#4
yeah but. The guy is really upset about remote man in the loop. He should be happy there is a man in the loop. X-47B is capable of autonomous operation with the operator observing if the military desires...
That should flip the morally troubled out....
AMSTERDAM - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende says Dutch troops are likely to leave Afghanistan this year. He was speaking Sunday, a day after his government collapsed when a coalition partner insisted the Dutch troops leave in August as planned.
The Dutch troops will have to work overtime to get through their To Do list before they leave, then. Happy hunting, guys!
Balkenende had wanted to accept a NATO appeal for the 1,600 troops to stay on for another year, at least to train Afghan army and police.
Asked about the deployment on Dutch television, Balkenende said his caretaker government is not empowered to take controversial decisions such as agreeing to an extension in Afghanistan.
In a lengthy debate in parliament before the government fell, most of the 150-member house was in favor of pulling out of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/22/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Compare AMSTERDAM wid ONLINE NEWS.PK > MUSHARAFF: US MADE A BIG MISTAKE IN LEAVING PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN ALONE AT END OF COLD WAR. US strategic-local pullout after 1989 left PAK vulnerable to various instability + Militancies.
* CHINESE MIL FORUM > WHY ISLAMIC EEXTREMISTS HATE INDIA?. Among other, the Militants hate the non/anti-violent, moder influence and effects of Hindu India's democracy on local, regional Muslims, allegedly turning the latter away from TRUE ISLAM = TRUE SHARIA-ISLAMIC RULE???
#2
ION NEWS KERALA > THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WIN "SQUATTER'S RIGHTS" IN BRITAIN, thanx to new 2003 changes in law allowing "indefinite stay of residence". Some illegals have lived in UK as long as 14 years, and had never at any time even intentionally tried to get "legal".
#8
From what I've read, the Dutch military there definitely punches above their weight. They'll be missed.
Their government? That's a whole nuther thing...
#9
The articles that I've seen going more deeply into Dutch politics are very concerned that Geert Wilder's party will significantly improve their standing in the coming election. If so, that will affect any decisions taken with regard to the Dutch adventure in Afghanistan, ams well as the government drive toward further accommodation of the Sharia-compliant.
#1
Is it April the first already, this can not be true.
Posted by: Dave UK ||
02/22/2010 4:45 Comments ||
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#2
As well as the two minarets, it would feature a large central dome, five smaller outlying domes, a morgue, a library and a separate worship area for women.
A morgue? In a mosque? Must be to handle the bodies of "work-related accidents" during training. A morgue?! In a place of worship? WTF?
[Ma'an] Mohammad Awad, secretary-general of the de facto government's cabinet in Gaza, said on Sunday that Hamas is undertaking great efforts to reach a unity agreement.
"We have delivered many clear speeches and messages to many states noting our support for conciliation, because we are convinced that division is affecting the hopes and future of the Palestinian people and threatening their existence," he told Ma'an.
"Reconciliation has not progressed, despite meetings that have attempted to move talks forward. The issue is not the ratification itself, but rather what follows it -- we do not want to repeat previous experiences by signing the document as it is and then returning to the starting point."
Awad said the Hamas-led government in Gaza had "achieved many accomplishments" under the hardships endured by Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave. "All the government's duties were met, both economic and financial, providing employees with their salaries."
The secretary-general cited other accomplishments "especially in the field of security, ending lawlessness," as well as in education, health and employment sectors. "What we have achieved is not on the same level of our ambitions, which we work to achieve."
Awad said among the greatest of obstacles in achieving the goals of the Hamas government was the international community's failure to recognize the movement's electoral victory in 2006.
"The siege, and its tragic consequences ... the war carried out on Gaza. All of these factors confirm that the government has been working under continued pressure akin to crisis management," he concluded, pointing to ongoing issues, including the fuel and stationary shortfalls.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/22/2010 00:00 ||
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DAMASCUS - Syria dismissed on Saturday an International Atomic Energy Agency recommendation to allow its inspectors unrestrained access, days after the agency said a bombed Syrian complex could have been a nuclear site. El-Baradei is no longer in charge at the IAEA, and suddenly the agency has grown a spine. Wotta coincidence ...
An IAEA report said on Thursday that Uranium particles found at a Syrian complex destroyed by an Israeli air raid in 2007 suggest the possibility of covert nuclear activity at the site. The report, by new IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano, prodded Syria to adopt the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which permits unfettered inspections beyond a declared nuclear site to check out any covert atomic activity.
We are committed to the non-proliferation agreement between the agency and Syria and we (only) allow inspectors to come according to this agreement,' Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said.
We will not allow anything beyond the agreement because Syria does not have a military nuclear programme. Syria is not obliged to open its other sites to inspectors,' Moualem said after meeting his Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger.
Moualem did not address the findings of the latest IAEA report on Syria and repeated Syria's position that its nuclear activities are peaceful and related mostly to medicine.
The United States said the site bombed by Israeli warplanes three years ago at al Kubar, around 60 km (37 miles) west of the city of Deir al-Zor, was a North Korean designed nuclear reactor geared to making weapons-grade plutonium. The IAEA report lent public support for the first time to the U.S. assessment.
Previous IAEA reports on its investigation into Kubar said lack of Syrian cooperation impeded the investigation. U.N. inspectors examined the site in June 2008 but Syrian authorities has barred them access since and did not let them visit three military sites.
The IAEA has also been checking whether there could be a link between the particles uncovered at Kubar and similar traces detected in swipe samples taken at a Damascus nuclear research reactor later in 2008.
The report said Syria had refused a meeting in Damascus last month to address the issue. But inspectors now planned to visit the research reactor on Feb. 23.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/22/2010 00:00 ||
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DAMASCUS, Syria - A U.S. Embassy official and Syria's official news agency say the U.S. State Department has lifted an advisory warning American travelers of security concerns in Syria.
However, Syria remains on a U.S. list of countries supporting terrorism, a designation made in 1979. But we'll let tourists go there. Brilliant ...
Syria's official news agency SANA quoted a State Department official as saying the U.S. is lifting the travel warning for Syria. An official at the U.S. Embassy confirmed the report Saturday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/22/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Pressure from the Islamic Colony of Dearborn no doubt.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has warned of Israeli attempts to start a military confrontation with Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
Hariri, who was in Italy to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, urged Rome to pressure Israel to take part in peace negotiations.
"Israel can't claim to be interested in the peace process without doing anything tangible in this regard," Hariri said, noting that the Israelis were currently gripped with division.
The Lebanese prime minister, who was taking part in an interview with Italian channel RAI News 24 on Friday, added that while "Arabs want peace," Israel only seeks war with "Lebanon, Syria and Iran."
Hariri also highlighted daily Israeli violations of Lebanese air space and described them as unacceptable.
This is not the first time during the past weeks that Hariri has warned of the "escalating" threats that Israel poses to the Middle East, as officials in Tel Aviv have been repeating threats of a full-fledged war against Lebanon.
Late last month, an Israeli minister revealed the regime's intentions to wage a third attack on Lebanon. Some news outlets have even reported that Tel Aviv had already mobilized its troops for the military aggression.
On February 5, Hariri objected to the increasing number of Lebanese airspace violations carried out by Israeli warplanes. He also called on the international community to prevent a possible Israeli attack on his country.
Just days later, he renewed his call and warned Tel Aviv that it would be confronted by a united Lebanon if war breaks out.
"I think they're betting that there might be some division in Lebanon, if there is a war against us...Well, there won't be a division in Lebanon... We will stand against Israel. We will stand with our own people," he vowed.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/22/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
ION WAFF > CHIEF OF ARMED FORCES OF TURKEY ENVISIONS A REVIVAL OF [regional]OTTOMAN NAVAL DOMINATION,
POSTER > believes TURKEY DESIRES TO ULTIMATELY CONTROL THE BLACK SEA-DARDANELLES + WHOLE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.
ARTIC > Armed Forces Hefe says NAVAL FORCE-POWER was historically important = decisive for the World's greatest empires, to include the comtemporary sole superpower USA.
* TOPIX > PROPOSED RUSSIAN NAVAL BASE IN ABKHAZIA MAY CHANGE BALANCE OF POWER IN BLACK SEA.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has stated that the Islamic Republic will have the capacity to produce the plate-type dispersion nuclear fuel element in the coming months.
"Those who make allegations that Tehran lacks the means to manufacture the plate-type dispersion nuclear fuel element should wait for the end results of our work in four months," he told the IRNA news agency on Saturday.
Mehmanparast added, "Ever since Iran set its civilian nuclear program in motion, certain elements have claimed that the technical expertise the Islamic Republic employs is by no means indigenous and comes from outside. They even assume Iranian nuclear activities will come to a standstill should restrictions be imposed on the importation of the foreign-made parts required to advance the nuclear program."
Later, it was acknowledged that Iranian scientists have the capability to produce 3.5-percent enriched uranium after the world saw new generations of Iranian-made nuclear centrifuges, he noted.
"Iran has always conducted its nuclear activities under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, and they are well aware that Iran has the capability to produce the plate-type dispersion nuclear fuel element," he pointed out.
The West expressed reservations about the first reports that Iran had produced its first batch of 20-percent enriched nuclear fuel, but the UN nuclear watchdog dispelled the doubts.
Mehmanparast also stated that the expertise to produce the plate-type dispersion nuclear fuel element does not differ greatly from the technology required to produce nuclear fuel rods, adding that a unit of the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), which was inaugurated in early spring 2009, is currently converting the 20-percent enriched fuel into fuel rods.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/22/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
ISRAELI MIL FORUM > LATEST REPORT ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES [Iran may be covertly produc as much as 10X it public stated output of HEU]???
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/22/2010 12:34 Comments ||
Top||
#5
...and Hussein O says, "the US doesn't have a veto over the nuclear policies of other countries." Ergo: do nothing. Unless you think rhetoric-bombs have impact.
#6
DRUDGEREPORT > IRAN TO HIDE NUCLEAR PLANTS INSIDE MOUNTAINS.
HMMMMM, HMMMMM, so its "THE NUKES OF NAVARONE" [Iran], versus "SINK THE TIRPITZ" WW3 Commando movies, ala CHINA reloc vulnerable PLA, econ activities heeeevily defended deep in-country secret locales includ next to water sources???
NO PAS? Uh, uh, "333 SQUADRON"???
D *** NG IT, MORIARITY, 333 SQUADRON > "YOU CAN'T KILL A SQUADRON"!
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.
DAMASCUS - Syria dismissed on Saturday an International Atomic Energy Agency recommendation to allow its inspectors unrestrained access, days after the agency said a bombed Syrian complex could have been a nuclear site.
DAMASCUS, Syria - A U.S. Embassy official and Syria's official news agency say the U.S. State Department has lifted an advisory warning American travelers of security concerns in Syria.
