Extracted from a much longer, but just as vitriolic, rant on the Jamaat ad-Dawa (Lashkar e-Taiba) website...
The education system [in Afghanistan] has been contracted out to Christian NGOs. During the Taliban era, these organizations were under a strict check for their main objective was preaching against Islam and for Christianity. It is not a hollow allegation as the Taliban had recovered a huge quantity of venomous literature in Afghanistanâs official languages Darri and Pushto from an office of the Shelter Now organization in Kabul. Now, under the rule of the Northern Alliance, these organizations are establishing themselves on sound footing, as there is no check on their activities. Their main target is the orphaned children of the Taliban and the Arabs martyred in the incessant and inhuman US bombing.
These organizations have given admission to hundreds of orphan and shelterless children in missionary institutions, providing them education as well as lodging facilities free of cost. These organizations have also offered to the Afghan government that they are ready to take away these children to their base countries for their better care. These NGOs are giving the impression to the government that all this is being done for the help of war affected children. However, their actual mission is to train these children under the supervision of Christian teachers. After the completion of their education, they will be anything but a Muslim. Apparently they will be Afghans and Muslims by their names but actually they will be Christians in their beliefs.
The 23-year war has rendered seven million Afghans shelterless and orphaned more than five hundred thousand children less than 12 years of age. In Palestine, victims of Jewish tyranny and oppression Muslims are facing the same situation. Christian missionary organizations in the name of sympathy are active to provide a full generation of traitors like Yasser Arafat to Palestinians. Similar is the condition in the refugee camps of Arakani Muslims in Bangladesh. Christian missionary journals are proudly giving statistics about the converts there.
Sounds like pretty sour grapes to me. Far, far better that the children should be taken into madrassahs and turned into cannon fodder who've only ever read a single book in their lives. But the madrassahs seem to be full, and the Christians are picking up the overflow. One can imagine the venom dripping from the Christian literature. (The Watchtower's full of it, so you can see for yourself next time they come around...)
All those orphans of the Afghans and Arabs — "Are there no poor laws? Are the workhouses all full?" Better they should be shipped off someplace like Soddy Arabia, where they can grow to adulthood in an Islamic paradise. That's half a million potential gunnies, down the drain. And damn that Arafat, that Christian traitor...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 07:36 pm ||
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Are not Christians also "People of the Book". Where is the Islamic charity for these orphans?
Posted by: Someone who did NOT vote for William Proxmire ||
04/24/2003 20:12 Comments ||
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The Islamists are tribal types...blood is thicker than water. Their Islam has no room for anyone else. Any other kind of thought is a threat to their existance. Christian missionaries come along, give their sales pitch, and they go nuts. Until the Islamists can be more accommodating, nothing will change. And change is going to be tumultous and violent....for a while, and the violence will come from Mahmoud and Co.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/24/2003 20:30 Comments ||
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EFL
A fresh set of documents uncovered in a Baghdad house used by Saddam Hussein's son Qusay to hide top-secret files detail multimillion dollar payments to an outspoken British member of parliament, George Galloway. More forged damning evidence
The most recent â and possibly most revealing â documents were obtained earlier this week by the Monitor. The papers include direct orders from the Hussein regime to issue Mr. Galloway six individual payments, starting in July 1992 and ending in January 2003. The payments point to a concerted effort by the regime to use its oil wealth to win friends in the Western world who could promote Iraqi interests first by lifting sanctions against Iraq and later in blocking war plans. Guess they re-wrote "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
The leadership of Hussein's special security section and accountants of the President's secretive Republican Guard signed the papers and authorized payments totaling more than $10 million. The three most recent payment authorizations, beginning on April 4, 2000, and ending on January 14, 2003 are for $3 million each. All three authorizations include statements that show the Iraqi leadership's strong political motivation in paying Galloway for his vociferous opposition to US and British plans to invade Iraq. I personally thought he did it for "the children".
The Jan. 14, 2003, document, written on Republican Guard stationary with its Iraqi eagle and "Trust in Allah," calls for the "Manager of the security department, in the name of President Saddam Hussein, to order a gratuity to be issued to Mr. George Galloway of British nationality in the amount of three million dollars only." The document states that the money is in return for "his courageous and daring stands against the enemies of Iraq, like Blair, the British Prime Minister, and for his opposition in the House of Commons and Lords against all outrageous lies against our patient people...." Is it courageous to love bashing your own country while getting paid millions?
The document is signed left to right by four people, including Gen. Saif Adeen Flaya al-Hassan, Col. Shawki Abed Ahmed, and what the Iraqi general who first discovered the documents says is the signature of Qusay. The same exact signatures are also found on a vast array of documents from the offices of the president's youngest son. The final authorization appears to be that of Qusay, who notes the accounting department should "issue the check and deliver to Mr. George Galloway," adding, "Do this fast and inform me." Forgeries all around, I'm sure.
An Iraqi general attached to Hussein's Republican Guard discovered the documents in a house in the Baghdad suburbs used by Qusay, who is chief of Iraq's elite Guard units. The general, whose initials are "S.A.R.," asked not to be named for fear of retribution from Hussein's assassins. He said he raided the suburban home on April 8 with armed fighters in an effort to secure deeds to property that the regime had confiscated from him years ago. He said he found the new Galloway papers amid documents discussing Kuwaiti prisoners and Hussein's chemical warfare experts, and information about the president's most trusted Republican Guard commanders. Can't wait to see what's in the rest of those papers.
The documents appear to be authentic and signed by senior members within Saddam Hussein's most trusted security circle, but their authenticity could not be verified by the Monitor. Can you say CYA? Go read the rest already. That is if you, like me are reveling on this Fifth Columnist being outed.
Posted by: Kelvin Zero ||
04/24/2003 06:08 pm ||
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Sorry for the bad formatting. Did I miss a preview button?
Heck of a story this is turning into though. Anyone care to take a stab at what else will be found?
Posted by: Kelvin Zero ||
04/24/2003 18:31 Comments ||
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Yes! I'll take a stab! Galloway eats a bullet.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
04/24/2003 18:33 Comments ||
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Scott Ritter and Tony Benn are my favourites.
Posted by: El Id ||
04/24/2003 18:37 Comments ||
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I think everybody's waiting to see the cancelled checks to Ritter...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/24/2003 19:37 Comments ||
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Galloway will never eat a bullet. #1, that implies a sense of shame, and #2, he's not gonna want to mess up his pretty face. (Well, his mama told him he's pretty, so there!)
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 21:00 Comments ||
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Any quesses as to who in the US might be "a bit" nervous right now?
Posted by: Ralph ||
04/24/2003 22:49 Comments ||
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From al-Guardian; edited to eliminate redundant babbling and irrelevant (but cute) puppy.
Martin Rees is rather chirpy for a horseman of the apocalypse. He welcomes me to his house in Cambridge with a firm handshake and optimistic smile. In his new book, Our Final Century, the astronomer royal predicts that we're doomed. Well, almost. The subtitle is not quite so hopeless: "Will the human race survive the 21st century" it asks. Ultimately, Rees concludes that we have no more than a 50-50 chance of surviving. He acknowledges that many people have been surprised by the book. After all, Rees is an internationally respected astrophysicist best known for highly technical work on black holes, cosmic evolution and the six numbers that define the universe. And this is certainly not a technical book — in many ways, it is not even a science book. . . . . . . or even one grounded in reality . . .
At heart it is a series of generalised but coherent essays, written by a deeply messed-up worried man. Rees says he doesn't know why others are so puzzled about the book. "Some people have asked me why I've written a book that seems a departure from the books I've written before as though I've suddenly shifted my interests, and that's not the case at all." After all, he's voiced his fears about the abuse of technology for many years, notably about the nuclear arms race. Now, he says, he's simply expanded his thesis to incorporate new and even nastier risks.
Has he always been so pessimistic? "I don't think the new book is irredeemably pessimistic. It says there are threats but there are also opportunities. There are some technologies that are benign socially and benign environmentally. Miniaturisation means we consume less raw materials and the internet democratises information and access." In short we should be able to feed the world, save the planet and redistribute power on a global basis. Which is fantastic. But (and this is where Rees gets into his stride): "We are inevitably empowering more people with the potentiality to harm on an ever growing scale. And we're in a society which is more brittle and interconnected, and I think this is something we are going to have to confront. Also some new technologies don't require very large-scale equipment. It needs a hell of a big facility to make a nuclear weapon, but it doesn't in order to tinker with a virus. So when we have people all over the world who experiment with biotech, then of course we are concerned that even one or two of them might misuse that knowledge with the possibility of disastrous outcomes. What I am saying is that a weirdo, someone with a mindset that could now make a computer virus, may one day be able to create a genetically modified real virus, which could cause thousands of fatalities."
Artificial intelligence is another worry. Soon enough, he says, we may make robots that are smarter than us and they may decide we are redundant. Or we may start inserting chips into our brain to make ourselves that little bit smarter or fitter and find that we end up more computer than human. There is a chapter on asteroid impact, but he's relatively sanguine on this front. "The reason I introduced asteroid impact is that they set a baseline level of risk. But the point is that the risk of impacts is not getting any worse. The environmental risks that have increased are ones made by humans."
The more he talks about what is already happening with terror groups and anthrax scares, the more convincing he becomes. Rees says that by its nature, this jeremiad has to be generalised. When he talks about the horror that awaits us, he refers to it urbanely as a "major setback". It's a lovely way of putting it, I say, strangely comforting. "Well I can't be more specific than that. Although we can foresee what is going to happen in the next 10-20 years in science we can't foresee anything like the next 100 years ahead. In 1900 people like HG Wells and Lord Rutherford failed to foresee most of what happened in 20th-century science. All we can suspect is that the world is going to change faster and in more dimensions. Faster because certain technologies are running away, but in more dimensions because for the first time human nature isn't a fixed quantity. Over the past 2,000 to 3,000 years human beings as such haven't changed, but in this century human beings — as we know from the potentiality of genetics and targeted drugs and implants into our brains and all kinds of things could change."
. . . "We can't dismiss as crazy those Californian futurologists who say that we will have super-human intelligences 50 years from now. I think the main message is that the more catastrophic the potential downside is, the more careful we have to be." He concludes the radio interview with immense charm. "It's been a great pleasure and privilege to be with you. Thank you very much indeed." Responsibility, he says, is ultimately what it's all about. Rees, who describes himself as old Labour, says that today's politicians have an even greater duty to act justly, not to fuel hatreds. "Because of the greater risks it is all the more important to minimise the number of people who have grounds for being disaffected or aggrieved."
[rant mode]
Given that the prof is "old Labour," one suspects that "act justly" is a code word for "regulate everything." What the good professor forgets--what most Luiddites and prophets of doom from Parson Matlthus on forget--is that human ingenuity is the ultimate resource: non-polluting, renewable, and in near-infinite supply. There will be mischief and miscalculation in the future--and also innovation and creativity that we simply cannot imagine. The way to protect ourselves from risk is not to button up society in the control of elites, but to let freedom ring.
[/rant mode]
Posted by: Mike ||
04/24/2003 04:26 pm ||
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I agree however that it is getting easier and easier to create WMDs. The world is less than 60 years into the nuclear age. How much easier/cheaper will nuclear weapons be to produce in 100 years time?
Also there are a lot of crazies willing to use these things out there ...
Posted by: A ||
04/24/2003 16:47 Comments ||
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Responsibility, he says, is ultimately what it's all about.
What's puzzling about this is that this guy is saying this stuff in the U.K., not noted for being a place where there's a big emphasis on "responsibility". (Notable examples being the outlawing of firearms, big law enforcement camera fetishes, prosecuting crime victims instead of perpetrators)
#3
Yes, responsibility to give up your weapons, responsibility to be tolerant of criminals who have not had your advantages in life, etc., etc.
Posted by: A ||
04/24/2003 17:18 Comments ||
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He's not talking about individual responsibility,of course.Hence "Old Labour".But when the government is expected to alleviate every grievance,people will invent new grievances to just to get a piece of the cake.That's why leftists are always whining about "oppression" when something they don't like happens,such as Wal-Mart moving into the neighborhood,or someone critizising their views.They want those annoyances regulated away.
Posted by: El Id ||
04/24/2003 17:28 Comments ||
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Snort Here, I thought he was going to say something meaningful, like we were about to be hit by a NEO, or swallowed by a black hole. Just another "scientist" that's stepped FAR beyond his specialty, and using his "fame" to harp on something he really knows squat about.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/24/2003 17:36 Comments ||
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Although we can foresee what is going to happen in the next 10-20 years in science we can't foresee anything like the next 100 years ahead.
Ok, so, how is he so sure we only have a 50-50 chance of surviving the century? The dear old boy is a wee bit daft.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 20:57 Comments ||
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Rawsnacks predicts you will all die. Rawsnacks does not predict when or how.
Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC, attacked American television and radio networks for their "shocking" and "gung-ho" coverage of the Iraq conflict yesterday. He also issued a warning against US companies being allowed greater ownership of British media.
"Greg Dyke"? Is he a lesbian?
Mr Dyke said that changes to legislation proposed by the Government would allow American media companies to take a greater share of British television and radio, which could lead to a loss of impartiality in news coverage. Mr. Dyke explained that by giving people a choice in news coverage, it would be much more difficult for the BBC to effectivly promote its left wing agenda.
"We must ensure that we don't become Americanised," he said. Because then, who would who would we bash?
Mr Dyke also accused the Government of trying to "manage public opinion" Which obviously is the BBC's job
and "apply pressure" on the BBC. In his first public comments since the BBC disgraced itself in the war, Mr Dyke said America had "no news operation strong enough or brave enough to stand up against" the White House and Pentagon. Except for CNN, NPR, the NYT and coutless other left leaning news casts
He said: "Personally, I was shocked while in the United States by how unquestioning the broadcast news media was during this war." Mr Dyke said that since the 11 September terrorist attacks, many American networks had "wrapped themselves in the American flag and swapped impartiality for patriotism". Mr. Dyke said: "For example, during the London blitz... nobody dared show any sign of pro-british patriotism... How dare those Americans be so darn patriotic."
He said: "We were genuinely shocked when we discovered that the largest radio group in the US was using its airwaves to organise pro-war rallies. We are even more shocked to discover that the same group wants to become a big player in radio in the UK." Mr Dyke attacked Fox News and CNN for what he described as "gung-ho" coverage. In contrast, the BBC was an "800lb gorilla" (a.k.a monopoly)
that was capable of holding off the Government's attempts to interfere in editorial decisions, he said.
One wonders â actually, maybe two or three wonder â if Mr. Dyke's indignation would have been quite so extreme had the radio stations been organizing anti-war rallies? Beebs does have this little problem with "just the facts, ma'am" news. None of us are free from bias, I guess, but not all of us embrace it.
#2
The media should strive for accuracy not impartiality. Should you be impartial between truth and lies, dictators and democrats, etc? As long as there is a multiplicity of media organisations many disparate views can emerge and people can decide.
Posted by: A ||
04/24/2003 16:42 Comments ||
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the name is pronounced 'dik'. no i'm not a dyke.
George Galloway conceded last night that intermediaries in his fund-raising activities could have siphoned off money from Saddam Hussein — but insisted he had never done so. "I am not a crook!"
As the Labour MP fought to counter allegations that he received up to £375,000 a year from the Iraqi regime, Mr Galloway revealed the full amount given to the Mariam Appeal — the organisation he founded to fly a young Iraqi leukemia victim to Britain for medical treatment and which then became a campaign against Iraqi sanctions — and pledged to release further figures today. Speaking to the Guardian from his liar's lair holiday home in Portugal, Mr Galloway said there was a "possibility" that third parties had taken money from the former Iraqi dictator. "But not me! My hands are clean! Clean, I tell ya!"
He also conceded he was open to criticism for collecting money from what he called despicable despots "unlikely quarters". But he insisted he personally had received "no money from anybody". "I just handled it. Yeah, that's it! I handled it! It felt great, too!"
Mr Galloway's comments came after the Daily Telegraph printed documents, discovered in a burnt-out foreign ministry building in Baghdad and purporting to be from an Iraqi spy chief, that suggested he had demanded money from the Iraqi regime under the oil-for-food scheme. "Irrespective of the provenance of the documents the material in them is false", the MP for Glasgow Kelvin said yesterday. There was no evidence he had ever traded in oil, or food, or money, Mr Galloway said. "I have not," he insisted. "I never consummated those trades! Someone else did that. I just handled the money. Honest! Why don't you trust me?"
Yesterday, the allegations intensified as the attorney general, Lord Goldsmith QC, in his capacity as protector of charities, confirmed he was considering whether to investigate claims Mr Galloway had misspent money raised by the Mariam Appeal. It has been alleged that he had spent the money — purportedly intended to treat sick Iraqi children — on extensive travelling expenses. But Lord Goldsmith is taking legal advice to assess if he has the power to investigate the appeal, which has not registered as a charity. How convenient. An unregistered charity that took donations from unlikely quarters.
As MPs urged him to throw open the appeal's accounts, Mr Galloway revealed that the Mariam Appeal had received about £800,000 over the past four years. More than £500,000 was provided by the United Arab Emirates and about £100,000 by Saudi Arabia. Saudis? Whoda thunk? And the costs of medical care for the leukemia young Mariam had was about what? Here in the states, if a young child gets a bone marrow transplant and lives four years (likely), costs could be a half-million dollars or so, more if there are complications.
The bulk of the remainder had been provided by the Jordanian businessman, Fawaz Zureikat, a long-time opponent of sanctions against Iraq and the campaign's chairman. The rest came from a number of small donors, said Mr Galloway. As for expenditure, £150,000 was spent on the "Big Ben to Baghdad" bus — which travelled from London to Baghdad in 1999 — and about £60,000 on a sanctions-busting flight to Baghdad the following year. A total of £80,000 was spent on the campaign's offices overlooking Trafalgar Square in central London, £35,000 was spent on three conferences, and £50,000 on sanctions-monitoring publications, publicity and advertisements. Mr Galloway insisted the Great Britain Iraq Society, an organisation linked to the Mariam Appeal and cited by the MP as funding foreign trips in the Commons register of members' interests, had spent just a few thousand pounds in one year. That's about £380,000 and change, leaving about £400,000 -- perhaps $550,000 to $600,000 — for Mariam. Wonder how much of it was spent on her?
He added that further "ballpark figures" would be released today in a one-page summary, while more detailed documentation, including bank statements and cheques, would be drawn up later and presented as a "material part" of his libel case against the Daily Telegraph. The information failed to satisfy former colleagues in Westminster, however. Downing Street refused to be drawn on the allegations — with the prime minister's spokesman saying that, with a libel action in the offing, they would not comment on the "serious allegations". But MPs called for him to confess open the accounts of both the Mariam Appeal and the Great Britain Iraq Society immediately and to explain their connection.
Tony doesn't have to get drawn into it. Galloway's destructing without any help except for the Baathists...
Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith called for a parliamentary investigation into Mr Galloway's financial affairs. "If he clears his name, then he's damned lucky fine. But I do think there needs to be an investigation by the privileges committee. If he does not clear his name then he has committed a crime. Impeccable logic, that.
"I say crime because if it is true that he took money from the oil-for-food programme, it is a crime against humanity. That was money for food for the people in Iraq, it was not for George Galloway." Sure it was! George said so, so it must be okay! Michael Foster, Labour MP for Hastings and Rye and a member of the Commons standards and privileges committee, said the committee — which expects to be called to investigate him — "will want to be satisfied he hasn't received any personal benefit that has not been registered". He added: "As a colleague, I always think openness is the best policy. If he says he has nothing to hide, I would certainly invite him to produce the accounts at the earliest opportunity," he added. If this was happening in the US, the IRS would be doing an audit right now trying to figure out how much unpaid tax was owed, with what sorts of penalties for tax fraud. You Brits have an equivalent, eh Bulldog?
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/24/2003 12:18 am ||
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(CSMonitor via instapundit and hub blog)
Boston-based Christian Science Monitor has a big, big scoop, saying it has obtained documents detailing possible âmultimillion dollar payments to an outspoken British member of parliament, George Galloway.â
... Not $350,000 as previously reported. But millions. The documents were found in the house of Saddamâs son, Qusay, another one of those darling little Hussein boys. From the story by Philip Smucker:
âThe most recent - and possibly most revealing - documents were obtained earlier this week by the Monitor. The papers include direct orders from the Hussein regime to issue Mr. Galloway six individual payments, starting in July 1992 and ending in January 2003. ...
"The three most recent payment authorizations, beginning on April 4, 2000, and ending on January 14, 2003 are for $3 million each. All three authorizations include statements that show the Iraqi leadership's strong political motivation in paying Galloway for his vociferous opposition to US and British plans to invade Iraq.â
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 17:26 Comments ||
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this story just gets better and better: funding from the Soddies and the UAE, oh my god it's just looking worse and worse for GG every minute.
Ohhh keep looking David Blair if there are any boxes marked 'Australia' please drag them out too!!!!!
#3
I wonder if Portugal has an extradition treaty with Britain? ;)
Did this "Mariam" even get the treatment for leukemia? It seems like they spent money on everything except her. Poor kid.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 2:07 Comments ||
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I'd really like to see the contents of the box labeled "France".
"USA" would be nice to see, too.
#6
O'reilly's been all over that, and yes,he had to amend and restate several of the PUSH financial statements. Penalties weren't made public, but while Clinton was president, the IRS was held away from "the Revrund". He's gotten smarter - now he just extorts $ from companies with threats of racial accusations
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 11:22 Comments ||
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Hmmm. Galloway's comments sound suspiciously like Michael Bellesiles-type weaseling.
#8
(CSMonitor via instapundit and hub blog)
Boston-based Christian Science Monitor has a big, big scoop, saying it has obtained documents detailing possible âmultimillion dollar payments to an outspoken British member of parliament, George Galloway.â
... Not $350,000 as previously reported. But millions. The documents were found in the house of Saddamâs son, Qusay, another one of those darling little Hussein boys. From the story by Philip Smucker:
âThe most recent - and possibly most revealing - documents were obtained earlier this week by the Monitor. The papers include direct orders from the Hussein regime to issue Mr. Galloway six individual payments, starting in July 1992 and ending in January 2003. ...
"The three most recent payment authorizations, beginning on April 4, 2000, and ending on January 14, 2003 are for $3 million each. All three authorizations include statements that show the Iraqi leadership's strong political motivation in paying Galloway for his vociferous opposition to US and British plans to invade Iraq.â
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 17:26 Comments ||
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Tariq Aziz has a new career.. one that's likely good enough to keep him out of the gallows.
M Giscard's proposals, due to be presented to EU leaders in June, threaten to dilute the commission's power and its attack sets the stage for a brutal struggle before agreement is reached. At present the plans include the appointment of a powerful EU president, with a deputy and executive office, to replace the current rotating presidency which shifts between member states every six months. They also foresee the slimming-down of the commission, reducing its current 20 members to 13, and creation of a seven-member "bureau' within the Council of Ministers to co-ordinate the EU's work. "Increasing the number of presidents and vice-presidents, setting up a bureau, can only bring confusion. Duplication of bureaucracies goes against common sense and against indications coming from all sides," the commission added.
"This would undermine the checks and balances in place between the EU institutions," said a commission spokesman. "It could lead to unequal treatment of member states and this would jeopardise trust between them. In short, it would damage the community method, firmly based on an equilibrium between council, commission and parliament, which has been at the heart of the success of 50 years of European integration." 50 years of European integration? First I've heard of it.
MEPs also condemned the proposals. Elmar Brok, a senior Christian Democrat, described them as "autistic". He explained: "This is purely about reducing the powers of smaller EU countries, the commission and the European Parliament."
Posted by: John Phares ||
04/24/2003 07:42 am ||
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"This is purely about reducing the powers of smaller EU countries, the commission and the European Parliament."
#3
Now, if I've got my facts correct, and memory serves (suffers with age, you know), wasn't a very substantial part of the effort put forth to form this country's government in the Constiutional Convention(s) focused how to appropriately represent both large and small (states instead of countries)?
Well, I know this will be viewed as completely unthinkable and barbaric, but could the EU (re)formation group use any of that stuff as some sort of guideline?
Oh, I forgot. I don't speak the proper language, Giscard. And coming up with something "equitale" probably wouldn't allow the City of Light and its followers to take their rightful place in the sun as head of EU (President for Life).
Posted by: Larry ||
04/24/2003 15:06 Comments ||
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"...and creation of a seven-member "bureau' within the Council of Ministers to co-ordinate the EU's work.
Russian intelligence services said Tuesday they had arrested two Russians of Pakistani origin who kidnapped nine Indian nationals and held them hostage for ransom, apparently for criminal purposes, in the northwestern Russian city of Tula.
"Russians of Pakistani origin"?
Intelligence officers freed the nine Indians and arrested the two men, who had already been accused of kidnapping in connection with a separate incident, a spokesman for the FSB intelligence services told AFP. The two men were the main organizers of the kidnapping group, the spokesman said, adding that they were also searching for a Moscow-based Pakistani national.
Anybody want to bet they're Pashtuns? These guys have to be Pashtuns or Baluchis...
He refused to provide details into when the operation to free the kidnapped Indians took place, how long they were held or who had been asked to provide a ransom for their release. The ring may have been planning to smuggle the kidnapped Indians abroad, Interfax reported, adding that the group is suspected of trafficking nationals from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan to Western Europe through Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
04/24/2003 05:06 am ||
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Nothing like a bit of fund raising for the Jihadski
The Iraqi dictator is still refusing to leave some people in peace. Saddam is a mysterious person: He disappeared, and nobody knows where he can be hiding. Russian politician and Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky has suddenly become anxious about the fate of his best friend, which is how he himself refers to Saddam Hussein. In fact, Zhirinovsky may know something no intelligence agency in the world can even guess, not to mention the sitting U.S. administration headed by George W. Bush. The Russian news agency RIA Novosti informs us that he made a statement saying that the Iraqi leader was in good health and has found shelter on the territory of Iraq. And this is not because the Iraqi leader is afraid of falling into the Americans' hands; he is simply waiting for the moment to get back in power. At that, it is said that he is going to realize his plan with the help of the Americans.
And if that doesn't work, he's got some Martians lined up...
On a visit to France on the invitation of another friend of his, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Vladimir Zhirinovsky stunned journalists with the information, saying he was perfectly sure of the following facts: He said that Saddam would spend about a year underground. Then, for fear of the establishment of a radical Islamic state in Iraq, the United States will agree to restore Iraq to the way that it previously existed. Then, Saddam Hussein will be back in power. Finally, Iraq may become a federative state in which larger powers and authority will be given to the Kurds.
Presumably Sammy is surrounded by all the machinery of his power. We're dismantling something else. This statement makes the assumption that Sammy was his own power, not his thugs, secret police, and bureaucracy.
We would like to report further details and information given by Zhirinovsky's closest associate in the Liberal Democratic Party, Alexey Mitrofanov: About 1,000 high-ranking officials of the former Iraqi regime are underground, hiding on the territory of Iraq. According to Mitrofanov, the Liberal Democratic Party is maintaining contact with these people (he didn't specify how exactly). So, in his words, Saddam is safe and sound.
I wonder if they're rubbing elbows with the Iraqi mujaheddin, who're doing the same thing? Do they get in each other's way? Or do they share sleeping bags facilities?
Certainly, the above-mentioned statements look like another PR action of the sort that is so typical of the Liberal Democratic Party. Today, the party submitted the question of granting asylum to the former Iraqi government for the consideration of the Russian parliament. The parliament, of course, rejected the initiative. It is likely that this result was evident to the Liberal Democratic Party from the very beginning. However, they have achieved their goal: The party and its leader are now the topic of the day in the Russian mass media.
If you're not familiar with it, the Liberal Democratic Party is neither liberal nor democratic. You can tell their true nature by their friends.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 02:37 am ||
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I still can't get the highlights to work on this (don't ask....), but figured you wonderful people would be able to get a good laugh even without my snarky comments.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 2:51 Comments ||
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#2
Saddam - best friend of Zhironovsky - best friend of Le Pen. 2 degrees of fascism. Where is Hitchens when you need him?
#3
Baba Yaga - being one who, until recently, was hilite ignorant, let em see if I can help (since you've no email on your nick, I'll try it here in the comment).
To begin hilite type < SPAN CLASS = HILITE > text you want hi-lited < / SPAN > ends hilite - but remove ALL the spaces within the < > except for the one between SPAN and CLASS (here's hoping my little bit doesn't go horribly awry...)
#4
Try selecting the desired text (as you would to copy it), then clicking the "HiLight" button.
Posted by: John Phares ||
04/24/2003 11:07 Comments ||
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#5
John, that's what I've been doing, but it doesn't want to work with my browser (netscape). I'll try what you suggest, Tadderly, and see if that helps. If not, well.....I'll have a few shots of tequila and see what inspiration strikes! ;)
In the meantime, love those highlights Fred added!
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 11:31 Comments ||
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#6
Ahh our good friend Zhirinovsky. Thought he disappeared for good. This guy would be funny except for the fact that Russia has nukes and some people actually vote for him.
#8
DEBKAFiles just posted (1630 EDT) that Saddam is in Belarus. DEBKA is sometimes way off base, but they've scored intelligence coups before - they pointed out that there were Saddamites in Latakia, for example.
Posted by: Sofia ||
04/24/2003 15:45 Comments ||
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Perhaps something was lost in the translation. Rather than "submitting the question of granting them asylum", what they really meant was ...."the party asked the question about admitting them to an asylum.
Lead singer Natalie Maines, who got the group in trouble by telling a London audience she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," just days before the war in Iraq began, now says she regrets her choice of words, but makes no apologies for running her mouth without thinking critically.
"I'm not truly embarrassed that, you know, President Bush is from my state, that's not really what I care about," Maines said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer for Primetime Thursday, airing 10 p.m. EDT. "It was the wrong wording with genuine emotion and questions and concern behind it. ... Am I sorry that I asked questions and that I just don't follow? No.""Am I sorry it hurt my record sales? You betcha!
Maines and the Texas-based trio's other members ? Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, who are sisters ? also tell Sawyer they believe the backlash against them was too harsh tell that to the dissidents Castro imprisoned this month and that they've always supported America's troops.
"We know some of our fans were shocked and ... and upset, and we are compassionate to that," Maguire said. "My problem is, when does it cross the line? ... When is writing a threatening letter OK?"
As another gimmick to make people sick at the checkout line fight back against the criticism, the group posed nude for the cover of Entertainment Weekly, with contradicting slogans painted on their skin such as: "Traitors," "Peace," "Proud Americans" and "Saddam's Angels"
"We wanted to show how talented the airbrush guy is the absurdity of the extreme names people have been calling us," Maguire told The New York Post about the band's cheeky pose. Yeah, and nothing makes a serious artistic statement about integrity like gettin' nekkid!
After Maines' remarks, radio stations began boycotting the Dixie Chicks, and some people publicly destroyed copies of the group?s Grammy-winning CD Home.
The song "Travelin' Soldier," which was No. 1 on Billboard's country charts around the time Maines made the remark, and tumbled off the charts afterward. And sales of Home plummeted, although sales have rebounded slightly, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Even with the slide, however, Home remains the top-selling album on the Billboard country chart ? 19 weeks at No. 1 ? and No. 30 on the pop chart.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 09:35 pm ||
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Talk about airbrushing! The photo took about 40 pounds off Maines. I'm not saying she's fat, but to get her pregnant her husband had to roll her in flour and ...
rim shot.
Got a million of 'em
#2
AFter watching ten minutes of utter mindless I got up and left the room. They don't understand that it is wrong to attack America verbally when standing on foreign soil on the eve of war. They just don't get it.
Posted by: Douglas De Bono ||
04/24/2003 22:25 Comments ||
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I too flicked it off. Some Rolling Stone flack was trying to say that their sales are headed back up, but I suspect that's only cause they have a new release, and they have been touring in Europe where their comments generated good publicity for them. Plus there is probably a temporary spike in sales as a show of support from the anti-war crowd, a group unlikely to prove a reliable fan base in the future.
With the mega publicity they have been getting, the question isn't IF they can manage to sell a few CD's but rather how many CD's could they have sold if they hadn't lost most of their real fans.
Time to put your clothes on and go home, girls. Getting naked just makes you look like a bunch of desperate whores.
#4
Thank you Dixie Chicks...Freedom of speech is being eroded in our country..my country...where I was born...Where are our rights ...what is happening to the Fourth Amendment of our Constitituion...How can be allow Ashcroft to corrupt our freedom..who is out there to stop him?
Posted by: my name is Jane Baner ||
06/09/2003 15:46 Comments ||
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Think they'll tell the grandkids this tale of how they stood up to "THE MAN"?
Two war protesters smeared themselves with ketchup and cherry-flavored Kool-Aid and briefly interrupted a lecture given by a Pratt & Whitney Aircraft executive at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. mmmmmmmmmm...ketchup.
Stephen N. Finger, executive vice president of Pratt & Whitney and president of Pratt's military engines division, addressed WPI students and faculty Monday as part of the college's lecture series on the 100th anniversary of powered flight. As Finger talked about the history of commercial aviation, Nicholas Nassar, a WPI senior, and Clark University sophomore Cha-Cha Connor, made their way to the front of the auditorium. Hey! Cha- Cha! What are your career plans with a name like that?
They admonished Finger and his company for making war planes and lay down on a table to ''play dead.'' A tape recording of F-16 jets, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, played for a few moments and then the auditorium fell quiet with the students on the table. ''Then Mr. Finger just picked up where he left off,'' William W. Durgin, WPI associate provost and vice president for research, told the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester. ''It was very, very strange laying there while he went on with his show,'' said Nassar, a computer science major from Winslow, Maine. Cha-Cha and Nicky's parents must be SOOOOO proud. Talk about your minor leaguers...
#2
''It was very, very strange laying there while he went on with his show,'' said Nassar, a computer science major from Winslow, Maine.
That's lying there, Nicky. Good thing you're majoring in computer science - you'd flunk English. (On the other hand, your so-called "reason" would fit right in.) Maybe you should spend more time studying and less time on extracurricular activities, such as being rude and stupid at the same time.
Loser.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/24/2003 13:57 Comments ||
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Does Nicky Nassar, a computer science major, realize that the electronic digital computer was first developed to compute artillery trajectories for the Army? And that computers are used to design nuclear weapons and other horrible implements of destruction? Little Nicky and his bubbleheaded friend Cha-Cha are just as "guilty" as the guy they were protesting.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/24/2003 14:01 Comments ||
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"the electronic digital computer was first developed to compute artillery trajectories for the Army"
I thought it was the Navy, but ok. These computations involve solving certain differential equations. What?? They're using Calculus?? Ban Calculus!! They're teaching Calculus in our schools! The evil bastards!! More ketchup, more ketchup!!!
#8
Laying, lying, maybe Cha-Cha wanted to be laid by Nik, or maybe their Kool Aide was electric. Christ, I'm getting PTSD of my Berkeley days reading about these nutcases.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/24/2003 20:38 Comments ||
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NNI: President General Pervez Musharraf has called for harmonizing Islamic education with modern knowledge to enable the Muslim Ummah to face the present day challenges. He was inaugurating a national exhibition of rare quranic manuscripts and the holy relics of Hazrat Muhammad at the International Islamic University here Wednesday.
One of the biggies. We're talkin' Pak Ivy League here...
On display at the exhibition are the world's smallest and largest in size hand written Holy Quran by Qamar Sultan, a calligrapher. The exhibition also displays Jubba [Depends] of the Holy Prophet SWAS worn by him during the battle of Oadh and his hair.
Oooh! Mom! Take me there!
President point out that without integrating Islamic education with the latest trends in knowledge, we cannot progress. He said this will not only ensure the economic development of Pakistan but also that of the entire Ummah. He said we the Muslims were ahead of all others in all respects four centuries ago but now lag behind in progress and development from other communities because of ignoring knowledge of science and technology.
Ummm... Make that five centuries. No, make it seven... Nine?
He said what a pity it is that the collective GDP of 57 Muslim countries today is 1200 billion dollars as against 2500 billion dollars of Germany and 5500 billion dollars of Japan. In order to rectify this situation, it is must for the Muslim Ummah to promote education of science and technology.
Either that, or that they should become agnostics or Lutherans or Mormons and stop wasting all their time and resources on jihad and cutting each other's heads off and dropping walls on men who accost them in the bathroom... For that matter, they might want to work on getting indoor plumbing, avoiding marriage to close relatives, and hitting themselves and others on the heads with swords...
President acknowledge the role of Maddras [madrassahs] as the biggest NGOs, taking care of poor students and turning them into cannon fodder, urged them to integrate their education with modern knowledge. This, he said, will help their students to make a still greater contribution for the society. General Pervez Musharraf was happy to note that the International Islamic University had successfully harmonized the education of the Holy Quran, Hadith and Fiqah, economic, law besides imparting knowledge in science and technology.
Does that mean they've stopped teaching that djinns are responsible for chemical reactions?
He also appreciated the fact that students belonging to various Islamic schools of thought were being provided with education in Deen under the same roof without indulging in any controversy.
Other than a few fistfights, of course. And the occasional shooting, hardly ever fatal. Except when there are explosives involved...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 03:56 pm ||
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It'd also be nice if they adopted compound interest and modern concepts like property title and leases (There's some crap in the ahadith that make the latter two difficult. Written to maintain the power of 8th century despots, these verses do just as good a job of keeping the regular folks poor and ignorant as they did 1300 years ago.)
Perv: note to self: re Japan
1. Copying Western technology = good thing
2. Copying Western technology works a whole lot better if copy western education
3. Ultimately need to copy Western political system.
4. Best to forget period when you led/ruled the world - it only holds you back from the necessary copying.
#4
Japan would make a damned good model for the Islamic world. They've retained most of their culture, while modifying it and adapting it to the modern world. And they got all that jihad and shaheed crap out of their system. Japan wouldn't be the nation it is today if Japanese kiddies spent 90% of their school time memorizing 6th century Buddhist or Taoist or what-have-you writings.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/24/2003 16:14 Comments ||
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I dunno, Fred. Retained their culture? It exists in small pockets of society. "Old" Japan gets far more attention from the tourist trade and bad chop-sockie movies than from its current citizens.
#6
It'd also be nice if they adopted compound interest and modern concepts like property title and leases (There's some crap in the ahadith that make the latter two difficult. Written to maintain the power of 8th century despots, these verses do just as good a job of keeping the regular folks poor and ignorant as they did 1300 years ago.)
#7
The exhibition also displays Jubba [Depends] of the Holy Prophet SWAS worn by him during the battle of Oadh and his hair.
Mohammed wore DEPENDS?? That can't possibly be right!
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 21:07 Comments ||
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Sheikh, a London School of Economics graduate, reportedly invited Pearl, who was then in India, to visit him in Pakistan as part of an inquiry into the background of Reid. Reid is now in prison in the US after trying to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami.
Claiming that Pakistan was the real key to all Islamic-led international terrorism, he said that the US had solved only 1% of the problem by deposing Saddam Hussein.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
04/24/2003 05:17 am ||
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Umm, Levy is one of the rare -decent- contemporary French philosophers. Note that he has his head screwed on straight about Pakland.
Posted by: Ernest Brown ||
04/24/2003 12:16 Comments ||
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BHL is a pompous, self-centered media junkie, with a bad actress for wife, ridiculous silk shirts, and is an all-time favorite target for cream-piers; still, he 's got quite a record about recent history, starting with Bosnia & Rwanda, and then Cachemire, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka,... all theses obscure little wars nobody cares about because they're not fashionable. I've yet to read his book, but he's got some credibility here.
Even as the U.S. works to stabilize a postwar Iraq, Turkey is setting out to create a footprint of its own in the Kurdish areas of the country. In the days after U.S. forces captured Saddam's powerbase in Tikrit, a dozen Turkish Special Forces troops were dispatched south from Turkey. Their target: the northern oil city of Kirkuk, now controlled by the U.S. 173rd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade. Using the pretext of accompanying humanitarian aid the elite soldiers passed through the northern city of Arbil on Tuesday. They wore civilian clothes, their vehicles lagging behind a legitimate aid convoy. They'd hoped to pass unnoticed. But at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Kirkuk they ran into trouble. "We were waiting for them," says a U.S. paratroop officer. The Turks seem hellbent on compounding their errors.
American commanders in the city believe the covert Turkish team was meant to inflame these kind of tensions. "These [Turkish] forces are tied in to Turkoman groups in the city," says Col Mayville. The 173rd Airborne commanders suspect an amalgam of local Turkoman parties under the banner of the Iraqi Turkoman Front (ITF) were to be used by the covert team to wreak havoc. "In this first convoy was real aid. They'd do this two or three times then money or weapons would have started flowing in. We suspect their role was to strongarm or discipline the members of the ITF. What they're doing is crystallizing the ITF along the Turkish agenda," says Col. Mayville. We have many sources of leverage over Turkey (Kurds, cash, EU, etc.) but if they force us to use them they'll only spiral further out of control.
By Wednesday U.S. paratroopers were holding 23 people associated with the Turkish Special Forces team. Some were drivers and aid workers. But a dozen of them, says Col. Mayville, were identified as soldiers. "We held them for a night, brought them in, fed them and watched their security. After all," he says wryly, "they are our allies." Early Thursday morning American troops escorted the Turkish commandos back over the border. Hopefully the Kurds will play this smart while we work the Turks, otherwise it's only going to get uglier from here.
#12
WABC radio in NY just reported (10:30 p.m. EST) that the head of the Muhkabarat (sp?) Farook Hijazi (sp?) was just captured by US forces walking over the border from Syria. More good news!
Posted by: Tibor ||
04/24/2003 21:47 Comments ||
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The UN oil-for-food program in Iraq has been temporarily extended while the UN Security Council continues difficult talks on its future post-war Iraq. The arrangements, which were due to expire in just over a fortnight, have now been extended until June 3. After the vote the US ambassador to the UN, John Negroponte, noted that his government wanted to end the sanctions as soon as possible. He says the Iraqi people should have access to their own resources and dispose of them as they see fit. "Our desire and belief is that the sanction program should be brought to an end as quickly as possible in light of the totally changed circumstances in the country of Iraq," he said.
"Well, just because the bloody-handed dictator's been overthrown and peace and justice have been restored throughout most of the land, that's no reason to life sanctions..."
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 03:26 pm ||
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breaking news ABC reports Tariq Aziz turns himself in.
#2
"PLEASE don't make us give it back yet! We haven't finished our tour of the best 5-star restaurants in the world yet! What will the Iraquis buy with it?! Medicine, infrasturcture and plebian fare on which to subsist. BAH! We need our daily intake of pate fois gras and Moselblumchen or we get grumpy."
#3
Sound like a deal to keep the UN in business. They appear to need the cash flow just like Galloway. Wonder who controls the oil they get to sell, or directs the food/palace purchases? Kofi, meet Jay.
Posted by: john ||
04/24/2003 19:04 Comments ||
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#4
Bag of carrots: $10.00
New windows for palace: $1000.00
Finding out what Syrian detergent really is: priceless
Posted by: john ||
04/24/2003 19:08 Comments ||
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Army Brig. Gen. John H. Kern, commander, along with Free Iraqi Force members, will conduct a briefing remotely from Umm Qasr, Iraq. The briefing will demonstrate the roles of Free Iraqi Forces engaged in missions in Southern Iraq, and afford members of the media an opportunity to interact with a few of those members. Let's hope that the Free Iraqi broadcasts don't get as perverted as NPR, or BBC. Ie: let's hope they are allowed to represent the diverse views of the Iraqi people rather than just a singular group-think of a particular board of directors.
Posted by: becky ||
04/24/2003 11:32 am ||
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Jim Hoagland's attempt to excuse the Pentagon and the Bush administration for the loss or destruction of priceless archaeological artifacts belonging to Baghdad's National Museum of Antiquities is lame ["Victims of Civic Passivity," op-ed, April 17].
Before the invasion of Iraq, U.S. museum representatives expressed to Pentagon officials their concern for Iraq's cultural treasures in the event of war. Their plea was ignored. Yet the U.S. military was amply prepared to seize and protect Iraqi oil fields.
Mr. Hoagland said: "In any event, it is self-defeating for Iraqis (and others) to try to place all responsibility for this cultural disaster on the shoulders of the U.S. military. That perpetuates the myth that outsiders are always responsible for the failures of the Arab world." I can only respond that this tragic loss is a direct result of the invasion and that the U.S. military is responsible.
EDWARD McMANUS
Chief Conservator
National Air and Space Museum
Washington
This appeared in this mornings Washington Post editorial page. Words cannot express my disgust with Mr McManus. I believe the Director of the Air and Space museum is a former Marine. I hope they get enough bad press about this so McManus gets tossed — but I doubt if that will happen.
Posted by: dakotah ||
04/24/2003 06:40 am ||
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Sorry, I didn't get the link in the title. Please feel free to edit.
#3
I've been reading Kanan Makiya in the New Republic and Chicago Tribune for the past week, as well as Instapundit on this matter. Like many pieces of info. that we got during the fighting on the road to Baghdad, there's more to this story than just what was reported in the first 24 hours. Remember the "1000 vehicle convoy" that was on its way south to meet our forces? To the best of my recollection, after 24 hours, CentCom revised that figure and admitted there were forces coming south, but nothing like 1,000 vehicles.
This thought process is guiding me on what to make of the Museum theft. Makiya has a friend in Baghdad who told him it was an inside job. The Trib a couple of days ago quoted soldiers in the area of the museum that it was still a very hot zone when they arrived in the neighborhood, and were, in fact, taking fire from the Museum. Paraphrasing a GI, it wasn't like our guys were out next to the gate smoking cigs and drinking coffee letting people walk in and out with sacks full of booty. He said they were about 500 meters away, and that the common thieves used the back entrance.
So, we've got people who knew what to rip off, even before we had invested Baghdad (the insiders), others getting the scraps (the average guys) all with RPG's and bullets flying. A sad story, among many, but it also serves as a sledgehammer to be used by the Left to justify their opposition. Oh, well, whatever. Is this the best they can come up with?
Posted by: Michael ||
04/24/2003 8:02 Comments ||
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#4
Damn,this dim-wit is a relative.McManus is an Irish surname.The Mc was droped and changed to Manues,when my ancesters imigrated.
Posted by: Don ||
04/24/2003 9:38 Comments ||
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Will somebody please ask the erudite Mr. McManus if he would write an article on the joy of parents being reunited with their children who were imprisoned for years because they refused to join the "Saddam youth" brigades. Then, after writing said article, could he in good conscience, compare the value of all the "riches" of that museum with just one day of freedom for those children. The loss of the antiquities is regrettable, but the loss of one day of freedom is truly a tragedy.
or in other words, "Darn that U.S. military! While they were destroying a tyrannical regime and freeing tortured children, somebody stole some statues!"
#7
becky - i dont blame you for using the word liberal - im ready to admit that at least half of the Dem party is what you mean by liberal, and many of the dems who arent, are not particularly liberal even on domestic matters (like John Breaux, for instance). and of course the people who you mean by liberal are quite eager to grab the label for themselves, and insist that the only hawks are conservatives.
Right now I'm looking kindly on Dick Gephardt. Pro-war in Iraq from the beginning, and now pro-Universal Health Insurance. Maybe hes an opportunist, but he's worth another look. More so than Kerry, IMHO.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/24/2003 14:12 Comments ||
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#11
What you guys are calling "pottery" and "a few statues" are worth more than you collective asses put together. Not in monetary terms, but cultural, which is obviously a concept difficult to for you philistines to understand, coming as you are from a country without any.
And BTW, what makes freeing Iraqi "women and children from Saddam" antithetical to protecting ancient monuments and cultural treasures? And what makes protecting oil more critical than protecting museums? American greed that's what!
#12
Profshan, I wouldn't assume that because of the dismissive tone here there's no respect for culture. If you bothered to read more postings, you'd appreciate there's an unusual appreciation for, and knowledge of, middle east culture amongst this site's regulars. I wouldn't assume we're all Americans either, or that Americans are even in the majority (I speak as a Brit); another erroneous fact you claim as a result of insufficient research of your subject. More seriously though, as someone who values artifacts, however ancient and historically valuable, over human life, you've subscribed to a coldly murderous form of misanthropy. Perhaps you should ask yourself precisely which objects in the museum collection were worth a human sacrifice, and which were not. Which items would you be prepared to die for?
#13
People,thier lives and freedom are more important than objects.
"but cultural,which is obviously a concept difficult to for you philistines to understand, coming as you are from a country without any."
By this I take it to mean you support stoning a woman for not wearing a chador,that you have no problem mudering people for having a different faith.If this is your idea of culture then I will proudly wear the cloak of"Phlistine".
Indonesian police, who have rounded up 18 alleged members of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network, say three of them will be flown to Bali to be questioned as suspects in the October 12 bombings. The 18 suspects are now being detained at national police headquarters in Jakarta. National police chief General Da'i Bachtiar says the seizures indicate JI was planning fresh terrorist attacks before next year's general elections.
National police spokesman Zainuri Lubis says Saad alias Ahmad Roichan, Umar Besar alias Wayan, and Sawad will soon be taken to Bali to join other suspects in the Bali blasts which killed 202 people including 88 Australians. Police announced the arrest of the 18 yesterday, the same day the alleged leader of JI, Abu Bakar Bashir, went on trial for treason. "We were looking for Bali bombing suspects and we found them. It turned out that they confessed to be members of JI and know each other," Mr Lubis said. Mr Lubis says a fourth suspect is also believed to have taken part in the Bali plot but his name cannot be revealed.
Police already have 30 people in custody in Bali over the bombings. Mr Lubis says eight others are still being sought. Among the 18 suspects arrested are Abu Rusdan, the man who allegedly replaced Bashir as JI's leader after Bashir was arrested last October. Also held is Malaysian national Nasir Abbas, whom police say is a sub-regional chief of JI. Abbas is also said to be a brother-in-law of Ali Ghufron alias Mukhlas, a key suspect in the Bali bombing.
Dig deep enough, and I'll betcha that most, if not all of them, are inbred related...
Mr Lubis says police seized a Magnum revolver, a broken US-made Smith and Wesson revolver, 6,620 bullets, 25 kilograms of sulphur, 15 kilograms of potassium, low explosive materials and fertiliser from the suspects.
With that many rounds, no wonder it's busted...
"Threats of new attacks always exist. We have to remain vigilant," he said. Indonesia's top detective Erwin Mappaseng was quoted by Kompas newspaper as saying that Rusdan's name emerged during investigations of the Bali bombing. He is thought to have been active in JI since 2001.
Barely got started in his new job, and now they've got to find somebody else to replace him. Maybe they should put an ad on Monster.com...
Twelve of the suspects were arrested in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Without specifying the source of its information, Kompas says that during the arrests in Palu police found a bomb which was ready to explode at an unknown location.
Bashir is not accused over the Bali blasts. He is charged with waging a jihad or holy war to topple the Jakarta government and set up an Islamic state.
Well. That's different.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 02:54 pm ||
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Prosecutors in Japan have demanded the death sentence for the leader of the doomsday cult, Aum Supreme Truth. Shoko Asahara is charged with the deaths of 27 people over several years, including the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo underground railway system in 1995. The chief prosecutor told the court that capital punishment is being insisted upon because of the seriousness of Asahara's crimes.
Still sounds like an uneven trade to me, but then, I'm one of those raving Republicans and probably can't identify with Shoko's "issues."
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 03:29 pm ||
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We are a great country..When will reason return to the minds of our people. How on earth can we prove to our own people in the US that the main reason for going into Iraq was to retrieve the $$ that we gave to Sad Hussein and the retrieve the missiles that we allowed him to purchase from our suppliers..We bombed their water supply and detroyed their buildings, above all, we killed civilians...we also attacked a hotel which housed reports on the supposition that the Army tank person said, "we saw gun fire from that floor." GIVE ME A BREAK...Why is Bush getting away with this atrocity.. We wanted the Gang Leader and we let him get away...Now, questins is did he leave with Ted Koppel after that ABC tv telecast.????? How convenient...But above all, why isn't the Press or TV commentators talking about Osama Bin Laden..or he is hiding out in the Bush Camp in Texas...
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia has their problems with the Al Quada elements present in their country or else Crown Prince Abdullah it bye-bye
therefore, they have to be kept under control..But what about the Saudi's minister who visited Camp Bush in Texas....Tell me more...I
will be watching...
Posted by: my name is Jane Baner ||
06/09/2003 15:57 Comments ||
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Golly. That's too bad... (Who knew she hadn't?)
In a message posted in the forum on her official Web site, pretentious enigmatic Irish artist Sinead O'Connor has declared that this summer she will seek to discard her celebrity. "As of July 2003 I shall be retiring from the music business [in] order to pursue a different career," she writes. A spokesperson for Vanguard Records, O'Connor's U.S. label, confirmed to Billboard.com that the message is authentic.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 04:04 pm ||
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heck - I thought she retired 10 years ago. Her new job will be with the BBC - any takers?
#2
I thought she was filling in for Paul Schaefer while he was on vacation
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 16:37 Comments ||
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#3
In order for Ms. O'Connor to retire from the music business, she would have had to have been a musician in the first place.
Posted by: Mike ||
04/24/2003 16:42 Comments ||
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#4
"[I] am a very shy person, believe it or not. So I ask with love, that I be left in peace and privacy by people who love my records too. And I hope it doesn't sound rude. It ain't meant rude. I am glad that ye are helped by my songs. So help me too, by giving me what is best for me, a private life.
#5
That's like putting on the safety on a gun that's not loaded.
Posted by: Dar ||
04/24/2003 16:52 Comments ||
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#6
Yah right! ....I suspect this is like Bab's and our local carpet company's semi-annual going-out-of-business sale. BUY NOW!! Inventory liquidation!! sigh... we wish.
#9
I would have thought her "gone with the Spice Girls" myself had my Direct TV not had her on a "free/ pay per view" (Oxymoron?) concert last month. I really was put off by her penchant for antics, but you have to admit, she has a fine "set of pipes"... (vocal ones, perv)
Nothing Compares...No-THING Compares 2 U...
A bank robber on the Greek island of Rhodes was overpowered by the bank's customers and staff when he returned to the scene of the crime to look for keys which he had left behind, the Greek media reported. The 41-year-old man had walked out of the bank with around 15,000 euros which he forced a cashier to hand over at gunpoint. But seconds later, he went back to look for the ignition keys to his hired getaway motorbike. Bank staff, who had recovered from the shock of the robbery, found the courage to overpower the robber to prevent him escaping a second time.
Ahah! Sounds like the work of the notorious Dummschitz Gang!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 03:32 pm ||
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Nah, he just wanted to be sure to get the bike back before he was hit with a late charge. ;)
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 20:48 Comments ||
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Chuck sends this tidbit along. Think about this the next time Susie and Tim and Ed and the Baldwins and the Sheens and Whatsisname start bitching about "witch hunts"...
Kolkata, April 20
A tribal man in West Bengal beheaded a woman after dubbing her a witch and then calmly walked into a police station carrying her severed head. The incident occurred Friday evening at Sajnedighi village in Malda district.
Normally, we just need the ears...
Police said Sunil Kisku's children had been suffering from various ailments for months. One of his sons died sometime back. After the village quack failed to cure his children, Kisku was advised by some friends to see a witch doctor who promised to help for a fee of Rs 1,200. The poor man arranged for the money and an elaborate ritual was conducted. At the end of it, the witch doctor pronounced that Kisku's worries were because of a woman relative who had cast an evil spell on his children. The witch doctor warned that he would lose his family if she were not killed. Police said an enraged Kisku then raided the house of the 50-year-old woman, Turki Kisku, and strangled her in front of her son. He then chopped off her head.
Just to make sure...
Sunil then surrendered at a police station and confessed to the crime.
"I dunnit, an' I'm glad! A little queasy, but glad..."
The police have also arrested another man on suspicion of being Kisku's accomplice.
There are eight million stories in The Naked City. But this one's from somewhere else...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 03:17 pm ||
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MAN BEHEADS WITCH. Wow, I didn't even know Hillary was in West Bengal.
Source: JUS
A Palestinian bomber has blown himself up at the entrance of a train station in the central Israeli town of Kfar Saba, some 20 km north of Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli and injured at least 10 others. Rescue workers said about half of the casualties were in serious condition. The explosion occurred during morning rush hour, as commuters entered the station which serves as a link between Tel Aviv and its suburbs. The bomber apparently detonated his explosives when an Israeli security guard stopped him from entering the station, a link between Tel Aviv and its suburbs, during morning rush hour, Israeli media said.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
04/24/2003 02:08 pm ||
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Very good links and comments on LGF about the security guard who was killed attempting to stop the Pal slimeball--a Ukrainian immigrant and a true human shield, giving his life to protect the many innocents at the train station and lending the term more honor and dignity than the idiots who went to Baghdad could ever hope to see in their pathetic lives.
Posted by: Dar ||
04/24/2003 14:24 Comments ||
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#2
How can ANYONE still think peace is possible with that sleaze Arafat. Since we are there we should take care of this PAL problem once and for all. Yes I am talking about killing every PLO, PLF, PLDF, FATAH, Hezbalah, and EIEIO terrorists that resides in Lebenon. Only after that can peace have a realistic chance.
#3
The Paleos need to bottom out before they can come back up and deal and compromise like rational people. It is self-evident that the Paleos have not bottommed out yet. Just like NK you do not negotiate with nutcases. There is nothing to talk about. You hit them where it hurts and they may learn the principle of action and consequence. Maybe.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/24/2003 21:09 Comments ||
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North Korea has told the United States that it possesses nuclear weapons, Bush administration sources said Thursday, according to published reports. Both the Associated Press and Reuters reported that Pyongyang made the admission during its talks in Beijing with the U.S. and China. Crap!
FOLLOWUP: More detail...
US Secretary of State Colin Powell says the three-way talks between North Korea, China and his country have ended a day earlier than expected. Mr Powell says that, while US and Chinese officials might hold talks later today, North Korea's involvement is over. He also warned Pyongyang that Washington would not respond to threats.
Ummm... That sounds like we told them to go to hell...
On day two of the talks, China called for sincerity on both sides, the United States delegation said nothing publicly, and North Korea ratcheted up the tensions. The Korean Central News Agency issued a statement warning that the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang had reached a point where war could break out at any moment. In a separate statement, a government official warned that the communist country would deal "merciless deadly blows" to US troops in the event of war. Given the rhetoric, few analysts expect a breakthrough.
I don't think anybody expected a breakthrough at any point, not since last October, when Kimmie (or the guys who pull his strings) seems to have gone off his rocker...
Meanwhile, American officials who have taken part in talks with North Korea over the last two days say that Pyongyang has confirmed to them it does possess nuclear weapons. One unnamed American has said: "They said what we always knew - that they do have nuclear weapons." The official says the North Koreans have not discussed testing the weapons during the talks.
Posted by: sonic ||
04/24/2003 01:49 pm ||
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Now, let's breathlessly await the Albright - Christopher - Clinton crowd state that President Bush's rhetorical "Axis of Evil" phrase drove the North Koreans to do this. This 1993 treaty with North Korea is our generation's version of the Munich Agreement (handing over my homeland of Czechoslovakia to the Nazis). Is there a picture of Madeline Albright somewhere holding a piece of paper aloft and stating "I believe it is peace for our time... Go home and get a nice quiet sleep."
#2
I always figured that the Korean Conflict wouldn't be resumed, but now I'm not so certain. I figured we would just wait it out (containment)and eventually, N. Korea would fail and then acheive success (Democratize). That isn't gonna happen with China still there supporting them. If they suddenly behive like Vietnam, (stop threatening their neighbors, and everybody else for that matter) we might be O.K.
Do we wait for China to go the way of Russia? (Not that Russia has really come that far) Or, do we look for a resumtion of the conflict after "W" gets re-elected?
If that's the case, when do we get to Syria? Before I presume but, we appear to be a long way away from that yet.
Now, if Syrias' time comes up this fall.....
How do we rebuild three countries at once?
I would like to see N. Korea go the way of the DoDo Bird, but I just don't know out how to do it. We obviously want to get to them before they can build up their military. How does the administration accomplish that?
O.K. Rantburgers, let's hear some suggestions.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
04/24/2003 14:36 Comments ||
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I don't think there is a picture of Albright with a piece of paper aloft, but I'm sure there is one of her dancing with the Dear Leader. Ugh. Imagine them doing the Electric Slide......
As for my totally unqualified opinion re: Nkors, let them rant a little more. I don't think anyone really was surprised by the nuke announcement (they've been hinting at that for a while). Let China deal with them for a while. We've got plenty to do with Afghanistan/Iraq/Syria/Iran. Encourage Japan and Skor to take a few more preparations for their own defense in the meantime. Keep one or two carriers in the vicinity. Wait them out.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 15:02 Comments ||
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#4
Well, if they really have nukes they hold a significant blackmail card over SKor and Seoul in particular, not to mention Japan and parts of the US. Thus, "containment" and "deterrence" are probably the best of some unfortunate choices.
My suggestion would be to support Japan's rearmament and nuclearization - something that's been talked about by the Japanese hardliners in recent times.
In addition to Japanese rearmament, we guarantee SKor's and Japan's security, build up our forces in the region "just in case", withdraw all monetary and humanitarian support from NKor (cruel, but in the hopes that if the situation gets bad enough the people will turn on Kimmie & Co. or the government will collapse), warn them very seriously that if they use their nukes they'll end up as glowing green glass, and stand back and hope for the best.
The only problem is I don;t think that this will work as I'm of the opinion that there are no sane people running NKor. I keep remembering some lines from the old movie Pork Chop Hill (Gregory Peck) and, although the generals and diplomats were talking about the Chinese sitting across the table from them, I think the NKors are just as recalcitrant. They're willing to trade lives by the hundreds of thousands and seem confident that we aren't willing to do the same.
#5
I don't know how we incentivize the Japanese to re-militarize. They've grown rich under our nuclear umbrella. I can't see them changing the status quo. Plus a re-armed Japan pisses off the Chinese and all of our other allies.
How about a deal with the Chinese? Blockade NK with the intent of bringing its final collapse. South Korea absorbs the North (with massive economic assistance from the US and Japanese), which remains a de-militarized zone. US troops leave the peninsula at some pre-determined date after the collapse. Which in reality just frees them up for more important things.
#6
mike - it depends on your view of the relative short and medium term threats from PRC and NKOR - if you think that PRC has essentially moderate medium term goals (economic development and gradual extension of a regional sphere influence) then you ENGAGE China, and one of your key issues/demands/requests is that they help you contain/disarm/dissolve NKOR (which of 3 depends on how urgent NKOR seems, and your commitments elsewhere.) If you see PRC as short to medium term threat (likely to invade Taiwan, as prelude to drive for global power)then pressuring China is more important than what happens on the Korean peninsula, and so you wait for China to do a Russia, while accepting that NKOR has nukes, hope they dont use them or sell them.
If China is worthy of engagement, but reluctant to act aggresively toward NKOR, then the threat of Japanese rearmament becomes additional leverage over PRC.
The nukes are not really that much of a threat to SKOR - Seoul is already vulnerable to total destruction by NKOR conventional artillery - that seems to be the reason the SKOR's dont sympathize as much as you might expect with out position - they see us risking a conventional war that would devastate them essentially to prevent NKOR from putting nukes on the market.
#7
The first thing we should do is very publicly get our boys out of SKor and the region ie Japan...they are simply sitting ducks for Kimmie Nuke and his wild anticts.
This would allow us to take conventional preemptive first strike measures from the carrier's off shore with the HOPES that the NKor's couldnt hit CA or AK on the west coast and would not retaliate against SKor or Japan because they did nothing and would risk bringing them into the war. We simultaneously tell the NKors that we would retaliate nuclear should they fire a nuke at anyone.
I understand that the Aegis system has been successfully used to intercept long range missiles if they fire when the long range missle is climbing. We could line the coast of NKor with Aegis class cruisers to protect Japan and enforce a blockade to strangle NKor economically. We could load up SKor with Patriot batteries to protect them from anything flying.
I think we have to do something militarily as we can not allow Kimmie Nuke to posess something like this.
#8
FOTSGreg has the main point---There are no sane people running NK. They have not learned, unable to learn, or not willing to learn the lessons of Iraq. There is not alot we can do about NKor EXCEPT we have to put the monkey on the back of CHINA. They are the only ones left that have any significant spigot keeping Kimmies oil burners going. China cuts off the supplies, then Kimmie kraters. If China is unable or unwilling to do something, THEN Japan will have to rearm. At least we have a lever w/China there. The only low destruction way out of this deal is to have NK collapse from within. We need to basically blockade NK shipping to cut off their means of foreign exchange. That means hassling their unflagged tubs they send hither and thither.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/24/2003 15:44 Comments ||
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#9
Is a rearmed Japan enough to scare the PRC into selling out NKor? It seems to me that North Korea is more like a subsidiary of the PRC than a dependent.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
04/24/2003 16:46 Comments ||
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#10
If the Aegis intercepts as advertised, I'd take out their next missile test. We still haven't seen a nuke tested successfully, have we? Unless the Pak tests were NK models.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 17:19 Comments ||
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Couple of points. 1) Japan has already made the decision to re-arm. It's going to take several years, maybe even a couple of decades, to get to what they consider an adequate "defensive capability". Their recent launch of spy satellites was primarily aimed at three enemies: NKorea, which if it has nukes poses a horrendous threat to EVERY Japanese city; China, which they consider a threat to their economic and trade empire; and Russia, which still occupies two areas Japan considers "its" territory - the Kuriles and Sakalain Island. Their first priority will be anti-air and anti-missile defense, followed by a strong offensive-capability (I.E., carrier task group) Navy, and finally by a growing land-based, high-tech army similar to what the US used in Iraq. 2) Japan's re-arming will scare the bejesus out of China, which still remembers Japanese occupation of most of its coastal areas. Russia, too, is getting nervous: it's far eastern areas are extremely vulnerable, and if Vladivostok is neutralized, the Russians are totally out of the Pacific game. 3) Japan's final willingness to talk with SKorea about war reparations, and in fact making quite a few (albeit token) payments, is easing the friction between these two states. Closer relations between SKorea and Japan would send shock waves not only through NKorea, but China and Russia as well. 4) The best thing the US could do is to step back, tell Japan to go ahead (maybe even clandestinely assisting them in a few areas), and watch the fall-out (not literally of course). Japan has nuclear power stations, and could begin mass-producing nuclear weapons in a matter of a year or two. They already have a space-launch capability (RE, those spy satellites), and they could easily modify that capability to launch nuclear weapons. The last thing the nations ringing the Pacific Basin want is an aggressive, nuclear-capable Japan.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/24/2003 17:28 Comments ||
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Japan and South Korea should both announce through leaks or lower level politicians that they are considering dropping out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. This will send a chill through the PRC.
The US should inform the PRC that eventually the Koreas will unite and the PRC will no longer be the puppetmaster. When that happens, does the PRC really want the new Korea to be angry at them, and nuclear armed?
The PRC is the key to the whole thing. They can lock down NK and have so far been playing games.
"...If China is worthy of engagement, but reluctant to act aggresively toward NKOR, then the threat of Japanese rearmament becomes additional leverage over PRC."
The threat of Japanese rearmament also becomes a motivation that China doesn't really need right now... to become serious about nuclear ballistic missile development. This is not a motive we would want them to have. China has been "cool" about ICBM development, because it is so pointless and wasteful (one of the chief lessons of the Soviet debacle). They have plenty of places to use cash, and there is no real return on ICBM development UNLESS you feel seriously threatened.
I'm guessing a nuclear North Korea, under current management, poses at least as much of a threat to PRC as it does to the US. The Chicoms are closer, and have forsaken the one true Stalinist path. Commies are always hardest on their own doctrinal waywards (as religions are always cruelest to heretics).
"The nukes are not really that much of a threat to SKOR - Seoul is already vulnerable to total destruction by NKOR conventional artillery..."
In all honesty, do you think this is a defensible statement? There are degrees of "total destruction". Ask the Japanese. To be fair, more destruction was meted to Japan by conventional explosives and incendiaries, than by both nukes. But it's difficult to picture NKOR achieving anything like the firebombing of Japan, or anything close to "total destruction", with their conventional delivery systems, vs. the inevitable US/SKOR countermeasures.
A single nuke would be WAY worse than anything NKOR krazies could accomplish with conventionals.
Posted by: Mark IV ||
04/24/2003 21:25 Comments ||
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#15
NKors have something like 7,000 artillery pieces in range of Seoul. Even with brilliant counter-battery fire, they're likely to be able to get off several shells per piece. That works out to being in the multiple kT range of conventional explosives.
#16
My feeling is that China might - and I do mean MIGHT - start getting serious now. From what I've read, Beijing is very worried that the Americans DO mean business, and they don't want to see the US launching an attack on North Korea. China thinks we are as crazy as Kimmie, and that might go a long way in encouraging the PRC to use its leverage in Pyongyang to greater effect. Still, perhaps I should start booking a flight out of here :)
Posted by: The Marmot ||
04/24/2003 23:10 Comments ||
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#17
It won't be pretty either way, that's for sure.
NK aggression and the potential cost in SK/US lives is the best, and thus scariest, case for preemptive tac nukes there could be.
So, I guess the alternative is the old buy off, $educe, wait 'em out, and hope.
It all just sounds so french.
Posted by: Mark IV ||
04/24/2003 23:51 Comments ||
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U.N. chief Kofi Annan urged U.S.-led forces in Iraq on Thursday to live up to their responsibility for civilians and public order under the Geneva Conventions, drawing an angry response from the United States. STFU!
Addressing the annual session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Annan said that with the war over, he hoped a "new era of human rights in Iraq will now begin." Well, if it follows the diktats of the UNCHR, it'll probably end up worse than when Saddam held reign. These are some of the worst people in the UN, and that's saying a lot!
What'd Kofi do about the old era of human rights in Iraq?
It was up to U.S.-led troops to set an example by "demonstrating through their actions that they accept the responsibilities of the occupying power for public order and safety, and the well-being of the civilian population," he said. He had no good answers before, during, and after the regime change, but of course, that shouldn't hinder his ability to lecture others — almost French in its simplisme.
One might almost call it "the arrogance of ineffectuality."
Annan, who has made similar appeals in the past, said these responsibilities were clearly set out in the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Regulations on the rules of warfare. We are the only ones who followed them, ass! Where were your condemnations of the Iraqis who, like their paleo brothers, use women, children for human shields? Tortured POWs?
But Washington's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Kevin E. Moley, took issue with the remarks, saying the United States had gone out of its way from "from day one" to meet all its obligations. "Quite frankly, we find it odd at best that the secretary-general would feel that he had to bring this to our attention," Moley told journalists. Why couldn't Rumsfeld have delivered the response?
Iraqi cities suffered widespread looting before, during, and after U.S.-led forces toppled the government of former president Saddam Hussein two weeks ago. Humanitarian organizations called for U.S. troops to restore order so that aid could reach needy civilians. The United States says the worst of the lawlessness is now over. And we will deliver the aid... you parasites can stay home, buh-bye
After his speech, Annan left for New York cutting short a European trip because of what his office called "current developments" in Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere. as if he has anything productive to do with any of those developments. U.S. out of the UN
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 01:29 pm ||
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Why didn't this jackass lecture the Iraqi forces before or during the war? Seems a little bias to me...
#2
Slightly OT, but does anyone know if the UN actually owns that building in NY, or do they just lease it? Any way they could get evicted? I dunno.....claim they had some loud party that bothered the neighbors one too many times?
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 14:35 Comments ||
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#3
Who listens to this irrelevant clown any more? Kofi, tell me about the best 5 star restaurants in New York City. Other then that, SHADDUP!
#4
Kofi's just gotta' piss and moan about something, anything the US does in order to keep himself and his worthless pile of crap organization front-and-center in the headlines.
UN out of the US! Today! Yesterday if it were possible! It's filled with anti-American dictators and thugs and serves no worthwhile purpose other than to attempt to block US power in the world.
#5
Acrually, it's good the Kofi brought up the Hague Treaties. All of the Euros (and we) are signatories. What's of interest here is that the 1907 Convention on Land Warfare gives the "occupying power) the right and obligation to manage the natural resources of the occupied territory for the benefit of its peoples. So ... if the UN don't wanna lift the sanctions on Iraq, we'll sell the oil on the open market pursuant to Hague.
Posted by: Norman Rogers ||
04/24/2003 15:39 Comments ||
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#6
Addressing the annual session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Annan said that with the war over, he hoped a "new era of human rights in Iraq will now begin."
It won't be any thanks to the U.N., that's for sure.
Check out the story. The picture of Dear Leader is worth it.
BEIJING â North Korea accused the United States of leading the region toward war Thursday in an apparent attempt by the communist nation to increase pressure on negotiators holding a second day of talks on its nuclear programs.
It's leaders are outraged over U.S. moves to cut off oil shipments because of its suspected nuclear weapons program, and fears it is next on Washington's list for military action. Outraged! Outraged, I tell you!
"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is so tense that a war may break out any moment due to the U.S. moves," the North's KCNA news agency. I hate it when war "breaks out"
It said relations with the United States had hit "rock bottom" because President Bush named North Korea as part of an "axis of evil," along with Iran and Iraq
North Korea also said it was ready to settle the dispute over its suspected nuclear weapons programs and that the "master key" for successful talks was for the United States to drop its hostile policy toward Pyongyang. Hostile is NKor code for "Show me the Money!" If we don't get some U.S. money soon, Dear Leader will have to eat the same grass that the rest of our people eat.
North Korea and China fought against the United States in the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended without a peace treaty. North Korea and Washington have no formal relations and are still technically at war. I was pretty certain before, but now I'm convinced. Finishing the war is the solution. Game on.
China, the North's ally and major aid donor, nevertheless says it doesn't want Pyongyang to acquire nuclear weapons and has appealed for a negotiated settlement to the crisis. No way they're gonna help the U.S. They're just looking for a hand-out too.
The North likely wants aid for its economy, which has been crippled by the loss of Soviet subsidies and years of drought and mismanagement.
Why would they need money? They have all the grass and Juche they need.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
04/24/2003 11:36 am ||
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Story just broke that NK has admitted they have nuclear weapons.
Posted by: HC ||
04/24/2003 12:16 Comments ||
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#2
Maybe the SARS outbreak is China's subtle method for taking care of the North Korean problem -- anybody see any pictures of the NKor neggotiator, and was he wearing a mask?
#3
Whoa! Check out the skin condition on Kimmies' palms - obviously he hasn't had any scandinavian blonde actresses in for fun and games lately
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 12:54 Comments ||
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#4
The NK threats during negotiations wear thin after 50 yearsh, Shunny. Unless they make a 180 in their philosophy and attitude, we need to talk them to death and let them crater. Under NO circumstances should we give them ANY handout. It just enables them to go on the same way longer. If China wants them to be a thorn in our side, let the ChiComs finance them.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/24/2003 12:54 Comments ||
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#5
Chalk another issue up to the 'Clinton Legacy'
Posted by: Yosemite Sam ||
04/24/2003 13:24 Comments ||
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#6
Yosemite, ya got the idea, but the vernacular is incorrect. It's "Clinton Loonacy".
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/24/2003 18:07 Comments ||
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E.F.L. Strange that, when the media is screaming about the looting going on, their own are trying to ship looted materials home...
Several members of the media and a U.S. serviceman have been caught attempting to ship Iraqi paintings, weapons and other war souvenirs to America, U.S. authorities said Wednesday. At least 15 paintings, gold-plated firearms, ornamental knives, bonds and other items have been seized at airports in Atlanta, Boston, London and Washington in the last week, according to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. âThese seizures should serve as a warning to anyone who would take advantage of the transition currently under way in the newly liberated Iraq,â Commissioner Robert Bonner said.
Ruh roh... Somebody's stepped in it...
âThese items are not souvenirs or war trophies but stolen goods that belong to the people of Iraq,â said Michael Garcia of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency in the Department of Homeland Security. Benjamin James Johnson, who worked as an engineer for Fox News Channel, is the only person charged or identified by the government.
Heard on the radio yesterday that Ben's looking for a new job...
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., charges Johnson tried to bring 12 paintings into the United States last Thursday. They were contained in a large cardboard box that was examined by Customs agents at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. An affidavit filed with the criminal complaint says that Johnson, who accompanied U.S. troops in Baghdad, gathered up the paintings at a palace that belonged to Odai Hussein, one of Iraqi President Saddam Husseinâs sons. The paintings depict Saddam and Odai.
They're painted in flourescent colors, on black velvet. Very tasteful...
While the historical value of the paintings is deemed to be negligible, they are believed to have considerable resale value given their ties to Saddam Hussein, the government said. An examination of Johnsonâs luggage also turned up 40 Iraqi Monetary Bonds and a visitorâs badge from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait. Johnson, 27, of Alexandria, Va., has not been arrested but is to appear before a federal magistrate next Tuesday.
Ummm... I'm not too sure how good this case might be. The Iraqi bonds are probably worth just about the paper they're printed on. My grandaddy used to have some pre-1917 Russian bonds that he'd show off to people â nice engraving and everything, but worthless, except to collectors. And pictures of Sammy are probably more common than camels in Iraq â hanging on just about every wall in every home, to include the bathroom wall. If they have "historical value" it'll probably be negligible, and truth to tell the Iraqi people will be glad enough to get rid of them.
Johnson initially told Customs officials he was given the paintings by Iraqi citizens, then said he had planned to keep them âfor decorationâ and to provide one to his employer, the affidavit said. It is U.S. policy that all such items belong to the Iraqi people. Johnson worked for six years as a satellite truck engineer for Fox, which fired him after learning he had acknowledged taking the paintings, a network statement said.
Well, I think he should get his job back. I'm not even sure if there was a crime committed, and if it was it looks like it was on the order of jaywalking...
Customs bureau officials said an unidentified U.S. serviceman attempted to ship a rifle, pistol, and AK-47 assault rifle â all gold-plated â taken from an Iraqi government facility to a military base in the United States. The serviceman was shipping from an address in Kuwait to Fort Stewart, Ga. The items were seized last Friday at Londonâs Heathrow Airport.
This guy, on the other hand, is in trouble...
An unidentified Boston Herald reporter attempted to bring a painting, wall ornament and other items into the country through Bostonâs Logan International Airport on Saturday, federal authorities said. Additional Iraqi items, including a painting, a gold-plated emblem, a gun holster and a knife, that were being shipped by several other members of the media were seized at Dulles on Monday.
Posted by: Tadderly ||
04/24/2003 10:29 am ||
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E.F.L. Strange that, when the media is screaming about the looting going on, their own are trying to ship looted materials home...
#5
Edited For Length - to save Fred some bandwidth $; EFB = edited for brevity, and to keep the post on topic
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 13:07 Comments ||
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#6
For those who're browser-challenged, I put the HTML for copy/paste on the comments page and on GuestPoster.
The response to my blegging was so overwhelming that I now feel guilty about all the things I haven't done to make the site better. So now GuestPoster should remember your name, too...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/24/2003 15:04 Comments ||
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#7
That's Ok, Fred. If you have contributions in excess of your needs, take your Lady to dinner on us. Really. You deserve it.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
04/24/2003 22:43 Comments ||
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A South African court convicted Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and her broker on dozens of counts of fraud and theft on Thursday in a move that could send the anti-apartheid heroine and member of parliament to jail. "The state's evidence is overwhelming," magistrate Peet Johnson told a Pretoria court. Madikizela-Mandela was found guilty on 43 counts of fraud and 25 of theft. Her co-accused, broker Addy Moolman, was convicted on 58 counts of fraud and 25 of theft. The pair were permitted to remain free on bail and were expected to be sentenced on Friday.
She and Moolman had both pleaded not guilty to 85 charges of fraud and theft, which each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. State prosecutors said letters bearing Madikizela-Mandela's signature were used to secure loans for bogus employees of the Women's League of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which she heads. Madikizela-Mandela's lawyers accused Moolman, bank staff and Women's League employees of lying about her role in the scheme. They argued she was duped into participating in a fraud she knew nothing about. "I wuz framed, I tell ya!"
Both were also found guilty of the theft charges, which stem from allegations that they set up a phony funeral insurance scheme and then pilfered money from participants' accounts. Thursday's conviction prompted renewed opposition calls for Madikizela-Mandela to resign her parliamentary seat. "A member of parliament convicted on 43 charges of fraud should not stay on in parliament," Douglas Gibson, opposition Democratic Alliance chief whip, said in a statement. Gee, you recon?
Posted by: John Phares ||
04/24/2003 09:52 am ||
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#1
For being such a smart women of saintly character she sure hangs out with murderers, thugs, thieves, and crooks, all of which seem to be directed and employed by ....Winnie. Perhaps she needs to conduct better pre-employment screening?
yeah....that's the ticket
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 10:14 Comments ||
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#2
Frank G...you forgot to mention her involvement in kidnapping.
Posted by: Arthur Fleischman ||
04/24/2003 11:27 Comments ||
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#3
Well, we're all sure the 14-year-old deserved to be beaten to death. It was politix, after all...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/24/2003 11:41 Comments ||
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#4
and his name was Stompie
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/24/2003 11:54 Comments ||
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#5
Think she can get Nellie's old cell? I think that'd be a nice touch.
EFL. From the NY Sun, so obviously I had to clean up the formatting.
Mark the date: July 9. Thatâs when opponents of the Iranian regime have called a general strike that they hope will expand to topple the government there and bring freedom and democracy to the Iranian people. A "general strike", how French of you.
The strike is being organized by pro-freedom student groups to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the last student uprising in Iran that saw thousands of students take to the streets against the Islamic Republicâs ruling mullahs. As I recall, the Mullaz had to import muscle from places like Gaza to put the earlier protests down.
The planned event â indeed, the Iranian freedom movement as a whole â could take on a new dimension now that Iranâs western neighbor, Iraq, is free from Saddam Husseinâs tyranny. It will be interesting to see what happens. Setting a date relatively far in the future essentially dares the Iranian government to quell it in advance. Efforts to do so between now and July 9 will either demonstrate the power of the police state or serve to promote the event and make it all the more important. Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, has been in touch with student organizers and is lending his support to the event.
"This could be a major turning point. It is crucial for the world community to pick up on this," Mr. Pahlavi told The New York Sun. "The best way to invest in regime change in Iran is through the people of Iran themselves. It is so important at this stage to be supportive of the Iranian people and give them this moral solace that theyâre not alone." Mr. Pahlavi told the Sun the mullahsâ "days are numbered" and that "Iranian society is picking up on these vibes..." It'll take more than vibes to bring down a theocracy.
Yesterday, the French foreign minister, Dominique 'the weasel' de Villepin, arrived in Tehran for meetings with Iranian officials,including President Khatemi,and the chairman of the powerful Expediency Council, a former president of Iran, Hashemi Rafsanjani. The visit has angered Senator Sam Brownback, a Republican of Kansas who has championed the cause of freeing Iran. "The Iranian people are struggling for their freedom and yet, France continues to do business with this torturous regime" Mr. Brownback said yesterday. "Iranâs current regime is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. I find it shameful that the French would claim to support a secure world, and then do business with a regime that is actively dedicated to destroying that security."
"It was only business, Mike..."
Protests are planned today in Iran against Mr. de Villepin, Ms. Zand-Bonazzi said. "Iranian university students and women are going to go out there and demonstrate in front of the French Embassy. Weâre hoping it will be a huge turnout. The French have made dirty deals with the mullahs. Chirac is one of the best friends of Khatemi." Maybe France will help restore Islamic pride by adopting Sharia around the same time Iran drops it.
Posted by: JAB ||
04/24/2003 09:52 am ||
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#1
Accidental double post. Sorry. Hopefully it can be de-duped.
"April 24, 2003: In Iran, young people are calling American president Bush "the messiah" and wondering when he will invade Iran and free the people from the dictatorship of the Islamic clergy. Meanwhile, the Islamic radicals see the departure of Saddam's forces as an opportunity to spread Islamic rule into Iraq. Most Iraqi Shias apparently don't want an Islamic republic. But neither do most Iranians. Makes no difference. God wills it and things are likely to get ugly before they get any better."
#5
I don't know if this is coordinating with us, but the more the mullahs are busy covering their own asses at home, the less they can muck around in Iraq. Defense by offense. Very nice even if coincidental.
#6
In Iran, young people are calling American president Bush "the messiah" and wondering when he will invade Iran and free the people from the dictatorship of the Islamic clergy.
He doesn't even have to do that. All that needs to be done is for GWB to publicly proclaim American support to the people looking to toss the mullahs.
#7
They'll need practical support, B-a-R, not the words without meaning that came from Bush Sr.. Such as, "Any mass arrests or assaults of peaceful demonstrators before or on July 9 will be met with a MOAB on Qom." Or something to that effect. Or perhaps shipping a huge cache of Iraqi arms to the Iranian Students.
#8
"Any mass arrests or assaults of peaceful demonstrators before or on July 9 will be met with a MOAB on Qom." Or something to that effect.
I'd be inclined to say: "To those of you in Iran who seek to take back your country from YOUR tyrants, America is waiting for you to begin, and if you need us, we will be there."
The war in Iraq has proved it once again — the technological predominance of one of the belligerents is the guarantee of success in a war. No, war is won by people, not technology.
There can be one conclusion made about it: the Russian defense technology is of little use for modern armed conflicts. Otherwise, Saddam would still remain the president of the country. Pravda sure gets this one right, but again misses the point: it was our people that made the war go the way it did — training, leaderhsip, logistics, morale, intel. But Rantburg readers already know that.
The Russian tank corps used to count 63 thousand machines. It kept Europe and Asia in awe. Russian Army Command used to say incorrectly that Soviet tank troops could reach the English Channel or the Yellow Sea within just three days. Nowadays, this defensive shield has become outdated and smaller in its number — only 20 thousand tanks few of which work. The Russian Defense Ministry says that every fifth of those tanks can be considered as a modern machine. Furthermore, they are T-72 and T-80 tanks — developments of the 1970s and the 1980s. It is worth mentioning that Baghdad counted on those tanks too. However, even a "modern Russian tank" is a machine that was produced ten years ago. The Russian Defense Ministry has not ordered any tanks for ten years at Russian defense enterprises, with the exception for several dozens of T-90 tanks. Yet, their meagre number does not change anything. The Defense Ministry is not going to purchase any tanks in coming years. Real question is, does Ivan need any tanks?
This depressive situation can be seen in the Russian aviation and navy as well. As it turns out, an enemy is strong and powerful, but we are poor and defenseless. There has been a lot of things said about the army reform, about the modernization of arms, taking into consideration the fact that the export defense enterprise RosOboronExport exhibits certain pieces of the Russian defense technology at various prestigious shows. Yet, things are right where they started. Moreover, Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin has recently stated that the defense spending would be cut during 2003-2005 (together with the spending on the social field and science). 'cause they don't have any money.
Don't have anybody attacking them, or even threatening them, but for a few Chechens...
However, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (President Putin) decided to establish law and order in the system of the Russian defense industry. As it was announced on April 19th, Major-General Alexander Burutin was appointed for the position of the presidential advisor for issues of the defense industry and state defense order. Burutin can be categorized as a successful apparatchik military official. He is a young person for an official (47 years old), already a major-general, he has been serving in the General Headquarters for long (eleven years), although he has not been noticed for having any links with the defense industry. The period of his services in the General Headquarters shows that Burutin is aware of the problems in the field of both the Russian defense industry and the army reform.
Sounds like a "shtabnik" — does he have any experience actually commanding troops?
One may assume that the president expects his new advisor to prepare an analysis of the situation around the defense budget for the year 2003. The deficit of the defense budget has increased by billions of rubles according to the results of the first quarter. Generals say that the lack of money occurs on account of the price growth on food, military uniforms and medicines. The situation with fuel for the army is even worse: fuel rose 15 or 20 percent in price, although the federal budget does not stipulate any compensation about it. Let's see, if the new presidential advisor manages to cope with the situation. Here's a suggestion, Alexi: let Chechyna go, cut the size of your army by half, and spend the money freed up by this on training and logistics for the other half. Oh, and don't get into any wars for a while.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/24/2003 01:03 am ||
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#1
Also stop selling China all of your "good" stuff. You don't want to be fighting it ten years from now.
#2
I don't think they're gonna let Chechnya go. It's surrounded on all sides by Russian territory. They've lost more soldiers in one attempt to take Grozny than both sides lost in the entire Iraqi campaign (including civilians, I believe). Their pride is on the line and it will be a while before they could even consider leaving.
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 2:33 Comments ||
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#3
Another note on letting chechnya go... when the ...terrorists... took the movie theater hostage in chechnya last year, the Russians used a controversial tactic, sleeping gas, to take them out. in the process they hurt a lot of the wrong people While the international community cried, "Foul!", the U.S. gave a most mild rebuke, in effect telling russia and the world, "Ummm, we don't have a problem with your tactics, but just try to be a little more precise next time." Likewise, the U.S. reaction to Putin's great quote last year, the one where putin invited Islamic terrorists to come to Moscow and get a "circumcision that will never heal" was something to effect of, "that was a unfortunately worded comment, but, we're cool with that. " With tacit approval like that from the country that just blew the taliban and Iraqi regimes to atoms, Russia can feel free to go on with Chechnya any way it chooses.
disclaimer: Please believe me when Itell you that I am not much of a fan of Russia or Putin, but his outburst about the circumcision thing was pretty cool. I just wish that it hadn't come from the words of a "ex" KGB man
#4
The first sentence of the article does indeed show that they have got the wrong end of the stick. Compared to WWII armies, the Iraqis had a lot of modern equipment, equipment that were that article true would have allowed them to steamroller a WWII army. However, I do not believe that they could have overcome a WWII equipped American army. There would have been a lot more casualties for sure, but I think that ultimately American training would have told.
Training is what allows the technology to be used. If two armies are equally trained, then technology will make the decisive difference. Otherwise, technology is just lots of fancy gadgets that a poorly trained force cannot use because it does not have the doctrine, or even the maintenance ability to use it.
Posted by: David Newton ||
04/24/2003 8:25 Comments ||
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#5
I think the most important factor in the Iraq conflict was morale. The Iraqi army just did not want to fight for Saddam. The foreign Arab contingent showed that casualties could be inflicted on the US army, although that still was not many.
I suspect that morale in the Russian army is not that high, especially for regular conscripted units. A fully professional volunteer force is the way to go today.
Posted by: A ||
04/24/2003 11:15 Comments ||
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#6
A bit of perspective on this article. He keeps harping on "old" weapons. Most of the US Arsenal is more than 10 years old - a lot of it dating to the early 1980's. Hows this for "Old" (Just US Weapons)?
The USS Constellation: keel was laid down 14 September 1957, at the New York Navy Yard. 8 October 1960, delivered to the Navy 1 October 1961, and commissioned 27 October 1961. Older than 98% of the sailors and Marines that staff her.
M1 - originally designed in the late 1970's, entered service in the early 1980's.
M2 & M3 Bradleys: entered service almost 20 years ago.
USMC LVPT-7's - some of them are in excess of 30 years old, yet they rolled right to baghdad, far past their intended operations radius.
A-10: The plan the Airforce tried to kill. Designed in the 1970's as an Anti-Armor bird, its now the best tactical support aircfact in the US Inventory.
USMC AH-1: Introduced in the Vietnam war.
C-130: the vital tactical supply and transport aircraft. Another Vietnam era design. Like the DC-3 and 747, probably the best transport aricraft of its time.
F-117: Comissioned by Jimmy Carter, designed in the early 80's, operational in small numbers by the mid 1980's (classified).
B-1 - designed under Ford in the mid 1970's, Cancelled by Carter, Resurrected by Reagan.
And last but not least - the Big Ugly Fat F***er
B-52 - I read an article where one pilot is flying the same tail-number his GRANDFATHER flew! And they look likely to serve for another 10-20 years. An incredible Aircraft.
So "old" design is not that big of a factor. Look to doctrine, training, NCO proficiency & elan of the individual fighting man, continuous upgrades, and integrating all that: a C4I structure that is far superior to any in the history of the world in reach, scope and detail from top to bottom.
#7
Old but well maintained and upgraded on a regular basis. I suspect that the equipment in the US arsenal is *not* the same as when it roled of the assembly line.
#8
the aircraft are old, but the munitions are relatively new. Grandfather may have flown B-52's but he didnt use them to drop JDAMS. And of course the C4I improvements you mention.
#9
Ma Deuce (.50 cal BMG)... good enough for Grandpa (hell, Great Grandpa, circa 1921), good enough for Saddam. Now there is some fully amortized tooling.
Dunno about that "one" conclusion, though: "Russian defense technology is of little use for modern armed conflicts. Otherwise, Saddam would still remain the president of the country"
Every account from the other side indicates a defensive effort so poorly planned and coordinated that it wouldn't have mattered what they had. Many battles have been won with less than state-of-the-art weapon systems, and the best technology in the world won't offset stupid deployment, poor organizational skills, and unmotivated troops.
Germany rolled over France with inferior tanks, but superior tank tactics. Finland stopped the Soviets (with some help from the Germans) while outnumbered and outgunned. The NVA kept up the fight with WWII era stuff long enough for Congress to hand the laurels over.
Not that Iraq was gonna win under any circumstances, but the conclusion about Russki military hardware seems a little harsh.
Posted by: Mark IV ||
04/24/2003 18:35 Comments ||
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The Bush administration issued a sharp warning to Iran yesterday, telling it not to interfere in largely Shia southern Iraq, amid signs that Washington has been caught off guard by the strength of radical Islam in that part of the country. Predicted by Rantburg just yesterday.
Speaking after reports that Iran â the stronghold of Shia Islam in the Gulf region â had sent agents across the border, the White House made clear it would not tolerate outside meddling in the daunting task of creating a stable political system from the ashes of the Saddam Hussein regime. "We've made clear we would oppose any outside interference in Iraq's road to democracy," said Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman. Infiltration of agents to destabilise the Shia community, which makes up 60 per cent of the Iraqi population, "would clearly fall into that category". American anxieties have been heightened by the large crowds gathered for a religious festival in the Shia holy city of Karbala and by numerous rallies of protesters demanding an end to US "occupation" as leading Shia clerics fight for influence.
The line in Washington, for public consumption at least, is that an outpouring of emotion was only to be expected after the long persecution of the Shia faith by Saddam's regime â and the very ability to protest is proof that basic civil liberties are returning to Iraq. And the alleged efforts of Iranian agents to organise Shia groups are not deemed any great source of concern. Developments were being monitored, said General David McKiernan, the commander of US ground forces in Iraq, but he added: "Right now, the Shia and any Iranian-influenced Shia actions are not an overt threat."
For many observers, the Shia resurgence is proof of what they feared from the outset â that the Bush administration, led by over-optimistic, highly politicised assumptions at the Pentagon in particular, had not done its homework for the aftermath of war. Walter Lang, a former Pentagon intelligence specialist on the Middle East, told the Washington Post yesterday: "We're flying blind on this, it's a classic case of politics and intelligence." The policy community had "absolutely whipped" intelligence specialists, he said.
Oh, my Gawd! It's... It's... It's QUAGMIRE!"
The result has been a spate of heady predictions that invading American troops would be greeted as liberators by an ecstatic population. Which we were.
Instead, Washington policymakers have watched as Shia groups re-emerged and leading clerics became the de facto rulers of individual cities such as Kut, which is close to the Iranian border. In these areas, Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress who is backed by the Pentagon, has made little impact despite being a Shia himself. Maybe because no one trusts Chabbies.
American officials maintain that all will be well in the end and that Iraq will turn, not into a theocratic Islamic state such as Iran but into a friendly democracy along Turkish lines. Mr Fleischer said: "I think it's a given it will be an Islamic leader â it's an Islamic country. But that's different from an Islamic dictatorship."
Yeah. The difference between Islamic and Islamist. Watch it, though, 'cuz sometimes the differences are subtle...
But the US is looking less ready to commit for the long term and to work to resist Iranian-style fundamentalism. Officials were taken aback by the murder of Abdul Majid al-Khoei, a Shia cleric sympathetic to the US and Britain, and by the fervent opposition to Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's most senior Shia cleric, within days of the fall of Baghdad. So we have some work to do. Sounds like the administration is on their game.
It looks like two are playing at the game. See the next post under Iran. But don't tell the former Pentagon intelligence specialist on the Middle East, okay? It's supposed to be a surprise...
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/24/2003 12:55 am ||
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#1
The only reason that it's tougher to work with Ahmed Chalabi is that you have to keep BOTH your hands on your wallet.
#2
"Washington policymakers have watched as Shia groups re-emerged and leading clerics became the de facto rulers of individual cities such as Kut, which is close to the Iranian border. In these areas, Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress who is backed by the Pentagon, has made little impact despite being a Shia himself"
AFAIK its only Kut thats controlled by a SCIRI cleric (and his control is far from complete) even Karbala and Najaf are not under SCIRI control, and Basra is certainly not. Chalabi clearly doesnt have the organization on the ground that SCIRI does - thats cause the only organization on the ground in most case is the Imams, and those who arent pro-SCIRI (like Sistani) are playing their cards close to the vest - waiting to see how things develop. Meanwhile Chalabi's people are spreading around and making contacts - they will be players.
And as for the accusations against Chalabi - suppose it was clean academic Makiya instead of sleazy banker Chalabi - ya think CIA and State would be any more supportive - its not about embezzlement - its that CIA and State dont like INC, just as Saudi dont like INC - remember how this mess started - in '91 Bush sr called on Iraqis to revolt - thinking, as his CIA pals told him, that the Iraqi military would rise. Instead, to the shock and horror of the Saudis and their pals on the Potomac, the Iraqi people rose. So, in deference to the Saudis, we let the Iraqi people be slaughtered by Saddam. Since then State and CIA have said that they could achieve regime change in Iraq through a coup (the method favored by our Saudi "friends" who want neither Shiite rule nor democracy next door) I continue to wait for evidence that State (other than Bolton) or CIA want democracy in Iraq, and beyond. Then I might take their criticisms of Chalabi more seriously.
#3
I'll be the first to claim I'm no expert and I'll go further and say that this situation is well beyond my comprehension.
But...it's pretty easy to see that underneath the blather of "facts", this is just another same ol'-same ol' article to "inform" us that those silly bumpkins in the Pentagon underestimated the power of the crack, elite, Arab will to stand up against the evil American imperialism. So...we might as well give up and go home already, .cause it's just another hopeless "quagmire".
Just like every story on NPR (and script from Hollywood) is based on the premise that "underneath every happy surface lurks a river of darkness and misery"....every story about Iraq is based on the premise that the "silly, simple-minded American's are just about to get their comeuppance".
Yawn. Am I the only one sick of the liberal's pathological need to sing the "tears of the clown" song, over and over and over again?
#4
sorry becky - this aint liberals vs conservatives. Even less now than pre-war. Its democracy vs stability; neo-cons and some dems vs. State, CIA, Saudis, etc. The lefties are pretty much irrelevant (other than hoping for SOMETHING to go wrong)
For a good overview of what we need to accomplish in Iraq and why see Den Beste's latests. http://www.denbeste.nu/
#5
David Pryce-Jones, an old Middle East hand (author of The Closed Circle) writes an excellent article on post-war Iraq entitled The Great Sorting Out. In my view, he is right on the mark.
Far from thinking this through and establishing a government-in-waiting, the State Department and the Pentagon are openly engaged in a wrestling match over their respective Iraqi candidates for office. He writes--
"The State Department hopes to rescue from retirement Adnan Pachachi, an 80-year-old former foreign minister. His career was based on Arab nationalism and hatred of Israel. But he is a Sunni, and so his backers are set to repeat the British mistake of promoting someone from that minority without sufficient concern for everyone else.
Whatever the strengths and weaknesses of it, democracy is based on pluralities. This puts the Shia in a strong position. Many of their most capable spokesmen long ago fled into exile. The most articulate and forceful of them is Ahmad Chalabi, a member of a prominent family and secular in outlook, with a degree from MIT. Consistently supported by the Pentagon, he founded and now leads the Iraqi National Congress, an embryo political party as well as a movement of national liberation. But every time he takes a step forward, the State Department pushes him back. The CIA has long maintained that Chalabi has no popular support. A few days after the ground assault began, the CIA went so far as to issue a report to the effect that Chalabi should not replace Saddam. In reality he is very much his own man, but the only serious argument his detractors can offer is that he might be perceived as an American puppet."
Then there's the final paragraph--
"The Israeli experience in Lebanon indicates that the United States can liberate Iraq and even keep a garrison in the background in case of emergency â especially with neighbors like Iran and Syria â but Iraqis are going to have to remake their country for themselves. Fortunately they are capable people, and will not long be needing the services of Gen. Garner. It hardly matters who is right about the qualifications or otherwise of Ahmad Chalabi. He's the only candidate in sight for the task ahead. Let him get on with his plan of summoning a convention of all interested parties to establish a democratic constitution. And should elections after that throw up someone who can do a better job than he, then that will be proof of freedom too."
Posted by: kgb ||
04/24/2003 10:54 Comments ||
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#6
Liberalhawk, you are right, but so am I. First let me apologize for incorrectly using the term "liberal" to mean, well...what the term has become associated with, rather than what you represent in the true sense of the word. That is a complement to you and an acknowledgement that I used the word incorrectly.
Secondly, my point is still valid. I had already read Den Beste's article and I agree with both him and you ...to the best of my limited abilities.
But my point is this....and it may be minor... but it's still valid. Despite the fact that this article is about a very real and important issue and despite the fact that it is grounded in facts, it is just another transparent attempt to say how the Bush administration isn't up to the job...Americans bit off more than they can chew...the Pentagon planners are Gomers who haven't a clue what they were in for.
You know what? I'm not buying it. Post-war may be the toughtest part of the job, but I hardly think that's a surprise to anyone. I'm sorry, but I'm sick of the "glass-half-empty" attitude that always seeps through the lines of this crap. How about a good ol' can-do attitude? How about a little help from our friends and the press to shape positive opinions rather than negative ones?
Re-read this article and tell me if you don't think this could have been rewritten to be helpful, rather than just another swipe at American's for miscalculation and bumbling?
#7
The best source for government candidates (and the new police) should come from people who sat in saddams jails. They have a vested interest in an open society.
#8
I agree with becky. The media has a single default spin on foreign operations: defeatist. Never mind how wrong they were before...
I'm not sure it's entirely ideological though. Fear-mongering makes folks pay attention more. Hence more readership/ratings/whatnot. Like the exploding trucks on Dateline.
#10
Today in exclusive interview with Washington Times (!!!!) Shiite cleric Sadr, for whose martyred father the Saddam City has been renamed Sadr city, now says he doesnt want an Iranian style theocracy (of course he might want a different style theocracy!) wants non clerics in office (friendly non-clerics, presumably) and says there is now problem with US troops staying until elections have been held (no time span mentioned, IIRC)
Seems to me that Sadr is frightened that if SCIRI and Hakim clan take over, hes out in the cold - trying to keep Americans in for balance.
Political situation shaking out Kurds:pro-US, divided between KDP and PUK Shiite Fundies: 1. Pro-Iranian Hakim followers, 2. Sistani - anti-Iranian and anti-theocracy but not explicitly pro-US, 3. followers of Sadr, anti- Iranian, moderate on theocracy, trying to make nice with US Everyone else -IE Sunni Arabs (minus the true Baathists) and secularist Shiites - 1.Chalabi - pro-US, soft on Israel 2. Pachecho(sp?) pro-UN, anti-Israel, 3. Zubaidi(self proclaimed Baghdad governor) affiliations unclear.
#11
I think that the main goal must be to create a federal system in Iraq. It doesn't matter if certain areas go overboard on Sharia law as long as others go in a different direction. Then the benefits of secular rule will become apparent in comparing the different regions.
I presume that the Kurd and Sunni minorities see the benefits of a federal system, and it remains to get enough Shia on board. And that could be done by pointing out to regional politicians that they can make power bases in their regions under a federal system rather than play for winner-takes-all stakes under a central political system.
The other task is to create an army - perhaps modelled on the Turkish army, that cannot be used by a dictator-to-be.
Posted by: A ||
04/24/2003 15:59 Comments ||
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#12
How about modeled on the U.S. Army, which has no internal security functions at all? The Iraqis would be well advised to look at our Constitution - specifically at the checks and balances built in - and at the way the armed forces have historically been employed.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/24/2003 16:11 Comments ||
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#13
> How about modeled on the U.S. Army, which has no internal security functions at all?
Yes, but the US army split during the Civil War. Iraq is a collection of religions and ethnicities that needs something to keep it together and prevent a civil war. This needs to be carefully thought out.
Posted by: A ||
04/24/2003 16:55 Comments ||
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#14
Bush is not that happy with America's secular constitution. His "faith based" pressure for one-man-one-vote-one-time "democratic" elections, has already delivered victories to Islamofascists in Pakistan and Turkey.
Al-Qaeda etc, may be gone but Islamofascism has strengthened under Bush's "Islam is peace" protection racket. If the US media wasn't spiking coverage of the genocide incitement, that issues every Friday from mosques in Islamania, they would be out for blood.
Zimbabwe shut down yesterday as workers heeded a call by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to strike in protest at steep fuel price hikes imposed by President Robert Mugabe's regime. Banks, factories and shops were closed across the country on the first of three days of protests. Lovemore Madhuku, an activist and law professor, said: "I think anyone can call a strike now and the whole of Zimbabwe will respond positively as long as it is anti-Mugabe. People are fed up."
It's kinda like Iraq, though. They're only fed up until the truncheons come out...
Lovemore Matombo, president of the ZCTU, warned that the strike could become indefinite unless Mr Mugabe reversed last week's increases. The price of petrol increased by 210 per cent. A litre of petrol costs about 6,900 Zimbabwe dollars (about £5.40). Mr Matombo said there was no way workers could afford the rises when the government had imposed a freeze on salary increases. Commuter bus fares have more than doubled in many areas. Workers said they had to spend their wages on transport or walk the long distances. The city of Bulawayo was virtually shut down as more than 80 per cent of businesses shut their doors. 'bout time for Bob and his sweetie to take an extended shopping trip somewhere, isn't it?
The strike follows industrial action taken three weeks ago, called for by the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party. Phoney Allegations of violence have been made against the MDC, resulting in a police state crackdown in which more than 1,000 opposition activists were arrested across the country. The ZCTU said tensions were running high after four senior labour officials were arrested and accused of "organising" the latest action. Soldiers had been deployed across townships on the eve of the strike, it said. A spokesman for the congress claimed the soldiers were trying to organise supporters of Mr Mugabe's party, Zanu-PF, to engage in violence, and to blame it on the ZCTU. Police state manual, page 309.
The congress is closely affiliated to the MDC. The labour movement helped form the opposition party in 1999. Morgan Tsvangirai, a former secretary general of the congress, is now president of the MDC. Wellington Chibebe, Mr Tsvangirai's successor, feared further arrests of opposition supporters. "We can't stop them from arresting us but we are not scared because we are fighting for a cause — to defend the rights of the worker," he said. Comes a point when people are more angry than scared.
Mr Mugabe declared the ZCTU strike illegal, and a police spokesman said those behind the action would be jailed. Bob's losing his grip. Bob-land is going to explode real soon now.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/24/2003 12:46 am ||
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#1
Any bets on what's more likely: Bob & Grace becoming the African Ceauscescus, or the lovely couple boarding a very special, nonstop Air France flight?
Posted by: Baba Yaga ||
04/24/2003 2:15 Comments ||
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Baba -- This will be a good use for Air France's Concordes after they leave scheduled service later this year... "Concorde -- when you need to get away really, really fast!"
Five soldiers who were captured last month in Iraq were released from an Army medical center Wednesday and were expected to begin their 30-day convalescent leave in several days. The soldiers returned to their units. Before they can begin their leaves, they need to have paperwork signed by their commander, said Fort Bliss spokeswoman Jean Offutt. Col. Glenn W. Mitchell, the medical center commander, said the soldiers will be monitored for their physical and psychological health in the coming months. He said Spc. Shoshana Johnson, who was shot in both ankles, is healing well, but declined to discuss specific injuries of the other former prisoners of war. The members of the 507th Maintenance Company were captured on March 23 near Nasiriyah, Iraq. Besides Johnson, 30, of El Paso, the other soldiers are Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, Alamogordo, N.M.; Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, Mission; Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, Park City, Kan.; and Sgt. James J. Riley, 31, Pennsauken, N.J. The 30 days off won't be charged against the soldiers' annual 30-day leave and they are able to ask for extensions, Offutt said. Welcome home.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/24/2003 12:44 am ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
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.
