/05/2006 19:12 Comments ||
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Same here, Barbara! One can only hope!
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/05/2006 21:15 Comments ||
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The wife of a Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect was killed in a shoot-out when European Union (EUFOR) peacekeepers moved in to arrest her husband at their home on Thursday, doctors in Bosnia said. Suspect Dragomir Abazovic and the couple's 11-year-old son were also shot and injured in the morning raid, in a village near Rogatica in eastern Bosnia, police said. A police spokesman said there had been an exchange of gunfire but could give no details.
"Rada Abazovic died of kidney and abdominal wounds," a doctor in Foca hospital told Reuters by telephone. Hospital officials said the husband was treated for serious head injuries. He was placed under arrest.
EUFOR spokesman Jem Thomas confirmed the raid but gave no details. The peacekeeping force took over from NATO-led troops in 2005, 10 years after the Western allies first deployed in Bosnia. It was expected to issue a statement later, a source said. A spokesman for the Sarajevo cantonal prosecutor's office said EUFOR was acting on a warrant for Abazovic that the canton had issued in 1999, for crimes in the Rogatica area during the 1992-95 ethnic war between Serbs, Bosnian Muslims and Croats.
#2
So was Rada an innocent bystander, a grieving wife trying to step between the EUFOR folks and her husband, or a moll who whipped out a rod pulled a gun?
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/05/2006 10:50 Comments ||
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Because, as everybody knows, only war crimes committed against muslims are worth prosecuting.
Well the most recent attempted genocide on European ground happened to be committed by Christians against Muslims, but I'm sorry if this is inconvenient to the thesis that only Muslims can ever be bad guys.
Reality bites, doesn't it.
*ptui*
Careful there, your spit might make people think you get sad and angry whenever Christian murderers are brought to justice.
Thanks, but unless it reveals that the dead of Serajevo were not innocent civilians after all, your link is utterly irrelevant to the discussion at hand, and a mere distraction.
I'm sure you will soon provide me a similar link showing all of the murder and genocide committed by Christians against Muslims.
Well, you should be less sure next time. I see no value at providing you any such link. I see much more value at making sure to condemn murder and genocide, NO MATTER WHICH RELIGION COMMITS IT.
But such objectivity is beyond you, who sees every murder in terms of scorekeeping between Muslims and Christians.
#7
The wife of a Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect was killed in a shoot-out when European Union (EUFOR) peacekeepers moved in to arrest her husband at their home on Thursday
Imagine the hue and cry if the story, with a few manor changes, was from the West Bank.
#9
When Christians kill they are commiting a sin. When Mooslums kill they are following Muhamhead's examples of terrorism in hope of getting their 72 rasins.
Deal with it.
Posted by: Pagan Allah ||
01/05/2006 21:46 Comments ||
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Reports from Russia's southern republic of Daghestan say security forces today continued battling armed militants in the mountainous Untsukul district. The fighting is taking place near the village of Gimry, some 25 kilometers southwest of Buynaksk.
The clashes erupted early yesterday but were suspended at nightfall. They resumed early this morning.
A Gimry resident told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service the security operation involved many attack helicopters: "Many helicopters flew in this morning. Military helicopters. [The security forces] are firing hails of bullets. Who was killed, where these [militants] come from -- so far it's impossible to say. One thing is clear, those helicopters are bombing the place. No one in the village knows anything about those who were killed. The only thing we know is that eight people have been killed so far."
Unconfirmed Russian news reports say up to five militants have been killed. Daghestan's Interior Ministry says one soldier was killed and several policemen wounded.
The pro-independence Kavkaz-Center Chechen information website says the death toll among federal forces is much higher. Estimates put the number of militants at between eight and 30. Russian media say the group entered Daghestan from neighboring Chechnya.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:25 ||
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"Gendarmes arrive. It are only three and owe, moreover, to await a deposit of formal complaint of the SNCF before going up on board, from where the time of blocking in station one hour old and half"....are we timid, or what? Got to have that signed order from Francois
#2
As several commenters on No Pasaran noted, a train has many cars. You can't tell very well what is going on in other cars, and the thugs would have picked the most vulnerable one to attack, so the odds were not really 600 to 20.
I have no idea what the hour and a half is about--if anything. I doubt that French and German reporters are any more accurate than our own.
Posted by: James ||
01/05/2006 12:54 Comments ||
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Police in Nice, meanwhile, said they had escorted the group of drunken youths and put them on the train Sunday to ensure they did not cause trouble in the city
#8
This is the alternate future we could have right here so everyone when they vote should remember this, the result of the peace-love-&-happiness mentality taking over the gov and its systems the menatality were the letter of the law overrides the meaning of the law like the letter tells the police a formal complaint must be filed even thou the meaning always was do your freekin job. What bothers me is unlike Australia or here were the outrage would be deafing in France these things like this just go over with a mere oooh sah plau.
And people wonder why our enemies think the west is dead and ripe for the taking.
#9
A replay of Mo's caravan attacks. Just a practical application of the quran in action. Wait a few more years when the "youths" have the numbers and power to sweep the gendarme aside. Then watch the rest of the caravan attack effects emerge. Could be a new Muzzie feast day in the making.
Posted by: ed ||
01/05/2006 16:49 Comments ||
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âThe end of the Third Republic is not the end of France. The reporters of the exodus of the French pay tribute to the courage, the patience, the dauntless spirit of the people on the roads. They all agree that the peasant refugee preserves under a terrible ordeal his characteristic faith in himself and his country. The peasant is France, steady, tough, independent and brave. ... Nobody who knows the grass roots of France can doubt that even under Nazi occupation the Republic will survive, will be reincarnated, may in the long run be the force which will help to fashion the Fourth Republic.â
âWithin the framework of the Third Republic ... there lived and flourished a civilization so brilliant, so human, so gracious and beautiful, that mankind will be in its debt forever. ... When free men look back upon this Republic, they will remember ... the artists and thinkers, the poets, musicians, and scientists who made France during those years a temple of the Western spirit.â
- The New York Times, 1940
"Forgiveness is not what's difficult; one's always too ready to forgive. And it does no good, that's obvious.â
We may want to interpret this as a quiet signal that Incirlik is in play if we need it.
Turkey has quietly agreed to join a U.S.-led effort against Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Turkish diplomats said the Foreign Ministry has agreed to support the Bush administration's effort to censure Iran for its refusal to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The diplomats said Ankara would also warn of the dangers of Iran's nuclear program.
"In my view, Iran is irreversibly bent on having nuclear weapons," Turkish ambassador to the United States Faruk Logoglu said.
Logoglu, regarded as Turkey's leading diplomat, told the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies on Dec 19 that Iran has sought nuclear weapons. He called for a dialogue between Teheran and Washington in an effort to head off a showdown.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 02:58 ||
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That's good thinking on Turkey's part, since all of Turkey is withing range of Iran's current missile stocks. Will this give them access to the new missile defense systems? Or do they already have all that shit since they are in NATO? I'm really glad the EU snubbed those guys.
Turkey should get UN permission and blessing to handle Syria and then conquer them. This would put them in position to make some decisions regarding Syrian Kurds and make them heros of the west for dealing with Syria so the west didn't have to.
#6
Didn't they quietly agree to join a US-led effort against Saddam? That certainly worked out well in the end. I think the only thing that Yippy Er'Dogman has ever shown anyone is that he can't be trusted.
#7
Funny how a strong sense of self-preservation eventually kicks in, even with the most useless of allies. Had this happened six months ago, I'd be inclined towards a more generous assessment of Turkish statecraft. As it is, this is merely another BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious). Less secular Arab nations (and the ever-dithering Europe) will just have to find out the hard way when it comes to the price paid for letting Iran go nuclear. This is one of the biggest diplomatic no-brainers in recent history.
#8
If Turkey was smart they would have worked with the US long ago. US prepares for an invasion of Iraq from the South while Turkey invades from the North and takes over the entire place. Repeat in Syria with Israel acting to draw forces South.
No, much better to wait for the French to suddenly love them.
#9
Unaware of the effects of a new weapon, called the Negatronic beam, jointly developed by the US & Israel, Iranian strongman Ahmadisnutz made his daily greeting to his lackeys and hangers-on...
#10
Turkey joins US? Extremely wishful thinking, I'm afraid.
Iran, like Iraq, is a moslem, fraternal country for moslem Turkey (does anybody of you remember 2003 and how Turks dealt with you?) with sizeable Kurd minority, longing, like their brothers in Iraq and Turkey, for independence for decades.
Posted by: Matt K. ||
01/05/2006 23:07 Comments ||
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I can just see the head Iranian porKoranimal crying in his 6 year old wife's lap. Let's just hope they wipe this scum's nukes off the planet. Cause of the pIslamics get atomics folks, it's all over.
Posted by: Muhamhead Screwed My Pig Allah ||
01/05/2006 23:03 Comments ||
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Fearful that his presidency could be swept into the same historical dustbin as Richard Nixonâs, an unrepentant President George W. Bush seems intent on prosecuting the sources who leaked to the New York Times the details of his administrationâs warrantless domestic spying. But does Bush have the chutzpah to go after the Times itself?
A variety of federal statutes, from the Espionage Act on down, give Bush ample means to prosecute the Times reporters who got the scoop, James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, as well as the staff editors who facilitated publication. Even Executive Editor Bill Keller and Publisher Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr., could become targets â a startling possibility, just the threat of which would serve as a deterrent to the entire Fourth Estate.
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/05/2006 17:57 ||
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Just the fact that he is not afraid of the NYTs and is even concidering prosecuting the reporter is great new ground. Unlike Clinton who made policy based on the Times' survey, Bush is leading this country.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/05/2006 18:17 Comments ||
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#2
The BDS-addled are not rational, so presuming they will alter their behavior is the speculation of rational minds and, likely, a waste of time. And this will tell us much about whether Pinchy & Co actually believe their own bullshit and sedition.
Regardless of the outcome of that question, I believe these people will deny they have the same legal responsibilities as "the little people" - they are "speshul" and are above the law - and will expect to be rescued from their chosen legal fate by public outcry... which they will, of course, try to whip up.
#3
Putting the 4th estate back into place and checking them is way way way way over due.
The Media has been openly with thier allies continued with their Seditious actions. Newsweek: Koran flushing myth, the Reporter from Falluja that in the middle of warfare attempted to have a patriot prosecuted for murder, The Marine officer who shot a round near a enemies head with threats got info saved his mens lives but AP got word he was releaved then in the end finanly found not guilty, the constant playing of the Abu Gharab photos on never ending loops, leaking of our prisons in EU getting our allies punished, putting every rumor and terrorist interview that damages US on the news, refusal to publish any of the good work or sucess our men accomplish daily, absolute ignoring of all stories of heroic soldgeirs or accomplishments above the call unless of course they were in the end killed,
The sad part is I can go on and on and on so should Bush punish the media prosecute the leakers my answer "a year and a half ago when it was obvious they were not only not doing their part for the war effort but outright doing all they could to undermine it and kill the homefront Moral"
#4
49pan - Spot-on, bro. Bush doesn't have the wet-finger leadership style of Clintoon. I hope he goes after all of the seditionists, wherever and whomever, and employs the law as it was intended to stomp the piss out of 'em. ;-)
#6
Boy if he does this Nancy Pelosi's knickers will get in such a twist that it may pull her lifted face all the way around her head. (you may now claw out your mind's eye).
I would love to see it but color me real sceptical that it will happen.
#8
They say the best defense is a good offense. If Bush is vulnerable his best - though messy - course may be to attack. And he may very well be vulnerable: I read it that he violated the law, but that the law was likely not Constitutional; we'll have to see how it plays out.
#9
S. denBeste worte that the MSM has been allowed to function as a fourth branch government for quite some time. He believes that the media hate W because he is making it clear that they have no power in reality.
This may be a large part of W's legacy: the end of the tyranny of the scribblers.
#10
Supoport this anyway you can. Call your Reps and tell them you want prosecutions of all leakers becuase we are in a war. Most of them don't even get it. We have to keep pounding on this.
The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to let the military transfer accused "enemy combatant" and all-around AQ dirtbag Jose Padilla to Miami to face criminal charges in at least a temporary victory for the Bush administration. temporary? Your bias is showing
The justices bitchslapped overruled a lower court, which had attempted to block the transfer as part of a rebuke to the White House. another judicial strike against the WOT - weren't those Carter/Clinton appointees?
The high court said it would decide later whether to consider the inmate's argument that President Bush overstepped his authority by ordering Padilla's indefinite detention in 2002. It granted the Bush administration's request for a transfer in a one-page order and said Padilla's broader appeal would be considered "in due course."
"That's fine. It's great," said Donna Newman, one of Padilla's lawyers. "Both things are good. I don't think it's a bad day for us." "nothing's bad. I'm still getting paid by you suckers taxpayers to allow this POS to live and possibly roam free to harm you. It's all good, dawg!"
Padilla's jailing as an enemy combatant for the past 3 1/2 years has been the subject of multiple court rulings and criticism by civil rights groups.
The former Chicago gang member was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and put in military custody, where he was held without charges and traditional legal rights.
The Supreme Court had been asked to use Padilla's case to define the scope of a president's power over American citizens taken into custody on U.S. soil. The justices had been expected to agree to hear his appeal, but shortly before word was to come, the government brought criminal charges against him in Florida and then argued that the appeal was moot. Florida doesn't have the same circuit courts..
The criminal charges do not involve allegations that had been made by the administration since 2002 _ that Padilla was part of an al-Qaida backed plot to blow up apartment buildings. Instead, a grand jury charged Padilla with being part of a North American terrorism cell that raised funds and recruited fighters to wage violent jihad outside the United States.
A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., refused last month to allow the transfer of Padilla from military custody in South Carolina to civilian custody. The court criticized the Bush administration's use of one set of facts before the courts to justify Padilla's military detention without charges and another to persuade a grand jury in Miami to indict him on the terrorism-related charges.
In the appeals court decision, Judge J. Michael Luttig warned the administration that it was risking its credibility with the courts by changing tactics in what could be interpreted as an effort to avoid judicial scrutiny. guess the Supreme's said: "look at what's in front of you"
Solicitor General Paul Clement, the administration's Supreme Court lawyer, had told the justices that that the appeals court denial of the transfer was "an unwarranted attack on the exercise of executive discretion."
The 4th Circuit had backed the Bush administration last year, with a broad ruling that said the president could hold citizens indefinitely without charges on U.S. soil as part of the war on terrorism.
Luttig, who was named to the bench by President Bush's father, said last month that the administration's actions left the impression that Padilla had been held in military custody "by mistake," and that such government tactics could prove costly.
"These impressions have been left, we fear, at what may ultimately prove to be a substantial cost to the government's credibility before the courts," he wrote.
Padilla's lawyers had asked the court to delay his transfer until the justices decided whether to review his appeal.
Hmmmm Luttig WAS on the SC shortlist
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Luttig: "These impressions have been left, we fear, at what may ultimately prove to be a substantial cost to the government's credibility before the courts," he wrote.
This really bugs me. Since the judge is supposed to confine himself / herself to the fucking LAW, not impressions of the perfectly legal maneuvers by defense or prosecution, this smacks of judicial activism, even gross unwarranted intrusion into matters that are none of the judge's fucking business, not judicial prudence and interpretation of the relevant law. It makes me more than happy Luttig was passed over by Dubya.
Fuck you, Luttig. Shove your impressions up your ass.
Gunmen shot dead seven tribesmen on Thursday in a restive tribal region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border where the military is hunting Al-Qaeda-linked militants, officials said.
"All seven men of the Kari Khel Wazir tribe were shot dead near a paramilitary camp in the town of Wana," a security official told reporters. The victims were travelling in a vehicle when the attackers in another vehicle opened fire on them, he said on condition of anonymity.
The identity of the gunmen was not immediately clear, but similar attacks in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal district, have been blamed on Al-Qaeda and militants linked with Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime.
"It is too early to say anything about the motive of killings and the identity of the attackers," the official said.
But local residents said the deceased tribesmen belonged to a group of bandits and could be the victims of a campaign launched by the Taliban against criminals in the area. Militants in neighbouring North Waziristan last month hanged the bodies of local bandits in the street after clashes in which up to 15 people were killed.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 02:56 ||
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#1
I guess they'd never settle for a cold Pepsi or a beer and a good game of canasta, or a tupperware party when there's killin to do. Must be radon in the rocks, or something in the water.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
01/05/2006 12:38 Comments ||
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Residents said they were bandits.
And, they steal what, exactly ? These people live in the world's biggest slag pile. There's nothing there to steal....except maybe badges.
The police arrested three suspects wanted in sectarian killings in Karachi on Wednesday while officials revealed that security forces arrested a leading Sunni Muslim militant accused of involvement in two failed assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf in Lahore last week.
Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, was arrested in late December in the eastern city of Lahore, said an intelligence official, who did not want to be identified. âHe is amongst the top nine terrorists in the country and was also involved in the planning of two failed assassination attempts on President Musharraf,â the official added, referring to attacks in Rawalpindi in December 2003.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:11 ||
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Police raided a suspected militant hide-out in southern Pakistan yesterday and arrested three suspects over recent sectarian killings, one of whom was allegedly planning a suicide attack, a government minister said.
Authorities also seized weapons and bomb making material in the raid on a home in Karachi, Rauf Sadiqui, provincial interior minister, told a news conference.
He said the men â all Pakistanis â were members of Lashkare Jhangvi, a Sunni Muslim militant group accused of killing hundreds of minority Shias across the country in recent years.
âThey are dangerous people, and one of them was planning a suicide attack,â he said, but gave no other details. It was not clear when and where the man planned to carry out the attack, or who was his target. The group is accused of attacks on Westerners in Karachi and elsewhere, and some of its members are believed to have ties to Osama bin Ladenâs Al Qaeda network.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:07 ||
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He was once close to Osama bin Laden, has intimate knowledge of al-Qaeda's logistics and financing and its nexus with the military in Pakistan, yet US intelligence has not been able to get its hands on him.
Ghulam Mustafa, 38, was picked up about 10 days ago in Lahore, and no charges have been brought against him: he is expected to disappear into a "black hole" and quietly be forgotten.
This is because Mustafa, erstwhile head of al-Qaeda's Pakistani operations, has some tales to tell, but the authorities in Pakistan would rather they were not heard, especially by the Americans, even though Islamabad is a signed-up member in the "war on terror".
Mustafa's rise and fall provide a case study of the complexities within Pakistan and of the powerful forces that make the country's intelligence and military such unpredictable allies of the United States.
Mustafa comes from the Punjab, where he was once the leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami (Punjab), Pakistan's most prominent Islamic party. In the 1980s, believing that the party's ideology was being diluted by election politics, he went to Afghanistan to join the mujahideen in the fight against the occupying Soviet forces.
His educated background and clarity of thought on ideological matters soon drew him into the camp of the Arab fighters in the country, and it was not long before he entered bin Laden's inner circle.
The year 1989 proved significant on two fronts for Mustafa, also known by his jihadi name of Omar, or Shahjee among friends.
First, when the Soviets withdrew, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) decided to "win" at least one Afghan city in which it could set up a puppet mujahideen government and get it endorsed by the world community. Jalalabad was selected, and the main commanders of the Afghan resistance, including Arabs, Pakistanis and Afghans, were gathered into an ISI cell to achieve this. Both bin Laden and Mustafa were in the cell.
Also in 1989, the uprising in Kashmir started. The ISI was involved in providing logistical and financial support both to Kashmiris in Indian-administered Kashmir fighting Delhi's writ, and to militants based in Pakistan-administered Kashmir engaged in cross-border activities.
Many of the militants were trained in guerrilla warfare in camps established by the Afghan resistance in and around Jalalabad. Mustafa was assigned by the ISI to oversee these operations, in conjunction with bin Laden, bringing him even closer to the al-Qaeda leader.
Meanwhile, Mustafa had penetrated deeply into the circle of Syed Mubarik Ali Gilani, a revered Sufi and custodian of the Mian Mir shrine in Lahore, from where the ISI runs one of its most effective networks. (Slain US reporter Daniel Pearl made his ill-fated visit to Pakistan to investigate Gilani's network.)
In handling logistical and financial matters for the Kashmiri mujahideen, on behalf of the ISI, Mustafa came into contact with army officers of Corps 10 who were involved in Kashmir operations.
Indeed, he was the point man for contact between bin Laden and the army in arranging for militants to be trained in Afghanistan.
In this way, Mustafa wore two hats, the one as chief coordinator of militant activities in Kashmir, the other as organizer of al-Qaeda's transfer of money and human resources from Pakistan to Afghanistan, and vice versa.
After September 11, 2001, Mustafa was placed in charge of al-Qaeda's Pakistan circle. His basic assignments included coordination between bin Laden and his followers in Pakistan. He took dictates directly from bin Laden and passed them on to al-Qaeda men scattered all over Pakistan. He also remained involved in al-Qaeda's money matters.
However, by this time Pakistan had joined in the "war on terror" and was under pressure from Washington to deliver al-Qaeda members.
On August 11, 2004, Mustafa's brother-in-law Usman was arrested in Islamabad in connection with alleged sabotage activities in the capital. Calls from Usman's phone were traced to Mustafa in Karachi and he was also arrested.
At this point two prominent religious personalities enter the story, Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz are the sons of slain religious leader Maulana Abdullah of the Lal Mosque in Islamabad. Abdullah was close to the late dictator, General Zia ul-Haq. His Friday sermons were popular among the military and the civilian bureaucracy, and he often preached the cause of jihad.
His sons have continued his legacy, both his calls for jihad and his mysticism, and were the driving force behind a religious decree insisting that Pakistani army personnel killed while fighting against tribals in South Waziristan be denied a Muslim burial.
They were literally calling for mutiny in the army, which some heeded. However, given the background of the brothers and their clout, the government chose to ignore their defiance.
But after the arrest of Mustafa and Usman, a car was recovered from Usman that was owned by one of the brothers, Rasheed. For President General Pervez Musharraf this was clear proof of a link between the Lal Mosque and al-Qaeda.
Orders of arrest were issued at the highest level, but the brothers succeeded in escaping from their seminary - tipped off by sympathizers in the security forces.
While the brothers were in hiding, the minister of religious affairs and the son of General Zia, Ejaz ul-Haq, met with Musharraf and explained that if the government dared to put a hand on the pair, devastation would result.
Musharraf was convinced, and the brothers returned to Lal Mosque's pulpit after striking a deal with Ejaz.
In the meantime, Mustafa and Usman were still in separate ISI interrogation centers. Detained in a safe house in Karachi, Mustafa spelled out his strong links with bin Laden, army officials and the Kashmiri struggle.
Most likely fearing that Mustafa knew far too much that might implicate Pakistan, the ISI never handed him over to US intelligence. Instead, they put him into the hands of the police, who took him to an anti-terrorism court. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the court found no charges against him and he was released last September.
But by now Mustafa was tainted, and al-Qaeda would have nothing to do with him as he was seen as a marked man.
Being a part of the "mainstream" al-Qaeda, Mustafa was single-minded in the belief that jihad should be waged against the US, but not against pro-US Muslim countries.
An al-Qaeda faction in Pakistan led by Sheikh Essa believes that any sympathizers of the US are targets, whether or not they are Muslims.
When Mustafa was first arrested, many of his supporters, bitter that the state had turned against one of its prime assets, joined Essa's camp. These disgruntled al-Qaeda supporters were behind several attempts on Musharraf's life. Other assassination attempts were made by jihadis and army personnel.
And now that Mustafa has been detained again, more people are expected to fall in line with Essa's hardline vision, which includes targeting Musharraf.
At the same time, the authorities are pushing Lal Mosque against the wall. While they are still too scared to arrest the brothers, they have been declared "wanted terrorists" and "criminals".
This is a dangerous move as the deal struck between Ejaz and the firebrand brothers was that in return for their freedom, they would use their influence where possible to rein in those going after Musharraf.
Mustafa might be out of sight, but his detention has stirred an already volatile pot.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:03 ||
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#1
bah. They always say things like, you are going to be so sorry that you caught us!
#2
Presumably this is also the reason we can't get our hands on OBL - he's ISI and the Paks simply won't let us. I am beginning to realise that the ISI run Pakistan and tolerate Perv's antics rather than vice versa. Any experts out there?
Posted by: Howard UK ||
01/05/2006 3:57 Comments ||
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Pakistan is a perfect example of what happens when Islam is allowed to flourish. All logic, loyality, patriotism, even capitalism goes out the window. Only militarism keeps Pakistan from collapsing into chaos and Islamic mumbo-jumbo.
And these birds have the bomb......scary thought, isn't it.
A man considered a leading figure of the al-Qaeda network in Pakistan is being detained by the Pakistani intelligence agencies, Adnkronos International (AKI) has learnt from informed sources. However the same sources said that news of the capture of Ghulam Mustafa, alias Omar, alias Shahjee has not been shared with the US authorities as part of normal cooperation in the "war on terror". The fact that Mustafa was coordinating attacks in Indian Kashmir, in collaboration with the Pakistani military and secret services, may explain their reticence.
Ghulam Mustafa was picked up in the city of Lahore by the Pakistani intelligence agencies about 10 days ago. It is Mustafaâs second arrest; he was also detained on 11 August, 2004 after his brother-in-law Usman was picked up for allegedly involved in plans for sabotage in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Ghulam Mustafa made a telephone call to Usman at that time and that was traced by the authorities to Karachi and he was eventually arrested.
During his interrogation, Ghulam Mustafa confessed that he was close to the al-Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, but refused to admit that he was ever been involved in any activity related to violence. He told his interrogators that his role was limited to financial and logistical support to al-Qaeda operations.
He also admitted that he was the sector commander at the Line of Control (LOC) that divides the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan and had helped militants enter India from the areas of Bagh and Athmuqam in the Neelam valley. For this task he coordinated his assignments with Pakistan army officials of the Tenth Corps as well as the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) which is Pakistan's military intelligence service.
India and Pakistan have fought two out of their three wars over Kashmir. Delhi accuses Islamabad of funding and arming Kashmiri separatists, to support the insurgency in Indian Kashmir. Pakistan has denied these allegations.
Ghulam Mustafa's confessions that he was doing logistics for al-Qaeda while also coordinating with Pakistan's secret services in Kashmir were if not a surprise, certainly an embarrassment. The interrogators opted to remain tight-lipped about his arrest and formally handed him over to the police and registered a case against him for alleged terrorist activities. However Pakistan's anti-terrorist court eventually released Ghulam Mustafa in September 2005 after they found no proof of his involvement in any violence.
Sources now tell AKI that Ghulam Mustafa was picked up by Pakistan's intelligence agencies after they uncovered a conspiracy to kill Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf in December 2005. This led to a crackdown on those circles believed to be close to al-Qaeda, including the prayer leaders of the Lal Masjid mosque in Islamabad, Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz.
However, since Ghulam Mustafa has been involved in low-level operations in the disputed region of Kashmir together with the ISI, his real identitiy as al-Qaeda chief in Pakistan was not shared with the Americans. The sources add that Mustafa has instead been locked up in a secret prison, and no charges have been filed against him.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:02 ||
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A railway track connecting Quetta with Taftan, the town on the border with Iran, was blown up on Wednesday night. District Administrative Officer (DAO) Pasand Buledi said that the device exploded near a bridge on Kishangi Railway Station, situated some 110 kilometres west of Quetta, and damaged a three-foot track. The railway track connects Quetta with the Iranian border, and two trains monthly operate on it. Buledi said that railway officials were told to stop the trains on the track as an unexploded device still lay on it. He said that the Naushki district does not have a bomb disposal squad, and a team from Quetta will travel to dispose of it.
There were reports of casualties in clashes between paramilitary forces and Baloch tribesmen in Dera Bugti. Locals said that at least nine people, including women and children, were feared dead in the conflict. They said that paramilitary forces attacked the main town late in the evening. The area had been evacuated in anticipation of a clash between security forces and the Bugti tribesmen, but 20-30 percent of the townâs population had returned since then, local said. District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abdul Samad Lasi denied the killing of womena nd children. He said that he had received information of tribesmen receiving losses, and many being rushed to other cities for medical treatment.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Nothing like 15th century tribesmen armed with the weaponry of the 20th and now 21st century.
The authorities said on Wednesday that they had arrested three wanted Sunni militants involved in killing members of the minority Shia Muslim community. âWe have arrested three wanted terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group and recovered explosives and weapons from them,â Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui told reporters at a press conference he held with Commandant Bhittai Rangers, Colonel Qamar Abbasi Kiyani at the Bhittai Rangers Headquarters.
Siddiqui said the captured militants - Maqsood Ahmed Qureshi, Azharul Haq and Nawaz Khan - were arrested this week at their hideout in an eastern industrial district of Karachi. Qureshi carried a 500,000-rupee bounty on his head. Maqsood has reportedly confessed to being a close associate of Riaz Basra, Akram Lahori and Asif Chotoo. He also allegedly confessed that he and Asif Chotoo killed Dr Iqtidar in Korangi colony and injured dispenser Asif Raza in 1997. In 1997, he allegedly killed a boy namely Aflatoon at Lasbela Chowk. Maqsood also allegedly killed a renowned religious scholar Syed Razi Haider and injured his son Syed Abbas Ali Razi in 2001. The accused also allegedly took part in the murder of Syed Zaheer Hussain Rizvi in Korangi area.
Azharul Haq was said to have allegedly confessed to an association with Asif Ramzi, Akram Lahori and Asif Chotoo. Col. Abbasi said that Azhar was trained to be a suicide bomber by Muzzafar Abbasi, who was killed in the suicide bombing at Imambargah Satellite Town, Rawalpindi. Azhar was also allegedly involved in a police encounter in April 2004 in Karachi.
Col. Abbasi claimed that Nawaz Khan used to send Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants to Afghanistan for training. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is regarded as the fiercest of Pakistanâs Sunni extremist outfits and has mounted numerous attacks on Shiites since it emerged on the scene in 1996. The group has also been blamed for the 2002 murder of US reporter Daniel Pearl and for two failed attempts to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally in its âwar on terrorismâ. Musharraf banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in August 2001. Karachi has a history of political, ethnic and sectarian violence which has claimed more than 4,000 lives in the past five years.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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The police arrested three suspects wanted in sectarian killings in Karachi on Wednesday while officials revealed that security forces arrested a leading Sunni Muslim militant accused of involvement in two failed assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf in Lahore last week.
Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, was arrested in late December in the eastern city of Lahore, said an intelligence official, who did not want to be identified. "He is amongst the top nine terrorists in the country and was also involved in the planning of two failed assassination attempts on President Musharraf," the official added, referring to attacks in Rawalpindi in December 2003.
Meanwhile the police raided a suspected militant hideout in southern Pakistan on Wednesday and arrested three suspects over recent sectarian killings, one of whom was allegedly planning a suicide attack, a government minister said. Authorities also seized weapons and bomb-making material in the raid on a home in Karachi, Rauf Sadiqui, the provincial interior minister, told a news conference. He said the men - all Pakistanis - were members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni Muslim militant group accused of killing hundreds of minority Shiites across the country in recent years. "They are dangerous people, and one of them was planning a suicide attack,â he said, but gave no other details. It was not clear when and where the man planned to carry out the attack, or who was his target. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is also accused of attacks on Westerners in Karachi and elsewhere, and some of its members are believed to have ties to Osama bin Ladenâs Al Qaeda network.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Four Iranian nationals were killed and 13 others injured in a bomb explosion in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala Thursday morning, it was announced here Thursday. Karbala Chief of Police Colonel Abdul Razaq Taai told IRNA that the Iranian pilgrims were among 44 people killed in the explosion.
According to reports, another 52 people were wounded in the blast that occurred near a Shiite shrine, the bloodiest attack in Iraq since the landmark election on December 15 and the worst in Karbala in almost two years. Karbala has been relatively quiet for the past year, but peace was shattered Wednesday when a car bomb exploded in the city, wounding two people. The last large-scale attack in Karbala occurred in December 2004 when a car bomb exploded, killing 14 and wounding 57 others.
A suicide bomber killed 36 people and wounded 40 at a Shia funeral yesterday and a car bomb exploded in the lately peaceful city of Karbala, ratcheting up tension between Iraqâs sects.
A car bomb also went off in a district of Baghdad, killing three. The bombers defied a major security operation, launched to find the kidnapped sister of a government minister, to detonate the vehicle in the north of the city.
The violence was the worst since the largely peaceful on December 15 election and came as Shia, Sunni and Kurdish politicians pledged to plough on with efforts to form a national unity government capable of stemming the bloodshed.
The funeral attack took place in Miqdadiya, 100km northeast of the capital, where people were mourning a bodyguard to a local leader of the Dawa party, headed nationally by Prime Minister Ibrahim Al Jaafari.
In Iraqâs bloodiest single attack since earlier December, assailants fired mortars on the mourners, forcing them to take cover in the cemetery. A bomber wearing an explosive vest then blew up among them, security officials said. The area around Miqdadiya, in Diyala province, has seen mounting violence in recent weeks and security officials have said hardline groups such as Al Qaeda have been increasingly active in the area.
The massacre came just hours after Baghdadâs first fatal car bomb attack of 2006.
The bombers appeared to have targeted two passing police cars but the three dead and 13 wounded were all civilians, hit by shrapnel from a blast which damaged at least 10 cars.
While Baghdadâs beleaguered inhabitants have grown used to such attacks, the blast in Karbala was a rarity of late â the first of its kind in the Shiâite holy city since December 2004 when a car bomb killed 12 and wounded 30.
Police said three civilians were injured.
In March 2004, coordinated suicide bombings during the annual religious festival of Ashura killed more than 90 people in Kerbala, an act blamed on militant Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, head of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
But since then, the city has been relatively quiet. Any attack there is likely to have had some sectarian motive.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:08 ||
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#1
Sunni terrorists usually keep out of Karbala. The Shis might go for serious payback.
#2
I would check on the Iranians. They could be trying to stir up fecal matter. They don't care about Iraqis of any sect. It's part of their terrorist war on the "Great Satan." Iraq must fail for them to have a win.
#5
I wonder just how long it's going to take Iraq's Shiites to seriously reassess Iran's track record of terrorist sponsorship and overall regional mayhem. The sooner they do this and thereby reach a major disconnect with the Qom bloodsuckers, the better. Yes, the violence being done to them is of Sunni origin, but Iran's constant hyper-violence is also setting the tone for regional strife.
When Iraq's Shiites finally reject Iranian-style terrorism and seek true resolution of sectarian strife, only then will they be able to point a blameless finger at Sunni attackers. Until then, all of this is essentially one extremely brutal pissing contest and nothing more.
#6
Where have you been? This is about the fifth or sixth time Michael Moore's Resistance/Freedom Fighters have bombed a funeral.
Brave jihadis in Italy planned on attacking a WWII cemetary. In Spain, a jihadi dug up, beheaded, and burned the body of an officer killed by terrorists.
I suspect jihadis like attacking corpses; they're even less likely to fight back than women and children.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
01/05/2006 12:08 Comments ||
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The five employees of the Sudanese Embassy in Baghdad returned home Wednesday, after their kidnappers released them as part of a deal with their government, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Sudan procured the release of the five after it agreed to close its embassy in Baghdad as the kidnapping group, al Qaeda in Iraq, had demanded.
The five hostages -- who included the embassy's second secretary, Abdel-Moneim Mohammed el-Toum -- were reported kidnapped on December 24 and freed on Sunday. They returned to Khartoum via Jordan.
A sixth Sudanese, who was initially reported kidnapped, managed to escape, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The man, a friend of the embassy personnel, is believed to have remained in Iraq.
Al Qaeda in Iraq had set a deadline of December 31 for killing the hostages unless Sudan publicly declared it would sever relations with Baghdad.
Al Qaeda in Iraq has kidnapped and killed a string of Arab diplomats and embassy employees in a campaign to intimidate Arab governments from restoring full diplomatic relations with Iraq.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:05 ||
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#1
And in true Sudanese form they quickly cave in to pressure from a band of murderers. They tell the rest of the entire world to go screw themselves over the Darfur situation, but immediately give in to al qaeda. Dude , what the hell is wrong with sudanese people?
#2
This is fully in keeping with the stated objectives of the terrorists, namely to cut off Iraq from the rest of the world by attacking diplomats. The fact that this is outrageous behavior is strangely passed over by the media.
Militants ambushed a convoy of 60 tanker trucks heading to Baghdad from Iraq's largest refinery Wednesday, destroying four of the vehicles and damaging 15 others, police said. The attack, by insurgents with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, came after the Beiji refinery had reopened Sunday after being closed since Dec. 18 because of threats against tanker drivers. The drivers began carrying fuel again this week after the government promised extra protection for the convoys. Three Iraqi army vehicles, which had been guarding the convoy, were also destroyed in the attack about 25 miles north of Baghdad, police Lt. Abdul Zahra Qassim said.
A militant group, the Islamic army in Iraq, claimed responsibility. The claim was posted on an Internet site commonly used by militant groups and could not be independently verified. The claim said the group attacked "a convoy of tanker trucks and managed to burn and destroy 20 tankers. This was followed by the destruction of troops who were sent to rescue the tankers at Mishahida." Iraq's Cabinet said Monday the Beiji refinery had resumed supplies to Baghdad and other cities after the Iraqi army sent more troops to guard the tanker trucks.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Reliable sources indicate to Israel Insider that PM Ariel Sharon died at 11 am. Israeli media channels still report his condition is "very grave." Director of Hadassah Hospital Shlomo Mor-Yosef officially denies "rumors" of death and says Sharon's condition is "serious but stable."
Channel 10 reports those closest to Sharon as saying he has suffered "brain damage." A likely explanation to reconcile the two reports is that Sharon has suffered brain death -- the lack of cerebral activity -- but that his heart continues beating, while he remains anesthetized and respirated.
Mor-Yosef, briefing journalists at the hospital's gate, said that "the prime minister is suffering from low intracranial pressure, and is heavily sedated. He will be respirated for at least the next 24 hours. All the parameters that we can check are as expected, following an operation of this type."
He said he came out to counter rumors of Sharon's death. "I came out to update you and to refute the rumors flooding the country," he said, referring to rumors claiming that Sharon had already died, and that the news is being delayed for one reason or another.
"Sharon is still alive," a Sharon aide in the intensive care unit told Ynet. But Channel Ten quotes "someone very close" to the PM as saying that he had suffered "brain damage" -- to what extent was not indicated -- unconnected with the effects of the operation.
Mor-Yosef called on journalists to "cooperate in a responsible manner with the transfer of information on the prime minister's condition," adding: "As Hadassah's director, I am obligated to bring every change in the prime minister's condition to light through hospital statements."
Mor-Yosef was not reporting any untruths, but neither was he addressing the critical issue of brain function, a subject which has been studiously avoided by all hospital officials.
One of the factors in the cloud of uncertainty regarding the announcement of brain death, media sources speculated, relates to the effect of the announcement on stock markets. Another reason was a supposed regulation preventing publication of the PM's death except by the official representative of the government, presumably the Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon.
Perhaps the most important reason for the delay is to allow time for the preparation of a state funeral and the invitation to world leaders to attend. According to the expected schedule, Channel 10's Emmanuel Rosen reported,Sharon will be detached from one or more of his life support machines in the next day or two, with the likelihood that he will not be able to survive without support. At that point, Rosen, "the most difficult" decision would need to be made.
According to Channel 10, the official death announcement is planned for Sunday, when world markets are closed, assuming that this will suffice to accommodate the travel plans of A-list world and Jewish leaders.
At a Thursday 8 pm press conference, Mor-Yosef denied that Sharon was in a vegetative state and that his brain was functioning. Israel Insider subsequently received an additional confirmation from one of its original sources, which we here quote verbatim:
"Israel Resource News Agency confirms that at about noon today, Israel time, doctors at Hadassah Hospital and security officials at the Israel Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv were simultaneously informed that Prime Minister Sharon had died during surgery.
Israel Resource News Agency has again spoken with officials from both Hadassah and the Israel Ministry of Defence who were officially informed at noon of Sharon's death. That begs the question: why does the government of Israel deny reports of Sharon's death?
There are two possible explanations. One is that, for whatever reason, the government is withholding the report. The other explanation is that Sharon has been placed on a life support system, and that Sharon is 'only' clinically dead."
Brief comments: as a doc, one can't declare brain death this early after a stroke unless it is truly massive. The protocols for this here usually involve getting 2 EEGs (electroencephalographs), usually 24 - 48 hr apart, that show no higher brain (cerebral) function. When that happens, docs are justified, with family consent, in disconnecting medical equipment. But it's an uncomfortable situation to remove a ventilator based on only a clinical examination this early, as some brain function may be present on the EEG, and if so, there may be some (modest to minimal) recovery.
So one potential explanation is that the docs are taking time and getting EEGs, etc., to be very sure of the clinical situation before making a decision.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 18:14 ||
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#1
God bless him and may he rest in peace.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/05/2006 18:22 Comments ||
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#2
May G-d bless and keep us all. Rest well, Arik.
#3
May His great Name grow exalted and sanctified
in the world that He created as He willed
May He give reign to His kingship in your lifetimes and in your days,
and in the lifetimes of the entire Family of Israel,swiftly and soon.
May His great Name be blessed forever and ever.
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled,
mighty, upraised, and lauded be the Name of the Holy One, Blessed is He beyond any blessing and song, praise and consolation that are uttered in the world.
May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life
upon us and upon all Israel.
He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace,upon us and upon all Israel.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
01/05/2006 18:49 Comments ||
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My condolences to Israel and all Jewish people worldwide for their fallen hero.
All of us must hope that whoever takes Sharon's helm has an equal measure of courage to fight Israel's surrounding enemies.
#7
Sharon may be in stable condition just like Arafat, but they went in opposite directions once they achieved that state. God bless Israel.
Posted by: Scott R ||
01/05/2006 20:32 Comments ||
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hmmm Fox news just had a live feed - teh reporter says they are being told Sharon's massively sedated, but his eyes are responding to light, indicating brain activity....
I thought iris opening was an automatic activity, like breathing?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 21:01 Comments ||
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Palestinian leaders anxiously followed reports of Ariel Sharon's deteriorating health Thursday, fearing the prime minister's departure from the political scene could worsen turmoil in the West Bank and Gaza â or even derail Palestinian elections.
Like teens acting out but secretly glad when Dad sez "no." Some of the smarter Paleo leaders recognize that their wards are absolutely out of control and that Arik can't be a convenient bogeyman any more.
The Israeli leader is still widely reviled in the Arab world, but reactions among ordinary Palestinians were largely subdued. A few schoolchildren handed out candy in a Gaza refugee camp and hoisted posters saying, "Death to Sharon."
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas telephoned Israeli officials to express concern over Sharon's condition. "We look with great worry on what might happen if (Sharon) is impaired," Abbas said upon returning to Ramallah late Thursday. The two leaders last met in June to coordinate the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. During the tense meeting, Sharon scolded Abbas for not doing enough to halt terror attacks.
Before he took ill, Sharon â who suffered a minor stroke on Dec. 18 before his massive stroke Wednesday night â had been expected to lead his Kadima Party and its peacemaking agenda to a solid victory in March 28 Israeli elections. That vote was called after Sharon defected from the hard-line Likud Party he formed 30 years ago, despairing of persuading it to make more concessions to the Palestinians. The vacuum created by Sharon's absence is liable to translate into more indecision and tougher positions toward the Palestinians, Palestinian officials said. "We are really concerned," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. "We hope that competition (to succeed him) will not be at our expense, meaning more settlements, more walls, more incursions, more assassinations, more occupation, more dictates." Mohammed Dahlan, a senior Palestinian official, said Sharon's departure from the political stage would "turn the political situation on its head, both in Israeli society and the entire region." Abbas, already under pressure at home to postpone parliamentary elections likely to batter his ruling Fatah party, said he didn't expect Sharon's health to affect the balloting. But he repeated that the elections might be canceled if Israel makes good on a threat to bar voting in Jerusalem. Underlying the dispute over voting procedures are competing claims by Israel and the Palestinians to the city as a capital. Two U.S. envoys who were to arrive in the region Thursday, apparently to try to settle the dispute, postponed their trip.
A Hamas spokesman, Mushir al-Masri, predicted a change for the better if Sharon leaves the political scene. "If Sharon dies, no doubt this new development will change the world political map, and to the good, because a dictator and a murderer will be departing," al-Masri said. Hamas has largely suspended its attacks on Israel over the past year because it wants to soften its militant image as it heads into Jan. 25 elections. The smaller Islamic Jihad, which is not contending the elections, has been responsible for all six suicide bombing against Israel during the 11 months a just-expired truce was in effect. "The resistance is not linked to Sharon or to any person," said Khaled Batsh, an Islamic Jihad spokesman.
Ordinary Palestinians were divided over whether Sharon was Israel's greatest villain or their best chance for peace. But there was no outpouring of glee in Palestinian towns, as there was when Sharon was hospitalized two weeks ago after his first stroke. "Sharon went a long way down the path to peace, and he is the only Israeli leader capable of making peace with the Palestinians," said Jalal Salman, 26, a spokesman for An-Najah University in Nablus.
I'll just note that the spokesman for An-Nanjah is hardly a "Paleo-on-the-street" interview...
Akram Abu Sibaa, a 40-year-old resident of the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, said he was happy to get rid of Sharon, but expected little to change after him. "After Sharon, nothing will change for the Palestinians. The Israeli strategy is the same, not giving the Palestinian people any of their rights," Abu Sibaa said.
#2
The Palestinian reaction reminds me of a scene from the movie Magnolia, where Tom Cruise's character is distraught over the deathbed of his estranged father:
"I hate you, you bastard. Don't die, you bastard."
#3
I'd think anyone following Sharon will crack Paleo heads to prove their ability to create stability (at least as it's measured in the ME). If I were an IJ/Hamas/AQMB honcho, I'd lay low and have Abu Number Two run my public errands
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 20:46 Comments ||
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Israel is doubling the power of its Green Pine AESA radar. Used for the Arrow anti-missile system, this is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that consists of thousands of tiny radars that can be independently aimed in different directions. This makes it possible, for a sufficiently powerful AESA radar, to focus enough energy to damage aircraft or missiles. The U.S. has already been doing this with the high-powered microwave (HPM) effects generated by in AESA radars used in F14, F35 and F22 aircraft.
AESA type radars have been around a long time, popular mainly for their ability deal with lots of targets simultaneously. But AESA is also able to focus a concentrated beam of radio energy that could scramble electronic components of a distant target. Sort of like the EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) put out by nuclear weapons. AESA has demonstrated that it can disable missiles and aircraft. Ballistic missiles are another story, as they are sturdier (to handle re-entry stress) and have fewer electronics to mess with. Israel is believed to be working on making its more powerful Green Pine radar capable to zapping rockets, shells and aircraft.
#5
But AESA is also able to focus a concentrated beam of radio energy that could scramble electronic components of a distant target. Sort of like the EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) put out by nuclear weapons, according to Russ Tice who will soon testify before congress that he assisted with system tech development.
EFL to just the new medical info. As I said in another note, this looks very bad.
JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent hours of surgery after suffering a massive, life-threatening stroke, but he was returned to the operating room Thursday after a brain scan revealed he required more treatment.
Doctors began emergency surgery about midnight that lasted throughout the night. Doctors said Thursday morning the operation would last several more hours. Surgery apparently had been complicated by blood thinners he had been given following a mild stroke on Dec. 18, and the medication may also have contributed to Wednesday's stroke.
Mor-Yosef said that after several hours of surgery, the bleeding had stopped but that Sharon was returned to the operating theater. ``We are continuing with the same operation, and there are more areas that need to be treated,'' Mor-Yosef said, without elaborating.
Mor-Yosef did not address Sharon's prognosis, but neurosurgeons not involved in Sharon's treatment said a full recovery was not likely following such a massive stroke. They said it usually takes at least a day after the surgery to determine the extent of any damage.
Sharon's personal physician said early Thursday that he expects Sharon to emerge from surgery ``safely.'' ``The prime minister is currently in surgery, it is proceeding properly,'' said Dr. Shlomo Segev. ``We need to wait patiently. I expect him to emerge from it safely.''
Doctors said chances of recovery were slim. ``It's among the most dangerous of all types of strokes,'' with half of victims dying within a month, said Dr. Robert A. Felberg, a neurologist at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. ``The fact that he's on a respirator means it's extremely serious,'' said Dr. Philip Steig, chair of neurosurgery at Weill-Cornell Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Larry Goldstein, director of Duke University's stroke program, said much depends on the extent, location and duration of the bleeding. ``Bleeding in some areas of the brain, if it's caught early enough, you can actually have not a bad outcome,'' he said.
Doctors checking Sharon late last month said he weighed 118 kilograms (260 pounds) at the time of the first stroke but had since lost more than 2 kilograms (six pounds) and was otherwise in good health. Sharon is about 170 centimeters (5-foot-7).
The prime minister had been taking blood thinners since the first stroke to prevent another clot, but such drugs also raise the risk of cerebral hemorrhages, which account for only about 10 percent of strokes. Other possible causes are ruptured blood vessels, an aneurysm, or bulge in a vessel wall that bursts, or even chronic high blood pressure.
The surgery may be one or both of two options: 1) an effort to stop the bleeding (especially if it's an aneursym) and evacuate the clot, and/or 2) a procedure to remove part of the skull temporarily to allow a swelling brain room to expand.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/05/2006 00:58 ||
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#1
Shit. Those of you who believe in the efficacy of prayer, please pray.
I've never been too sure of what to do when a complete healing is essentially impossible and you are actually praying for enough healing to relieve pain and suffering.
#7
Even the best accounts don't look good at this point. There's almost no chance he'll be back in power. I think Bibi will win next election. The MM's in Iran are probably loosening their turbans a bit. It's gonna be a little stuffy in Tehran soon.
#8
Israel needs the new direction for which Ariel Sharon founded Kadimah. Labour and Likud have been locked into one another's bad habits for entirely too long.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip -Security chaos in the Gaza Strip escalated further on Wednesday when gunmen loyal to the ruling Fatah faction barred access to the border with Egypt and tried to kidnap the parents of an American peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer three years ago.
Escalate further?
After taking over a series of government buildings in the city of Rafah, around 100 gunmen supposedly loyal to Fatah then took up positions at the entrance to the border crossing, which is Gazaâs only link to the outside world.
Witnesses said the gunmen had initially allowed civilians into the terminal after checking their identities, in a bid to stop only those affiliated with the Palestinian Authority. But they later prevented anyone from approaching the terminal, the second time in less than a week that the Rafah crossing has been forced to close.
Wonder if it's also closed to heavy weapons' smuggling?
Security sources and witnesses said the gunmen were demanding the release of a local leader of the radical Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Fatah, who has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Gaza-based British rights activist Kate Burton and her parents.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/05/2006 00:54 ||
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#1
kidnap the parents of an American peace activist who committed bulldozer suicide killedby an Israeli bulldozer three years ago.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Palestinian authorities Thursday released a militant held in connection with the kidnapping of a British family in Gaza, a day after his followers went on a rampage and smashed holes in a wall along the Egypt border.
The Gaza-Egypt border crossing was calm, a day after two Egyptian troops were killed in the melee.
Palestinian security officials refused to comment on why they released Alaa al-Hams, a militant from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades which is affiliated with the ruling Fatah Party.
"I was released as a result of the agreement reached between Fatah and the (Palestinian) Authority yesterday. This will calm all types of protests from our side," al-Hams told The Associated Press by telephone.
Oh, yeah. I've got really high hopes for these people...
#3
Craig and Cindy Corrie were nearly abducted on Tuesday night from the home of a pharmacist, Samir Nasrallah, who managed to dissuade the gunmen by telling them about the background of his guests.
Nasrallah said the gunmen wanted to kidnap the Americans to use as bargaining chips to secure the release of the man held over the Burtonâs kidnap.
Any chance those two idiots were aware of their predicament? If not, were they told? Would be very interesting to know.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, who is standing as Fatah candidate in the West Bank town of Jericho, also acknowledged that the security chaos would damage Fatahâs standing.
âI am sure that there will be some damage but all in all people understand that Fatah has called the elections ... as a way to restore law and order,â he told AFP.
Well that's a novel way to think about it; elections "restore law and order". I guess there's no need for police then. (as if the "police" really existed there)
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was hospitalised late on Wednesday to undergo surgery for a brain haemorrhage, was in critical condition and may not recover, a senior political source said. "It looks very bad. I don't know if he will recover," the source said. Sharon "felt ill" and was immediately hospitalised, said the aide. Sharon, 77, was due to visit hospital Thursday morning. An aide to Sharon said Sharon's deputy had been handed over powers.
This is very bad. A few brief points:
1) The hemorrhagic stroke very likely was made worse (indeed, possible) by the blood-thinners (e.g., coumadin) he had been put on for the upcoming umbrella placement in his heart. The blood thinners are standard in that setting, but it would turn a small stroke into a large one.
2) Neurologists and critical care docs can judge eventual recovery from a stroke in the first 72 hours based on clinical symptoms, consciousness and neurologic function in that time. The worse you are at the 72 hr mark, the less likely you are to recover completely, and the lower your eventual plateau of recovery will be (this is formalized in what is known as the Glasgow Coma Score, used by critical care nurses around the world]. The loss of consciousness, near-immediate need for a ventilator, and extensive paralysis are very bad signs.
3) Coma scoring and clinical signs, in addition to predicting recovery/lack thereof, can predict with fair certainty survival in the first couple of weeks. From what I've been reading tonight, Sharon is very critical.
4) Be prepared for reports of emergent surgery to relieve brain swelling ('cerebral edema'). That's a killer early on, and neuro-intensivists have developed techniques to manage it.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Netanyahu will soon be able to forge his metal in the fires of the Iranian Solution! Destiny is bullseyeing this campaign!
#2
Netanyahu will soon be able to forge his metal in the fires of the Iranian Solution!
Mentioned on some TV news prog last night was that some Paleos saw this development as something directly from Allah. If Netanyahu gains the PM seat again, that viewight have to be re-evaluated.
#3
Mentioned on some TV news prog last night was that some Paleos saw this development as something directly from Allah.
I read that too (LGF, I believe). Allan sure has a wry sense of humor: waiting till a guy as horrible as Sharon is claimed to be is nearly eighty before exacting his "judgement." I suppose it makes sense in a worldview that sees every butterfly fart as an overt act of God.
#4
"undergo surgery for a brain haemorrhage, was in critical condition and may not recover"
Those are about the same odds my next of kin got when I had my ICH 2 years ago. Like Fred said, in 72 hours the docs will know more. For what it's worth, in my case I was in a coma for about a week, and had a breathing tube for a bit more than that, and needed followup surgery to implant a VP shunt (basically an overflow valve for my brain housing group) My "eventual plateau of recovery" has been quite high indeed though my energy level is quite low. My fervent hope is that Sharon can live and enjoy some retired time. He deserves it.
The State Security Court prosecutor on Wednesday referred a 29-year-old Syrian for trial on charges of threatening terrorist acts in the Kingdom following the Nov. 9, 2005, triple bombings in Amman. Yousef R., a blacksmith, was officially charged with threatening the use of force to disrupt the security and spread horror among people. The defendant arrived in the Kingdom from Syria in September 2005 and was employed by a shop in Jerash, the charge sheet said.
Did he sign his message with a skull and crossbones, too?
The message read: âIf you think that you have ended us then you are mistaken. Watch out for new and mass explosion at a strategic place, which has many infidel people... I demand a JD1 million in ransom and the release of my sister Sajida. Ha ha ha. Death has approached you infidels.â
The suspect was referring to Sajida Atrous Al Rishawi, the would-be Iraqi female suicide bomber who arrived in the Kingdom with her husband and another two Iraqis a few days before the November blasts. Rishawi, appeared on Jordan Television on Dec. 13 and explained how she tried to blow herself up alongside her husband Ali Hassan Shumari, in coordination with the two other Iraqis at three hotels on Nov. 9.
The prosecution said that the JIC website is frequented by over 50,000 people on daily basis and that the defendant posted his threatening text so that it could be accessed by this large number of visitors. The suspect was arrested shortly after posting the text and confessed to his actions, according to the charge sheet.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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A little-known Sunni rebel organisation said it would kill kidnapped Iranian soldiers if Tehran failed to free 16 jailed members of the Sunni Muslim group within three weeks.
Al Arabiya television aired a video from the Organisation of God's Soldiers for Sunni Mujahideen (Holy Fighters) today which showed what it said were eight Iranian soldiers identifying themselves before pleading with the government to comply with their captors' demands. ''We give the Iranian authorities three weeks to comply with our demands or we will kill these hostages,'' Al Arabiya quoted the group's spokesman as saying. ''And we warn all the forces from coming to this area''.
The same video was shown earlier in the day but without the demands reported. It showed men standing in a row and speaking to the camera, but their voices were not audible. The tape's authenticity could not immediately be verified.
Iran on Sunday said that nine of its soldiers had gone missing from their post close to Iran's border with Pakistan. There was no immediate explanation for the apparent discrepancy in the number of missing.
Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said the hostages were thought to have been taken to Pakistan.
Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi was upbeat about securing the soldiers' release. ''We have made every effort to resolve the kidnapping peacefully ... In the next few days we will hear good news,'' he told the official IRNA news agency today.
In July, Al Arabiya aired a video from the same group which said it had beheaded an Iranian security agent after threatening to kill him if the Iranian authorities did not free its imprisoned members within three weeks.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
01/05/2006 00:06 ||
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#1
I cant seem to muster any sympathy for them. Wait I just found some sympathy, it was in the dictionary between shit and syphilis.
The US government on Wednesday froze the assets of two Iranian companies linked to the Islamic republic's nuclear drive, officials said. The Treasury Department said that the duo %u2013 Novin Energy Co and Mesbah Energy Co %u2013 were guilty of fostering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Its action came a day after Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it planned on January 9 to resume research and development into its "peaceful nuclear energy programme". The United States and European Union, suspecting that the Iranian civil nuclear programme is a cover for developing an atomic bomb, have demanded that Iran refrain from all nuclear enrichment activities. The treasury said that the two Iranian companies were fronts for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, which it designated as a WMD proliferator in June.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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Bet France Quietly protests then remains silent when their companies are implicated. This is a great move by Bush that needs massive support. Again Bush is doing the right thing here and will probably be hammered by the Dems and other trolls.
The Iranians don't need a functional nuclear bomb to destroy parts of Isreal or America. All they need is Atomic waste from a power plant, a detonating device and delivery system. They have two of the three right now, capable of reaching Isreal anyway. We should be very concerned in that our Mutually Assured Destruction policies will not work as a deterant with these idiots.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
01/05/2006 7:38 Comments ||
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#2
Do we have a MAD policy with respect to these idiots? I do not recall hearing it enunciated publicly even once. Bush is doing the wrong thing by not clearly spelling out the consequences of actions for the MM, all the Iranian sheeple and the rest of the world. We don't need sabre rattling, but we do need to make sure there is no surprise when Iran ceases to exist.
#3
Yeah, I think MAD was Ronald Reagan's policy. I don't know if it is official policy still, but it kind of sounds like common sense, doesn't it? Amadinajad is a religious nut that thinks the 12th Imam is going to come out of a well and end the world in two years. He has nothing to lose philosophically, and I think that makes him one of the most dangerous people around. Just like the assholes that think they will get 72 raisins for blowing up a classroom full of kids.
#5
Do we have a MAD policy with respect to these idiots?
MAD only works with nations that have significant nuclear arsenals. America's reaction to any Iranian terrorist attack would more likely follow our "Respond in Kind" doctrine devolving from guidelines surrounding nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.
Essentially, "Respond in Kind" is a policy of retaliating in kind with whatever sort of NBC weapon was used against us. Our doctrine also permits us to escalate through the ranks to nuclear reprisal if such devastation is warranted.
Right about now would be a really good time to notify Iran regarding this. Again, the one truly significant problem is Iran's lack of participation with the IAEA. The result is that we have no samples of nuclear material from Iran's purification facilities or (when they finally have them) breeder reactors.
Detailed mass spectroscopy permits us to quickly identify exactly which reactor nuclear material comes from. Individual purification facilities and breeder reactors all have uniquely different "fingerprints" with respect to ratios of peculiar isotopes like americium and thorium. Each facility tends to express these trace elements in minute quantities while creating fissile material. In the absence of an incoming ballistic track, our defense forces would use such identifying markers to isolate exactly who it was that initiated a nuclear attack upon American soil.
Rogue nations that do not submit samples of fissile material represent an enormous risk for us in that we cannot evolve an appropriate response doctrine without proof of origin.
It is for this reason that I continue to support Mrs. Davis's suggestion that North Korea, Iran and all other rogue nations aspiring to nuclear armaments be put on notice that a single nuclear terrorist attack on American soil will result in the immediate incineration of all such parties.
Terrorism has taken the gloves off of conventional warfare. We are idiots to think that traditional rules of engagement still apply. American defense strategists must evolve new policies concerning exactly how the threat of nuclear terrorism will be countered.
I feel that it is important for us to put terror sponsors on notice that they all face annihilation should any single one of them attempt an attack upon Americal soil.
As noted by bigjim-ky, when dealing with a monster raving loon like Amadinejad, even threats of reprisal carry little weight. Amadinejad has already made it clear that Iran's complete destruction is a price he's willing to pay in order to eliminate Israel. The conspicuous silence of surrounding Arab neighbors regarding condemnation of this suicidal pronouncement should serve as notice that they willingly support such a monstrous notion.
Summed in total, these extremely dire indications all point to one vital solution. It is one that .com and I have been advocating for some time now. Iran's entire leadership structure needs to be eliminated in a single decapitating non-nuclear cruise missile strike. We no longer have the luxury of adopting a retaliatory posture against the insane fanaticism of Amadinejad. He has literally dug his own grave and we are strongly obliged to nudge him into it, along with the entire Revolutionary Guard and the twisted imams that govern them.
Failure to do so will eventually result in a nuclear terrorist attack on American soil. A combination of direct action against Iran and general notification to all proliferating nations that they are hastening their own doom is one of the few functional deterrents we have left.
The 9-11 atrocity served notice to the civilized world that this one is for all the marbles. If we do not begin acting as such, we merely seal our own fate.
#6
Zenster said: As noted by bigjim-ky, when dealing with a monster raving loon like Amadinejad, even threats of reprisal carry little weight. Amadinejad has already made it clear that Iran's complete destruction is a price he's willing to pay in order to eliminate Israel. The conspicuous silence of surrounding Arab neighbors regarding condemnation of this suicidal pronouncement should serve as notice that they willingly support such a monstrous notion.
Not to belittle Zenster's excellent comment, I recall that Iran is Shia and insists it is PERSIAN, not Arab, while the surrounding Arab states that call themselves Arab are Sunni. The rivalry between these two sects of Islam has been long, intense, and is probably the reason why Saudi Arabia intervened in GWI to stop the removal of Sunni Saddam, in order to prevent the development of a democratic Iraq with a ruling majority Shia government.
It would seem to me that, other than the downside of any radioactives blowing into Sunni lands from a nuked Iran, the Sunni Arabs would not at all object to the nuking of Shia Iran. Just because relations between the Catholics and Protestants TODAY is amicable doesn't mean that there never was a series of civil wars in France between the two centuries ago. Shias/Sunnis have been told that Sunnis/Shias are heretics, which means the death penalty in BOTH sects: so much the better if one side is nuked by Israel/USA.
#7
Zen, Thanks for correcting me on the MAD vs. Respond in kind. But neither program will work. One of these policies keeps an enemy a bay and the other gives us justification for a counter attack. They donât care about being destroyed and the last thing I want to be part of is a counter attack. That implies we have a large part of America laid to waste by this idiot. This guy is perhaps the most dangerous man and government we have faced in the history of the US. All of our enemies prior to the WOT were nations that wanted to dominate and control us. This fuck wants to wipe us from the face of the earth down to the last American. This guy has been at war with us since he took our embassy in 79. Itâs time he gets the credibility he is seeking and we give him his historic war. One B-52 with one bomb will do the job just fine, you me and .com can ride as observers. Weâll tie Cassini to it and he can do a Boon Pickens ride for life.
Posted by: 49 pan ||
01/05/2006 13:14 Comments ||
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#8
I recall that Iran is Shia and insists it is PERSIAN, not Arab, while the surrounding Arab states that call themselves Arab are Sunni.
Thanks Ptah and for the rest of that insightful post. Gotta love Rantburg U!
Back in the late 80's I once worked with a girl who was Iranian. I was making small talk and asked her where she was from (due to her accent) She said she was from "Persia". Confused (yes I was stupid) that there was still a country called Persia I asked more details and I felt bad for her when it was clear she just didn't want to admit she was Iranian - as I guess she felt it was negative to admit that.
Ofcourse they care about being destroyed. What makes you think otherwise?
My own conviction is that they want to have nuclear weapons not in order to launch a first attack on Israel or anyone else (tantamount to suicide) but rather to deter both America and any other country in the region from conventional attacks on Iranian soil. They want to use MAD in their favour, in essense proclaiming "If you attempt to destroy the Iranian regime, we'll go down taking down Tel Aviv as well."
Once they have such a deterrent against conventional attacks, their imperialistic tactics in the region can truly become unrestrained. I think at that point we'll no longer even see any *attempt* on their part to hide their infiltration and interference in Iraq for example.
#10
Fear not, Ptah, I am well aware of Iran's Persian ethnicity. I just happen to be at an end of discriminating between the various Middle Eastern he||holes that all want to see America vaporized.
Zen, Thanks for correcting me on the MAD vs. Respond in kind.
No problem, 49 pan, I knew you were hunting for an appropriate policy.
But neither program will work.
I also noted this at the end of my commentary when I cited bigjim-ky's observations and diverged into why it is so important to decap Iran's leadership.
One of these policies keeps an enemy a bay and the other gives us justification for a counter attack. They donât care about being destroyed and the last thing I want to be part of is a counter attack. That implies we have a large part of America laid to waste by this idiot.
Not at all. Iran is far from having multiple delivery vehicles that can reach the United States. Furthermore, they would much rather attack us covertly to avoid immediate reprisal. A far more likely scenario is that Iran hands off a functioning nuclear device to some proxy terrorist group and they smuggle it into a major American harbor via oceanic shipping container then detonate it in close proximity to a large metropolis.
There is no need for large tracts of American countryside being laid to waste. A single nuclear attack would wreak havoc with our nation and put it into economic stasis or even possibly collapse our economy altogether.
This guy is perhaps the most dangerous man and government we have faced in the history of the US.
I disagree. Hitler was a much greater threat, as he commanded sufficient troops and materiel to have attacked our nation in force. Imagine if the V-2 program had been able to bear full fruit. Guided missiles raining down upon eastern seaboard cities, still largely built out of wood, would have been devastating to our nation.
All of our enemies prior to the WOT were nations that wanted to dominate and control us. This fuck wants to wipe us from the face of the earth down to the last American.
Here, you are correct. This is a distinguishing difference which does make it a priority to eliminate Iran's government post haste.
This guy has been at war with us since he took our embassy in 79. Itâs time he gets the credibility he is seeking and we give him his historic war.
Here, you are incorrect. A boots on the ground war with Iran is the very last thing we need. Have you looked at a map of Iran? It's the size of California with disparate theaters separated by significant mountain ranges. This is why I have routinely advocated a shift towards decapping hostile governments. It is far less costly in both domestic and enemy lives, plus gets the essential message across along with temporarily halting adversarial nations.
One B-52 with one bomb will do the job just fine, you me and .com can ride as observers. Weâll tie Cassini to it and he can do a Boon Pickens ride for life.
Here, you are totally off of the rails. America would have to be insane to initiate the use of nuclear force against any modern foe. It would declare open season for any and all terrorist groups to use nuclear weapons against us. We possess conventional firepower (i.e., F/A Bombs) that can attain the destructiveness of nuclear weapons without the release of any radiation. While it might be gratifying to consider the mullahs watching their buildings slag down around them, a nuclear attack is peruile fantasy.
Sadly, conventional military intervention is pretty much a fantasy as well. This is most likely why we have sold Israel all of those bunker-buster bombs. They will more likely be the ones who strike against Iran. I can only hope our own military is given rein to do this important job as a nuclear armed Iran would be one of the greatest historical follies since appeasing Hitler.
#11
from Zenster "Summed in total, these extremely dire indications all point to one vital solution. It is one that .com and I have been advocating for some time now. Iran's entire leadership structure needs to be eliminated in a single decapitating non-nuclear cruise missile strike. We no longer have the luxury of adopting a retaliatory posture against the insane fanaticism of Amadinejad. He has literally dug his own grave and we are strongly obliged to nudge him into it, along with the entire Revolutionary Guard and the twisted imams that govern them."
This is a real good tactic here Zenster. After all, Iran is a rulled by a select group of criminals posing as theologians. Once removed saner heads will take over. This would completely bypass the MAD scenario; though, one has to wonder if there aren't some "fail safe" plans in place to wipe out Isreal if a decapitation strike is done.
#12
My own conviction is that they want to have nuclear weapons not in order to launch a first attack on Israel or anyone else (tantamount to suicide) but rather to deter both America and any other country in the region from conventional attacks on Iranian soil. They want to use MAD in their favour, in essense proclaiming "If you attempt to destroy the Iranian regime, we'll go down taking down Tel Aviv as well."
I beg to differ, Aris. Ahmadnejad has already stated that Iran's own destruction would be an acceptable price for anihilating Israel. While this may well be sabre rattling intended for public consumption in Iran, we owe it to ourselves to take this maniac seriously and put paid to all of his offensive rhetoric.
If Iran is allowed to go nuclear, it will be the first of many small regimes to do so and global stability will become even more precarious than during the Cold War's height. Additionally, it is crucial that Iran be taken to task for their sponsorship of international terrorism. If they are permitted to build a nuclear shield in order to avoid their well deserved punishment, then a significant administration of justice will have been foresaken.
Iran's leadership must be decapped pilloried for the incredibly hostile agenda they are flaunting. Nothing less will suffice.
#13
This is a real good tactic here Zenster. After all, Iran is a rulled by a select group of criminals posing as theologians. Once removed saner heads will take over. This would completely bypass the MAD scenario; though, one has to wonder if there aren't some "fail safe" plans in place to wipe out Isreal if a decapitation strike is done.
Thank you, TomAnon, although .com also deserves credit for this strategy. Even if "saner heads" do not prevail after a decap strike, it would merely make the "rinse and repeat" light come on.
We need to be doing this in Iran, Sudan and numerous other places. When they finally install elected representation that is not he|| bent on propelling terrorism or proliferation of WMDs, then they get to stay alive.
Finally, this is why it is so important to decap Iran right now. They must never be allowed to be in a position whereby they could exercise some sort of deterrent by threatening Israel, let alone the United States. We need to take these loons at their word and treat their threats as credible, no matter how much puffery they may be. It would certainly decrease a lot of the bu||shit that currently clogs the airwaves.
#14
Zenster, it is already my belief that Iran's regime must be taken down -- we also agree on the instability that Iranian nukes will cause.
We only disagree on the likely usage of these nuclear weapons, whether it is to deliver genocidal-suicidal blows (as per Ahmadnejad's rhetoric) or to boost their defense deterrent to such a degree that their invasion becomes essentally impossible due to fears of their reaction to same. (no nuclear power has yet been invaded on its own soil)
As for Ahmadnejad's rhetoric, *he* might personally feel than Iran's complete annihilation is an acceptable outcome, but I doubt he'll be able to convince many others of the top leadership of his country.
And his comments needn't be for public consumption only *inside* Iran. They may also be meant to make the Iran the official leader of the whole (antisemetic-in-its-vast-majority) Muslim world, increase Iran's political influence amongst Palestinians, etc, etc. By portraying a seeming "selfless" attitude ("we're willing to sacrifice our own nation to destroy the eeeevil jews"), Ahmadnejad and Iran get the support of every single antisemite in the Middle East, even ones that might otherwise have opposed it (e.g. because Sunnis might not have otherwise desired a Shiite nuclear power).
#15
Ya, OK, the B-52 comment was a bit of a rant, and I would not strap LA/Cassini to a nuke. God knows I don't want to start up another thread like yesterday.
Hitler might have been a larger more capable military threat to the US, I agree there. Iran has a tough time keeping their limited aircraft flying at best and not a big military threat on their best day. Hitler saw the Jews, not America, at needing to be exterminated. This guy wants all of Western civ to be eliminated, a little different scale. With a few well placed nukes, and your delivery mode is much more feasable, the numbers could be in the millions. We must stop this threat before it gets to this.
At the end of the day I would hate to have to go to yet another shithole country before I retire. I agree totally that boots on the ground would be, and always should despite my rants, the last resort. But this leader and all of his government must be removed. IF we don't recognize his declaration of war and meet him with either soldiers or bombs, then how?
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/05/2006 16:53 Comments ||
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#16
Aris, regardless of which scenario Iran truly anticipates, America (and the world in general) owes it to itself to nail Iran to the mainmast for its inflammatory posturing. None of their bilious spewing does anyone any good, save Iran. I welcome the day when such antagonistic drivel earns its spewer swift onset lead poisoning.
49 pan, thank you for reconsidering. It would seem that we are largely in agreement. Iran must be stopped immediately. You are right in saying that they have declared war upon our nation. We are idiots if we wait around for one of Iran's terror proxies to carry out their agenda for them.
#18
I think the post from Aris makes a lot of sense. If the Mad Mullahs⢠can shield themselves with nukes, they can become much more aggressive in regional affairs and certainly more aggressive in sponsoring terrorism and terror client states like Syria. That's essentially the Soviet style -- carry a good shield, and under it use a short sword to stab at your enemies.
But I also believe their President Nutjob when he says he wants to remove Israel from the map, and I think he'll do so if he can get away with it. It's not like the EU-3 will stop him.
I still don't think nuking Iran is in our interest. I keep waiting for the internal revolution. If not that, it's time for the Special Ops guys to take out as many MMs as necessary.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/05/2006 18:59 Comments ||
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#19
Though couched in the IHT's agenda, this article (h/t LGF) suggests that Ahmedjihadi has served at least one useful purpose: he's reactivated the Persian citizens who don't want to be led into a conflagration. I still hold out hope they will be the saner heads who take control once the entire mullahcracy is decapped. And yes, I still believe that will happen. We shall see.
#22
That's essentially the Soviet style -- carry a good shield, and under it use a short sword to stab at your enemies.
I think this argument is overrated. Nukes can be used as a shield only in the sense that no sides will come out the victor, should nukes ever be used. In other words, "we might not win, but neither will you, so think before you act".
Iran is strongly mistaken if they think that nukes will give them a licence to export more terror. The world could respond as deemed necessary to counter the increased terrorism, and if Iran is the first to use nukes, then they will pretty much cease to exist.
Even if they do get nukes, this does not rule out a full scale invasion of Iran, by anyone. Iran is not the Soviet Union.
Posted by: Rafael ||
01/05/2006 19:20 Comments ||
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#23
Nukes can be used as a shield only in the sense that no sides will come out the victor
To put in another way: if the first use of nukes on the part of Iran means a total destruction of Iran, then it can't really be considered a shield.
Posted by: Rafael ||
01/05/2006 19:29 Comments ||
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#24
What the MM's would do were they to acquire nuclear weapons, is a really, REALLY tough call in my opinion.
On the one hand, I can easily see them behaving exactly as Aris predicts: using their nukes to deter outside interference (whether from us, from Europe, or Israel) with their imperialistic machinations. By holding these weapons in reserve and leaving open the question of whether-- or in what circumstances-- the MM's would use them, they gain an enormous increase in regional and global influence.
Certainly, if they're rational, far-thinking and as cunning as they sometimes seem, that's what they'll do-- especially if they don't really want to risk their own annihilation.
On the other hand, I can't help but think that for people like Ahmadinejad, the acquisition of nuclear weapons would bring along with it an overwhelming and irresistable temptation to use them at the earliest opportunity. I can see the MM's calculating that they could get away with destroying Israel because they figure (a) Israel probably could not mount a devastating counterattack in kind, (b) American domestic politics will not permit Bush to do anything about an Iranian attack on Israel, and (c) the Europeans will do nothing, either.
I'm tempted to say Aris' scenario is more likely, but that "blue light from heaven" that Ahmadinejad claimed he saw surrounding him as he gave his UN speech tells me I'd better not lay odds on it.
Please, God, make the Black Hats go away; just get rid of the darned lunatics, please? Oh, and take Pat Robertson while you're at it, too...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/05/2006 19:44 Comments ||
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#25
Mad as Nuts isn't bluffing about wiping Israel off the map. He isn't just posturing. He intends to do it. Is it really that hard to see it? Damn, some of you need glasses reeeal bad.
#26
sorry Dave, my comment was posted before I read yours and it wasn't directed at you.
It's just that some things are so obvious that I can't believe others can not see them. Ahammadinjihad is predictable. He will wipe Israel off the map if given the means and opportunity. The only question is will he be given both.
#27
Rafael> To put in another way: if the first use of nukes on the part of Iran means a total destruction of Iran, then it can't really be considered a shield.
For this chain of reasoning to work, you have to believe NOT ONLY that Iran will never EVER use nukes no matter what, but also that everyone else in the region also *believes* that Iran will never use nukes.
Or to put it another way, a nuclear deterrent isn't about *using* nukes, it's about the *perception* of the possibility of using them.
Some (e.g. Zenster) think that the Iranians are mad enough to possibly use nukes even if they are not first attacked. I think that they are mad enough to use nukes only in a time where their regime would be in threat of imminent collapse (I'm going under the assumption that they care about their regime's survival more than they do about their country's).
But one way or another I've seen few people yet who would bet their lives that the Iranians would never ever use nukes, no matter what. So, IMO, the deterrent has a very good chance of working.
#28
The world could respond as deemed necessary to counter the increased terrorism, and if Iran is the first to use nukes, then they will pretty much cease to exist.
Pardon my cynicism. The 'world' will likely do little, provided their own respective bits of turf aren't on the receiving end of any Iranian non-nuclear aggression and the oil still flows.
#29
Acckkk! I find myself in agreement with Aris AGAIN this week??? Who are you and what did you do with the real Aris? Or was it the pod placed under my bed last night?
:-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 20:09 Comments ||
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#30
So, IMO, the deterrent has a very good chance of working.
Nonetheless, if they increase their export of terrorism, they should not be dealt with any less vigour just because they have acquired nukes. I would call their bluff, in fact. They are not a superpower yet, and have a long way to go to catch up technologically. OTOH, the greatest threat, I believe, is for Iran to use a nuke in some low-tech way, such as via a proxy terrorist group.
Posted by: Rafael ||
01/05/2006 20:17 Comments ||
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#31
The 'world' will likely do little,
That's why I wrote "...the world could respond..." :-)
Posted by: Rafael ||
01/05/2006 20:23 Comments ||
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#32
In regards to #29 -- it's you people who started seeing my own point of view about the real regional terrorist threat being that of the active and connected imperialisms of Iran (and Syria), rather than the defeated imperialism and isolated tyranny of Saddam Hussein. It was inevitable that such a convergence of opinions would happen -- reality proved me right after all and now *everyone* sees the threat of Iran.
I've held these opinions for two years now -- what about you? Do you people still think that a democratic domino from Iraq is gonna cause the collapse of the Iranian regime, without need for further intervention?
#33
a decapitation strike to loose the reins of power, but then, yes we people/I do. Don't go puffing up
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 20:33 Comments ||
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#34
ah for one brief moment - Aris was able to actually participate in a discussion rather than wag his finger and proclaim that we should all bow before his God given wisdom. I guess our nice comments made him feel uncomfortable and he felt it necessary to return to being annoying - lest he actually connect on some sort of level and lose his grip on his own feelings of superiority.
"Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom." -- George W. Bush; "Axis of Evil" State of the Union speech; January 29, 2002.
#36
The discussion from Aris would hold if the Iranian leaders were westerners. But they are not, western logic does not apply here. This guy is a nut case and will use a nuke on Isreal just as soon as he can. Any talk of deterance is foolish, deterance only works when values are mutual. Zen is right, this guy and his guys need to go. I would much rather find a way to strike this guy and fuck world opinion than go help Isreal with a mass casualty and cleanup.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/05/2006 20:56 Comments ||
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#37
I've held these opinions for two years now -- what about you? Do you people still think that a democratic domino from Iraq is gonna cause the collapse of the Iranian regime, without need for further intervention?
I agree with you on this, Aris; though I donât remember not agreeing with you on this particular issue. I think most of us hoped that the Iranian regime would be overthrown from within, but realized that it was unlikely.
#38
BTW - .com, Zen, myself, many others (I don't remember your pipsqueak voice) have advocated decap strikes, with no measurable boots on the ground (other than SPFOR), otherwise the battle ceases to be Mullahs vs the world, and becomes Iran vs the world, which isn't what we want
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 21:04 Comments ||
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#39
The discussion from Aris would hold if the Iranian leaders were westerners. But they are not, western logic does not apply here.
The desire for survival is not exclusively "western logic". Pakistan, India, China, Soviet Union, they've all had nukes.
Now, ofcourse, the argument may be that the Islamofascists of Iranians are the first *religious* nuts with nukes, and thus they may have delusions of surviving after death. That's a point there, I'll grant you. But the way I see it Iran's regime has so far almost always acted consisted in its own perceived best interests in this world. I doubt that godly inclinations will distract them from their *worldly* imperialist ambitions -- they haven't so far.
ah for one brief moment - Aris was able to actually participate in a discussion rather than wag his finger and proclaim that we should all bow before his God given wisdom
Not *God-given* wisdom. This is an atheist-leaning agnostic here, remember?
As for my arrogance, my humility, and lack thereof, it's entirely irrelevant to the accuracy of my statements, and the worth (or verifiability) of my opinions, and only relates to the ability of your own egos to accept them -- your mockery on the other hand is a mere distraction and irrelevant, and contains no relevancy to the thread.
#41
I think that they are mad enough to use nukes only in a time where their regime would be in threat of imminent collapse (I'm going under the assumption that they care about their regime's survival more than they do about their country's).
You make a very cogent point, Aris. Even by itself this one single observation still carries the day. Iran mullahcracy (thanks, .com) is sufficiently unstable, by dint of its hyper-repressive doctrine and lack of true representative government. This lack of permanence makes it very important to consider (per Aris's observation) the strong likelihood that the mullahs might lob some nuclear bombs as part of their regime's death throes.
I continue to maintain that, either way, Iranian possession of nuclear weapons will bode extremely ill for the entire Middle East. Even if they do not initiate a nuclear exchange with Israel, they will (per Steve White) act with a much stronger sense of immunity in terms of increased exporting of terrorism.
One can only imagine just how extensively the psy-ops shrinks at the Pentagon are poring over Ahmadinejad's obsession with his own particular apocalyptic Shiite theology. I have already had to do some hard examination of Bush's potential for allowing his belief in eschatology affect foreign policy in the Middle East.
Suffice to say that any such concerns simply vanish in light of Ahmadinejad's own delusional ravings about halos surrounding him and the mahdi being found at the bottom of a well and so forth. Per Dave D.'s observation, Iran's president exhibits a sufficient number of unstable syptomologies that all bets are off in terms of how they might regard possession of nuclear weapons.
Russia and China's meddling in how they shield Iran from international sanctions must be addressed as well. These two enablers run very little risk of blowback from any regional instability if, as Putin does, one disregards niggling little atrocities like Beslan. Europe's absolutely ineffectual response to this threat makes unilateral action mandatory. The perverse nature of Islamist politics poses a situation where hatred for America engenders a bizarre solidarity whilst sectarian friction and doctrinal divisions simultaneously permit disregard for the potential immolation of Iran in their obsessive anti-Semitism. What would normally serve as potentially moderating influences instead represent runaway control factors.
Do you people still think that a democratic domino from Iraq is gonna cause the collapse of the Iranian regime, without need for further intervention?
Given enough time, a functional Iraqi democracy might have been able to sustain a similar groundswell in Iran. The nuclear factor forever changes those equations. So long as Iran does not have elected representation, freedom of religion and basic human rights, they have no business possessing nuclear technology of any sort, electrical power generation included.
Finally, I'll concur with others here about the informative quality and civilized tone of this thread. It has been most enjoyable and I hope we at Rantburg can sustain this quality of exchange.
#42
Finally, I'll concur with others here about the informative quality and civilized tone of this thread. It has been most enjoyable and I hope we at Rantburg can sustain this quality of exchange.
*g* Well, you may have spoken just a tiny bit too soon, since I didn't fight off the temptation of dealing with the smartasses and their mock surprise at our convergence of opinion.
But yeah, I enjoyed most of the debate. I'll withdraw from it for now, since I've said everything I had to say, and the time being 4:30 am I'm only gonna get more snappy and impatient from now on, besides.
Frank G, there's a very good reason that I've not yet supported "decapitation strikes" against Iran's government, which is that I don't yet remember seeing historical precedent of such strikes succeeding in toppling a fascist regime. As such, decap strikes *might* be better than nothing, but I've not seen proof to show it. I'm also worried that Iran, just like China, has more redundancy built in its top leadership position than many other fascist countries.
I think it much more likely that eventually the whole military engine of Iran may need to be destroyed, or atleast seriously impaired before actual regime changes occur.
#43
Bare in mind, that whatever Ahmadinejad would like to do, Iran does not have a presidential system of government, and Ahmadinejad has no authority to make changes to foreign policy, that power rests with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei and the Expediency Council.
While i'm not sure about Ahmadinejad, I get the strong impression that those handling the real reins of power in Iran care as much about Islam as I do, and wouldn't be willing to give up their mansions and swiss bank accounts to try and destroy either the Greater or Lesser Satan.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
01/05/2006 21:57 Comments ||
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#44
Iranians I work with agree, PM - it's a kleptocracy using Islamic Revolution as its' excuse. Think about Lenin vs Khomeini....not much different, is there?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 22:04 Comments ||
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#45
I dunno. Nasser used to make similar comments back in the day. I tend to agree with Paul and Frank G that A-i-N is an attack dog/hatchet man for the mullahs. Maybe a pet Stalin. Someone has to save the Revolution, and it sure as hell ain't the mullahs. I'm not saying that he couldn't pull a Hitler and get supreme power, but I don't think that he has it right now.
Decapitation sounds nice, but how do you do it without nukes or boots on the ground? I seem to recall USAF decapitation strikes didn't work real well against Saddam and OBL. A decapitation strike could have several outcomes. I think that the significant axes are kill/miss, demoralize/unite, more more reasonable/less reasonable follow-on leadership. I don't like the odds that we'll score on all three.
My own proposal is a strategic raid. Go in as a combined arms team, break and take as many of their nuclear toys as possible and get out. They'll try to rebuild, but it'll take them another five years or decade. That's probably as good as we can get. Kind of like attacking Khan's network. We'll never shut it down completely, but we can reduce its effectiveness a lot. And we'll humiliate the mullahs, which in that part of the world is probably more effective than killing them.
Of course, given the failure to find significant amounts of WMD in Iraq, I don't know if we'll take any military action. I hope that we do something.
A Sunni militant group threatened on Wednesday to kill a group of Iranian soldiers kidnapped along the Pakistan border if Iran refuses to release 16 comrades, Al-Arabiya satellite channel reported. The Dubai-based news channel broadcast a videotape showing a group of soldiers lined up against a background of rubble, allegedly appealing for their government to respond to the demands of the Iranian group Jundallah (Soldiers of God) so that they could âgo back home safelyâ, the newscaster said.
A spokesman was shown next to the group but could not be heard. Al-Arabiya referred to eight soldiers who had been kidnapped, though an earlier report on the satellite channel had said nine. Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said earlier that he was hopeful that the group of border guards kidnapped in Sistan-Balochistan province near the Pakistani border would soon be freed. âWe are making every effort to find a peaceful solution to the hostage-taking on our eastern border,â the minister told the official Iranian News Agency. âIn the next few days, we will witness good news on this matter.â
Iranian officials have released few details of the abduction in the lawless southeastern borderlands. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said on Tuesday it was believed that the hostages had been smuggled across the frontier into Pakistan, but declined to give their number or say who he held responsible.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/05/2006 00:00 ||
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About friggin time. The Donks will be hopping mad about the "military politicizing the war debate", but Pace called it like it is, and will take the heat for it. That's a patriot and an honorable man
A Democratic congressman's remarks about the military are damaging to troop morale and to the Army's efforts to rebound from a recruiting slump, the nation's top general said Thursday.
Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked at a Pentagon news conference to comment on remarks by Rep. John Murtha, D- Pa., a Marine Corps veteran who has become a leading voice in Congress advocating an early withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Pace was asked specifically about an ABC News interview this week in which Murtha, 73, said if he were eligible to join the military today he would not, nor would he expect others to join.
"That's damaging to recruiting," Pace said. "It's damaging to morale of the troops who are deployed, and it's damaging to the morale of their families who believe in what they are doing to serve this country."
Pace called the news conference to discuss his weeklong trip to Iraq and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region. He said he found good troop morale and a "quiet confidence" that U.S. efforts in Iraq were on the right track. He added that Murtha's comments were among the first things he heard about upon returning Tuesday.
Military officers usually are reluctant to get drawn into political debates, but Pace said Murtha's remarks about recruiting are relevant to his responsibilities as Joint Chiefs chairman.
Pace praised the congressman's record but criticized his remarks.
"When a respected leader like Mr. Murtha, who has spent 37 extremely honorable years as a Marine, fought in two wars, has served the country extremely well in the Congress of the United States _ when a respected individual like that says what he said, and 18- and 19-year- olds look to their leadership to determine how they are expected to act, they can get the wrong message," Pace said.
Aides at Murtha's Johnstown, Pa., office did not immediately return a call for comment.
Pace also predicted that the Saddam Hussein loyalists and other Iraqis who comprise the great bulk of the insurgency will increasingly give up, now that Iraq has approved its own constitution and held elections.
Pace said he believes the violence, which flared anew Thursday on one of the bloodiest days in Iraq in months, will abate as more Iraqis become convinced that the December elections will produce a representative government that will improve their lives.
"As they see their own government providing a way ahead that all of their citizens can understand as progress for their country, ... those who are fighting against the government right now who are Iraqis will more and more lay down their arms and decide to become part of the future of Iraq and not the past," Pace said.
In describing the continuing violence, Pace pointedly referred to terrorists and the al-Qaida network, rather than the anti-government Iraqis who are believed to comprise more than 90 percent of the insurgency.
"I do believe that over the course of the coming year that violence will subside," he said.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 20:02 ||
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#1
I wonder about the extent to which this was calculated and agreed to by the other chiefs. Slapping down a member of Congress like this is extraordinary. Did any one from the Army ever slap down McCarthy? Neither Ike not Marshall did.
#3
NS - I can't recall such a bitchslapping (a polite one) either....
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/05/2006 20:31 Comments ||
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#4
I wish I was in Pace's office after that and could hear the "You shudda saids". Bitchslapping a member of congress is never a good tactic. I only hope this does not force congress to take sides and further divide our relatios with congress. Soldiers don't do politics for a reason, Congress holds the leash $$$. I love what he said but it was really not his to say. Rummy on the other hand should have long ago.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/05/2006 21:03 Comments ||
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#5
49 Pan, I understand where you're coming from, but if it came from Rummy, it would be just politics. And Pace saying it, Marine to Marine, makes it something other than politics. The donks should do a real double take on this, because, like you, I think this is not good, but it is what the country needs.
#6
Well, it isn't like this is going to cost GEN Pace a promotion - he's got nowhere to go. But it is fairly extraordinary.
The last time I recalll something like this happening was MacArthur, during the Korean war. But - he directly challenged the Commander In Chief - his boss - which is a bit different.
What this should do is cause Murtha to shut the f@%k up. But - he's now a lobotomized donk - so there's little chance of that.
#7
NS, Agreed on the Rummy position. This is a tough one. Murtha needed the slap, Pace is an honorable man, I just hope the Dems take note and don't go into retaliation.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/05/2006 22:18 Comments ||
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#8
Murtha is entitled to his opinion, God bless America. But somehow I just can't see him bashing the military in front of a bunch of Marine vets down at the VFW. I'm sure the debate would be 'interesting'.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Taliban 
The government dispatched more helicopter-born troops on Wednesday to encircle a rugged mountain hideout and cut off water deliveries to the region where a reneged tribe is holding five Italian tourists hostage. The Associated Press saw dozens of soldiers emerge from helicopters in the Jahan area of 
The Satkhira Bar Association general secretary filed a sedition case against a lawyer yesterday accusing him of sending threat letters to other lawyers using the name of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). According to the first information report (FIR) of the case filed by Shah Alam, Advocate BD Zaman on December 13 sent seven letters bearing the name of the banned Islamist militant group to several lawyers, threatening to kill them and blow up their houses within seven days.
The wife of a Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect was killed in a shoot-out when European Union (EUFOR) peacekeepers moved in to arrest her husband at their home on Thursday, doctors in Bosnia said. Suspect Dragomir Abazovic and the couple's 11-year-old son were also shot and injured in the morning raid, in a village near Rogatica in eastern Bosnia, police said. A police spokesman said there had been an exchange of gunfire but could give no details.
The police arrested three suspects wanted in sectarian killings in Karachi on Wednesday while officials revealed that security forces arrested a leading Sunni Muslim militant accused of involvement in two failed assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf in Lahore last week.
A man considered a leading figure of the al-Qaeda network in Pakistan is being detained by the Pakistani intelligence agencies, Adnkronos International (AKI) has learnt from informed sources. However the same sources said that news of the capture of Ghulam Mustafa, alias Omar, alias Shahjee has not been shared with the US authorities as part of normal cooperation in the "war on terror". The fact that Mustafa was coordinating attacks in Indian Kashmir, in collaboration with the Pakistani military and secret services, may explain their reticence.
A railway track connecting Quetta with Taftan, the town on the border with Iran, was blown up on Wednesday night. District Administrative Officer (DAO) Pasand Buledi said that the device exploded near a bridge on Kishangi Railway Station, situated some 110 kilometres west of Quetta, and damaged a three-foot track. The railway track connects Quetta with the Iranian border, and two trains monthly operate on it. Buledi said that railway officials were told to stop the trains on the track as an unexploded device still lay on it. He said that the Naushki district does not have a bomb disposal squad, and a team from Quetta will travel to dispose of it.
The authorities said on Wednesday that they had arrested three wanted Sunni militants involved in killing members of the minority Shia Muslim community. âWe have arrested three wanted terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group and recovered explosives and weapons from them,â Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui told reporters at a press conference he held with Commandant Bhittai Rangers, Colonel Qamar Abbasi Kiyani at the Bhittai Rangers Headquarters.
Militants ambushed a convoy of 60 tanker trucks heading to Baghdad from Iraq's largest refinery Wednesday, destroying four of the vehicles and damaging 15 others, police said. The attack, by insurgents with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, came after the Beiji refinery had reopened Sunday after being closed since Dec. 18 because of threats against tanker drivers. The drivers began carrying fuel again this week after the government promised extra protection for the convoys. Three Iraqi army vehicles, which had been guarding the convoy, were also destroyed in the attack about 25 miles north of Baghdad, police Lt. Abdul Zahra Qassim said. 
Palestinian leaders anxiously followed reports of Ariel Sharon's deteriorating health Thursday, fearing the prime minister's departure from the political scene could worsen turmoil in the West Bank and Gaza â or even derail Palestinian elections. 
Israel is doubling the power of its Green Pine AESA radar. Used for the Arrow anti-missile system, this is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that consists of thousands of tiny radars that can be independently aimed in different directions. This makes it possible, for a sufficiently powerful AESA radar, to focus enough energy to damage aircraft or missiles. The U.S. has already been doing this with the high-powered microwave (HPM) effects generated by in AESA radars used in F14, F35 and F22 aircraft. 
The State Security Court prosecutor on Wednesday referred a 29-year-old Syrian for trial on charges of threatening terrorist acts in the Kingdom following the Nov. 9, 2005, triple bombings in Amman. Yousef R., a blacksmith, was officially charged with threatening the use of force to disrupt the security and spread horror among people. The defendant arrived in the Kingdom from Syria in September 2005 and was employed by a shop in Jerash, the charge sheet said. 
