An Afghan official said Saudi Arabia had arrested and would extradite two fugitive Afghan officials accused of assassinating aviation and tourism minister Abdul Rahman. "Two of them have been arrested in Saudi Arabia and maybe tomorrow they will be sent to Afghanistan," Afghan Interior Minister Yunus Qanooni said.
Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai had initially named three top security officials as carrying out Rahman's "assassination" and said they fled to Saudi Arabia disguised as pilgrims to Mecca.But Qanooni said one of three, whom he declined to name, had been ruled out as a suspect and did not give the names of those arrested. Saudi officials have yet to confirm the arrests. I hope Bob's the one they let off. I've always liked him.
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Taliban Interior Minister Abdul Razzak is one of more than 15 senior leaders of the hard-line militia negotiating a possible surrender with the new Afghan government. "He is one of those people who are in touch with us, who want to surrender," Mohammad Yusuf Pashtoon, spokesman for the governor Kandahar province, Gul Agha, said.
In an interview with Reuters in Spin Boldak, Razzak said he was not one of the Taliban officials considering surrender. Razzak said he would never abandon his comrades, nor would he surrender. "I will stand by the Taliban until the end," he said. Razzak also derided the interim government for failing to stem rising lawlessness and said the people would soon demand the return of his movement because of the poor security situation. Yup. They're gonna start asking for their Talibs back any time now...
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Ann Marlowe has an article in NRO examining the treatment received by Dostum and Ismail Khan in the US press. Neither Dostum nor Ismail Khan is without sin - this is Afghanistan we're talking about, after all. But they're the two most competent leaders in the country. They deserve more support than the US has been giving them.
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Iraqi newspapers said the United States was launching a psychological war on Iraq in preparation for military strikes on the country. Babel, the newspaper of President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday, said that as part of the "psychological war against our country" the United States "concentrates on reiterating its aggressive intentions on Iraq to prepare peoples minds to accept this." It said the U.S. administration was preparing for military action against Iraq after the failure of its policy to "dismantle Iraq and its territorial integrity" -- a reference to the 1991 Gulf war over Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. "These desperate attempts will fail as they have failed in the past," Babel said in a front-page editorial. Wait'll the psychological bombing starts.
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The police bomb squad defused four rockets rigged with a homemade timer -- explosives aimed at airport facilities in Karachi used to support operations in Afghanistan. Officials said they believed Islamic radicals were responsible. They said it appeared both the rockets and the Jan. 23 kidnapping in Karachi of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl were part of an extremist campaign against President Pervez Musharraf because of his support for the U.S. The loons will soon have a full-scale "intifada" going against Musharraf unless he cracks down on them hard. "Big Boy - Will He Stay or Go?"
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About 50 Hindu hard-liners attacked a Roman Catholic church in southern India and injured several worshippers. V.V. Bhaskar, the police chief in the city of Mysore, declined to say how many people were hurt in the attack, which happened on the outskirts of the city.
The assailants threw stones at the church before forcing their way inside, breaking furniture, smashing windows and attacking worshippers. The men demanded the priest end what they said were efforts to convert local villagers, who are mainly Hindu. Further proof that fully 50% of all the people in the world are below average. It's not necessary to be a Muslim to be a nut.
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President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt received a letter from Libyan President Muammar al-Qaddafi. The message was delivered by the secretary general of the People's General Committee in Libya for African unity upon meeting with Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh. Al-Tureiki stressed that the message relates to the current Arab condition and latest developments of the situation in the ME, the issue of Sudan, as well as Libyan-Egyptian bilateral relations and means of developing them.
The Libyan official underlined the importance of fighting terrorism with the framework of an international context, noting that fighting terrorism is not the task of just one state, rather the mission of the international community as a whole. He added that Libya backs the call made by President Hosni Mubarak to convene an international conference to fighting terrorism under the auspices
of the UN. Sounds like Qadaffi is asking "How can we stop this thing?" An "international conference," huh? Maybe they could hold it in Durban.
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Saudi Arabia would consider normalizing relations with Israel and swaying the Arab League to do the same if Israel carried out a full withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, The New York Times said yesterday, quoting Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
âFull withdrawal from all the occupied territories, in accord with UN resolutions, including Jerusalem, for full normalization of relations,â Prince Abdullah told the US dailyâs Thomas Friedman.
In his interview, the crown prince revealed that he had written a speech along those lines to deliver before the 22-member Arab League in March, but shelved it when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took a harsher stance against the Palestinians.
âI changed my mind about delivering it when Sharon took the violence, and the oppression, to an unprecedented level,â Friedman quoted the crown prince as saying. The quotes came from an off-the-record dinner conversation, which Prince Abdullah later agreed could be placed on the record. Prince Abdullah told the New York Times columnist he wanted to communicate to the Israelis that the Arab world did not âreject or despise themâ. What they reject is Sharonâs actions. âThe Arab people do reject what their (Israeli) leadership is now doing to the Palestinians, which is inhumane and oppressive,â Prince Abdullah said, adding that his speech would have been âa possible signal to the Israeli people.â
Asked whether he would be prepared to revive his proposal if Sharon and the Palestinians were to agree to a cease-fire before next monthâs Arab summit, the crown prince responded: âLet me say to you that the speech is written, and it is still in my drawer.â Interesting proposition, especially since it's carried by the Arab News. If the Israelis were to bite, and the Saudis to follow through, it would cut the Gordian knot and Abdullah (and Friedman) would be heroes, since we've reached the point of impasse. The part about not rejecting and despising the Israelis kind of flies in the face of what the clerics - and Abdullah - have been spewing, but since it's an on-the-record statement it's something he could be held to. It looks like this might actually be something new and significant.
It's highly doubtful that Israel would ever agree to withdraw to their 1967 borders, and they shouldn't. The pre-67 border left them horribly exposed to attack from their Arab neighbors -- and after decades of double-dealing and agreement-breaking I don't think the Israelis will simply trust them to give up their genocidal goals. Posted by Charles Johnson [www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/] 2/18/2002 9:47:18 PM
I suspect it'll be the latter more than the former that casuses them to pass on the offer. If they do. They have a fairly vocal "peace lobby," too. Posted by Fred 2/19/2002 9:45:34 AM
The Saudis know the Israeli's won't accept this offer for the reasons Charles has listed.
This will help the Saudis look good with the Europeans and make the US look bad as things begin to change in the Middle East. Once Iraq and Iran are cleaned up, the Saudis are next on the agenda and they're banking some brownie points with the Euroweenies for future use. Posted by Mark Byron [markbyron.bloger.com] 2/19/2002 3:39:13 PM
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The Israeli Army is building a buffer zone on Palestinian land the length of the Gaza Strip. âStarting last week, the Israeli Army has been making a buffer zone parallel to the Green Line all the way along the Gaza Strip, to a different depth according to the situation on the ground, but mostly one kilometer deep,â Col. Khalid Abu Al-Ula of the Israeli-Palestinian military liaison committee said. He said Israeli forces had occupied or destroyed all the Palestinian security posts in the buffer zone, which he said stretched from Rafah on the southern border with Egypt to Beit Hanoun in the north. Israeli security officials last week mulled the idea of setting up buffer zones to protect Israeli territory from rocket attacks by Hamas activists. Not a 100% solution, but a 50% solution will still give more relief than doing nothing.
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Palestinians welcomed remarks by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in which he said he had nearly given a speech favoring Arab ties with Israel if it withdrew from occupied lands. "This is the most important offer that's been made by the Arab world for decades," senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. "Prince Abdullah's offer is a very significant development that should be considered very seriously by the United States and Israel. (They) must not waste this historic opportunity."
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat welcomed the prince's remarks as "important" and said they could contribute to reaching a just and lasting peace and ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Israeli-occupied lands. Even if the Israelis buy it, Yasser will find a way to screw it up.
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Four Israelis were killed in two separate Palestinian suicide attacks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced mounting criticism that he has no clear plan to end the conflict. And despite a fresh meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian parliamentary speaker Ahmed Qorei, the peace plan they have drawn up was panned by politicians on both the left and the right.
An Israeli woman and two soldiers were killed in a Palestinian attack on a convoy heading across the Gaza Strip to the Jewish settlement of Gadid, settler sources said. The assailant opened automatic gunfire on his victims before killing himself by triggering an explosive device he was carrying, television said, adding another Israeli was injured the attack.
The previous deaths in the increasingly vicious 16-month-old Palestinian intifada, or uprising, came on the outskirts of Jerusalem, which both sides claim as their capital. Two Israeli police working on an anonymous tip-off stopped a suspect vehicle on the road linking Jerusalem to the West Bank town of Jericho. As the police questioned the Palestinian driver and searched the vehicle, the man detonated a car bomb, killing himself and one officer. Israel's getting back into a corner, with a limited range of choices. They can tough it out until all the boomers are dead and/or Arafat keels over from old age; they can wall them off and make Israel an Arab-free territory; or they can throw the PA out of the West Bank and Gaza. They really can't even surrender; they tried that with the Camp David agreements and Arafat wanted to keep the war going. They can't really wall them off, because Israel has its own Arab population, most of whom are perfectly good citizens. That pretty much leaves toughing it out or cleaning them out. Of the two, the former's probably the one they'll pick, as the latter's the more politically messy.
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Peru's Supreme Court upheld a 20-year prison sentence handed down to American Lori Berenson for collaborating with leftist rebels to seize Congress. Berenson, 32, was convicted in June of terrorist collaboration in a failed bid by the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement to take over Peru's Congress in 1995. She was acquitted of being a member of the rebel group. Consequences? For something she did? When did that start?
Objectively, there was good reason to doubt that Fujimori's constitution-suspended government's prosecution of her was entirely fair. The upheld sentence, by civiilan judges instead of a military tribunal, helps the credibility considerably. Posted by lakefxdan 2/19/2002 8:59:21 AM
From what I've read, she sounds like a Junior Commie. If you're gonna be a revolution groupie, don't complain when you get part of the bill for trashing the hotel room. Posted by Fred 2/19/2002 9:48:04 AM
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A former army captain was accused by the Malaysian government of buying guns and bombs for Islamic forces to carry out a holy war in Southeast Asia. He already is accused of putting up two Sept. 11 hijackers a year before the attack. The government accuses Yazid Sufaat, 37, of providing cash to purchase guns for Islamic rebels fighting Philippine government troops. The document also accuses Yazid of offering an apartment he owned outside Kuala Lumpur as a "stop over" destination for al-Qaida members to hold secret meetings in 2000.
Yazid's mouthpiece, Saiful Izham Ramli, said his client denied links to any terrorist group or meeting any of the hijackers. Yazid was best pals with Hambali. The "wudn't me" defense doesn't work too well when you're on tape. He was singing before. Wonder what happened?
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Police have detained a man of Arab origin suspected of planning an attack against the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. The man, whose identity was not revealed, was taken into police custody Feb. 10. The suspect remained in custody as police continued their investigation. The U.S. Embassy was closed last Wednesday in response to a suspected threat. Probably nothing to it. Just ask his mouthpiece. You know how those Arabs just love to waltz.
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Police seized a rocket launcher and arrested four men in Northern Ireland, officers said, calling the raid "a significant success" against IRA dissidents. Army bomb disposal experts were called in after the weapon and a warhead were found during a raid in a Catholic area of Coalisland on Sunday night. Officers were attacked by a grateful citizenry throwing stones and bottles during the eight-hour operation. Why do they call them "dissidents"? Dissidents are people who don't agree with the government. Terrorists are people who launch rockets and shoot people up. Is AP adopting the Reuters stylebook?
the reason they're called "dissidents" is that the IRA has supposedly given up terrorism and its provos are committed to peace. What's that smell? oh right BULLSHIT... The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist, and I'd support the British nuking Boston to end those filthy IRA bastards. Posted by Anonymous 2/19/2002 12:18:25 AM
Only difference I can see between the IRA and al-Qaeda is the turbans. Posted by Fred 2/19/2002 9:50:00 AM
WRONG.... The difference between Al-Qaeda and the IRA is that Tony Blair hasn't as yet given Al-Qaeda their own offices in the House Of Commons, funded by we taxpayers. Give it time, our Tone will talk about "inclusivity" and "taking an opportunity for peace (bollocks)" and it being "relevant" in "the spirit of the millennium" and the civilised thing to do in "the 21st century" and the usual load of shit. It is time to hammer the bastards. I really love it when Islamist murderers, so-called "Palestinians" are always "activists" or "militants", never terrorists, murderers or killers, but the IDF are always pilloried. It makes me sick... Posted by Jeremy Zeid 2/21/2002 7:38:55 PM
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A third batch of Cambodians, including a computer engineer with U.S. citizenship, went on trial on terrorism charges stemming from a crackdown on an anti-communist group accused of plotting to overthrow the government. Each of the 20 defendants, including Cambodian-American Gilbit Sao, appeared briefly before the judge at a Phnom Penh court to formally confirm identification. This is the third trial of men and women accused of having ties to the obscure Cambodian Freedom Fighters, which claimed responsibility for a bungled November 2000 grenade attack on government buildings in Phnom Penh. Six attackers and one civilian were killed in the attack, which did little damage to the buildings or property. If you're not a Communist, and you're not an Islamic nut bag, stay away from the terrorist stuff. You don't have the aptitude for it.
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#1
As a response to the statement, "If you're not a Communist, and you're not an Islamic nut bag, stay away from the terrorist stuff. You don't have the aptitude for it." I agree with it. However, some of the people who were accused may really be innocent of it and never had such erroneous idea to cross their mind in the first place. There seem to be some kind of conspiracy going on. Perhaps the true motive to this whole ordeal is something deeper than the obvious. Considering how corrupt, greedy, and twisted the Cambodian government are, did you really think they would care to give a "just" trial? They're just finding ways to throw in anybody they can whom they think could be a ransom for some US dollars. Again, conspiracy, conspiracy. I believe some of the people convicted NEED to have a fair and just trial. As DR. MLK had stated, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Pakistani police said on Monday they were searching countrywide for a key suspect in the kidnapping of reporter Daniel Pearl, but appeared no closer to a breakthrough as fears mounted the investigation had stalled.
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French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine played down a row that has emerged with the US over remarks by Secretary of State Colin Powell which questioned French support for the US-led war on terrorism. Vedrine said that Powell's comments last week where he said his French counterpart "was getting the vapours" were typical of the give and take in Franco-American relations and their importance had been exaggerated.
"In Franco-American discussions, there are moments like that, a bit electric, around which there is a Euro-American item. There can sometimes be moments like that and then after that we continue to talk to each other," Vedrine told reporters during a European foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels. "Jes' a li'l disagreement among friends," he said, spitting out a tooth.
Colin had to be diplomatic in telling the French they are whiny little girly-men, but, further down in the article the French Foreign Minister says, "It was a manly exchange between friends." I wish he had not said that. Now I see in my minds eye the French Foreign Minister dressed in a tu-tu. Posted by Richard F. Cook 2/20/2002 12:05:06 PM
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The woman complained to police that her sisterâs husband had raped her and forced her to continue sexual relations by threatening to scandalize her. She said she agreed to have sex with him several times, fearing that he would make the scandal public. The woman told the court that she decided to confess after knowing that her cousins were aware of the affair. She also revealed that the man had assaulted another of her sisters. The man refused to admit the charges at first, but later said that he had sex with her. âIt all took place with her full consent,â he added. But the woman refuted his claim saying he had used witchcraft to seduce her. Ummm... The sentence seems a little extreme for consensual whoopee. I dunno about the witchcraft part - most of us use flowers and a little wine.
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US Special Forces troops will mount night air patrols over a southern Philippine island to help track down Islamic militants holding an American couple hostage. The flights are part of training for the poorly-equipped Philippine military in its battle against the Abu Sayyaf rebels, who are also accused of having links with Saudi militant Osama bin laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network.
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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.
