In the remote country of Yemen, a determined and heroic democracy movement battles an alliance of Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein's generals, and a corrupt regime that wields all the tools of the state. The terrorists are operating on the proceeds from gunrunning and oil sales. The reformers are operating on pure determination.
Throughout Yemeni security forces, military, businesses, and public institutions, an interlinked web of corruption and brutality is stealing Yemen's resources and attacking any Yemeni who opposes it. And the majority do oppose. All the natural enemies of the jihadis are under attack in Yemen: reformers, democrats, journalists, socialists, pluralists, Shiites, Sunnis, anti-corruption advocates, human rights workers, and more. As forces unite against them, the Yemeni people unite for democracy.
In 2003, Al Qaeda praised Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh as the only Arab leader not beholden to the West. It's clear why. Saleh has refused to freeze 143 United Nations identified terrorist affiliated bank accounts in Yemen. Some of the millions in those accounts may be proceeds from weapons sales, narcoterrorism, and oil sales. One person who might be able to provide details is Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, Saleh's half brother, prominent military commander, and reputed Al Qaeda loyalist.
Continued on Page 49
#2
A while back I tried to make sense of what is happening in Yemen in terms we would understand. Sunnis vs Shiias, socialists vs democrats, fundamentalists vs pragmatic reformers. The best I could do is that there is an unfinished civil war with shifting alliances. I didn't conclude the president was a despot, more Mubarack than Saddam, but I really don't know.
#8
Did you notice there's a "Lost & Found" section where you can report missing items? Perhaps I should report an arms cache last seen somewhere near Chittagong.
SEOUL: North Korea has blocked most of its international telephone lines in order to restrict the exchange of information with the outside world, according to South Korean government sources. Earlier this week a South Korean newspaper said the isolated Stalinist regime had shut down 90 percent of its outside phone lines since April and confiscated some 20,000 mobile telephones since May last year. The source confirmed to reporters that "most of the country's international telephone service appears to be controlled" and that "there appear to be restrictions on the use of mobile phones in North Korea from mid-2004". The use of cellphones, which were only introduced to North Korea in 2002, and of the Internet had been seriously restricted by a regime that worries about losing its hold on information and fears a possible US attack. The JoongAng daily reported on Tuesday that North Korea had restricted domestic communications and blocked 90 percent of its 970 international lines since April under a direct order from its leader Kim Jong-Il.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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Sounds like they are just trying to show off the fact that they operate telephones at all.
Tasmanian schools and childcare centres have been sent details and a photograph of a man police say have threatened to blow up a school. Police say the threats did not specify any particular school. Deputy Commissioner Jack Johnston says a Hobart magistrate yesterday granted an interim restraint order against the man, banning him from going near schools or childcare centres. He later appeared in an out of hours court session and has been remanded in custody to reappear in court next week.
Deputy Commissioner Johnston says police were told the man has made a number of threats to blow up a school, and that after investigations there were genuine concerns he may be able to carry them out. "Tasmania Police informed the Education Department and independent schools that we had some considerable concern regarding the person," he said. "As a result of that I understand they have communicated with their schools to provide them with advice regarding the identity of the person and seeking their cooperation to report instances should he be in attendance in, or near those premises."
Education Minister Paula Wreidt says police acted quickly and appropriately. Ms Wreidt says every possible step is being taken to ensure students' safety. "The individual concerned still remains in custody as I understand it and certainly the safety of children in our schools is paramount," she said. "We will always do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our students and I believe we have taken every appropriate step that we possible can and that parents should feel confident that they can send their children to school next week."
David Hicks' new lawyer hopes the latest comments from the US Government could lead to negotiations to return David Hicks to Australia. David McLeod will fly to Cuba today to meet his client for the first time. Mr McLeod says the meeting is particularly important now the US administration has announced it would prefer detainees to be released to their countries of origin to be tried and jailed at home. However, he has told ABC Radio's AM that the fact that David Hicks is one of only four detainees facing charges, will undoubtedly complicate the case for bringing him home. "The ideal situation is for David to be simply released into Australian custody and brought home to Australia and liberated - that's the high watermark," he said.
I'd say the ideal situation would be for David to get a paper cut while abusing his koran, get sepsis, and die. But maybe that's just me...
"The low watermark would be for David to be returned to Australia for trial."
The low watermark is where we tie him to a stake.
Poor, misunderstood David was captured in Afghanistan, fighting with al-Qaeda, a few days after Johnny Jihad was rooted out at Qala i-Jangi.
Mr McLeod says concern from some US politicians over the lengthy legal process Hicks is going through may help his client's case. "I think we're still to come into the home term, we're in this for the long haul, David knows that," he said. "Unfortunately it's gone longer that anyone had hoped or anticipated."
Not nearly as long as I'd hoped or anticipated. Of course, they could have just shot him and saved us all the tedium of watching the apologists try to get him sprung.
He says similar concerns are being expressed in Australia. "It's as well to note that there has been some discussion from Australian authorities that they also are becoming concerned and it's obviously that tack that we would like to pursue with the Australian authorities upon my return," he said.
#1
Don't return him to Australia. We don't want him and I doubt he has broken any laws of significance here. Send him to Afghanistan. I am sure they can find a suitable place to house him for say 20 years.
#2
We don't want him and I doubt he has broken any laws of significance here.
That's the weird part I don't get. What would Australia try him for (such as what crime did he commit on Australian soil?)? He should have been dropped on the battlefield and left there as food for the buzzards.
#3
His lawyer is pissing in the wind. The only "concern from some US politicians over the lengthy legal process Hicks" is coming from a few left wing democrats. In order for that route to bear fruit, the Democrats would have to retake the House, Senate, and White House. I doubt the ANY serious Senatorial or Presendential candidate will take up the banner of freeing prisnoers from gitmo. It would be like commiting political suicide.
#6
The low watermark is where we tie him to a stake.
May I recommend this nice muddly little place in the Bay of Fundy? Be sure to anchor that stake with some BIG rocks, though. Wouldn't want it pulling out when the tide comes in - sh$$ floats.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/11/2005 20:58 Comments ||
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FREED Italian hostage Clementina Cantoni has identified a picture of her main kidnapper and told Italian authorities that she was never hurt nor threatened during her three weeks in captivity, Italian newspapers reported today.
Ms Cantoni, who was released yesterday, said her hostage takers numbered between four and six and their leader introduced himself immediately as Timur Shah.
"Tell me what is your brother's name, because from now on I am your brother," the aid worker quoted Shah as saying after her capture on May 16, according to Corriere della Sera.
Ms Cantoni, immediately questioned by Italy's anti-terrorism unit upon her arrival in Italy yesterday, was shown a picture of Shah and identified him as the gang leader who led her kidnapping.
Apart from being tied by the ankles during the night and never being allowed a change of clothes, Ms Cantoni said she was never mistreated or threatened.
"They never touched me," Ms Cantoni told prosecutors, according to La Repubblica, adding that her captors allowed her to watch television and sometimes gave her newspapers in English.
"The worst moment was when I was captured," the 32-year-old was quoted as saying.
Ms Cantoni, who ran a women's project CARE International in Kabul, said her kidnappers often said she would soon be released.
On Friday, they blindfolded her and asked her to get in the boot of a car, but she convinced them to let her stay in the car, arguing that she suffered from claustrophobia.
After a 20-minute ride, she was told to get out where she was greeted by Afghan police, Italian papers quoted her as saying.
Italian newspapers reported that Ms Cantoni was freed in exchange for the release of Shah's mother.
An Afghan official in Kabul confirmed that Shah's mother was released from custody, but said that the authorities wanted to release her anyway as there was no grounds to charge her. They had originally suspected her of participating in a previous kidnapping attributed to Shah's gang.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Federal authorities aren't saying much about their terrorism investigation in nearby Lodi but are making two things clear: Their work in the farming town has been going on for years — and it's not over.
They denied the implication by some members of Lodi's large Pakistani community that the investigation was triggered by a rift between fundamentalist and mainstream factions.
Each side accused the other of contacting the FBI. The dispute has led to a leadership struggle at the Lodi Muslim Mosque and a legal fight with a budding Islamic learning center.
"This specific investigation has been going on for several years," FBI spokesman John Cauthen said.
The FBI alleges several people committed to al-Qaida have been operating in and around the tranquil wine-growing region just south of Sacramento.
Investigators said Hamid Hayat, 22, trained with al-Qaida in Pakistan and planned to attack hospitals and supermarkets in the United States.
A Sacramento federal judge denied bail to Hayat yesterday, saying he had "a motive to flee and certainly the means to flee."
U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Nowinski also denied bail Tuesday to Hayat's father, Umer, 47.
Umer Hayat has said his son was drawn to jihadist training camps in his early teenage years while attending a religious school in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, operated by Umer Hayat's father-in-law, according to an FBI affidavit.
Umer Hayat allegedly paid for his son to attend the terrorist camp in 2003 and 2004.
The Hayats are charged only with lying to federal investigators.
Two Islamic religious leaders, or imams, and one leader's son also have been detained on immigration violations. Neither Cauthen nor a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would reveal specifics of the alleged visa violations.
Saad Ahmad, an attorney for the three men, did not return a telephone call.
The sequence that led to the arrests and detentions began May 29, when Hamid Hayat was trying to return to the United States but was identified in midflight as being on the federal "no-fly" list. His plane was diverted to Japan, where he was interviewed by the FBI and denied any connection to terrorism.
He was allowed to fly to California, but was interviewed again last weekend. He and his father were charged after he flunked a lie-detector test and then admitted attending the training camp, the affidavit said.
The Hayats and the imams are on opposite sides of a struggle between Pakistani factions in and around Lodi: The Hayats are aligned with a faction supporting more traditional Islamic values; the imams with another group are seeking greater cooperation and understanding from the larger community.
Adil Khan, one of those imams, was trying to start an Islamic center but has been sued by the Lodi Muslim Mosque, which claims he improperly transferred mosque property.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney on Friday lauded and thanked international special operations soldiers for their roles in the war on terror, but warned them that it is far from over.
"We have a long war ahead of us, and our enemies are waiting for us to let our guard down," Cheney said, speaking to more than 300 people at the closing of the International Special Operations Forces Week conference. "But we will not relent in this effort because we have the clearest possible understanding of what is at stake."
Cheney also visited MacDill Air Force Base for a medals ceremony at the U.S. Special Operations Command, which oversees the nation's elite military units, including Navy SEALs, the Air Force Special Operations Command and the Army Rangers and Green Berets.
His speech at the conference culminated a week that brought together U.S. special operations leaders and their counterparts from 59 countries. The event also included businesses and civilian defense contractors to talk about weapons systems specially created for special operations forces.
Cheney said American Special Operations soldiers - "silent professionals," he called them - were "the first boots on the ground" when the war on terror began in Afghanistan nearly four years ago and played a key role in bringing down Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
"Once again, the contributions of Special Ops were critical in the swift downfall of a regime, and a strutting dictator went from a palace to a bunker to a spider hole to a prison cell," Cheney said.
"At every stage of this conflict, we have looked to the Special Operations forces to carry out the most perilous, the most technical, the most time-sensitive and least visible missions," he said. "When you have enemies that are hidden, secret in their movements ... the only alternative is to find out exactly where they are and go in and get them."
Cheney warned that the biggest danger to our civilization is that some terror group, perhaps in concert with an outlaw government, will get hold of weapons of mass destruction. Preventing that, he said, must be a primary goal in the war on terror.
"In the face of such danger, free nations must move decisively to defend ourselves against attack, yet we also understand that this war cannot be won on the defensive," he said. "In this new era, all civilized nations have a duty - we must defeat the terrorists and we must not allow them to obtain weapons of mass murder.
"None of us wants to turn over the future of mankind to tiny groups of fanatics committing indiscriminate murder and plotting large scale war. So we must direct every resource necessary to defend the peace and freedom of our world and the safety of the people we serve."
At MacDill, Cheney presented the Distinguished Flying Cross to U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew R. Glover and Army Chief Warrant Officer David B. Smith. Army Master Sgt. Donald R. Hollenbaugh received the Distinguished Service Cross; Army U.S. Army Sgt. 2nd Class Stephan Johns was awarded the Silver Star; and Navy Chief Boatswains Mate Donald B. Stokes was awarded a Bronze Star.
Posted by: too true ||
06/11/2005 07:51 ||
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#1
Cheney warned that the biggest danger to our civilization is that some terror group, perhaps in concert with an outlaw government, will get hold of weapons of mass destruction.
You know there's a time to just say screw it. We have the human gnome code and can make a designer virus and its prophylactic if we wanted to. Mess with us and only our friends and those shunted away in little out of the way places would be the only humans left on the planet. How stupid can these idiots and their apologist be? And it doesn't have to be the government to do it, there are enough individuals in this country who'd be capable of doing it with the right motivation. Another 9/11 on a massive scale and the Strand wouldn't be fiction.
#2
Cheney warned that the biggest danger to our civilization is that some terror group, perhaps in concert with an outlaw government, will get hold of weapons of mass destruction. Preventing that, he said, must be a primary goal in the war on terror.
Okay, so what's the plan on Iran and NoKo?
Posted by: Captain America ||
06/11/2005 12:20 Comments ||
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#3
Wow, that whole "racially-targetted virus" thing is for real?
Hope it doesn't affect Asians ... *has Chinese parents, if the last name didn't already tell you that*
I'd rather the selective application of FOXDIE myself ...
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
06/11/2005 14:56 Comments ||
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#4
Not racially, but the prophylactic [like a flu shot] would provide protection to those receiving it. The virus just then needs to effect human population in general as any natural plague.
#6
"One hundred men will test today, but only three win the Green Beret" - Dubya knows 9-11 was about saving Socialism , saving Communism, and forcing the same upon America, just as he knows its either America dominates the NWO and future OWG, or the Commies-Socies will, with America just another weak and anti-sovereign "sovereign" SSR. The WOT, then, is conversely, and ultimately, about SAVING AMERICA, SAVING AMERICANISM AND OUR NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, and KILLING COMMUNISM OR LEFTISM-SOCIALISM ONCE AND FOREVER. The Lefties are giving America until 2015-2020 cuz they know America is already deploying SPACED=BASED WEAPONS as per GMD. e.g. Spaced-based Lasers, and more importantly SPACE-BASED WEAPONS/LASERS THAT WORK, with more advanced projects to come that will REVOLUTIONIZE the world's techs and civilizations.
THREE people have been shot dead and one critically wounded as police found four bombs in the latest flare-up of violence in Thailand's troubled Muslim-majority south, police said today.
The attacks cap a bloody week in which at least nine people died, bringing to about 700 the number killed since January 2004 when a violent uprising erupted in Thailand's three southernmost provinces.
Buddhist construction worker Phuang Sungsakul, 49, was shot three times early today as he drove his motorcycle to work in Muang district of Yala province, police said in a report. He died in hospital.
Muslim villager Abdulroya Torloh, 39, was shot dead by unknown assailants late Friday at his house in Sungai Padi district in Narathiwat province.
A third victim, Buddhist Prachuab Srikrien, 42, was shot late Friday by suspected militants who ambushed his car. He died at the scene of the attack, in Narathiwat's Rangae district, police said.
Police also neutralised four bombs in Narathiwat and Pattani, two of the most violence-plagued provinces of the deep south.
They included a 15-kilogram bomb planted in a fire extinguisher at a public works service office in Sungai Padi that was defused by a bomb squad yesterday.
A remote-control bomb uncovered at a local health office in Pattani's Nong Chik district was detonated today in a controlled explosion which severely damaged the building.
"Police suspect these attacks were the work of militants waging an unrest campaign," the police report said.
Also today, suspected militants shot and injured the elder brother of a former Yala provincial governor, Yuthasit Kittichokewattana, police said.
Authorities blame the unrest on a mix of Islamic separatist insurgents, organised crime and contraband smugglers.
They originally targeted security forces and government officials but have spread to teachers and other civil servants, Buddhist monks and civilians such as farmers and shop owners.
#2
I could think of less-productive things Islamist assholes could do, but blowing up the public works and health centers pretty f*&king stoopid. When will the gentle Thais show their steel side? The whining and seething will peg the meters. I say then , TFB
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/11/2005 12:08 Comments ||
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#3
Wonder if they junked the Origami strategy, or will they give it just...one...more...shot...
TWO terrorists wanted in connection with the 2002 Bali bomb blast may be on the run in the southern Philippines, a US thinktank believes.
The private sector intelligence group Stratfor, said reports from the Philippines indicated the two members of the terror group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) had been sighted in a mountainous region bordering the southern Muslim-dominated provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur on the island of Mindanao.
Pitono, also known as Dulmatin, and Umar Patek, are both sought in connection with a series of attacks against Western targets in Indonesia, including the October 2002 Bali nightclub bombing that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.
Indonesian police, working closely with the Australian Federal Police, have succeeded in tracking down many of the terrorists responsible for the Bali and other bombings.
But some of the key plotters remain on the run. Among them are Pitono and Patek plus another pair, Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top who are believed to still be in Indonesia.
Reports from the Philippines indicate the members of Muslim separatist group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are cooperating with the Philippines government in the hunt for Pitono and Patek, plus eight other alleged JI members.
Stratfor said MILF was now engaged in peace talks with the government and there had been a ceasefire since 2002.
It cited an MILF spokesman who said the two JI militants were in contact with Islamist militant group Abu Sayyaf and had met its chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani.
"While Abu Sayyaf has come under increasing pressure from Manila since 2002, when the US sent aid and advisers to the Philippines as part of its war against militant jihadists, the Islamist group has degenerated into a band of criminals, often undertaking kidnap-for-ransom operations," Stratfor said.
"In response to this pressure, Abu Sayyaf has sought alliances with JI and some MILF members opposed to peace with Manila."
This coincides with renewed travel warnings to Indonesia released this week by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs.
Stratfor said the Australian warning was extremely vague, saying only that attacks could happen anywhere, anytime and against any Western target in Indonesia.
Indonesian National Police General Dai Bachtiar downplayed the warning, saying he had no specific information.
"Despite Jakarta's dismissal of an immediate threat to Western interests in Indonesia, however, Western governments appear to agree that a serious threat exists in the region," it said.
"The recent bombing on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi indicates that the infrastructure is in place for planning attacks and transporting explosives.
"With skilled bombmakers Pitono and Top on the loose along with high-level operators Patek and Husin, the threat to Westerners in Southeast Asia is very real."
U.S. fighter planes equipped with precision-guided missiles launched airstrikes on an Iraqi town near the Syrian border Saturday, killing about 40 insurgents who were stopping and searching civilian cars, the military said.
Seven missiles were fired at heavily armed insurgents near Karabilah, close to the volatile town of Qaim, the Marines said in a statement.
The insurgents were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and had "set up a barricade on a main road to the city and were threatening Iraqi civilians," the military said.
U.S. warplanes backed by helicopters started the airstrikes at 11:40 a.m. and ended them at 4 p.m. "once all the targets were destroyed," the military said. About 40 insurgents were killed. The Marines suffered no casualties.
"The coalition aircraft and fighter jets and attack helicopters from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing attacked the insurgent compound and surrounding area targeting the armed men," the statement said. "There are no reports of civilian casualties or collateral damage."
It was unclear whether any foreign fighters were among the slain insurgents. The region is known as a haven for Islamic extremists crossing in and out of Iraq across the Syrian border to attack U.S. and Iraqi security forces.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/11/2005 17:05 ||
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#1
YeeHaw Bitches! Let me know if Hell is warm enough.
#5
Jeeez, I can imagine the gleeful disbelief in the pilot's minds when confronted with a stationary point target of insurgents, set up along an aiming point roadway.
I guess these must have been terr school dropouts - who have now been efficiently removed from the gene pool.
The biggest refugee repatriation operation in the world is underway. It is the cover for Pakistan's mass-export of al Qaeda operatives back to where they came from — Afghanistan.
The UN refugee agency reports that from 2002, nearly 2.4 million Afghan refugees returned home from Pakistan. This week, General Pervez Musharraf gave the remaining estimated 400,000 until June 30 to leave the country or face expulsion.
Most live along Pakistan's northwestern border. Islamabad explains its action on the grounds that the tribal belts of North and South Waziristan have been sanctuaries for hundreds of al-Qaeda linked terrorists and the Taliban. The presence of the refugees complicates the hunt for them and adds to Pakistan's security problems.
Pakistani authorities claim terrorists are buried among these Afghan refugees and the expulsion order will deport them too.
DEBKAfile's correspondent quotes diplomatic sources in the capital as referring to the belief of US intelligence agents that al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives who took shelter in Pakistan as refugees are now regrouping and moving back into Afghanistan. Their numbers are small but are expected to swell, posing fresh dangers to the Karzai government's stability in Kabul. American military strength in Afghanistan is not nearly large enough to deal with any major influx.
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#1
gonna want to screen the ISI -plants among this group. Our good friend Pakland will be sending Taliban-sympathizers amongst the refugees. Count on it.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/11/2005 16:59 Comments ||
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#2
I don't hear any hollering from the vaunted international community over this "outrage".
Hypocritical douchebags.
Imagine the screaming if America said the same thing to Mexicans.
#3
Redden agreed that the UNHCR staff cannot distinguish between a genuine Afghan refugee and a terror operative belonging to either al-Qaeda or Taliban who now want to cross over to Afghanistan to escape arrest or join the assaults on coalition forces and the Kabul government.
Yeah, they must've learned that neat little trick from their buddies working the Palestinian gig.
I don't know how the NYT can report this stuff with a straight face. Palestinian militants and security forces exchanged fire for five hours early Saturday in Gaza, the second day in a row of armed clashes. The house of the Gaza commander of preventive security, Gen. Rashid Abu Shbak, was shot up by the militants, who also fired a rocket-propelled grenade at it, witnesses said. Witnesses reported at least three wounded, but officially, no injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made.
Militants have staged demonstrations and clashed with security forces because they say they are being denied jobs in the Palestinian security services and because they are angry at being asked to stop displaying their guns in public.
The latest shootout stemmed from an argument on Thursday night when officers of the Gaza preventive security forces stopped a car containing two members of the Palestinian Resistance Committee, a local militant group with good relations with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The militants refused to leave the car and drove away, and Abu Abeer, a spokesman for the resistance committee, said the police shot up the car and wounded Mohmen Doghmosh in the foot and shoulder. Mr. Doghmosh is from a large Gaza family known for its access to weapons. So early this morning, members of the resistance committee and the Doghmosh family and its allies - as many as 40 armed men, witnesses said - shot up the house of General Shbak, fired at his car, and then clashed with preventive security.
Mr. Abeer confirmed these details and said the committees were demanding that the policeman who shot Mr. Doghmosh, Raed Abu Hatab, himself be shot in the leg. "We ask the Palestinian Authority to think this way, that all Palestinian blood is equal," Mr. Abeer said. "The people in the resistance are also partners in making decisions and in protecting the Palestinian house, equal with the Palestinian Authority and security forces."
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has said he wants to restore order in Gaza and wants "one government, one law and one gun." But he returned to the West Bank from Gaza on Saturday without commenting on the shootout, after meetings with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which sent lower-level representatives in what was seen as an insult reflecting their anger at the postponement of legislative elections. Mr. Abbas, as part of his discussions with the militants to get them to continue to abide by a truce with Israel, agreed to release nine Islamic Jihad militants who had been jailed in the West Bank city of Jericho after a Feb. 25 suicide bombing at the Stage nightclub in Tel Aviv that killed five Israelis. Two of the prisoners, Sadiq Odeh and Jasser Kob, were released late Thursday night after the Palestinian Authority decided that they had not been involved in the bombing. All the militants are supposed to remain at home in Jericho.
Israeli officials have interpreted Mr. Abbas's actions as a sign of weakness. They say he will have to confront the militants and show that the Palestinian Authority is the supreme power in the territories or lose his credibility.
Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, a spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza, said about the shootout on Saturday: "We're investigating. And we won't stay silent to those who violate the public order." But he confirmed that no one had been arrested. Asked about the demand to shoot Mr. Hatab in the leg, he added: "We stand for the law."
#1
The people in the resistance are also partners in making decisions and in protecting the Palestinian house, equal with the Palestinian Authority and security forces.
GUNMEN opened fire on a bus filled with labourers just south of Baghdad today, killing 10 people and wounding three, a police official said.
The official said the bus carrying 13 people was travelling from the southern town of Hilla to Baghdad when two cars pulled up on either side and the gunmen attacked.
A SUICIDE bomber wearing the uniform of Iraq's high-profile Wolf Brigade police force killed eight officers and wounded many others at the commando unit's Baghdad headquarters today, police at the scene said.
Police officials put the total number of dead and injured at close to 20. The bomber, who officers said also carried police identity documents, entered the barracks with other members of the unit reporting for work in the morning.
Body parts littered the barracks area, close to the Interior Ministry and police academy, which houses the Wolf Brigade, a military-style force of several hundred mainly drawn from the capital's Shiite poor.
Promoted on television by a charismatic founder, the Brigade has denied accusations it has killed Sunni Muslims, including clerics, from the minority which ran Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
Iraqi security forces have been prime targets for mostly Sunni insurgents hitting back at US occupying troops and the Shiite-led government their presence has ensured.
It is by no means the first time a bomber has used a uniform to infiltrate heavily guarded compounds. In December, in one of the bloodiest such incidents, a bomber from the Ansar al-Sunna guerrilla group blew himself up in the mess tent of a major US military base at Mosul in the north, killing 22 people.
#1
Oh, dear, the Wolf Brigade is going to be more than a little annoyed about that. I do hope, for his tribe/group's sake, that none of the various bits of the bomber's corpse had any identifying marks.
Seriously, may the souls of the dead Wolves join the Marines guarding Heaven -- or perhaps they'd get more satisfaction interdicting Hell. It is indeed such men who allow the rest of us to sleep safely in our beds at night.
#2
Oh, dear, the Wolf Brigade is going to be more than a little annoyed about that. I do hope, for his tribe/group's sake, that none of the various bits of the bomber's corpse had any identifying marks.
Seriously, may the souls of the dead Wolves join the Marines guarding Heaven -- or perhaps they'd get more satisfaction interdicting Hell. It is indeed such men who allow the rest of us to sleep safely in our beds at night.
The police arrested a listed criminal of the district, also a close associate of the dreaded, Shibir Nasir, and recovered an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle with a hundred rounds of ammunition from Mondakini of Hathazari upazila on Friday.
The police said a squad of Fatikchhari police arrested Dulal Uddin Munna from a mosque near his house at around 1:00pm and recovered an SBBL gun and 100 rounds of ammunition of AK-47 rifle from his residence. Later the police recovered an AK-47 from a hilly area following his statement and were hunting for his allies till 8:00pm.
A real AK-47 or a shutter gun imitation?
The police said Munna was wanted in 11 criminal cases including murder and extortion.
Meanwhile, the Rapid Action Battalion arrested an extortionist in possession of two light guns from Kazir Dewri crossing of the city at around 5:00pm. The battalion said the alleged snatcher, Jainal Abedin, 28, was roaming around with arms. Upon information from locals a battalion team went to the spot and arrested him.
The article didn't say what happened next, but I think it starts with, "Hey Jainal, youse coming wit us."
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/11/2005 01:30 ||
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SRINAGAR — A fierce gun battle was in progress in a Jammu and Kashmir village yesterday after two guerrillas sneaked into a shrine following a cordon and search operation and security forces surrounded it. The holed up guerrillas have started firing at the surrounding troops at Wallerhama (Sellar) village in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, 72km from here, police said.
Security forces had laid a cordon at the village following information that a group of guerrillas was hiding in the village. "Two militants, one of them believed to be a top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit known as 'Doctor', who is a foreigner, and his associate entered the shrine in Wallerhama (Sellar) village after security forces cordoned off the area," said Javaid Mukhdoomi, inspector general of police (Kashmir). "Police were acting on specific information that the top Jaish commander was hiding in the village with some of his associates," Mukhdoomi said here.
A foreigner, eh? Mayhaps the Indians will nail a Mr. Big, or at least a Mr. Moderately-Big.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/11/2005 01:26 ||
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Five US marines were killed in a bomb attack in western Iraq, the military said on Friday, while 17 unidentified bodies were discovered deeper in the country's rebel heartland hard on the Syrian border. "Five marines were killed in action on Thursday when their vehicle hit an explosive device while conducting combat operations near Haqlaniyah," the US military said. On November 7, insurgents stormed police stations in Haqlaniya and nearby Haditha and executed 21 policemen.
Residents of Al-Qaim said 11 executed bodies had been found, a day after a Defence Ministry official reported that six other murdered men had been discovered nearby. The identities of the victims were not immediately clear but a military source said on Wednesday that 22 Shia soldiers had been captured near Rawa.
Gunmen killed the head of an Iraqi police unit and his companion in Kirkuk. Police identified the dead men as Colonel Rahim Uthman, head of the anti-terrorist department on the local force, and Major Ghanim Jihad. In Basra, Colonel Abdelkarim al-Daraji was shot dead in his car with a second person, police said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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KABUL: One US soldier and seven suspected Taliban militants were killed Friday after an ambush on a joint US-Afghan patrol near Lawara in southeastern Afghanistan, the US military said. Three US soldiers were also wounded in the fighting. Two were evacuated to a nearby forward operating base and the third was treated and returned to duty at the scene in Paktika province, the US military said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our soldier and will honour him by continuing to take the fight to the enemy," US Army Brigadier General Jack Sterling said in the statement. The name of the deceased was being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin, the statement said.
"Coalition forces reported the enemy fleeing shortly after the ambush began. Coalition fixed- and rotary-wing attack aircraft and artillery responded to the attack," it added. The attack comes amid a recent wave of violence blamed on remnants of the hardline Islamic Taliban, whom the Afghan government accuses of plotting with Al Qaeda militants to derail legislative elections due in September.
On Wednesday two US soldiers were killed at the forward operating base at Shkin, also in Paktika province, near the Pakistani border, when a mortar bomb crashed into the compound. More than 30 US service members have now died in Afghanistan this year, 15 of whom were killed when a Chinook crashed in bad weather in April. It was the worst American air crash since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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now whyy didnt chainey thinker that? ima feelin safer alredy. Jordan's military court has ordered the Jordanian-born leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, and another suspected terrorist to surrender within 10 days to face charges of plotting deadly attacks.
Zarqawi and alleged coconspirator Mohammed Qteishat are charged with plotting terrorist attacks in Jordan that killed one person. The court's announcement did not provide further details. The whereabouts of Zarqawi, the most-wanted man in Iraq, are unknown, with some reports saying he was recently wounded in combat with U.S. troops and evacuated from Iraq for treatment. The announcement, published Thursday in the Ad-Dustour daily newspaper, did not provide other details. Military prosecutor Lt. Col. Mahmoud Obeidat declined to comment Friday.
Zarqawi is on trial in absentia in several cases. He and 12 others are charged in connection with a foiled plot to launch chemical attacks against Jordan's intelligence department. The insurgent leader also has been indicted for an alleged conspiracy to attack the Jordanian embassy and other locations in Iraq, and for a foiled suicide attack on the Jordanian-Iraqi border. He has been sentenced to death by a Jordanian military court for the October 2002 assassination of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley in Jordan.
#1
Helen: File this under indefinite suspension, miscellaneous file.
Right next to EU Constitution ratification.
Posted by: Captain America ||
06/11/2005 0:36 Comments ||
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#2
Why didn't we think of giving him a deadline to surrender? It was all so simple. How could we have missed the solution?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
06/11/2005 11:43 Comments ||
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#3
Everyone believes now, including Jordan, that Zarqawi is dead. If he was alive they would not dare make such a demand. Just another front event to try to mislead the world, acting as if they are against terrorists.
LAHORE: Jamia Masjid Bahawalpur on Friday escaped a horrible accident when a bomb planted inside the building was found before Friday prayers, the APNA news channel reported.
An "accident"? They accidentally planted a bomb?
Much like when I "accidentally" butchered cut my sister's hair when we were kids...
Mayhaps the location of the bomb was accidental. It was supposed to go in the Protestant church down the street ...
According to the report, the bomb was discovered when someone noticed a suspicious bag in the mosque and alerted the police. Police officials along with the bomb disposal squad arrived at the scene and surrounded the mosque. The mosque was evacuated and the bomb disposal squad removed the fuse, the report said.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
An "accident"? They accidentally planted a bomb?
sumone jus foreget to taker home all they studee mateerials.
ISLAMABAD: The joint investigation team investigating the Bari Imam blast case has arrested two individuals on suspicion of masterminding the incident, Talat Mehmood Tariq, inspector general of police (IGP) of the federal capital, told reporters on Friday. IGP Talat said the inquiry team had made significant progress in the case and he would inform the media when the main suspects were arrested. He said that the inquiry team had found a video film made before the suicide attack at the shrine and it had helped in the investigations into the case.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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LADAH: Unidentified people burned a government school in South Waziristan's Sarwakai sub-division late on Thursday in a series of attacks on schools in Mehsud-dominated areas. No casualties were reported. The porch of the Government Communal Primary School in Barwand Raghzai in Sarwakai sub-division was completely destroyed in the fire while blackboards, carpets and other equipment were also reduced to ashes, a schoolteacher told Daily Times on Friday. "You cannot say the attackers are those who are targeting government and private schools in Waziristan," the teacher said.
Then who can you say they are?
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
So they accidentally set the school on fire, resulting in its destruction -- they were really aiming for the McDonald's two doors down?
#2
I don't no that I would insure any Pakistani structure that was built from combustible materials. There can't be a whole lot of them left in the country.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
06/11/2005 11:55 Comments ||
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Kashmiris want LoC as border?
According to Khabrain, 54 per cent of the Kashmiris of Held Kashmir wanted the LoC to become a permanent border while 74 per cent Indians also wanted it. Only 3 per cent Kashmiris in Held Kashmir wanted Kashmir to be a part of Pakistan, while 43 per cent of them thought of Musharraf as their favourite personality.
Qazi names his grandson Osama
According to Khabrain, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, leader of the MMA and the Jamaat-e-Islami, has named his newly born grandson Qazi Osama Hussain. The boy is from his son Dr Anas Hussain. The significance of the name was not lost on the paper, which referred to its international significance.
Churail kills children
According to Khabrain, farmer Munawwar Cheema of a village near Daska was being pursued relentlessly by jinns and churails (female jinn). At one point, his three buffaloes were found dead. Then his three sons disappeared but their dead bodies were found later in nearby fields. He hung ayaat of the Holy Quran in his rooms where the dowry of his three daughters lay in steel trunks. The dowry was completely burned while the Quranic verse remained untouched.
Jinn burns girls
Reported in the Nawa-e-Waqt, a girl in the house of one Ehsan of Gojra was suddenly burnt to a cinder. The man stated that jinns had set her afire. Hardly five hours later, while he was looking after the dead body, his daughter too was severely burnt by the said mischievous jinn.
People kill blasphemer in Cherat
According to Jang, people got together to kill one Ashiq Nabi (in translation, 'lover of the Prophet' PBUH) in Cherat, NWFP, after they thought that he had shown disrespect to the Quran and insulted the Holy Prophet PBUH. They fired at him with dozens of guns till he was dead. After that the ulema gave a fatwa that he should not be buried in a Muslim graveyard. His brother handed him over to the sanitation department, which buried him without last rites.
Nek Muhammad was Indian agent
Writing in Khabrain, Munir Ahmad Baloch stated that the rebel of Wana Nek Muhammad was an agent of RAW which had seduced him by supplying him with a wife. Nek Muhammad was tricked into attacking the Pakistan army. Later, the Wazirs became aware of Nek Muhammad's Indian links and he was abandoned.
Qadianis made to apologise
Reported in Khabrain, one Abbas Qadiani of Naukot challenged Ataullah Pathan to a munazira (debate) on prophethood and a date was set. Pathan notified clerics of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat and gathered great scholars of Islam, including six of the most fiery ones, from the surrounding areas. The police was also notified for security arrangements, but on the appointed day, the Qadianis did not come for the debate. After the fiery clerics decided to go to the Qadiani village, the police intervened and got the Qadianis to apologise for challenging the Muslims to munazira.
Na'at on film tunes not valid
According to the daily Pakistan, any praise (na'at) of the Holy Prophet PBUH sung to the tune of a film song was not valid and brought no blessings on the singer or those who hear it. Also, it was un-Islamic to shower banknotes on the singer of a na'at during recitation because it looked very mercenary. This was unfortunately the practice. Giving the incentive (lalach) of umra for commercial enterprises was also not right.
Kill Christians when you see them!
Column Sarerahe wrote in the Nawa-e-Waqt that while Islam was a religion of great flexibility, it had also the divine sanction of killing Christians, Hindus and Jews 'wherever you see them.' He said that these days, the flexibility shown by the rulers was not Islamic. It is because of this flexibility that Afghanistan and Iraq have been 'reformed' and Iran was the next target.
Honest, I can't decide whether to go with the cheap Howard Dean joke here or the geezer whinge "In my day, we knew how to kill Christians right. Not like the slacker 'mujaheddin' we're stuck with now, all makin' videos 'n' stylin' on they interweb. No sirree. We seen a infidel, we killed him just as quick as a wink. Smelled the blasphemy just oozing out of his pores, we did. 'To shaytan with dialog,' we would say, and our imam would back us up all the way to the bigs in Najaf and Makkah. Now they've gone all soft, fighting for face time on Al-Jazeerah. Feh."
Ghazi Ilam Din Zinda Bad!
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, in a meeting of the Majlis-e-Karkunan-e-Pakistan, PPPP leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said that in Nowshehra, a man was accused of insulting the Holy Prophet PBUH and before any investigation into the allegation could be held, the man was killed as a blasphemer. He complained that this indicated that society was becoming debased. At this, the audience became angry and accused Mr Ahsan of being guilty of enlightenment (roshan khayali). The audience also raised the slogan of Ghazi Ilam Din Zinda Bad. Ilam Din was a Muslim who had killed a Hindu in vigilante action.
Blaspheming priest of Sweden
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, the Muslims of Sweden were greatly upset with a Christian priest who had said insulting things about the Holy Prophet PBUH and his wife Hazrat Ayesha. Thought first that the statement was a misprint, but then a spokesman of the priest confirmed it, after which more than 400 Muslims — including women and children — protested in the streets of Stockholm. The Muslim ulema made appeals to Muslims not to take the law into their own hands.
"Wusses. Back in my day..."
Samiul Haq's unwise fulminations
Writing in the daily Pakistan, Tanvir Qaiser Shahid stated that the European parliament had insulted Pakistan by arresting senator Maulana Samiul Haq, but the Foreign Office in Islamabad should have anticipated the reaction in Europe against Taliban-related terrorism. Samiul Haq had always bragged about his connections with Mullah Umar and no one was ignorant about the fact that his seminary had trained many Taliban commanders and followers. He himself had fulminated against the West, which had attacked and defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. Samiul Haq himself and his son Haamidul Haq had won support in the MMA. Samiul Haq was not far behind those MMA leaders who had made it their policy plank to condemn and curse the West.
Sura Rehman cures all ills According to the daily Pakistan, one Ishrat Aliya declared that the recitation of Sura Rehman by the famous Qari Basit would cure any disease, including hepatitis which afflicts 40 crore people in the world. She said that she had cured thousands of people with Sura Rehman. She said astronaut Neil Armstrong listened to Sura Rehman and embraced Islam.
Opposition leader's chair The daily Nawa-e-Waqt quoted PMLN leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as saying that he was not happy with prime minister Nawaz Sharif's one-sided campaign of vilifying and victimising Ms Bhutto. In the National Assembly, the leader of opposition routinely sat next to the prime minister but under Nawaz Sharif, the chair of Ms Bhutto was thrown in one corner by Ch Nisar Ali Khan. He went up to Ch Nisar Ali Khan and asked him to restore the chair to its normal place. Ch Nisar Ali Khan was taken aback at his attitude.
Burnt during 'chilla'
According to the Nawa-e-Waqt, a 60-year old man in Sattu Katla near Lahore was mysteriously burnt to death while performing the mystical act of chilla in a graveyard. The heat produced by the chilla burnt him to death.
Pakistan versus 'Roshan Khayali'
Speaking to the daily Pakistan, Prof Mehdi Hassan said that despite all claims of enlightened moderation and roshan khayali the government was still travelling on the road of darkness. He said that in Sargodha, the police and the clergy were together on the roads flailing their sticks at the mixed marathon runners. He said it all began when Jinnah's 11 August address was censored by the secretary general of Pakistan, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali because the address was enlightened.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/11/2005 00:00 ||
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#4
The audience..accused Mr Ahsan of being guilty of enlightenment
Enlightenment? Whoa, dudes, none of that, please! A little Enlightenment and next thing you know, you've got some kind of Reformation going on. Or worse, Buddhism!
Jeez, if it wasn't for their propensity for murder and blowing stuff up, the muslim world would be a never-ending source of comic buffoonery.
#11
Neil Armstrong walked on the face of the Moon God popularly known by it's 99th Persian Gulf pagan name of Allah? isn't that like desecration of the face of the Moon God aka Allah? Who will be the first bacon-stained bearded one to proclaim a fatwa against defiling the face of the Moon God Allah?
#12
She's saying that the Muslims have astronauts and the most advanced people all convert.
Posted by: too true ||
06/11/2005 19:29 Comments ||
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#13
OOOoooo! That would mean like ummmmm.... There is a name I just can't recall... Maybe Cat Stevens or was he a re-convert? He was pretty advanced. I need some help here... sure would be a great game show question.
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.
Wow, what a treasure trove of information about Rantburg's favorite law enforcement agency. Links with 
SEOUL: North Korea has blocked most of its international telephone lines in order to restrict the exchange of information with the outside world, according to South Korean government sources. Earlier this week a South Korean newspaper said the isolated Stalinist regime had shut down 90 percent of its outside phone lines since April and confiscated some 20,000 mobile telephones since May last year. The source confirmed to reporters that "most of the country's international telephone service appears to be controlled" and that "there appear to be restrictions on the use of mobile phones in North Korea from mid-2004". The use of cellphones, which were only introduced to North Korea in 2002, and of the Internet had been seriously restricted by a regime that worries about losing its hold on information and fears a possible US attack. The JoongAng daily reported on Tuesday that North Korea had restricted domestic communications and blocked 90 percent of its 970 international lines since April under a direct order from its leader Kim Jong-Il.
Tasmanian schools and childcare centres have been sent details and a photograph of a man police say have threatened to blow up a school. Police say the threats did not specify any particular school. Deputy Commissioner Jack Johnston says a Hobart magistrate yesterday granted an interim restraint order against the man, banning him from going near schools or childcare centres. He later appeared in an out of hours court session and has been remanded in custody to reappear in court next week.
The police arrested a listed criminal of the district, also a close associate of the dreaded, Shibir Nasir, and recovered an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle with a hundred rounds of ammunition from Mondakini of Hathazari upazila on Friday.
Five US marines were killed in a bomb attack in western Iraq, the military said on Friday, while 17 unidentified bodies were discovered deeper in the country's rebel heartland hard on the Syrian border. "Five marines were killed in action on Thursday when their vehicle hit an explosive device while conducting combat operations near Haqlaniyah," the US military said. On November 7, insurgents stormed police stations in Haqlaniya and nearby Haditha and executed 21 policemen.
KABUL: One US soldier and seven suspected Taliban militants were killed Friday after an ambush on a joint US-Afghan patrol near Lawara in southeastern Afghanistan, the US military said. Three US soldiers were also wounded in the fighting. Two were evacuated to a nearby forward operating base and the third was treated and returned to duty at the scene in Paktika province, the US military said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our soldier and will honour him by continuing to take the fight to the enemy," US Army Brigadier General Jack Sterling said in the statement. The name of the deceased was being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin, the statement said.
Jordan's military court has ordered the Jordanian-born leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, 
LAHORE: Jamia Masjid Bahawalpur on Friday escaped a horrible accident when a bomb planted inside the building was found before Friday prayers, the APNA news channel reported. 
ISLAMABAD: The joint investigation team investigating the 
LADAH: Unidentified people burned a government school in 
Kashmiris want LoC as border?
According to the daily Pakistan, one Ishrat Aliya declared that the recitation of Sura Rehman by the famous Qari Basit would cure any disease, including hepatitis which afflicts 40 crore people in the world. She said that she had cured thousands of people with Sura Rehman. She said astronaut Neil Armstrong listened to Sura Rehman and embraced Islam. 
The daily Nawa-e-Waqt quoted PMLN leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi as saying that he was not happy with prime minister Nawaz Sharif's one-sided campaign of vilifying and victimising Ms Bhutto. In the National Assembly, the leader of opposition routinely sat next to the prime minister but under Nawaz Sharif, the chair of Ms Bhutto was thrown in one corner by Ch Nisar Ali Khan. He went up to Ch Nisar Ali Khan and asked him to restore the chair to its normal place. Ch Nisar Ali Khan was taken aback at his attitude. 
