Pakistan proposed a four-point formula on Wednesday for political reconciliation in Afghanistan, responding to Norways initiative to bring peace and stability in the war-torn country. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, briefed visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store on the steps Pakistan had taken to bring peace in Afghanistan, and proposed the four-point formula to settle the issue.
The formula proposed that Karzai broaden his base instead of confining his government to Kabul, all Pashtuns not be considered Taliban, dialogue be held with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar if not with Mulla Omer, and eight countries Pakistan, Iran, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the US and Russia be involved in dialogue to reach a peaceful solution to problems in Afghanistan
Mushahid told the Norwegian foreign minister that Washington, London and Kabul were pursuing wrong policies in Afghanistan, and Pakistan should not be blamed for the situation there. He said the Afghan government should stop blaming Pakistan for the unrest, and called for dialogue to resolve the issue.
The Norwegian foreign minister endorsed Pakistans viewpoint that the use of military force was no the solution to problems in Afghanistan. He said he was visiting Pakistan and other regional countries to assess the situation in Afghanistan because 550 Norwegian troops were there as part of the International Security Assistance Force. He backed peace agreements in North Waziristan and Helmand province when Mushahid told him that the Waziristan accord had provided room for development.
The Norwegian minister said the blame game should be stopped. He hoped that NATO and EU would jointly bring peace to Afghanistan, and said that there was lack of coordination between NATO and the US in Afghanistan. He said his country wanted to strengthen investment ties with Pakistan. We want to assist Pakistan in health, especially child immunisation, he added. Pakistan and Norway also agreed to strengthen their political, economic and trade relations. Mushahid told the Norwegian team that Al Qaeda leaders Osama Bin Laden and Aiman Al-Zawahri were in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
"The Norwegian foreign minister endorsed Pakistans viewpoint that the use of military force was no the solution to problems in Afghanistan."
Just as Norway endorses the view that use of police force is no solution to the problems of rape in Oslo. All force is bad, BAD, I tell you!
By Patrick Goodenough - CNSNews.com Managing Editor (Update: The Human Rights Council on Wednesday passed a compromise resolution that expressed "concern regarding the seriousness of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Darfur" and called for five "highly qualified persons," along with a U.N. expert on human rights in Sudan, to investigate. The resolution did not criticize the Sudanese government.)
(CNSNews.com) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged the world body's human rights watchdog in Geneva to send a clear message that the "nightmare" in Sudan's Darfur must stop, but for many of the nations considering the crisis, his appeal seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
The new buzzword for 2007-any agenda born in Western places like "New York or Geneva" that would actually force Islamic governments to stop killing blacks.
"Human rights machinery". Machinery? With every word uttered and every brain-numbing madrassah filled to capacity, Pakistan distinguishes itself as most idiotic of the globe's nations.
#2
The US should have divided Sudan into two (or three) as a warning to the middle east that we no longer consider randomly drawn European borders as sacred. Positioned correctly we could have gotten the support for a large portion of sub-sahara Africa for such a move to defend the blacks against the Arabs after over a decade of abuse and civil war.
Algeria and Spain signed an extradition agreement on Tuesday, Algeria's official news agency said, in a move that paves the way for possible deportation of suspected Islamist militants to the north African country. The APS news agency gave few details of the accord but added the two countries were planning to draft an agreement on the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) Egypts government has been urged to revise the death sentence awarded to the men found guilty of involvement of the Sinai bombings in 2004. "President Hosni Mubarak should immediately order a retrial for three men convicted of playing a role in the October 2004 terrorist attacks in the Sinai resort town of Taba," Human Rights Watch said. Is it Ramadan again already? Not yet, but HRW remains HRW...
The New York based body cited irregularities in the trial that saw the three men sentenced to death. "Serious allegations of torture and forced confessions, as well as prolonged incommunicado detention and lack of consultation with counsel, raise significant doubts about the fairness of the trial," the group said. Ummm... Any opinion on the accuracy of the verdict?
Sinai witnessed three bombings in October 2004, which resulted in 34 deaths. None of them were fair, either... ... and no Ramadan pardons for the dead victims ...
The accused trio are allegedly members of Al-Tawhid wal Jihad (Unity and Holy War), according to Egypts government. Many Human Rights activists have come up to battle against the death sentence in Egypt, though it has remained legal.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Saudi ambassador Prince Turki al-Faisal, an informed source told Daily Times, was fired by King Abduallah for having divulged a most sensitive piece of information to one of his advisers who spilled it out on the pages of the Washington Post.
Nawaf Obaid, an adviser to the Saudi ambassador, wrote in the Post on November 29 that if the carnage of Sunnis continues in Iraq and the Americans left in a hurry, Saudi Arabia may be forced to intervene militarily. He warned of massive Saudi intervention to support Sunni Arab groups if the US-led coalition were to leave Iraq abruptly. He added, It would be impossible to ensure that Saudi-funded militias wouldnt attack US troops ... Saudi engagement in Iraq carries great risks - it could spark a regional war. So be it: the consequences of inaction are far worse.
King Abdullah was said to be furious when the article appeared. The threat of Saudi intervention in Iraq may have been nothing more than a ruse to pressure the Americans to do more to put a stop to the carnage in Iraq. Why the ambassador shared this information with Obaid is a mystery. The Saudi government immediately repudiated what Obaid had written. He was also fired from his advisers job. The comment from Amassador Turki was, We felt that we could add more credibility to his claims as an independent contractor by terminating our consultancy agreement with him.
According to the Daily Times source, anti-reform elements in the royal family oppose King Abdullahs efforts for peace in Iraq. Obaids Post article was a trial balloon. It is anyones guess if Prince Turki was a victim of Obaids intrigues, or a participant. The ambassadors publicly stated reason for leaving, namely that he wants to spend more time with his family, no one takes seriously because it is one of the most overused clichés in such situations.
Obaid has been associated with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and most recently, was affiliated with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. In 1999, he published a study of Wahhabism in the Middle East Quarterly. He wrote, American analysts have underestimated, overlooked, or misunderstood the nature, strength, and goals of the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia.
This led to a failure to predict the oil embargo, the ferocity of anti-American sentiments after the Kuwait war, and to understand what the Taliban would become. He later began to downplay the Wahabi threat in his appearances on cable TV. Prince Turki who came to Washington 15 months ago, appointed Obaid as his private security and energy adviser.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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#2
I'd like to think it's because we threatened to PNG him.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/14/2006 8:05 Comments ||
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Massive Saudi intervention??? How? Are they going to pay massive amounts of money to get someone else to fight for them? I'd guess Paks but when was the last time they won a war?
#5
The Saudi's are doing a premeptive here. If the US bails out a lot of Saudi fanatics will head to Iraq to kill Shia. The Saudi's welcome this as it releaves pressure from the crazies.
Not that it's moral or anything (like that ever stopped the Saud) but the Saudi's should boot out their own Shia population and bus them into Iraq and invite the Iraqi Sunni to join the Magic Kingdom.
A US based rights group says an elite-crime force in Bangladesh in responsible for killing more than 350 suspects in custody. Human Rights Watch says that the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has become a "government death squad". Don't ever let HRW read the Tales from the Crossfire Gazette; they'll have a collective fit of the vapors ...
The RAB was set up in April 2004 amid concerns about rising crime in the country and draws its personnel from the police and the military. Human rights lawyers have expressed concerns about the force in the past.
Last year, rights groups in Bangladesh said that some 190 suspects had died in the custody of the force. The government had then admitted to a figure of around 150. Now Human Rights Watch alleges the number of suspects killed in the force's custody is significantly higher. Guess they had more dacoits and Old Biplopi commies than they first thought ...
"It's [the force's] methods are illegal and especially shameful to a nation whose citizen just won the Nobel prize for peace," Brad Adams, director of the rights group said. Lawlessness, revolution and spittle-flecked holy men are also embarrassing to a nation, but this is B-desh we're discussing ...
The group feared that the former ruling party - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - "could use the abusive force for political purposes" ahead of the general elections in January.
There was no immediate comment from the BNP on the report. May be old news but thought Aunty Beeb's spin on RAB could raise a few hackles... Or cheers ...
Posted by: Howard UK ||
12/14/2006 03:29 ||
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#1
Kill Christians or even black Moslems and that's fine. But kill Commies? That's a crime.
North Korea has told the United States it is willing to shut down a key nuclear reactor and accept UN inspections if certain conditions are met, a news report said Thursday.
The North said it could close the five-megawatt reactor in its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon and accept inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the newspaper Hankook Ilbo reported from Washington, citing an unidentified State Department official.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry, the Democratic loser candidate for the presidency in 2004, said on Thursday the U.S. administration should engage in dialogue with Syria and Iran. "I think it's important to talk and have dialogue, but you don't give up your principles and you don't make deals that are against your larger interest," Kerry told reporters after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. "Syria needs to understand that and Iran needs to understand that, but I think it's important to begin a discussion," added Kerry, a Massachusetts senator.
Kerry, who by the way served in Vietnam is considering a second bid for the U.S. presidency, cited the example of late President Ronald Reagan calling the Soviet Union "the evil empire" but not hesitating to negotiate with then Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
Kerry left the United States on Wednesday for a nine-day visit of the Middle East, including Iraq, and a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but not a visit to Iran. Fellow Democratic senator Bill Nelson of Florida met Assad in Damascus on Wednesday and said he saw an opening for dialogue with Syria.
President George W. Bush, who has resisted pressure to hold talks with Syria and Iran, issued a statement on Wednesday calling on Syria to "immediately free all political prisoners" and "cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty." Washington accuses Syria of allowing weapons and fighters to cross the border into Iraq, which Syria denies.
Posted by: Jimmy Conway ||
12/14/2006 11:28 ||
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#1
Maybe congress can take some of the money they want to divert from the war and put it to use in stem cell research to find out why Democratic senators are fuckin idiots...
#4
Hop on the bus, bozo. In fact, go over there unannounced and walk around like the next guy and see how far you get. In fact, why don't you wear one of those sandwich boards with a cartoon of the profit mohamhead and see if you make it to the bottom of the plane's stairs.
#6
lol, I took the last parag. snipped in the article to mean that Bush is HOPING that Nelson and Kerry become "political prisoners" in Syria. What a hoot, but reading the full quote, you realize he was talking about Syrian political prisoners, not American.
Posted by: BA ||
12/14/2006 13:47 Comments ||
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#7
Bush is HOPING that Nelson and Kerry become "political prisoners" in Syria
#11
Reagan DID NOT negoatiate with Russia and only when they were on the ropes and willing top make MASSIVE concession did he even talk with Gorby. Everyone remember the SRBM and MRBM deployments in Italy, Germany, and UK? Reagan choked the life out of the USSR and then stepped on it's throat while demanding concessions. That is how you deal with an evil empire. John Kerry is an idiot and has a warped idea about history. Hell he can't forget the massive protests, songs, and hipppie-fest around the world because I am sure he participated in them. "Hesitating to negotiate?" Nope not after he was sure they were already dead.
#1
Saw the reporter on last night who asks a lot of these very BASIC questions of anyone who would be considered for the post (on O'Reilly, I believe). Reyes couldn't answer hardly any intelligence-related questions (at least none that matter to the WoT), it sounded like. Reporter said that he's never seen anyone more dis-qualified for the position. Wouldn't even know what questions to ask of the CIA, FBI et al, when they come in for hearings.
Posted by: BA ||
12/14/2006 13:52 Comments ||
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There need to be provisions for ousting utterly incompetent people from sinecure positions. Especially when national security and the handling of sensitive information is at stake. Face it, democrat sponsored crap like this will only guarantee a republican win in 2008.
#2
Should've stomped on his chest a couple of thousand times to keep that ticker pumping, maybe have Lynne Stewart sit on his face from the other end...
#3
The FBI bulletin reminded authorities that the sheikh had previously called for reprisal attacks in the case of his death in prison.
Next time this slimy turd starts spitting up blood, shove him out the prison gates. This twisted shithead cannot possibly die slowly enough. Rahman is directly responsible for inspiring the 9-11 attacks.
#4
Yeah, but our country is full of dumbasses. Ciro Rodriguez just beat henry Bonilla in the congressional runoff here in San Antonio. Ole Ciro sponsored fundraisers for Radical muzzie groups who were trying to free this piece of crap back in 2000. He even took money from the same muzzie radicals and introduced legislation (that failed, thank God) that would have freed him. Result of this 'bombshell" that should have outraged every red-blooded American in South Texas? Ciro won in a landslide.
#3
This is so far overdue it'e pathetic. These bastards have done more harm to the United States and it's institutions during their existence than any other single entity ever. Put them out of business now. Set an example. Get rid of LaRaza, Cair and all others who follow in their soiled footsteps.
#6
To the contrary, the ACLU said, the designation of the generally unremarkable document as Secret appears to be a striking, yet typical, example of overclassification.
Sounds like ACLU is trying to change federal regulation. Classified documents, by and large, can only be declassified by the classifying authority.
ALl I can say is if I did it...I would be looking at 2 to 5 in Leavenworth.
#8
I forget most of my regulations when I was in the military but I am pretty sure that the ACLU is not a classification authority. Arrest them ALL and since we are at war, line them up against the wall or hang them in the public square.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 Frustrated by the Bush administrations piecemeal financing of the Iraq war, Democrats are planning to assert more control over the billions of dollars a month being spent on the conflict when they take charge of Congress in January.
In interviews, the incoming Democratic chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees said they would demand a better accounting of the wars cost and move toward integrating the spending into the regular federal budget, a signal of their intention to use the Congressional power of the purse more assertively to influence the White Houses management of the war.
The lawmakers, Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Representative John M. Spratt Jr. of South Carolina, said the administrations approach of paying for extended military operations and related activities through a series of emergency requests had inhibited Congressional scrutiny of the spending and obscured the true price of the war.
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#7
The word's gettin' out, USMC. We hear ya, this nation hears ya, and those who did this, will from us all soon enough!
I found it refreshing the honesty of the on-the-ground realities of what the troops are seeing in Iraq vs. what the MSM is spinning in Hannity's interview w/ the troops on the ground in Ramadi a few nights ago. Follow-up with Marines on the ground there through interviews with Ollie North too the last few nights. Lather, rinse, repeat and the truth will get out.
Posted by: BA ||
12/14/2006 14:25 Comments ||
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Federal prosecutors are trying to force the American Civil Liberties Union to turn over copies of a classified document it received from a source, using what legal experts called a new extension of the Bush administrations efforts to protect national-security secrets.
The novelty in the governments approach is in its broad use of a grand jury subpoena, which is typically a way to gather evidence, rather than to confiscate all traces of it. But the subpoena issued to the A.C.L.U. seeks any and all copies of a document e-mailed to it unsolicited in October, indicating that the government also wants to prevent further dissemination of the information in the document.
The subpoena was revealed in court papers unsealed in federal court in Manhattan yesterday. The subject of the grand jurys investigation is not known, but the A.C.L.U. said that it had been told it was not a target of the investigation.
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#1
if the ACLU were only perverts in pursuit of the perfect law in an impossibly imperfect world; ergo the enemy of good law, then theoretically their legal excursion might provide some instructive lessons for law students in a CLASSROOM.
Unfortunately it is our cursed misfortune that these bastards are *fucking with our children's REAL future by perverting the rules by which we live by and the rule book, our US Constitution.
#2
I consider the ACLU to be the most dangerous organization operating in the US today. They fool many thanks to the (apparent) fact that most folks don't ever hear of their actions - or when they do they're portrayed as freedom protectors by the MSM. I don't know when the takeover was completed, but it is a pure Stalinist Fifth Column today.
A segment (unknown size - someone could probably figure out how many lifetime appointments were handed out by Carter and Clinton) of the "judges" installed over the last 10-20 years are a close second, in terms of the danger they pose. They are the ACLU's facilitators and enablers.
And the MSM (it's why I almost always note when a story is from the least reliable source, the NYT) is the PR machine for the entire movement. Camo for Stalin's Neverending Socialist Front.
#4
The Espionage Act makes it a crime for people who have unauthorized possession of some kinds of national security information to receive, retain, disseminate or refuse to turn it over to the government when asked. But A.C.L.U. lawyers say the document does not meet the statutes definition and that, in any event, a subpoena is an improper way to enforce the law.
So these "rights" a-holes are o.k. with arguing over a "definition" in this case, but not, when we're discussing the Geneva Conventions, their Holy Grail in their fight against Gitmo? In it, I believe the GC's "define" who is covered by it and protected by it, thusly. Needless to say, non-signatories and/or non-State "armies" are not "defined" as a protected class under the GCs right? IOW, terrorists, who do NOT wear an identifiable (State issued) uniforms, are NOT signatories themselves, who break all the rules anyways (intentional targetting of civilians, using "places of worship" as cover to fire from, etc.), and who INTENTIONALLY try and blend in with the civilian population are NOT "defined" as a protected class, eh, ACLU? Let's argue over definitions now, bee-atch.
Posted by: BA ||
12/14/2006 11:02 Comments ||
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.com you are spot on in calling this a Stalinist 5th collumn group. They are a key player in the ongoing communist-inspired destruction of the USA. While the overt cold war was lost, these assholes and their many collaborators (MSM, professors and many elected democrats) are working hard to win the culture wars. They all want to see America as we know it brought down.
WASHINGTON - A Guantanamo prisoner who won a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in June lost his bid to challenge his detention on Wednesday when a federal judge dismissed the case because of a new anti-terrorism law signed by President George W. Bush. Heh.
In a victory for the Bush administration, US District Judge James Robertson ruled the law removed federal court jurisdiction over the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Guantanamo prisoner who was Osama bin Ladens driver in Afghanistan. More than just a driver, but let's not dwell on that.
Hamdan had won a historic Supreme Court ruling that struck down as illegal the military tribunal system created by Bush to try terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba after the Sept. 11 attacks. That ruling prompted Bush to go to Congress and get authority under the new law that he signed in October authorizing tough interrogation and prosecution of terrorism suspects under a new system of military commissions. An authority granted by substantial majorities in both houses, but you didn't hear that from me.
Robertson ruled that law strips US federal judges of jurisdiction to hear challenges by Guantanamo prisoners like Hamdan. The detainees, who currently number around 430, do not have the right to challenge their imprisonment in US courts, he said.
It was believed to be the first ruling dismissing a case by a Guantanamo prisoner because of the new law. And there won't be any more until this goes back to the Supremes.
One of Hamdans lawyers, Charles Swift said: We respectfully disagree with the lower courts decision. We believe the Constitution does not tolerate a legal black hole at Guantanamo Bay. We look forward to further proceedings. Knock yerself out counseler, you're spending the public's money.
Hamdans lawyers argued the law does not strip the court of jurisdiction over his pending habeas case, but Robertson disagreed in a 22-page written ruling. Robertson said Congress clearly intended to keep cases such as Hamdans out of federal courts and that he must dismiss the case because he no longer has jurisdiction to hear it.
Robertson said the law, however, may not be the last word by Congress on the issue. Legislation was introduced earlier this month to restore the habeas rights that have been repealed by the law. Thanks Senator Leahy. Good luck trying to get that through, but we'll be sure to keep all the C-SPAN recordings for the 2008 election.
Robertson said he did not reach Hamdans other arguments that the law is unconstitutional. He initially had ruled for Hamdan in his challenge to the military tribunals.
A US appeals court is expected to rule soon on whether the law prevents Guantanamo prisoners from challenging their detentions. Any decision likely will be appealed to the US Supreme Court, which would have the final word.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) has not agreed to back anti-government rallies in NWFP and Balochistan, so the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) has decided to postpone the rallies, MMA sources told Daily Times on Wednesday.
According to the sources, MMA Balochistan President Maulana Muhammad Khan Shirani believes rallies in Balochistan and NWFP would harm the provincial governments. The MMA is a coalition partner in the Balochistan government and runs the NWFP government.
The MMA has announced a schedule of protest rallies in Punjab and Sindh. The rallies will be held in Punjab on January 22 and 23 and in Sindh on January 29, 30 and 31. No schedule for rallies in the other two provinces has been announced. In both provinces, the JUI-F has more street power and seats than any other party of the MMA, so the alliance cannot go ahead with protests there without the JUI-F, said the sources, adding that this was the second time the MMA faced such a situation. The JUI-F had previously backed down from the MMA decision to quit the assemblies, and now it disagrees with the alliance about holding rallies in the provinces where it has public support, said the sources.
They said that at the MMA Supreme Council meeting of December 7, the JUI-F had agreed to organise demonstrations, in collaboration with other opposition parties against the government, but it had now changed its decision.
Earlier, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed was supposed to attend the MMA Supreme Council meeting, but the JUI-F leadership later asked Abdul Ghafoor Haideri to attend in his stead. Hafiz Hussain is the only JUI-F leader who supports the decision to resign from the assemblies. The JUI-F, fearing potential problems if Hafiz was at the meeting, decided to send Haideri instead, the sources said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Mohabbat Khan Mosque Khateeb Maulana Muhammad Yousuf Qureshi said on Wednesday that a fatwa (decree) issued for the killing of a Danish cartoonist who had drawn caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), would not be withdrawn.
We have put a price on the blasphemers head, and will pay one million dollars to the person who kills him, Qureshi told Daily Times. Qureshi said that the US government had banned his entry into America and refused him a visa after he issued the fatwa against the cartoonist working for Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Qureshi, who has been criticising the US and leading anti-US rallies, said he was not against Americans. He said he had visited the US every year between 1984 and 2000, but stopped going there after the 9/11 attacks. I am only against US government policies which are anti-Muslim, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Were I rich, I would put out a simple offer: US$1,000,000 for this bastard's testicles, penis, and tongue should the Dane be killed. Certificate of authenticity required
#2
Good idea RWV. Everytime they seethe and produce a famous fatwa, we should issue a hit reward..."wanted dead or alive (prefer dead)" for one or more of the seethers. See who can be erased first.
#3
This is an excellent idea. Though no need to wait for their fatwa to be effected. Basically, threats of death will be treated as an act of piracy and treated accordingly. Citizens could act under the authority of privateering contracts or under the authority of jus naturale.
#4
He said he had visited the US every year between 1984 and 2000, but stopped going there after the 9/11 attacks. I am only against US government policies which are anti-Muslim, he said.
Well, well...someone's seething over being added to our "Do not fly" list, eh? I guess somehow Disney World will survive w/o this thug's ticket profits, eh?
Posted by: BA ||
12/14/2006 10:44 Comments ||
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#5
Y'all got it. It's what I've been advocating too. The turds who spew these death fatwas for anyone in the West who happens to fart in Mecca's general direction need to be offed. The more conspicuously and contemperaneous with their fatwa spewing, the better.
Talking to Daily Times at the concluding session of a two-day meeting of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Majlis-e-Amla (executive committee), Qazi said the JI would remain firm on the resignations issue and added that those who were retreating from resignations should not do so because it was a unanimous decision.
The decision on resignations from the assemblies was made in consultation with all component parties of the MMA, but now the JUI-F is trying to veto it, said Qazi, who also heads the Jamaat-e-Islami. He said the JUI-F should accept the decision and resign from the assemblies.
Qazi said that Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Makhdoom Amin Fahims statement that he would accept a national government under President General Pervez Musharraf was against the spirit of the Charter of Democracy. He said that Fahims statement had exposed the PPPPs double standards. On one hand, the PPPP has signed the CoD to save democracy, but on the other it is accepting a dictatorial regime and backstabbing the democratic forces, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Nice. My only contention is that he's not the true brain of the regime, IIUC, that would be rafsandjani and khameiny, he's the face of the MM, an angry, hateful midget's face, that is.
Robert Tait in Tehran, Ed Pilkington in New York
The outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for the president of Iran to be charged with inciting genocide because of his speeches advocating the destruction of the state of Israel. Great! Now, that's a classy exit!
Barely a week after he announced his resignation from the UN post, Mr Bolton will appear tomorrow among a panel of diplomats and lawyers calling for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted. The panel has been convened by a Jewish umbrella group in the US, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations.
Mr Bolton was forced to quit his post after his appointment was blocked by Democrats and several Republicans in the Senate foreign relations committee. President George Bush said he accepted the resignation but was unhappy about it.
The call for legal action came as Mr Ahmadinejad repeated his onslaught against Israel at an international gathering of holocaust deniers in Tehran. The president, who has dismissed the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis as a myth told up to 70 visiting speakers that the Israeli state would soon be wiped out.
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#2
... Tony Blair condemned the conference as "shocking beyond belief" and singled out the decision to invite David Duke, a former leading Ku Klux Klan member, as proof of Iran's extremism.
So, we were lacking sufficient proof before? Now that they've invited a pathetic, has-been, wanna-be U.S. politician with virtually no political influence it puts them into a higher class of extremism? I guess having a head of state who's actively pursuing nukes and threatening to wipe another nation off the map wasn't quite extreme enough for some people.
#3
Bolton's commendable actions are merely the iceberg's tip. We need to begin taking all of these hate-spewing morons at their word and acting directly upon their meaning. It must be made clear that opening your mouth to blat out anti-American, anti-Semitic or terrorist claptrap carries a price tag. Preferrably, a .45 caliber one.
#4
Not that he will be, but MOUD = MEMBER-STATE/STATE OF IRAN can technically already be referred to the UNSC for direct military action. Methinks Moud and legal advisors knows it which is why he does it. Russia is unlikely to repeat its famous mistake which led to UN action agzNorth Korea ala KOREAN WAR 1; and without Russia-China's approval, the present UNSC is unlikely to do or approve anything. Radical Iran can be attacked only what the MSM and anti-US agendists will proclaim is unilateral and indpendent US = US-led Allied action = interpreeted as proof of anti-UN, anti-UNSC, de facto singular US Internat aggression, bullying, and bellicosity, EVEN IFF DUBYA GETS MAJOR UNO STATES TO GO ALONG. MOUD LOSES NUTHIN BECUZ DUBYA-USA WILL GET BLAMED FOR EVERYTHING, INCLUD ANY NEW 9-11's AGZ USA IN "JUSTIFIED" RETALIATION, WHILE IRAN = RADICAL TERROR GETS ITS NUKES ANYWAYS. Does Dubya have the gumption to have the USA, etal. attack Iran despite knowing the Blame-game MSM outcome and despite knowing any such mil action will be spun around to justify new Terror agz America, including risk to his own life, GOP, + Washington NPE in general. As before and during the 2004 elex > CLINTONS-DEMS MANIA FOR POWER > PC "SAVING" AMERICA FROM MSM/LEFT-ALLEGED GOP-CAUSED/BLAMED NEW 9-11'S = TERROR = LIMITED [NUKE?] WAR = US-ONLY ARROGANCE + FASCISM + MALE BRUTE WARMONGER COWBOY IMPERIALISM, ETC = PC "SURVIVING" SAME. Hillary must be POTUS whether she lawfully wins, wins by Bill-style elex fraud, or survives a nuked Washington DC = destroyed NPE-NCA-USG or other WMD event, where most or all other Male Pols are either dead, too frightened, or too injured to govern.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2006 The military is doing all it can to calm Iraq, but the country needs political and economic solutions to function, the outgoing commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said yesterday. In an interview with Baghdad-based journalists, Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who gives up command tomorrow, said military, economic, reconstruction and political efforts in Iraq must move forward at the same time. Iraq cannot succeed with one line working and the others treading water or reverting, he said.
If Iraqis get back to work, the sectarian strife would lessen, Chiarelli said. Polls in Baghdad show that if the Iraqi government could improve job satisfaction there by a small amount, it would have really, really a major impact on the sectarian violence we're seeing, he said.
Its not like there isnt work to be had. The United Nations estimates it will take $60 billion to rehabilitate an Iraqi infrastructure decimated by 30 years of misrule under Saddam Hussein.
The commander said Marines in Anbar province -- right now one of the deadliest places in the country -- have been working not only to stop the violence with military force, but also to look to a more productive future. We concentrate on the fight that's going on in al Anbar, but there are lots of fantastic things going on that (Marine Maj. Gen.) Rick Zilmer and his guys have brought on board that have given people out in al Anbar a feeling that their life is getting better and could get a lot better, Chiarelli said.
It is in those economic lines of operation and what (the Marines have) done in putting people back to work, what they've done to start to provide basic services to people who haven't had them for so long that has had a tremendous impact out there, he continued.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/14/2006 05:41 ||
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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Wednesday said the enemy in Iraq is ``far from being defeated,'' but he vowed not to be rushed into adjusting his strategy and gave little indication that he intends to veer sharply from the direction his war policies have taken.
``We're not going to give up. The stakes are too high and the consequences too grave,'' Bush said after meeting at the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Rumsfeld's designated successor, Robert Gates.
Bush said he was considering a wide range of options he has heard during a week of consultations, while rejecting ideas ``that would lead to defeat.'' He said the rejected ideas included ``leaving before the job is done, ideas such as not helping this (Iraqi) government'' to function and gain Iraqis' confidence. ``But one thing people have got to understand is we'll be headed toward achieving our objectives,'' he said. ``And I repeat: If we lose our nerve, if we're not steadfast in our determination to help the Iraqi government succeed, we will be handing Iraq over to an enemy that would do us harm.''
The president said he would present soon a ``new way forward'' in Iraq, while continuing to support the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose ability to forge a viable governing coalition is questioned privately by some administration officials. He cited ``horrific'' violence in Iraq carried out by a ruthless enemy bent on toppling ``this young democracy.''
None of his comments sounded like a prelude to withdrawing substantial number of U.S. troops over the coming year, as was recommended by the Iraqi Study Group, a bipartisan commission that studied war options since March.
Why, oh why, can't this man say this every day? From before the invasion to today he should have been out there hammering away this message. Get the job done. Help the Iraqis build their country so long as the Iraqis will do that. Deal with the terrorists. Don't hand the country over to those who mean us harm. Say that every blinking day.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
DEMOLEFT > USA is NOT at War or in a War for its very survival and existence , ergo the USA must increase the size of Gubmint while losing oversea and while being the only ones whm has to surrender and while being the only ones to pay future Regional-Trans-Global-extraGlobal/Space? Taxes.
#2
I still think better intelligence work - mass investigative detentions - would allow the type of targeting that would eliminate the terrorists ability to wage war. I have never believed that only a handful of Iraqis know of arms cache locations.
#3
The Islamo-fascists will continue to resist as long as they believe they can defeat the efforts of the US politically as signaled by their allies within the US and MSM. The absolute unwillingness to pursue that war at home is why the enemy in Iraq is far from being defeated. Apply the same dedication that the average soldier/marine shows in Iraq to defeating the corrupt message of the perps in the US and the job would be a hell'va lot easier on the Iraqi front.
RAMALLAH, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will declare the Hamas-led government as an interim administration until holding referendum next year, local Maan news agency reported on Thursday.
Well-informed sources were quoted as saying that Abbas was not going to sack the Hamas-led government, but the government will be called as an interim as a compromise. Well okaaay, then.
The news came two days before Abbas address the nation. The sources termed as "inclusive and historical" the speech which Abbas will deliver on Saturday about the political crisis that worsened after Hamas took office in March.
According to the sources, Abbas will set March 2007 as time to call public referendum on holding early parliamentary and presidential elections.
In his speech, Abbas will vow to pay salaries for the 165,000 government employees from the National Fund that belongs to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Ah, the core issue.
The Hamas-led government's failure to pay salaries and the financial crisis were the key objective that pushed Palestinian factions to look for a unity government. International donors stopped funding the Hamas administration because it has refused to recognize Israel and renounce violence.
However, Ahmed Yousef, the political advisor of Prime Minister Ismail Haneya, has ruled out that Abbas calls for a referendum or early elections.
He expected that Abbas will talk in details about the situationin the Palestinian territories and the siege imposed on the people,warning against the negative results that would affect the whole Palestinian scene if early elections or referendum were called.
"The president is not authorized to call for referendum," said Yousef, stressing that any call for referendum would be considered illegal. Oh no! There's a fly in the works! Whoda thunk it??!!
fwap...fwap...fwap...
#1
No Paleostinian Authority---no Oslo Agreement. No Oslo Agreement, no water, sewer, electricity from Israel. Israel is not obligated to sell the services if there is no PA.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/14/2006 22:29 Comments ||
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Defense officials expressed extreme concern over the growing unrest in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, warning that the internal Palestinian clashes could lead to the disintegration of the already unstable cease-fire and a possible Palestinian civil war.
Defense officials at the Kirya Military Headquarters in Tel Aviv voiced concern that the escalating violence and unrest in Gaza would spread to the West Bank and trigger terror groups to renew Kassam rocket attacks aimed at the western Negev.
The violence in Gaza has led to political unrest, officials said, to the extent that the Palestinians might be on the brink of a civil war that could easily boil over into Israel in the form of a new wave of terror attacks.
This has already begun to happen. On Tuesday, five Kassam rockets were fired at Israel after days of relative quiet during which the cease-fire appeared to be holding. On Wednesday night IDF troops shot and killed a Palestinian spotted carrying a gun and several grenades along the security fence near the Karni Crossing into the Gaza Strip. "With the situation the way it is, there is no way of the cease-fire being implemented in the West Bank," said one official who called on the international world to intervene in the Gaza Strip and attempt to bring calm to the Palestinian territory.
According to defense officials, the current internal battles inside the Gaza Strip proved once again that Abbas was weak and incapable of enforcing order. Oh Lawsy, he's weak and incapable? Say it ain't so!
Israeli officials have been holding meetings with members of Fatah to try to evaluate the severity of the situation. Defense officials said the fighting could be connected to "power struggles" concerning control over the Palestinian security branches, one of the main issues that remained in disagreement following the establishment of the Hamas government in the beginning of the year.
Despite the cease-fire, officials said Hamas was continuing to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip despite increased Egyptian efforts to stop the smuggling from the Sinai.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
*gasp* , infighting .. in Palestine , you say ? Ohh I'd never of thought it
#5
Sex is not just for procreation, it's also for fun. Ask any bonabo. Or, for that matter, according to Alcock, in lions there are (approx) 3000 copulation per each cub.
#6
Paleo in-fighting is a feature, not a bug. When the Paleos get along, THAT is a cause for concern for the IDF. Clandestine operations should encourage in-fighting.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/14/2006 11:33 Comments ||
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#7
Hopefully the infighting breaks out into full-scale brawls on the streets. Would be a shame to see both Fatah and Hamas going at it in broad daylight. God forbid it stops short AGAIN and all returns to normal of killing Isrealis.
Posted by: Charles ||
12/14/2006 13:20 Comments ||
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#8
Civil wars, albeit bloody affairs, can bring clarity. The English had one and came away with a united monarchy and a powerful parliamentary system. The US civil war ended slavery and redefined the nature of the Union. In each case centuries of relative political stability and prosperity followed.
Of course, these are Palestinians we're talking about, so it could be a barbaric mess that resolves nothing. We'll find out.
Posted by: Baba Tutu ||
12/14/2006 13:38 Comments ||
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#9
"Palestinian infighting", much like "French dip", is a redundancy. One of the best oxymorons I ever coined, some 20 years ago, was "Arab unity".
(Xinhua) -- Visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya announced on Wednesday that the Sudanese government had promised to provide 10 million U.S. dollars as an immediate assistance to the Palestinian government. Learning from the Saoodis how to spread the new oil money around ...
Haneya said at a press conference held at the end of his three-day visit in Sudan that this sum would be helpful to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people. Highly praising Sudan's position, the Palestinian prime minister said, "Sudan always takes practical steps and adopts direct decisions to support the Palestinian cause."
Commenting on the Darfur issue, Haneya expressed hopes that Sudan would remain united in spite of the international pressures, referring to the difference between Khartoum and the UN on the deployment of international peacekeepers in the war-torn western region. Haneya noted that during the visit, the Sudanese leaders briefed him the situation in Darfur and he had been impressed that public media in western countries had contributed to distorting the picture of realities. Thereby doing his part for the 10 mil.
Haneya arrived in Khartoum on Monday to continue his first tour abroad since he took office in March, which has taken him to Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Syria and Iran. Describing the tour as successful, Haneya said it had realized all the expected purposes and his delegation had found very positive response from leaders of these countries who had stressed their material, political and moral support for the breaking of the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Obviously, they need to be killed.
AHMED AL-HAJ
SAN'A, Yemen (AP) - A court Wednesday sentenced an editor and journalist from a weekly newspaper to four months in prison for reprinting Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
It was the third sentence against journalists handed down in recent weeks over the controversy. The cartoons were first printed in Denmark, then in several European papers, raising outrage in the Muslim world because they satirized Islam's prophet as violent and backward.
Several Yemeni newspapers also printed the cartoons, apparently to show what the controversy was about. What did they think, that they could inform their readers and let them make their own opinion or something? And what about the Holy Men, then?
The court sentenced editor Abdel Karim Sabra and journalist Abdel Rahman Al-Abed, both from the weekly Al-Hurriyah, to four months in prison for "defaming the prophet" and forbade them from writing for two months.
Earlier this month, Mohammed al-Asaadi, editor of the English-language Yemen Observer, was fined the equivalent of about C$2,900 for printing the cartoons and ordered detained until he paid the money.
On Nov. 24, Kamal al-Aalafi, editor of the Al-Ra'i al-Am weekly, was sentenced to a year in prison and the paper was closed for six months. He was later released on bail.
At least 100 journalists in Yemen have faced various forms of harassment in the past year, ranging from beatings and arrests to kidnappings and a letter-bombing that wounded a newspaper editor, according to Yemen's Center of Training and Press Freedoms Protection, a non-governmental watchdog.
The United States has bolstered its naval presence near Iran as The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, entered the Gulf on Dec. 11.
The U.S. Navy has deployed the Eisenhower ostensibly to support the U.S. military presence in Iraq.
Officials said the Navy has been moving warships from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean toward the Gulf. They said the redeployment was meant to bolster the Western presence in the region as Iran's military buildup continues.
Eisenhower, the flagship of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, was accompanied by the USS Anzio, a guided-missile cruiser. Eisenhower can support as many as 100 fighter-jets, Middle East Newsline reported.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet said the strike group departed Norfolk, Va. on Oct. 3. The navy said the group began operating alongside coalition maritime forces on Oct. 30.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and make a difference, whether it is flying in support of multinational troops operating in Iraq, or training alongside coalition and regional navies, or conducting maritime security operations in the Gulf," Rear Adm. Al Myers, commander of the Eisenhower Strike Group, said.
The inquiry into the murder of a former Lebanese prime minister is turning up "significant links" between Hariri's death and 14 other later attacks in Lebanon, the chief investigator said on Tuesday. Serge Brammertz, who leads the U.N. investigation into the February 2005 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, also said his probe continued to make numerous demands for interviews and evidence on Syria.
Investigators conducted six interviews and held five meetings with relevant Syrian officials in recent months, he said in his latest progress report to the Security Council. They also sought from Damascus "information, artifacts, electronic media and documentation about certain individuals and groups," he said. "The level of assistance provided by Syria during the reporting period remains generally satisfactory. The commission will continue to request Syria's full cooperation, which remains crucial to the swift and successful completion of its work," he said.
Hariri, who became a critic of Syria's decades-long domination of Lebanon shortly before his death, was killed along with 22 others by a huge bomb in broad daylight on Feb. 14, 2005, as his motorcade traveled along a Beirut street. The attack took place after he accused Syria of meddling in Lebanese politics. Mass street protests followed and Lebanese opposition politicians blamed Damascus for his death, although Syria has repeatedly denied any involvement in the killing.
The Security Council, which created the U.N. commission to investigate Hariri's death, later asked it to look into 14 other apparently politically motivated attacks that followed. Most recently, it added to the team's workload the Nov. 21 slaying of anti-Syrian Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. "The commission's work on the 14 cases continues to elicit significant links between each case and to indicate links to the Rafik Hariri case," Brammertz said.
The findings suggest a wave of attacks targeting individuals with known and shared political leanings and aiming to "spread fear among the population" and "destabilize the security situation," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Charles Rizk, Minister of Justice revealed today to LBC - TV that the cabinet had only to confirm the previous accords on Hariri Tribunal and these are now officially enforceable laws.
President Lahoud returned both accords to the government claiming it is not a legitimate cabinet since the Shiite ministers have resigned. Communications Minister Marwan Hamadeh described the presidential veto as "signing off on the murder of Hariri". The President, according to the parliament majority is illegitimate and a puppet of Syria's president Bashar el Assad and in vetoing the accords he is trying to protect the Syrian regime. That pretty well sums it up. Except for the part about protecting his own rump.
PM Siniora has rejected all the resignations of the ministers. According to Siniora the cabinet had full quorum when it convened and took the decisions on both accords and the meetings were constitutional.
Rizk said according to paragraph 52 of the Lebanese constitution both accords should now be published in the official Lebanese gazette as official laws. Rizk confirmed that it is now up to Speaker Nabih Berri to convene the parliament for a vote on these 2 accords. Rizk stressed that Berri is aware of the importance of this matter, but Berri seems in no hurry to convene the parliament, insisting that the issue of the unity cabinet should be resolved first.
In commenting on Brammertz report on the murder of Hariri He said" this was a political crime ". He praised Brammertz for his professionalism and hard work. When asked about Brammertz recommendation for establishing the International tribunal, he agreed and added " and speaker Berri knows this too"
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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The Lebanese Cabinet formally handed over to Parliament on Tuesday a controversial text calling for the creation of an international tribunal on the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. In a session held at the barricaded Grand Serail, the Cabinet voted to seek Parliament ratification of the text, which would then allow the Cabinet to sign a tribunal agreement with the United Nations. "The Cabinet unanimously decided to send the UN draft," Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh told Agence France Presse. "This is an important step in the ratification procedure," he said.
Leaders of Lebanon's political opposition have said any action undertaken by the current Cabinet, from which six ministers resigned in November, is by definition unconstitutional. The 24-member Cabinet was deserted by pro-opposition ministers last month, sparking a political crisis that has paralyzed the government and sparked mass demonstrations in the capital.
Speaker Nabih Berri, a key opposition partner, has refused to convene Parliament to vote on the international tribunal until the political crisis is resolved. In remarks at the end of the session, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi stressed that Parliament would convene through "constitutional means," without elaborating on the issue.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Legal expert Hassan Rifai on Wednesday lashed out at President Emile Lahoud for refusing to sign a draft decree declaring a January 14 election in the Metn region to fill the vacuum left by Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel's murder. Gemayel was gunned down in a northern Beirut suburb by unknown assailants on November 21. "By hampering the issuance of laws and decrees, the president will be violating his simplest duties," Rifai told radio station, Voice of Lebanon.
The Cabinet sent Lahoud the draft decree Saturday but the president has not signed it yet. "The president should sign the draft decree, otherwise he could be prosecuted according to the Constitution," Rifai said.
Sources close to Baabda Palace had said earlier this week that Lahoud "is not against holding by-elections in Metn, but the president believes that Siniora's government has lost its constitutionality after the resignation of five Shiite ministers last month."
"The president is not entitled to challenge the constitutionality of government," Rifai said. According to the Constitution, Lahoud needs to sign a draft decree announcing elections and publish it in the official gazette one month before the determined date. However, Rifai said that the government could hold the elections at the determined time since the majority of the country's officials had agreed to do so.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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(Interfax) - Iran's statements questioning the Holocaust are unacceptable, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said. "You know that in the past we described as unacceptable the statements of the Iranian leadership that disputed the right of Israel to existence and questioned the scale of the elimination of Jews in Europe during World War II," he said, responding to media questions related to the Holocaust conference in Iran. His answer was posted on the ministry website on Wednesday. Betcha they end up "accepting" it.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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(Interfax) - Syrian President Bashar Assad is to visit Russia next week to discuss the situation in the region, primarily Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, as well as bilateral issues, Syrian Vice President Farouk Sharaa told Russian journalists in Damascus on Wednesday. "Russia is an increasingly important country for us. Its role is important. Our region is placing high hopes on Russia, given its geopolitical location," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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The UN Security Council on Tuesday urged all Lebanese political parties to enter into talks to prevent a further deterioration of the political crisis there. A statement approved unanimously by the 15-nation council reaffirmed the UN bodys full support for the legitimate and democratically elected government of Lebanon and condemned any effort to destabilize the country. Lebanons Hezbollah-led opposition has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets to press for a national unity government that would give it veto power in the Cabinet. The opposition calls the Western-backed government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora illegitimate. But parliamentary majority leaders who control the Cabinet are refusing to give in to opposition demands, saying that would lead to greater Syrian and Iranian influence in the government. The government says the opposition is trying to undermine it to derail creation of a special international court that would try suspects implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri - a killing anti-Syrian officials blame on Damascus. Syria denies any involvement. The council statement also expressed deep concern at unverified reports that weapons were being smuggled into southern Lebanon from Syria, in violation of a UN arms ban.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is "very ill," and thus elections being held in Iran on Friday to choose a new "Assembly of Experts" - the forum that will in turn select Khamenei's successor - are immensely important, Uri Lubrani, an adviser to the minister of defense and former Israeli ambassador to the Shah's Iran, said on Wednesday.
Lubrani told The Jerusalem Post that Khamenei, 67, only the second supreme leader after Ayatollah Khomeini, is suffering from cancer and other ailments and would soon disappear from the scene.
He added that it was "not impossible" that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor, Ayatollah Mohammad Mesbah-Yazdi, would emerge from Friday's vote as the dominant figure in the Assembly of Experts, and thus in prime position to either succeed Khamenei himself or appoint a successor. But Lubrani stressed dryly that "there are no Gallup polls" or reliable information on which to base any election predictions.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, asking him to do more to stabilize Iraq.
Sen. Bill Nelson, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, met with Assad after the State Department said that it disapproved of his trip. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which the US deems terrorist organizations, and President George W. Bush has expressed reluctance to seek help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrians curb that support and reduce their influence in Lebanon.
Assad "clearly indicated a willingness to cooperate" in controlling its border with Iraq, Nelson told reporters in a conference call following the meeting. The US says foreign fighters often enter Iraq across that boundary.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Nothing new here. Nelson has always been an ass. It is so disappointing when people live down to expectations.
#8
Supposedly, John Fn Kerry will be meeting with him on his "it was just a botched joke" tour.
Maybe he's having flashbacks and thinks Zippy is Uncle Ho?
#12
Isn't there a law regarding private individuals (or even Senators or Representatives) lobbying foreign governments or interfering in US foreign policy?
#13
After hearing so much in the media about "dictatorship" and "assasination", I thought it appropriate to give President Assad the opportunity to lie to my face. He did so convincingly, and my job now is to make other people believe in the sincerity of a despot so that I don't look like the only idiot in the room.
Posted by: Sen. Bill Nelson ||
12/14/2006 13:52 Comments ||
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#14
Who paid for the trip? US Senators have no mandate to conduct foreign policy except at the behest of the Executive. Impeach his ass.
#15
and he's negotiating with Assad with what authority or power?
Isn't there some law that he's breaking here? If not there certainly should be. For anyone to be able to go talk to another country without the go ahead of our president is just wrong.
I too would like to know how this trip was paid for.
Posted by: Jan at work ||
12/14/2006 16:00 Comments ||
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#16
I was less-than-half-paying-attention to the Fox Panel last night. Seems like Congresskritters can go on fact-finding missions to get it strat from the despot's mouth. It seems it's only courtesy that restricts donkeys from making asses of themselves.
What they do over there could be another matter. And Kerry, who was still in the military (if not the service) when he grandstanded with the North Vietnamese, is another kettle of fish altogether,
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/14/2006 16:22 Comments ||
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#17
If I were pres, I would have attacked Syria while he was there. Heh, heh, heh.
Assad to Wx, we have your senator.
Wx to Assad, I know, I attacked you just to bust his balls.
Assad, wha ?
Wx, I'll withdraw now, so send him home but there better be hammer marks on his scrotum or I will attack for real.
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.
By Patrick Goodenough - CNSNews.com Managing Editor
Algeria and Spain signed an extradition agreement on Tuesday, Algeria's official news agency said, in a move that paves the way for possible deportation of suspected Islamist militants to the north African country. The APS news agency gave few details of the accord but added the two countries were planning to draft an agreement on the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
Saudi ambassador Prince Turki al-Faisal, an informed source told Daily Times, was fired by King Abduallah for having divulged a most sensitive piece of information to one of his advisers who spilled it out on the pages of the Washington Post.
North Korea has told the United States it is willing to shut down a key nuclear reactor and accept UN inspections if certain conditions are met, a news report said Thursday. 
CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry, the Democratic 
WASHINGTON - A Guantanamo prisoner who won a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in June lost his bid to challenge his detention on Wednesday when a federal judge dismissed the case because of a new anti-terrorism law signed by President George W. Bush.
The 
Mohabbat Khan Mosque Khateeb 
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Wednesday said the enemy in Iraq is ``far from being defeated,'' but he vowed not to be rushed into adjusting his strategy and gave little indication that he intends to veer sharply from the direction his war policies have taken.
Defense officials expressed extreme concern over the growing unrest in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, warning that the internal Palestinian clashes could lead to the disintegration of the already unstable cease-fire and a possible Palestinian civil war. 
(Xinhua) -- Visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya announced on Wednesday that the Sudanese government had promised to provide 10 million U.S. dollars as an immediate assistance to the Palestinian government. 
The Lebanese Cabinet formally handed over to Parliament on Tuesday a controversial text calling for the creation of an international tribunal on the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. In a session held at the barricaded Grand Serail, the Cabinet voted to seek Parliament ratification of the text, which would then allow the Cabinet to sign a tribunal agreement with the United Nations. "The Cabinet unanimously decided to send the UN draft," Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh told Agence France Presse. "This is an important step in the ratification procedure," he said.
Legal expert Hassan Rifai on Wednesday lashed out at President Emile Lahoud for refusing to sign a draft decree declaring a January 14 election in the Metn region to fill the vacuum left by Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel's murder. Gemayel was gunned down in a northern Beirut suburb by unknown assailants on November 21. "By hampering the issuance of laws and decrees, the president will be violating his simplest duties," Rifai told radio station, Voice of Lebanon.
(Interfax) - Syrian President Bashar Assad is to visit Russia next week to discuss the situation in the region, primarily Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, as well as bilateral issues, Syrian Vice President Farouk Sharaa told Russian journalists in Damascus on Wednesday. "Russia is an increasingly important country for us. Its role is important. Our region is placing high hopes on Russia, given its geopolitical location," he said.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday urged all Lebanese political parties to enter into talks to prevent a further deterioration of the political crisis there. A statement approved unanimously by the 15-nation council reaffirmed the UN bodys full support for the legitimate and democratically elected government of Lebanon and condemned any effort to destabilize the country. Lebanons Hezbollah-led opposition has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets to press for a national unity government that would give it veto power in the Cabinet. The opposition calls the Western-backed government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora illegitimate. But parliamentary majority leaders who control the Cabinet are refusing to give in to opposition demands, saying that would lead to greater Syrian and Iranian influence in the government. The government says the opposition is trying to undermine it to derail creation of a special international court that would try suspects implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri - a killing anti-Syrian officials blame on Damascus. Syria denies any involvement. The council statement also expressed deep concern at unverified reports that weapons were being smuggled into southern Lebanon from Syria, in violation of a UN arms ban.
