The NATO-led force in Afghanistan has said it destroyed a rebel compound in an airstrike on Thursday that it believed killed a senior Taliban leader and his deputies.
The strike was in the Musa Qala area and was the latest in a series of operations there involving airstrikes and arrests of senior Taliban commanders.
The precision strike was against a known insurgent command post in Helmand, the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force said.
Most of 4,500 British troops in Afghanistan are in Helmand, but the statement did not say which country was involved in the operation. The precision-guided munitions impacted on target, completely destroying the compound but causing no damage to the surrounding area. A senior Taliban leader and his deputies are believed to have been killed in this strike, ISAF said in a statement. The strike was in the Musa Qala area and was the latest in a series of operations there involving airstrikes and arrests of senior Taliban commanders, the statement said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#2
The Royal Flying Corps rides again? Hurrah and Huzzar!
Posted by: Howard UK ||
01/26/2007 5:36 Comments ||
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#3
couldn't have been Omar - this was in Afghanistan
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/26/2007 7:54 Comments ||
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#4
Everytime a semiliterate backholler Pashtun file closer gets whacked, some yutz reports it as the death of a "senior Taliban leader". After the Hek headfake I got tired of this crap.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
01/26/2007 8:16 Comments ||
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#5
the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force said.
Even the Paki-Waki press mentions that 37 nations are involved here, but not our home press? Some unilateral cowboy that Bush is, huh?
Posted by: BA ||
01/26/2007 10:43 Comments ||
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#6
It appears that one of the ones killed was responsible for blowing up the statues in 2001 -- how's that for Karma...
Posted by: Dali Lama ||
01/26/2007 10:48 Comments ||
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#7
Mitch is right. Don't bother me until they get Omar, or at least poke his other eye out.
#8
Dali Lama, it was a separate operation from the airstrike:
Separately, an assailant gunned down an Afghan lawmaker who, under the former Taliban regime, oversaw the destruction of two Buddha statues carved into a cliff. Maulavi Mohammed Islam Mohammadi, who was the Taliban's governor of Bamiyan province when the fifth-century Buddha statues were blown up with dynamite and artillery in March 2001, was killed on his way to Friday prayers in Kabul, said Zulmai Khan, Kabul's deputy police chief.
Posted by: Steve ||
01/26/2007 13:34 Comments ||
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#9
"assailant gunned down an Afghan lawmaker"
So the Buddha blaster had defected from the Talibanners to the Karzai government at some point, and got whacked by his former pals?
(SomaliNet) At least two civilians have been injured in a mortar attack that happened in Wada-jir district in southwest of Somalia capital Mogadishu on later Thursday. It is the second attack in two consecutive days. Abdikarin Osman, local resident told Somalinet that the attack took place around Macmacanka area in Wadajir district about 8:15 pm tonight local time. Shortly after I heard the sounds of explosions I went the area that was hit by two mortar shells, I can confirm that two persons were wounded in the blast, Osman told Somalinet by the telephone. The mortars fell into two civilian houses,
It is not yet clear who carried out the latest attack. It came day after mortar attack targeted at the main Mogadishu airport injuring four civilians. All these seemed to be acts done by Islamist insurgents that are hiding inside the capital.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) An Ethiopian soldier has been shot dead and other one was wounded on Thursday in ambush attack that in the port city of Kismayu, 500km southern of the Somalia capital Mogadishu.
Unidentified gunmen opened fire on two Ethiopian soldiers who were shopping at the market in Kismayu killing one of them and injured the other.
Witnesses told Somalinet that unidentified gunmen opened fire on two Ethiopian soldiers who were shopping at the market in Kismayu killing one of them and injured the other.
Sources say the attackers escaped unharmed heading to unknown destination. Shortly after the accident, the Ethiopian forces sealed off the area tracking down the assailants. A number of civilians were arrested following the attack. It was the first insurgent attack on the Ethiopians in Kismayu.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#2
The Patriotic Minutemen have begun to drive out the hated American-backed occupiers. I am in complete solidarity with them.
Posted by: Michael Moore ||
01/26/2007 7:09 Comments ||
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#3
Now for the real test. Perhaps the Ethiopians will have the stomach to do what we have not.
If it turns out we cannot hold Orcish ground the alternative is the fate of Carthage. There are only so many times it is worth re-fighting the Punic War.
(SomaliNet) At least eight people have been injured in clashes with restarted in central Somalia between two local tribal militias, reports say on Thursday. The confrontation happened at the borderline of Hiran and Galgadud regions in central Somalia where opposing clans of Hawadle and Murursade of Hawiye tribe again clashed. The rival clan militias fought around Gobo settlement on the borderline after Ethiopian troops withdrew from the area two days before.
Both sides have been fighting over pastoral lands and water well. At least 80 people have died since the fighting between the two tribes began. Reports from Muqokori in Hiran province indicate that at least 8 persons who were wounded in the tribal war were brought to the tiny village for treatment. Tribal elders in Hiran said they were committed to play positive roles in soothing the inconsistency between the two warring clans.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"fighting over pastoral lands and water well."
They could apply the Darfurian solution - burn the land and poison the well.
Jurors in the trial of two men charged with furnishing money and fresh recruits to Hamas terrorists said they are overworked and are cutting their work hours. "We have taken very few breaks," the jurors said Thursday in a note to US District Judge Amy J. St. Eve who is presiding at the trial, described when the indictment was made public as a step in the war on terrorism. Jurors said in the note that they are suffering from "mental fatigue."
Former Chicago grocer Muhammad Salah, 53, and Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, a former assistant business professor at Washington's Howard University, are charged with racketeering conspiracy.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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Karachi, 26 Jan. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A former close aide of Osama bin Laden, who was also a former official with Pakistan's powerful secret service Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the 1980s, Khalid Khawaja was allegedly picked up by Pakistan's military intelligence early Friday morning, family sources told Adnkronos International (AKI). A retired Pakistan Air Force squadron leader, Khawaja is currently the chief coodinator of the Islamic Centre for Research and Defence of Human Rights, an organisation which campaigns on the behalf of relatives of terrorism suspects who have "disappeared".
I guess "irony" doesn't cover it by half....
"He went to say his morning prayers in his (Islamabad) neighbourhood mosque and did not come back," Khawajas son Osama Khalid told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a telephone interview. "I spoke to the prayer leader of the mosque but he maintained that Khawaja comes every day to say his prayers but this morning he did not show up," he said.
Khalid Khawaja was a senior official of ISI when it was fuelling jihadi resistance movements against the Soviets in Afghanistan. After being forced to retire from the Pakistan Air Force and the ISI on the instructions of former military dicatator General Zia ul-Haq, he went to Afghanistan and fought alongside with Osama bin Laden.
Why do I think his "retirement" from the ISI was on paper only?
His Islamic Center for Research and Defence of Human Rights in Islamabad has reportedly negotiated the release of some 20 suspects. "His disappearance is obviously a result of his role in the release of illegal detainees," said Osama Khalid. "Besides he was active in talks between the people who were protesting against the demolition of mosques and the Islamabad administration. Yesterday talks failed and this morning when my father went out to say his prayers in the nearby mosque, he was presumably picked up by Pakistani intelligence apparatus, Osama Khalid felt.
"Khalid! Long time, no see. Let's take a ride and talk about old times."
Even after Khawaja was forced into retirement, he was instrumental in many ISI operations especially those in Kashmir and also in forging national political alliances.
Like I said, you never "retire" from an intelligence service
He admitted in many interviews with Adnkronos International (AKI) that he allegedly secured funds from Osama bin Laden and even arranged many meetings between former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif and bin Laden in order to build a front against the secular Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by another former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Ahhhhh, perhaps he talked to one too many reporters
Khalid Khawajas name resurfaced when US reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted and subsequently killed. Pearl had come to Pakistan and met Khalid Khawaja in order to investigate the jihadi network of revered sufi, Syed Mubarak Ali Gailani.
So, we won't shed a tear over his hopefully painful demise
Last year in an interview with an American television channel, Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf made remarks suggesting a possible link between former ISI officials and the Taliban suggesting that they were supporting the Afghan militant group. Khalid Khawaja was also named in the list of such former ISI officials, though Khawaja himslef denied any such involvement and said that he wished he could have supported Taliban.
So, as possibilities we have:
1. Skipped town on his own.
2. Skipped town with ISI help.
3. Picked up by ISI for a "talk"
4. Picked up by Pervez for a "talk" about the ISI
5. Wacked by ISI before he could talk
6. Wacked by parties unknown
7. Flying Space-A on CIA Ghost Jet to island resort
Posted by: Steve ||
01/26/2007 13:40 ||
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#1
"even arranged many meetings between former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif and bin Laden in order to build a front against the secular Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by another former prime minister Benazir Bhutto."
For those seeking their daily dose of irony - Nawaz Sharif is the ex-husband of Benazir Bhutto.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
01/26/2007 14:14 Comments ||
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Shit. I glanced at the headline and thought it read, "Former Biden Aide 'picked Up' By Military Intelligence".
A brief moment of hope, dashed...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
01/26/2007 14:50 Comments ||
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A suicide bomber has killed himself and one other at a top hotel in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, officials say.
Police have sealed off the blast area in the car park of the Marriott hotel. "It was a suicide attack. The bomber and one security official of the hotel were killed," Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told Reuters news agency.
The Marriott is located near government buildings and diplomatic missions. Police say at least five people hurt in the explosion were taken to hospital.
Witnesses say the bomber tried to enter the hotel through a back door that is used by staff. He was stopped by the security guard and detonated his explosives after a scuffle. The BBC's Barbara Plett at the scene says part of the hotel and a number of cars were also damaged.
Frightened hotel guests spoke of chaos after the explosion, which could be heard in other parts of the city. "I was taking lunch at the Royal Elephant Thai restaurant inside the Marriott when the entire restaurant was shaken by a bang," one guest, Mohammed Aamir, told the AFP news agency. "It literally shook us out of our seats. It was a huge bang. We rushed outside and there was chaos."
The city's Poly Clinic hospital said it was treating four of those injured in the explosion. "One is serious and three others have minor injuries," doctor Murtaza Nadeem told AFP.
The Marriott was due to host a reception later on Friday marking the 58th Republic Day of Pakistan's neighbour and rival, India. It is not clear if there is any link with the bombing.
Some observers say the bomber may have been trying to target a bar in the hotel's basement where Westerners and other foreigners gather. But they point out that if he had wanted to inflict maximum damage he would have entered by the front door.
Security at the Marriott is tight, with guests and vehicles subjected to checks. An explosion at the hotel in October 2004 injured five people.
Intelligence agencies have started collecting information about Maulana Masoodur Rehman Usmani, former leader of the proscribed Sipah-e-Sahabah Pakistan, to trace his alleged links with terrorist organisations following his threats to the government, sources told Daily Times. Usmani had warned the government in a rally on Wednesday that no church and imambargah would be safe if the government continued demolishing mosques built on encroached land.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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A car bomb killed one man and injured six others on Thursday amidst preparations for Muharram 10 a day that witnessed carnage last year, said police. However, AFP reported that two men were killed in the attack and as many were injured. At the moment, it appears to be a suicide attack, Station House Officer of Hangu Police Saeed Khan told reporters.
Saeed said the dead man had been identified as Hayat, an Afghan refugee who was living in the Katakarni camp in Hangu.
Saeed said the dead man had been identified as Hayat, an Afghan refugee who was living in the Katakarni camp in Hangu. Deputy Inspector General of Kohat Police Salahuddin told reporters that police had arrested three men in connection with the attack on Thursday one in Kohat and the others in Peshawar. The motive for the blast was unknown. More than 40 mourners were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Muharram 10 in Hangu Bazaar last year. The blast on Thursday could serve as a warning for police to make foolproof security arrangements this year.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Militants fired rockets at a security post in Shakai, but nobody was injured, AP quoted an intelligence official as saying on Thursday. According to the AP report, the attack took place on Wednesday in Shakai, South Waziristan. Militants fired 15 rockets at the post of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary, but all landed in nearby fields, said the intelligence official. He said troops retaliated by firing rifles and machine guns, but it was not known whether the assailants had suffered any casualties.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- At least two people were killed and five injured in three separate explosions Thursday in Assam, a state in Northeast India. One person was killed and five injured in a blast in Assam's Rangiya town today, news agency Indo-Asian News Service reported. There were two more explosions, one in Guwahati city and another in the Tinsukia district of Assam today, the news agency said.
No one was injured in the blast in Guwahati. In Tinsukia district, guerrilla from the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was killed when the explosive he was carrying went off, the news agency said. ULFA aims to create "sovereign Assam" carved out of India and waging an insurgency in the state since 1979. The group has incurred public wrath for the mindless killings in the recent years.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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A suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militant, planning to carry out attacks in the capital, was arrested on Thursday with 2.5 kg of deadly RDX here on the eve of the Republic Day. Iftikhar Alam, hailing from Nalanda district of Bihar, was nabbed by Special Cell sleuths from the metro station in Seelampur in North-East Delhi at around 15.45 pm, a senior police official said. Around 2.5 kg of RDX, two detonators and a timer has been recovered from his possession.
The arrest comes at a time when the capital is on a high alert in the wake of intelligence inputs warning of possible suicide attacks around Republic Day. It is not immediately clear whether the arrested militant was here to disrupt the Republic Day parade on Friday to be attended by President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Police had earlier this month arrested two militants of Harkatul-Jihadi-i-Islami in the capital and seized around 1.5 kg of explosives from them.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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I wonder if the new "stomp the Iranians" policy has anything to do with this?
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Four American soldiers were abducted during a sophisticated sneak attack last week in the Shiite holy city of Karbala and their bodies were found up to 25 miles away, according to new information obtained by The Associated Press.
The brazen assault, 50 miles south of Baghdad on Jan. 20, was conducted by nine to 12 militants posing as an American security team. They traveled in black GMC Suburban vehicles _ the type used by U.S. government convoys _ had American weapons, wore new U.S. military combat fatigues, and spoke English.
In a written statement, the U.S. command reported at the time that five soldiers were killed while "repelling the attack." Now, two senior U.S. military officials as well as Iraqi officials say four of the five were captured and taken from the governor's compound alive. Three of them were found dead and one mortally wounded later that evening in locations as far as 25 miles east of the governor's office. The U.S. officials said they could not be sure where the soldiers were shot after being captured at the compound. Iraqi officials said they believe the men were killed just before the Suburbans were abandoned.
The commando team also took an unclassified U.S. computer with them as its members fled with the four soldiers and left behind an American M-4 automatic rifle, senior U.S. military officials said.
The new information has emerged after nearly a week of inquiries. The U.S. military in Baghdad did not respond to repeated requests for comment on reports that began emerging from Iraqi government and military officials on the abduction and a major breakdown in security at Karbala site.
The two senior American military officials now confirm the reports, gathered by The Associated Press from five senior Iraqi government, military and religious leaders. The U.S. military also has provided additional details from internal military accounts.
The Karbala raid, as explained by the Iraqi and American officials, began after nightfall at about 6 p.m. on Jan. 20, while American military officers were meeting with their Iraqi counterparts on the main floor of the Provisional Joint Coordination Center (PJCC) in Karbala.
The first U.S. military statement on the raid, which reported five soldiers killed and three wounded, said "the PJCC is a coordination center where local Iraqi officials, Iraqi security forces and coalition forces stationed within the center meet to address the security needs of the population."
Iraqi officials said the approaching convoy of black GMC Suburbans was waved through an Iraqi checkpoint at the edge of Karbala. The Iraqi soldiers believed it to be American because of the type of vehicles, the distinctive camouflage American uniforms and the fact that they spoke English. One Iraqi official said the leader of the assault team was blond, but no other official confirmed that.
A top Iraqi security official for Karbala province told the AP that the Iraqi guards at the checkpoint radioed ahead to their compatriots at the PJCC to alert them that the convoy was on its way.
Iraqi officials said the attackers' convoy divided upon arrival, with some vehicles parking at the back of the main building where the meeting was taking place, others parked in front.
The U.S. military in Baghdad received a first report of the attack about 6:15 p.m., the senior U.S. military officials said.
The attackers threw a grenade and opened fire with automatic rifles as they grabbed two soldiers inside the compound. Then the guerrilla assault team jumped on top of an armored U.S. Humvee and captured two more soldiers, the U.S. military officials said.
One U.S. soldier was killed in the melee at the compound, and three were wounded. All the officials agreed the four abducted soldiers did not die in the fighting at the compound in Karbala, but it was unclear where they were killed.
The attackers fled with the four and the computer and headed east toward Mahwil, in neighboring Babil province, about 25 miles away, the U.S. military officials said.
The U.S. accounts did not say where the soldiers were killed. Iraqi officials said the four were captured alive and shot just before the vehicles were abandoned. Iraqi officials said the U.S. military found the four U.S. soldiers in the Suburbans near Bu-Alwan, a village near Mahawil.
The U.S. officials, who had seen incident reports of the assault, said the documents indicated two of the soldiers were found in one of the Suburbans at one location and two others in a second Suburban elsewhere. The exact locations were not specified, they said. Both sides agreed that _ when found _ three soldiers were dead and one was wounded and died as U.S. troops rushed the service member away for treatment.
Three days afterward, the U.S. military in Baghdad announced the arrest of four suspects in the attack and said they had been detained on a tip from a Karbala resident. No further information was released about the suspects.
The Defense Department has released the names of troops killed last Saturday but clearly identified only one as being killed because of the sneak attack. Capt. Brian S. Freeman, 31, of Temecula, Calif., "died of wounds suffered when his meeting area came under attack by mortar and small arms fire." Freeman was assigned to the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, Whitehall, Ohio.
The only other troops killed that day in that region of Iraq were four Army soldiers said to have been "ambushed while conducting dismounted operations" in Karbala. The four were identified as 1st Lt. Jacob N. Fritz, 25, of Verdon, Neb.; Spc. Johnathan B. Chism, 22, of Gonzales, La.; Pfc. Shawn P. Falter, 25, of Cortland, N.Y., and Pvt. Johnathon M. Millican, 20, of Trafford, Ala. All were with the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, of Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Three days after the attack, the U.S. military in Baghdad announced the arrest of four suspects in the attack and said they had been detained on a tip from a Karbala resident. No further information was released about the suspects.
#4
This was a professional hit, but still sloppy. Weirdly enough, those abandoned Suburbans are going to be investigated by FBI agents, who are by far the best forensics experts around. They will be collecting fingerprints and DNA.
Then, if they ever get a match, time for some good old fashioned Manchu-style interrogation.
If it turns out to have been an Iranian job, then specialists will be notified, and some extreme sanctions carried out around the world.
It said, "Two soldiers were found handcuffed together in the back of one of the SUVs. Both had suffered gunshot wounds and were dead. A third soldier was found shot and dead on the ground. Nearby, the fourth soldier was still alive, despite a gunshot wound to the head." The mortally wounded soldier was rushed to the hospital by Iraqi police but died on the way, the military said.
The military also said Iraqi police had found "five SUVs, U.S. Army-type combat uniforms, boots, radios and a non-U.S. made rifle" near Mahawil, in neighboring Babil province.
"The precision of the attack, the equipment used and the possible use of explosives to destroy the military vehicles in the compound suggests that the attack was well rehearsed prior to execution," said Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl, spokesman for Multi-National Division-Baghdad. "The attackers went straight to where Americans were located in the provincial government facility, bypassing the Iraqi police in the compound," said Bleichwehl. "We are looking at all the evidence to determine who or what was responsible for the breakdown in security at the compound and the perpetration of the assault."
#7
If it turns out to have been an Iranian job, then specialists will be notified, and some extreme sanctions carried out around the world.
I'm hoping the "specialists" will be the missile officers on our subs.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
01/26/2007 17:15 Comments ||
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#8
further rumors are that at least one spoke excellent English, and that one purportedly did not have the standard issue black hair. All rumor at this point.
#9
I'm sure Justice Kennedy, former Secty of State Powell, and Senator McCain can explain how our exemplary adherence to the Geneva Convention means the enemy will observe its protection for our troops. /sarcasm off
#10
perhaps Arlen Spetor R-Asshole, has prepared comments for the funerals?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/26/2007 21:24 Comments ||
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#11
This incident shows so much of what has gone wrong in Iraq.
Iranians should have been expelled from Iraq in 2003. Any remaining now should be arrested or killed STAT.
Anyone caught impersonating US military in Iraq should be shot immediately, at least one as an example, but this will never happen with present ROE.
This was more likely an inside operation involving Iraqi forces working for the other side, which has been a problem ever since the 2003 overthrow. I keep reading of how US trainers of Iraqi forces must carry arms and have bodyguards when they work. There has always been this security gap. I am surprised this hasn't happened several times before.
Note the attempted abduction ended abruptly when the "black SUV's" ran roadblocks farther away from Karbala and local forces interfered with the escape. Not all the Iraqis were in on this. At least there was no time for the GI's be to tortured and beheaded on videotape for al-Jazeera to broadcast. That was one of the purposes of this operation.
Iraqs Shiite prime minister and Sunni lawmakers hurled insults at one another during a raucous session of Parliament on Thursday, with the prime minister threatening a Sunni lawmaker with arrest and the Sunni speaker of Parliament threatening to quit.
The article goes on to detail the stormy parliamentary session (humorously linking Sunni parliamentarians and "critics" of Bush's plan as skeptical of Maliki's likelihood to crack down on Shi'a). For 27 paragraphs. Then, in the 28th paragraph ....
Eventually, though, the tensions eased and Parliament approved the security plan.
Hmm, any questions about why even a majority of war supporters often display panic about the situation in Iraq? Non-stop, 24/7 distortion - this is far from the worst, of course - and something approaching silence from the guvamint. Heard a clip of Cheney yesterday. He made a reference to media failure, showing they're aware of what's going on. But no response, not in the game, lo these years later, after the country is spooked, panicked, and whining like a little girl. Outrageous.
#1
According to an article in Pajamas Media written by, I believe, Omar of Iraq the Model, not only did the plan pass but despite the bickering it passed unanimously.
#3
Crosspatch, thanks, I'd seen that factoid too from Omar (unanimous approval of the govt. plan), but forgot to add that item, which dramatically reinforces my point.
And Glenmore, I had the same thought - in fact, the S. Korean, Taiwanese, and Israeli parliaments (as well as a few in Latin America and elsewhere) exhibit this sort of raucous behavior. Funny, nobody is tsk-tsk'ing about how those places can't handle democracy, or otherwise trying to make mileage out of what is a frequent scene on the historical stage.
As readers here know, I'm a huge believer that politics in Iraq at this stage need to be advanced with a lot of non-political activity (i.e., violence and coercion) - but there is a political component, and now some political channels through which to act or cut deals. The embassy/USG over-played that aspect too early, but the existence of these channels at this point, in these conditions, is an accomplishment in itself (forever to remain a secret to the world and the US public, as the media provides a distorted historically illiterate picture, and the WH sits there with duct-tape over its mouth).
#4
Much like the defeatists in the USA. "OH YEAH, we oppose Bush's War, but we most certainly approve of his choice for commanding general in Iraq and, therefore, we vote to confirm General Patreus.
The cowards in congress cover their asses.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
01/26/2007 14:03 Comments ||
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#5
There isn't even words for how bad the media has been IRT Iraq. If history is any indicator, we might not even hear from them that the Iraqi Government approved this. On top of that, Feingold just upped the bar.
He is getting an email from me tonight as well as every Republican on the hill and Loserman urging them to go on the offensive against his bill, and the press.
Most solid Americans love our men and women in uniform. A good domestic offensive could have opinion polls turning around by March.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
01/26/2007 14:13 Comments ||
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I heard an opinion last night, not necessarily my own, that this may the turning point toward victory in this war. The reason being that these people appear to have finally realized that if they don't get their act together they will lose American support altogether and be left to their own devices against the tender mercies of Al Qaeda and Iran. Tater may have finally decided to go along because the word is that the troop surge will be aimed at killing people and breaking things in Sadr City whether Maliki approves or not. I hope it's true but it looks to me like the record of muslim democracy is dismal at best so far. The Paleos have completely cocked it up and the Lebs are on the ropes. Seems as though they'd rather kill each other than sit, think and discuss. Maybe it just takes time for these new concepts to sink in.
#7
What a major accomplishment for democracy in Iraq. To think that in just three years, the Iraqis have reached the same level in parliamentary discourse as the Japanese (50 years), and the Taiwanese (20 years). Four years ago, Saddam would have had most of 'em run through the chipper.
#8
I watched a couple of hours of "debate" on BBC in England when I was stationed there. It sounds very much like what I see described here - six or seven hours of yelling at each other, then a vote to go ahead with whatever was under "discussion". Their election politics are even more vituperous.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/26/2007 15:42 Comments ||
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#9
#8 OP - question time is a scream. When John Major was PM he could more than hold his own. I wish I could have seen Margaret Thatcher in action. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/26/2007 17:31 Comments ||
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The Bush administration has authorized the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian operatives inside Iraq as part of an aggressive new strategy to weaken Tehran's influence across the Middle East and compel it to give up its nuclear program, according to government and counterterrorism officials with direct knowledge of the effort.
For more than a year, U.S. forces in Iraq have secretly detained dozens of suspected Iranian agents, holding them for three to four days at a time. The "catch and release" policy was designed to avoid escalating tensions with Iran and yet intimidate its emissaries. U.S. forces collected DNA samples from some of the Iranians without their knowledge, subjected others to retina scans, and fingerprinted and photographed all of them before letting them go.
Last summer, however, senior administration officials decided that a more confrontational approach was necessary, as Iran's regional influence grew and U.S. efforts to isolate Tehran appeared to be failing. The country's nuclear work was advancing, U.S. allies were resisting robust sanctions against the Tehran government, and Iran was aggravating sectarian violence in Iraq.
"There were no costs for the Iranians," said one senior administration official. "They are hurting our mission in Iraq, and we were bending over backwards not to fight back."
Three officials said that about 150 Iranian intelligence officers, plus members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Command, are believed to be active inside Iraq at any given time. There is no evidence the Iranians have directly attacked U.S. troops in Iraq, intelligence officials said.
But, for three years, the Iranians have operated an embedding program there, offering operational training, intelligence and weaponry to several Shiite militias connected to the Iraqi government, to the insurgency and to the violence against Sunni factions. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the director of the CIA, told the Senate recently that the amount of Iranian-supplied materiel used against U.S. troops in Iraq "has been quite striking."
"Iran seems to be conducting a foreign policy with a sense of dangerous triumphalism," Hayden said.
The new "kill or capture" program was authorized by President Bush in a meeting of his most senior advisers last fall, along with other measures meant to curtail Iranian influence from Kabul to Beirut and, ultimately, to shake Iran's commitment to its nuclear efforts. Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, but the United States and other nations say it is aimed at developing weapons.
The administration's plans contain five "theaters of interest," as one senior official put it, with military, intelligence, political and diplomatic strategies designed to target Iranian interests across the Middle East.
The White House has authorized a widening of what is known inside the intelligence community as the "Blue Game Matrix" -- a list of approved operations that can be carried out against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. And U.S. officials are preparing international sanctions against Tehran for holding several dozen al-Qaeda fighters who fled across the Afghan border in late 2001. They plan more aggressive moves to disrupt Tehran's funding of the radical Palestinian group Hamas and to undermine Iranian interests among Shiites in western Afghanistan.
In Iraq, U.S. troops now have the authority to target any member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, as well as officers of its intelligence services believed to be working with Iraqi militias. The policy does not extend to Iranian civilians or diplomats. Though U.S. forces are not known to have used lethal force against any Iranian to date, Bush administration officials have been urging top military commanders to exercise the authority.
The wide-ranging plan has several influential skeptics in the intelligence community, at the State Department and at the Defense Department who said that they worry it could push the growing conflict between Tehran and Washington into the center of a chaotic Iraq war.
Senior administration officials said the policy is based on the theory that Tehran will back down from its nuclear ambitions if the United States hits it hard in Iraq and elsewhere, creating a sense of vulnerability among Iranian leaders. But if Iran responds with escalation, it has the means to put U.S. citizens and national interests at greater risk in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Officials said Hayden counseled the president and his advisers to consider a list of potential consequences, including the possibility that the Iranians might seek to retaliate by kidnapping or killing U.S. personnel in Iraq.
Two officials said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, though a supporter of the strategy, is concerned about the potential for errors, as well as the ramifications of a military confrontation between U.S. and Iranian troops on the Iraqi battlefield.
In meetings with Bush's other senior advisers, officials said, Rice insisted that the defense secretary appoint a senior official to personally oversee the program to prevent it from expanding into a full-scale conflict. Rice got the oversight guarantees she sought, though it remains unclear whether senior Pentagon officials must approve targets on a case-by-case basis or whether the oversight is more general.
The departments of Defense and State referred all requests for comment on the Iran strategy to the National Security Council, which declined to address specific elements of the plan and would not comment on some intelligence matters.
But in response to questions about the "kill or capture" authorization, Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the NSC, said: "The president has made clear for some time that we will take the steps necessary to protect Americans on the ground in Iraq and disrupt activity that could lead to their harm. Our forces have standing authority, consistent with the mandate of the U.N. Security Council."
Officials said U.S. and British special forces in Iraq, which will work together in some operations, are developing the program's rules of engagement to define the exact circumstances for using force. In his last few weeks as the top commander in Iraq, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. sought to help coordinate the program on the ground. One official said Casey had planned to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "hostile entity," a distinction within the military that would permit offensive action.
Casey's designated successor, Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, told Congress in writing this week that a top priority will be "countering the threats posed by Iranian and Syrian meddling in Iraq, and the continued mission of dismantling terrorist networks and killing or capturing those who refuse to support a unified, stable Iraq."
Advocates of the new policy -- some of whom are in the NSC, the vice president's office, the Pentagon and the State Department -- said that only direct and aggressive efforts can shatter Iran's growing influence. A less confident Iran, with fewer cards, may be more willing to cut the kind of deal the Bush administration is hoping for on its nuclear program. "The Iranians respond to the international community only when they are under pressure, not when they are feeling strong," one official said.
With aspects of the plan also targeting Iran's influence in Lebanon, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories, the policy goes beyond the threats Bush issued earlier this month to "interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria" into Iraq. It also marks a departure from years past when diplomacy appeared to be the sole method of pressuring Iran to reverse course on its nuclear program.
R. Nicholas Burns, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, said in an interview in late October that the United States knows that Iran "is providing support to Hezbollah and Hamas and supporting insurgent groups in Iraq that have posed a problem for our military forces." He added: "In addition to the nuclear issue, Iran's support for terrorism is high up on our agenda."
Burns, the top Foreign Service officer in the State Department, has been leading diplomatic efforts to increase international pressure on the Iranians. Over several months, the administration made available five political appointees for interviews, to discuss limited aspects of the policy, on the condition that they not be identified.
Officials who spoke in more detail and without permission -- including senior officials, career analysts and policymakers -- said their standing with the White House would be at risk if they were quoted by name.
The decision to use lethal force against Iranians inside Iraq began taking shape last summer, when Israel was at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Officials said a group of senior Bush administration officials who regularly attend the highest-level counterterrorism meetings agreed that the conflict provided an opening to portray Iran as a nuclear-ambitious link between al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and the death squads in Iraq.
Among those involved in the discussions, beginning in August, were deputy national security adviser Elliott Abrams, NSC counterterrorism adviser Juan Zarate, the head of the CIA's counterterrorism center, representatives from the Pentagon and the vice president's office, and outgoing State Department counterterrorism chief Henry A. Crumpton.
At the time, Bush publicly emphasized diplomacy as his preferred path for dealing with Iran. Standing before the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 19, Bush spoke directly to the Iranian people: "We look to the day when you can live in freedom, and America and Iran can be good friends and close partners in the cause of peace."
Two weeks later, Crumpton flew from Washington to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa for a meeting with Gen. John P. Abizaid, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East. A principal reason for the visit, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the discussion, was to press Abizaid to prepare for an aggressive campaign against Iranian intelligence and military operatives inside Iraq.
Information gleaned through the "catch and release" policy expanded what was once a limited intelligence community database on Iranians in Iraq. It also helped to avert a crisis between the United States and the Iraqi government over whether U.S. troops should be holding Iranians, several officials said, and dampened the possibility of Iranians directly targeting U.S. personnel in retaliation.
But senior officials saw it as too timid.
"We were making no traction" with "catch and release," a senior counterterrorism official said in a recent interview, explaining that it had failed to halt Iranian activities in Iraq or worry the Tehran leadership. "Our goal is to change the dynamic with the Iranians, to change the way the Iranians perceive us and perceive themselves. They need to understand that they cannot be a party to endangering U.S. soldiers' lives and American interests, as they have before. That is going to end."
A senior intelligence officer was more wary of the ambitions of the strategy.
"This has little to do with Iraq. It's all about pushing Iran's buttons. It is purely political," the official said. The official expressed similar views about other new efforts aimed at Iran, suggesting that the United States is escalating toward an unnecessary conflict to shift attention away from Iraq and to blame Iran for the United States' increasing inability to stanch the violence there.
But some officials within the Bush administration say that targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guard Command, and specifically a Guard unit known as the Quds Force, should be as much a priority as fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Quds Force is considered by Western intelligence to be directed by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to support Iraqi militias, Hamas and Hezbollah.
In interviews, two senior administration officials separately compared the Tehran government to the Nazis and the Guard to the "SS." They also referred to Guard members as "terrorists." Such a formal designation could turn Iran's military into a target of what Bush calls a "war on terror," with its members potentially held as enemy combatants or in secret CIA detention.
Asked whether such a designation is imminent, Johndroe of the NSC said in a written response that the administration has "long been concerned about the activities of the IRGC and its components throughout the Middle East and beyond." He added: "The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force is a part of the Iranian state apparatus that supports and carries out these activities."
#1
Catch and release is something sport fisherman do. When it comes to terrorists, the best policy is the Californian response to "endangered species" on their property, kill quick and bury deep.
#2
now THIS will make a difference. Combined with the "surge", things should improve. Open season on Iranian agents - I like it
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/26/2007 9:37 Comments ||
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#3
No issues with Gitmo if they're worm food.
Should have been the situation with Saddam as well, but suits wanted their rituals and have paid with the consequences.
#4
The wide-ranging plan has several influential skeptics in the intelligence community, at the State Department and at the Defense Department who said that they worry it could push the growing conflict between Tehran and Washington into the center of a chaotic Iraq war.
Repeat after me: We are already at war. We have been at war since 1979.
#6
A senior intelligence officer was more wary of the ambitions of the strategy.
"This has little to do with Iraq. It's all about pushing Iran's buttons. It is purely political," the official said. The official expressed similar views about other new efforts aimed at Iran, suggesting that the United States is escalating toward an unnecessary conflict to shift attention away from Iraq and to blame Iran for the United States' increasing inability to stanch the violence there.
Oh, and find out who this senior intelligence officer is and sack his sorry as$ butt - for making unauthorized comments regarding foreign policy if for nothing else.
#8
Oh, and find out who this senior intelligence officer is and sack his sorry as$ butt - for making unauthorized comments regarding foreign policy if for nothing else.
#13
But if Iran responds with escalation, it has the means to put U.S. citizens and national interests at greater risk in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
But, but, but. Anybody got a risk-free way to go?
The wide-ranging plan has several influential skeptics in the intelligence community, at the State Department and at the Defense Department who said that they worry it could push the growing conflict between Tehran and Washington into the center of a chaotic Iraq war.
I'm sure we'll be hearing more from the "skeptics" - this is the Washington Post, after all.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/26/2007 10:53 Comments ||
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#14
lol, Glenmore. I actually feel a LOT better about this "catch and release" program with our military running it. Retinal scans, DNA, Fingerprints, Photographs....all will be used to follow these guys to "their masters" methinks. Almost wonder if some Spec Ops have already done so (with the news that Iran's top nuclear scientist "mysteriously" died last week). Note that this was approved last fall, but only reported now. The MSM at work, once again!
Posted by: BA ||
01/26/2007 10:55 Comments ||
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#15
but suits wanted their rituals and have paid with the consequences.
I wish it was them that paid the suits that paid. It's our countrys future leaders that are paying. And I for one want them to do whatever they feel they need to do, when they are getting shot at. Not want the suits think.
I know you think the same way Procopius2k. Damn kids have done everything we have asked and more. Time they get to ask.
#17
While pleased to some extent, I find this a tremendously depressing item.
Another absolutely baffling failure by people who generally have the right instincts to act sooner, and more vigorously. The failure, that is, to implement even harsher (more "confrontational") responses the instant we knew that Iranian activities were killing/wounding our soldiers (don't know when this was, but I first heard about the smoking-gun EFP/trigger discoveries in the south a long time ago, and certainly long before last fall). No problem with catch-release as part of a concerted effort to unveil their network with the objective of destroying it. Enormous problem with waiting until last fall to get serious.
The "skeptical" official is the other head-shaker. That people this clueless can be stamping passports or doing bland reports on Malaysian finances, much less be "senior officials", should depress and frighten everyone here.
What, we might "provoke" Iran? I get it - criminal regimes that have been at war with us for over two decades and which sponsor global acts of terrorism for that period and which are a key adversary damaging our interests in three central theaters (Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon) best not be "confronted"?
#20
U.S. forces collected DNA samples from some of the Iranians without their knowledge, subjected others to retina scans, and fingerprinted and photographed all of them before letting them go.
Oh, the humanity! Call the ACLU, HRW, and AI!
I agree with Verlaine. W wasn't going to win any friends in Congress or overseas by being "diplomatic." I think Iran's stealth war should have been exposed early and often. Things have gone so far now that, short of a direct massive attack by Iran, any military action against Iran will be followed by months of Congressional hearings and impeachment efforts. That may have happened anyway, but the American public has been so soured that I doubt even they'll support military action against Iran.
#21
Perhaps this coming to light now might be a way of goading Iran into overstepping.
They don't strike me as being a party whom it would take very much to goad into doing something doing something very...ummm... ill-concieved. Or extremely counter-productive to their ends. Or spectacularly violent.
Or all three.
#22
"The Bush administration has authorized the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian operatives inside Iraq as part of an aggressive new strategy to weaken Tehran's influence across the Middle East and compel it to give up its nuclear program"
It does not readily occur to me how this will compel Iran to give up it's nuclear program.
#23
Iranians are never going to give up there nuke ambitions until we take it from them. This is to get the Iranians to do something stupid, so we can pound on them hard.
#24
The "skeptical" official is the other head-shaker. That people this clueless can be stamping passports or doing bland reports on Malaysian finances, much less be "senior officials", should depress and frighten everyone here.
Depress and frighten, sure. But it comes as no surprise. In non Defense related government employment, appearance and perception are everything. Knowing all the right people helps too.
The level of incompetence at the management levels in most agencies would take your breath away. Of course, some of you here already know that.
Posted by: Chuck Darwin ||
01/26/2007 14:56 Comments ||
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#25
djohn66, I have a mild remonstrance to say: you don't "take" anyone's ambitions "away" from them.
You have to ass-kick people's ambitions out of them.
Posted by: Captain America ||
01/26/2007 15:43 Comments ||
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#27
Bush needs to declare open season on all the "don't do anything, it might make the muzzies mad" idiots in State, Defense, and Justice. That may make more of a difference than what we do in Iraq. If he could do the same, openly or clandestinely, against the MSM, we might even win this damned war.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/26/2007 16:31 Comments ||
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#28
#1: Catch and release is something sport fisherman do. When it comes to terrorists, the best policy is the Californian response to "endangered species" on their property, kill quick and bury deep.
Also known as shoot, shovel, and shut(up).
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/26/2007 17:29 Comments ||
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#29
Remember Col. Higgins.
Yes I do.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/26/2007 17:32 Comments ||
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#30
Catch or kill? Why the choice?
Rule #1 - Kill all non-uniformed combatants. (After all, we do want to follow the Geneva Conventions, don't we?)
Rule #2 - When in doubt, see Rule #1.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
01/26/2007 17:34 Comments ||
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#31
Rule #3 - there's a process for Diplomats - they're officially accredited. If they aren't accredited, see rules #2 and #1 above.
PS: it's not a "Consulate" just because they say so.... see "mosque" and "XXXth Holiest Place In Islam"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/26/2007 19:41 Comments ||
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#32
About fucking Time!
But if Iran responds with escalation, it has the means to put U.S. citizens and national interests at greater risk in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
And this is different then how they are operating now how?
Face it we have been at war with Iran for the last 26-odd years. Its about time we stopped fighting it with both hands tied behind out backs, hobbled, and gagged.
#33
The weirdest & most depressing aspect of this is the phrasing "catch or kill Iranian agents." This implies that the agents have long been known & that the US military has been letting them do their thing. It also implies that news of the harmful activities of these "agents" has been suppressed. ABC TV news tonight did make mention of the Iranian supplied anti-armor weapons, but this was not stressed, nor was it the lead article of the evening news, as it should have been, and a long time ago, too.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A bomb hidden in a box carrying pigeons struck a crowded animal market in central Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 14 people and wounding dozens, officials and witnesses said. The explosive device was hidden in a box when it detonated at about 10 a.m. at the Souq al-Ghazl, which attracts buyers and sellers peddling birds, dogs, cats, sheep and goats and exotic animals such as snakes and monkeys.
A witness said a man arrived with an egg carton containing pigeons for sale, but it exploded after he walked away to get a drink, tearing through the potential buyers gathering around the box. Raad Hassan, a frequent customer at the market, said he was about 60 yards away from where the blast occurred.
"My friends and I rushed to the scene where we saw burned dead bodies, pieces of flesh and several dead expensive puppies and birds," he said. And 14 dead humans, but they're not expensive.
Ali Nassir said dead animals were scattered on the blood-soaked ground and several snakes, monkeys and birds had been let loose from their cages as ambulances and police cars converged on the scene.
"The policemen are firing in the air in order to disperse the crowds of people arriving to find out what happened to relatives who were missing," he said. "The explosion was huge and happened in a crowded place."
An 18-year-old homing pigeon vendor who was wounded expressed frustration at the unrelenting violence in the capital. "I went this morning to the animal market to earn some money and to entertain myself, instead I was hit by the explosion and lost consciousness, my pigeons and my mobile phone," Sajad Abdel-Jabar said from his hospital bed.
The al-Ghazl market, or Spinning Market, also was attacked in early June, when two bombings struck in quick succession, killing at least five people, as insurgents often strike commercial targets to maximize the casualties.
The popular market stands on the eastern side of the Tigris River next to the famous 13th century Sunni Ulama Mosque that was built by the Abbasid dynasty. The shops around the mosque used to be for its spinning mills but the area transformed into an animal market a few decades ago. The shops are open all the week but vendors come on Friday and set up stalls on the 500-yard-long stretch of pavement on Jumhuri Street.
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/26/2007 06:14 ||
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#1
Maybe this will finally bring PETA and HSUS down against them.
(Reuters) Bombs killed at least 34 people in Baghdad on Thursday but Iraq's prime minister vowed a crackdown in the capital would leave gunmen nowhere to hide. In a speech to parliament, Nouri Maliki urged politicians on all sides to support his security plan, backed by 17,000 US reinforcements and seen by many as a last chance to halt sectarian violence in the capital. "There will be no safe haven no school, no home, no [Sunni] mosque or Shiite mosque. They will all be raided if they are turned into a launchpad for terrorism, even the headquarters of political parties," he said.
Maliki said his determination had already borne fruit. "I know that senior criminals have left Baghdad, others have fled the country. This is good, this shows that our message is being taken seriously," he said.
Some fear that gunmen may simply avoid confrontation in the crackdown, betting that eventually US troops will leave. "There is a... concern they might be lying low, avoiding conflict now in order to fight another day," US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said on Wednesday.
Criticised for not doing enough about Shiite groups linked to some of his allies, Maliki has vowed to take on armed groups regardless of sect or political affiliation. "We have worked hard to get professional officers to lead this plan, with no political affiliations. So let's all help these officers," he said, answering criticism that the army and police were infiltrated by sectarian factions.
Washington has identified the Mehdi Army, loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, as the greatest threat to security in Iraq and has warned that the success of Maliki's plan depends on him going after Shiite factions with as much determination as he deals with Sunni Arab insurgents. The prime minister, who depends on Sadr's political movement for support in parliament, has been accused of failing to crack down on the Mehdi Army in the past, but officials in his Shiite alliance say he has now accepted he must take action. A senior member of the Sadrist movement, Bahaa Araji, pledged the group's support for the plan in parliament, as did the main Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties. The parliament voted unanimously to support the plan.
Since Maliki announced his plan earlier this month there have been a series of bombings and dozens of bodies continue to be found dumped in the city, apparent victims of death squads. Thirty-three were found on Wednesday alone.
A car bomb ripped through a shopping district in Karrada in central Baghdad, killing 26 people and wounding 64, a police source said. Another car bomb and a motorcycle bomb exploded in other markets, killing five people, while a roadside bomb killed three, police said. Earlier this week a double bombing at a market killed at least 88 people in central Baghdad. Two rockets landed in the heavily fortified Green Zone housing the government and embassies, provoking loudspeaker warnings to people to take cover. The US military had no immediate information on casualties.
Maliki said Iraqi security forces would start to remove squatters from Baghdad homes they have illegally occupied since the owners fled sectarian intimidation and ethnic cleansing. "Today or tomorrow we will start arresting those who are living in the homes of refugees, to open the way for their return," he said.
Tens of thousands of people, including Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Christians, have fled their homes in Baghdad because of violence and threats that have turned many formerly mixed districts into sectarian enclaves. Maliki rejected suggestions his security plan was a last chance: "The battle between us and terrorism is an open-ended battle. It does not stop with the end of this plan."
Commenting on Maliki's speech, White House spokesman Tony Snow described it as "a very assertive address on the part of the prime minister", adding: "We certainly welcome that because it demonstrates the kind of vigour that we've been talking about and that the American people expect." Snow was speaking to reporters on Thursday on board Air Force One on his way to Kansas City, Missouri, with President George W. Bush.
With US public patience running thin, US President George W. Bush's plan to send 21,500 extra troops has met stiff opposition in the new Democrat-dominated Congress. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday voted 12-9 against the new war strategy in a resolution that is due for a vote by the entire Senate next week.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies
Rival Palestinian factions clashed across the Gaza Strip on Thursday and Friday [Jan 25-26], killing six people [as of evening local time], as thousands of Hamas supporters marched on Friday to mark the Islamist group's election victory over Fatah opponents last year.
Three Hamas supporters, a militant from the Fatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and two bystanders were killed in violence which began with a bombing on Thursday night and continued with a spate of shootings on Friday...
#7
This is no time for peace, time for action by the 3499 named Brigades. Step up and be counted! Be compensated and cuddled, get yur pickure in the papers JP Post Internet Ed. Free gun sex! Lock and load babies.
(KUNA) -- The Islamic "Swords of Righteousness" group claimed responsibility on Thursday for bombing the Arabiya satellite station office in Gaza Strip earlier this week.
A statement by the group accused the station of being "one of the podiums of falsehood, infidelity, and hypocrisy" and said the bombing came to put an end to months of spreading lies and false claims. According to the statement, Arabiya was the "true mouthpiece of the Hebrew state (Israel)" and was playing a role that was "not any less dangerous than that played by the Israel Army in Palestinian territories." The office of Arabiya satellite station had been bombed Monday night but no casualties were reported. Staff had received threats prior to that after airing a video about Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.
Palestinian journalists in the West Bank and Gaza Strip had condemned the bombing of the Arabiya office and staged a strike on Tuesday, demanding protection from the Palestinian Authority. Moreover, the group said bombing the office was a warning for other stations not to "place themselves in the service of Zionists" and that it would continue to "combat corruption and corruptors." The same group had claimed responsibility for bombing a number of internet cafes in Gaza, claiming they encouraged "moral corruption and depravity."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- A spokesman for the Palestinian executive force said Thursday that one of its members was killed in an explosion at Jabaliyah refugee camp northern Gaza Strip. Spokesman Islam Shawan told reporters that five other members were injured in the incident. "The bomb targeted an executive force's patrol in Jabaliyah town, said the official.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
A refugee camp? It may have been that redwire/bluewire thingy, again.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 0:09 Comments ||
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#3
JPost Jan. 25, 2007 20:28 | Updated Jan. 25, 2007 20:30 Hamas members wounded in Palestinian jeep attack
Masked Palestinian militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a vehicle from the Hamas armed force in northern Gaza, wounding five Hamas men inside, Hamas officials said.
It was not immediately known who the attackers were, but Palestinians said this was probably part of the months-long conflict between Hamas and the rival Fatah of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. At least 62 people have been killed in the clashes.
Hospital officials said two of the wounded were in critical condition.
The attack took place in the Jebaliya refugee camp next to Gaza City, Hamas said.
Masked Palestinian militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a vehicle from the Hamas armed force in northern Gaza, wounding five Hamas men inside, Hamas officials said. It was not immediately known who the attackers were, but Palestinians said this was probably part of the months-long conflict between Hamas and the rival Fatah of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. At least 62 people have been killed in the clashes. Hospital officials said two of the wounded were in critical condition. The attack took place in the Jebaliya refugee camp next to Gaza City, Hamas said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#3
By itself it is not much, but they combine it with other systems to make a useful too. For instance, at night, once it has determined where a shot came from, that position is automatically and invisibly illuminated with IR.
This makes it a lot harder to get off a second shot without a 50 caliber round passing through your head.
#5
Actually there are lasers that operate in the IR spectrum : invisible to the naked eye, but light up whatever they are pointed at like a spotlight. Use a hardened projector and paint the area that the shot came from, then IR scopes can be used against the shooter.
#6
Why do security cameras have IR LEDs on them? I thought they also made IR 'spotlights' for helicopters. I don't know how IR reflects off of things, but it seems to me it ought to work.
Islamic militants on Thursday fired mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at Lebanese troops as they deployed outside a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee, security officials said. The soldiers fired back at the Jund al-Sham militants in an exchange that lasted about 10 minutes outside the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp near the southern port of Sidon, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. There was no immediate word of casualties.
It was not clear why the Jund al-Sham, an extremist Muslim group, opened fire. Two weeks previously there was a similar exchange between members of Jund al-Sham and the national army near Ein el-Hilweh in which two soldiers were wounded.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
It was not clear why the Jund al-Sham, an extremist Muslim group, opened fire.
(Xinhua) -- Clashes between pro- and anti-government factions died down on late Thursday after a nighttime curfew was imposed in the capital following a day of violence which left at least one killed and more than 81 others wounded. Dozens of casualties in the clashes pitting supporters of the Mustaqbal movement, headed by parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, against an alliance grouping Hezbollah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal movement, Lebanon's local Naharnet website reported.
The security sources were also quoted as saying that the casualties included 17 soldiers, four of whom are officers and over 200 cars were smashed during the daytime clashes. But according to Hezbollah's al-Manar TV earlier report, altogether four students were shot dead and 25 others were injured, many by gunfire, in the clashes erupted between pro- and anti-government students at Beirut Arab University (BAU) on Thursday. The pan-Arab TV channel's footage showed that fighting started between the followers of rival factions with sticks and stones on the university campus then spilled into nearby streets. It developed into exchanges of gunfire from assault rifles and pistols involving students and residents from both sides. The report said that it was not clear who fired first but television stations run by the opposition blamed the deaths on pro-government gunmen.
In order to disperse the frantic crowds, Lebanese soldiers fired into the air and later deployed in large numbers in an effort to control the clashes. Thick smoke rose from the area, where rioters had set cars and tyres ablaze. The soldiers also used military trucks to evacuate scores of civilians trapped on the streets by the violence.
On Thursday evening, Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr ordered a nighttime curfew, which would last from 8:30 p.m. (1830GMT) Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday (0400 GMT), to help the army enforce law and order. In an effort to avoid the spread of violence, Lebanese rival politicians also rushed to call their supporters to keep calm and restrained.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/26/2007 00:00 ||
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#6
Once I actually visited the North Dakota Hall of Fame. Peggy was one of only a few people I had heard of (Roger Maris, Lawrence Welk, Louis Damour were the others).
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.
The NATO-led force in Afghanistan has said it destroyed a rebel compound in an airstrike on Thursday that it believed killed a senior Taliban leader and his deputies. 
(SomaliNet) At least two civilians have been injured in a mortar attack that happened in Wada-jir district in southwest of Somalia capital Mogadishu on later Thursday. It is the second attack in two consecutive days. Abdikarin Osman, local resident told Somalinet that the attack took place around Macmacanka area in Wadajir district about 8:15 pm tonight local time. Shortly after I heard the sounds of explosions I went the area that was hit by two mortar shells, I can confirm that two persons were wounded in the blast, Osman told Somalinet by the telephone. The mortars fell into two civilian houses, 
(SomaliNet) An Ethiopian soldier has been shot dead and other one was wounded on Thursday in ambush attack that in the port city of Kismayu, 500km southern of the Somalia capital Mogadishu. 
(SomaliNet) At least eight people have been injured in clashes with restarted in central Somalia between two local tribal militias, reports say on Thursday. The confrontation happened at the borderline of Hiran and Galgadud regions in central Somalia where opposing clans of Hawadle and Murursade of Hawiye tribe again clashed. The rival clan militias fought around Gobo settlement on the borderline after Ethiopian troops withdrew from the area two days before. 
Karachi, 26 Jan. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A former close aide of Osama bin Laden, who was also a former official with Pakistan's powerful secret service Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the 1980s, 
A car bomb killed one man and injured six others on Thursday amidst preparations for Muharram 10 a day that witnessed carnage last year, said police. However, AFP reported that two men were killed in the attack and as many were injured. At the moment, it appears to be a suicide attack, Station House Officer of Hangu Police Saeed Khan told reporters. 
A suspected 
(Reuters) Bombs killed at least 34 people in Baghdad on Thursday but Iraq's prime minister vowed a crackdown in the capital would leave gunmen nowhere to hide. In a speech to parliament, Nouri Maliki urged politicians on all sides to support his security plan, backed by 17,000 US reinforcements and seen by many as a last chance to halt sectarian violence in the capital. "There will be no safe haven no school, no home, no [Sunni] mosque or Shiite mosque. They will all be raided if they are turned into a launchpad for terrorism, even the headquarters of political parties," he said.
(KUNA) -- The Islamic "Swords of Righteousness" group claimed responsibility on Thursday for bombing the Arabiya satellite station office in Gaza Strip earlier this week.
(KUNA) -- A spokesman for the Palestinian executive force said Thursday that one of its members was killed in an explosion at Jabaliyah refugee camp northern Gaza Strip. Spokesman Islam Shawan told reporters that five other members were injured in the incident. "The bomb targeted an executive force's patrol in Jabaliyah town, said the official.
Masked Palestinian militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a vehicle from the Hamas armed force in northern Gaza, wounding five Hamas men inside, Hamas officials said. It was not immediately known who the attackers were, but Palestinians said this was probably part of the months-long conflict between Hamas and the rival Fatah of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. At least 62 people have been killed in the clashes. Hospital officials said two of the wounded were in critical condition. The attack took place in the Jebaliya refugee camp next to Gaza City, Hamas said.
Islamic militants on Thursday fired mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at Lebanese troops as they deployed outside a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee, security officials said. The soldiers fired back at the Jund al-Sham militants in an exchange that lasted about 10 minutes outside the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp near the southern port of Sidon, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. There was no immediate word of casualties. 
