MUSCAT: US Vice-President Dick Cheney was whisked into a bomb shelter immediately after a Taliban suicide bomber struck the main American military base he was visiting in Afghanistan yesterday.
Up to 14 people were killed, including one US and one South Korean soldier, in the Bagram air base attack which rebels said was aimed at Cheney.
He had been in his room at the base where he had unexpectedly had to stay the night after bad weather forced postponement of his trip to the capital, Kabul, about 60km away.
"At 10am I heard a loud boom," Cheney said. Base authorities sounded a red alert and secret service officials told Cheney there had been a suspected suicide attack.
"They moved me for a relatively brief period of time to one of the bomb shelters nearby," he said. "As the situation settled down, and they got a better sense in terms of what was going on, I went back to my room until it was time to leave."
Nato's death toll in the attack was four, officials said. A Reuters photographer at the scene saw an additional 10 bodies, putting the total at 14.
A US government contractor, whose nationality was unknown, was among those killed and 27 people were wounded, Nato said.
"We wanted to target ... Cheney," Taliban spokesman Mullah Hayat Khan told Reuters by phone from an undisclosed location. Soon after the blast, Cheney went ahead with talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the capital. - Reuters
A suicide attack at an Afghan air base where US vice-president Dick Cheney was staying shows that the Taliban and al-Qaeda have penetrated local intelligence agencies, analysts and officials said. The blast early on Tuesday at Bagram air base near Kabul also highlights the increasing sophistication of the extremist outfits as they prepare for a feared spring offensive against Western troops, they said.
The day before the explosion Cheney warned President Pervez Musharraf of neighbouring Pakistan to crack down on militants regrouping in Pakistan's tribal areas to mount attacks across the border and further afield. "This shows how much the militants have penetrated the intelligence of the Afghan security forces. It is a most shocking attack," retired Pakistani general turned analyst Talat Masood told AFP.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
so the ISI told them the departure time from Pakiwakiland and they just waited a bit?
#2
"This shows how much the militants have penetrated the intelligence of the Afghan security forces ISI. It is a most shocking attack,"
There, fixed that for you.
Posted by: DanNY ||
02/28/2007 0:09 Comments ||
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#3
Not necessarily - there are ways to do it wid out need of invol the ISI or other. Personally, I'm more concerned that thia attack may mark a shift in Radical Islam's focii from operations in Eurasia-Africa, to new Terror strikes within the USA, espec agz Dubya + Washington.
#4
Unfortunately, it will take another, more personal suicide attack on US soil, with a direct link to AQ-iran-whatever, to shake the country and the administration into action.
#6
If there was a leak about the trip (aside from the dead give away of special aircraft landing at BAF) it came from Pakland. Keeping a military secret in Pakistan is like a teenage boy keeping his virginity in a brothel.
#7
I refuse to believe that the Taliban had any clue that Cheney would be there. Note the wording used by AP in their initial reports;
However, a purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said Cheney was the target of the attack.
"We knew that Dick Cheney would be staying inside the base," Ahmadi told AP telephone from an undisclosed location. "The attacker was trying to reach Cheney."
I think the chain of events went something like;
1. Taliban convinces some poor fool to blow himself up. There are lots of innocents that hang around the Bagram gate, so they decide that is as good a place as any.
2. After the event, an AP reporter breaks out the Rolodex, finds phone number of "Taliban Spokesman".
3. Says "Hey Qari, hows it hanging. Say, did you guys know that Dick Cheney was at Bagram during your recent and highly commendable martyr operation?"
4. Qari, thinking on his feet, says "Really? OK, for the record, write it up that we knew that"
5. AP reported says "Will do. Lets do lunch some time."
If the Taliban really knew anything, they would have used a weapon that could penetrate the perimeter. A rocket or a mortar maybe.
#8
Actually, they would have probably used one of the Chinese multiple 107mm rocket launchers : wide dispersal of rockets, easy to transport, easy to hide, and quick setup. Not a kamikazee who wouldn't make through the gate.
#11
This had nothing to do with the fact that the VP was there. I am sure somebody knew someone special was therewhen special aircraft or anything unusal landed at BAF, we always jokedhere come the rockets tomorrow. And, usually, they did. It takes a bit of time to set something like that up24-48 hours. Usually it was some HIG asshole or a local militia guy who was paid by the HIG to pop a few 107mm rockets at us.
Angie thanks for the fantastic link regarding the XO's comments! Other Burgers will find his detailed in the know article most enlighting.
#12
Heck, I doubt it's the ISI either, when Blinky and crew have a subscription to the NY Times. They probably posted Cheney's schedule, or at least his proposed visit stops, and then they just sat around waiting on Air Force 2.
Posted by: BA ||
02/28/2007 11:38 Comments ||
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#13
Here's what Spook86 at his blog In From the Cold has to say about the attack at Bagram:
Let's begin by separating the wheat from the chaff: today's "assasination attempt" against Vice President Cheney in Afghanistan was that in name only. The suicide bomber who blew himself up at a security checkpoint on the perimeter of Bagram Airbase was never a threat to the Vice President, nor anyone else inside the sprawling facility. Taliban spokesmen have eagerly claimed that Cheney was the target, but even the most optimistic terrorist understood that a lone bomber would never penetrate multiple layers of base security, plus additional measures that were in place around Mr. Cheney. At least 12 people died in the attack (including a U.S. soldier) but the carnage could have been far worse, had the blast occurred inside the installation.
But that wasn't the point of today's attack. By mounting a suicide attack at the edge of Bagram during the Vice President's visit, the Taliban scored a minor propaganda coup for themselves, while creating a security embarassment for the U.S. military and the Afghan government. Over the next 24-48 hours, we will be bombarded with stories about the attack, which will be cited as further proof of a deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. Absent from that coverage will be the reminders that a single suicide bomber isn't much of a threat to a huge airbase (despite the casualties), and that the attack occurred in an area that is relatively accessible. According to one report, the blast targeted an area when vehicles and personnel pass through the first of three security checkpoints, before entering Bagram.
More disturbing is the fact that the Taliban apparently had some knowledge of Cheney's "unannounced" visit in advance, allowing them to plan and execute the attack. Some security experts believe the bombing indicates that the Taliban has penetrated the Afghan and/or Pakistani governments, which had advance knowledge of the Vice President's itinerary. However, there are also indications that the terrorists lacked key information about Mr. Cheney's travels, prompting them to mount a futile--but deadly attack--at Bagram, rather than targeting a more vulnerable segment of the Vice President's travels. More on that in a moment.
While concerns about terrorists penetrating Afghan and/or Pakistani security services are indeed valid, plans for today's bombing may have actually been "on the books" for quite a while. The Taliban (and their Al Qaida allies) know that Bagram is the entry point for any senior U.S. official visiting Afghanistan, and they've had ample opportunities to observe various aircraft associated with past VIP trips into Bagram. They are probably aware that some senior officials trade their "official" aircraft for a military transport for the Afghan leg of their journey. Media coverage of Mr. Cheney's recent stop in neighboring Pakistan, followed by the sudden arrival of a C-17 (with extremely tight security) at Bagram, may have confirmed that the Vice President was in town, putting attack plans into motion.
This AFP story details some of the security precautions associated with Cheney's trip, including his switch from Air Force Two to the C-17. But perhaps the most revealing item in the dispatch is a brief blurb about the Vice President's travels after leaving Bagram. From there, he flew to Kabul, then took a motorcade into the city for a brief meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Despite extensive security precautions, Mr. Cheney would have been more vulnerable in the motorcade than he was at Bagram, yet the bombing occurred at the base. That suggests that terrorist knowledge of Mr. Cheney's travel plans was far from complete.
Today's bombing is also a reminder that conditions in Afghanistan may grow worse if Pakistan continues its appeasement policies toward the terrorists, and allows them to reestablish operational bases on its side of the border. As Bill Roggio noted on 24 February, the Islamabad government is prepared to cede control of the Bajaur Tribal Area to the Taliban, part of a "peace deal" similar to last year's infamous accords in Waziristan. Bajaur is a key command-and-control center for the Taliban and Al Qaida; outright control of that region will enhance their ability to funnel fighters and logistical support across the border into Afghanistan's Kunar Province, and points beyond.
Mr. Cheney reportedly had some tough words for Pakistani President Musharraf during his visit, warning that Islamabad must secure its western territories. Unfortunately, that demand appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Musharraf appears intent on striking more deals with the terrorists, and that will create only more problems across the border. Afghanistan's future security is riding (to a large degree) on what happens in Pakistan's western region, and that's where the War on Terrorism is currently being lost. A suicide bombing outside Bagram during a Vice Presidential visit is good for grabbing headlines, but control of key border regions--and establishment of new operational bases and support networks--is aimed at a much more important goal, winning the war.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/28/2007 13:33 Comments ||
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#14
Sums it up, AP.
Follow the money, (although the ass-hats have gotten wise to it), all petro-bucks lead somewhere.
So, plan B: follow the blood on the hands, Perv guilty in advance, (never mind the ISI. That's like saying Bob Mugabe and Zanu-PF are two different entities).
(SomaliNet) At least six people , five of them policemen have been wounded on Monday in bomb blast that occurred in the Somalia capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Somalinet. The explosion was caused by a hand grenade bomb thrown by unknown gunmen who were riding on a pick up truck that passing Sinai junction in north of the capital where policemen were staying at small business center.
Heyder Mohamoud, among the injured police officers in the area, told the local media the bomb hit at an area where a woman was selling fuel. He said the explosion wounded five policemen and the woman. The explosion happened around 11:00 am local time as the target was at the policemen guarding Sinai area. The bomb hit a small fuel kiosk as number of policemen were taking rest under the kiosk. The explosion caused the injury of five people, Ali Maan, one of the residents told Somalinet.
The latest bomb attack was part of the hit and run attacks against the interim government forces in the capital. Shortly after the attack, a group of journalists and I went to the scene to find out the casualty by car but weve gone under gunfire by angry policemen in the area, so we got off the car and then reached the place on foot. The area was very chaotic as the cars were barred to use the Sinai road.
The government policemen with the help of local hire vigilantes sealed off all roads to the junction where the blast occurred as the attacker escaped unharmed. The Somalia government vowed it would position more police force in the streets of the chaotic city, Mogadishu, very soon to restore peace and stability.
On late Friday at least 9 civilians, most of them women and children had been killed and more than 20 others were wounded in artillery fires that hit several villages in the capital shortly after unidentified militiamen launched an ambush attack to the former defense ministry building in Mogadishu based by Ethiopian forces. The constant attacks forced many people to flee the city for safety.
On late Friday the Ethiopian forces stationing in former building of defense ministry have clashed with unidentified gunmen who launched an attack on them where they have exchanged heavy machine gun fire. Civilians were seen hiring buses to travel to southern and central provinces in Somalia. Most of the displacing people, women and children, were heading towards Baidoa about 245 km south of the capital.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) While the violence in the Somalia capital continues to increase day by day, unidentified gunmen have on Tuesday killed four people in separate attacks that raged in the main Bakara market in south of Mogadishu. Yusuf Darbuhshe, one of the business people in Mogadishu have been shot dead today when unknown armed men opened fire as he was driving his car in Bakara. It is not yet clear the cause of Yusufs killing.
Two others have also been killed in the market for robbery of cell phones they were holding. One of the mobile phone victims was said to have defended himself for a short time until his pistol run out of bullets before he was gunned down, while the other person was killed by stray bullet. An eyewitness told Somalinet that the mobile carrier wounded one of the three bandits who later died of the hurt. They have exchanged gunfire several minutes, which had an impact on the business in the market as vendors abandoned their shops.
Also around the main Mogadishu soccer stadium, a civilian man has been killed by unknown gunmen.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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NAIROBI - Somali authorities have arrested four men they said were members of a gang of pirates who hijacked a ship chartered to carry UN food aid and are still holding the crew, a UN agency said on Tuesday. "Stick 'em up!"
"Yarrrr!"
Gunmen used speedboats to intercept the Kenyan-owned MV Rozen on Sunday, storming the freighter and taking hostage its six Kenyan and six Sri Lankan crew, in the first hijacking reported since a December war ousted Islamists from Somalia. The ship, chartered by the U.N.s World Food Programme (WFP), has been anchored off Bargal, a port in Somalias semi-autonomous Puntland region, since the hijacking. "Put 'er in at Bargal, me hearties! They'll never think of lookin' fer us there!"
The WFP said four men were arrested when they went ashore to buy supplies, leaving four other gang members aboard the ship.
Not the brightest bulbs, are they?
The arrest is welcome news, but the safe release of the crew and the vessel remains our chief concern, WFP Somalias country director Peter Goossens said in a statement. We very much hope this ordeal will finish soon. We are appealing for the safe return of the crew and the vessel as soon as possible, and for people to respect the need for humanitarian delivery corridors.
Ever try making it clear to them that humanitarian food deliveries are optional?
The WFP said there were reports the vessel was surrounded by five police boats and was sailing southwards. A maritime group said authorities were negotiating with the hijackers, who had apparently attacked the wrong ship. Negotiations are going well, Andrew Mwangura, director of the Mombasa Seafarers Assistance Programme, told Reuters. They might be released any time ... The gunmen might be released by the authorities and given free passage home as they are the same clan as the Puntland authorities.
Ah-h-h-h-h. Light dawns. Now we know why everyone's being so respectful of the pirates' tender feelings.
The ship, chartered from Mombasa-based Motaku Shipping Agency, was seized after unloading 1,800 tonnes of food aid at two northern Somali ports. It was the third hijacking in two years of a ship hired to carry relief supplies by the WFP.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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Rabat, 28 Feb. (AKI) - For the first time, a Moroccan has entered into the leadership of the Organisation of al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, which was born out of the Algerian terror formation, the Salafite Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). Sources within the Islamic militant group, quoted by pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat, said that after swearing loyalty to Osama bin Laden, the group decided to set up an operative structure for all North Africa. Sources told the paper that among the 16-member "board" this was a Moroccan, known as Abu al-Bara, from Tangiers.
The creation of a single al-Qaeda cell for the entire north Africa region has been met with great concern by security services there who fear an escalation of attacks. Along with the GSPC, two other Jihadi formations from Morocco and Libya, have also joined in the new single cell.
The intelligence and security services of the nations involved have intensified contacts and information exchange to try to ascertain the precise composition of the new formation. It is believed that they may be operating terrorist training camps in Mauritania, and one is said to have been identified about 50 kilometres north of Nouakchott. Other camps are reported to have been established in Mali and in Chad, as well as those in Algeria, and sources in the Moroccan secret services say they fear there group may seek to set up training bases in the desert areas of southern Morocco.
This article starring:
ABU AL BARA
al-Qaeda in the Maghreb
al-Qaeda in the Maghreb
Salafite Group for Preaching and Combat
Posted by: Steve ||
02/28/2007 12:05 ||
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Yemen's powerful Islamic political party, Islah, on Tuesday replaced one of its top leaders who Washington suspects of funding terrorism and supporting al-Qaida. The 4,000-member party voted out Sheik Abdulmajid al-Zindani, the spiritual leader of the party and head of its Shura Council since 1991, during the party's conference and replaced him with Mohammed Ali Ajilan, a Yemeni parliament member.
Al-Zindani had placed U.S.-Yemen relations on edge over Yemeni authorities objection to detaining him. In February last year, U.S. President George W. Bush sent a letter to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh calling for the government of Yemen to arrest al-Zindani. The letter said al-Zindani was listed in a U.N. document as a suspected financier of terrorism and was banned from traveling. The U.S. Treasury Department placed al-Zindani on its list of suspected supporters of terror activities in February 2004, accusing him of actively recruiting for al-Qaida's terrorist training camps and playing a role in the purchase of weapons for al-Qaida and other terrorists.
Al-Zindani, who is also the president of the Islamic Al-Iman University, has denied the allegations and has called on the United States to produce evidence. He said he was not afraid of being questioned by Yemeni authorities about the charge. However, al-Zindani, believed by many to be Osama bin Laden's spiritual mentor, has incited hate against the West and come close to advocating violence in his sermons. Al-Iman University is regarded as a haven for radicals. Yemen has said repeatedly that it will not hand him, or any other wanted Yemeni, over to Washington.
During the three-day Islah conference, its members also urged the Yemeni government to pressure Washington into removing al-Zindani's name from its listed of suspected terrorism financiers.
This article starring:
MOHAMED ALI AJILAN
Learned Elders of Islam
President Ali Abdullah Saleh
SHEIK ABDULMAJID AL ZINDANI
Learned Elders of Islam
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
perhaps now he can have an "accident"
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/28/2007 7:43 Comments ||
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#2
Gramps, dump the henna. You look like a friggin idiot...
#1
A young man who lived to serve, and in dying served again. How many Europeans are walking around with bits from those who died to protect us all, I wonder? Thank you, Anguper Hupomosing9418.
#3
thanks AG9418, but, dammit, you made me cry. The sacrifices some people are willing to make on our behalves is not appreciated. God bless him and his family
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/28/2007 21:13 Comments ||
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#4
I think this is appropriate, and I certainly didn't invent it -
We are all diminished by his loss.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/28/2007 21:57 Comments ||
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The imam of a Georgia mosque who pleaded guilty to providing support to the militant group Hamas was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison. Mohamed Shorbagi, 42, could have faced up to 15 years in prison.
Shorbagi pleaded guilty in August to providing material support to the militant group Hamas in a case in which the agreement, charges and even the plea hearing were handled in secret. U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy sentenced him Tuesday to seven years and eight months in prison. At the sentencing, Shorbagi said he realized that some of his actions were wrong. He pleaded guilty in August to a charge of providing material support to Hamas and also testified in a Chicago case against a man identified by authorities as a Hamas operative.
Prosecutors have said that between 1997 and 2001, Shorbagi provided financial support to Hamas, a group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. He also was accused of conspiring to provide material support to Hamas. The donations were through a charity called the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, prosecutors said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Dammers suggested that his sentence be less than 15 years because of Shorbagi's help in testifying for the government in other terrorism-related trials. After the sentencing, Shorbagi shook hands with about a dozen friends and family members who were gathered at the court before he was taken away.
He has said under oath that in return for his testimony, prosecutors agreed to seek a reduction in his sentence, give him a special residency visa, place him in the federal witness protection program and not indict him in an unrelated fraud case. Shorbagi said Tuesday that he continues to cooperate with the government because of his belief in America. "I came to this country when I was 18 and I believe in this country," said Shorbagi, a citizen of the Palestinian territory but in the United States legally. He said he has been in America for more than two decades.
This article starring:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Dammers
MOHAMED SHORBAGI
Hamas
MOHAMED SHORBAGI
Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development
Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#6
This one was held in NE Georgia. Home of the world's carpet industry, or at least close by. LOTS of blue collar workers there. He's actually probably safer in jail up there. However, I'm not sure where the Fed. Pen. is in North GA. If it's the one in Atlanta, look out! Think of South Central L.A. during the Rodney King trial. Not very conducive to Middle Eastern types, especially those prone to supporting Hamas. Of course, if he's released near the courthouse, I'd bet there's no bag limit on jihadis in Rome, GA, and open season is all year long!
Posted by: BA ||
02/28/2007 11:34 Comments ||
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#7
I actually live here in NW Georgia... There aren't many moonbat up here... He is in for a vacation on the redneck riveria, and he will not be popular with the indegenous population.
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
02/28/2007 19:07 Comments ||
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In a story as surprising as the left wing dominated National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences voting the Chixie Twits grammys, or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voting Al Bore an Oscar for his anti-science "movie"...
In the most definitive statement in years, America's top intelligence official said Tuesday Osama bin laden is in Pakistan actively re-establishing al Qaeda training camps. Duh!
The newly appointed Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell made the assertion about bin Laden and his No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Referring to Pakistan's rugged tribal area, McConnell said "to the best of our knowledge that the senior leadership, No. 1 and No. 2, are there, and they are attempting to re-establish and rebuild and to establish training camps." but we have no stomach to do what needs to be done...so we would rather talk around it while brave Americans die, and left wing moonbat senators/congrssmen beat us to death.
Until now, U.S. intelligence officials had declined to publicly identify, with such certainty, the location of bin Laden although he has long been suspected of hiding in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan. long suspected my ***. We have known where he is for a long time. we just don't want to admit it, because it would require decisive, unpopular (on the arab street and among moonbats) action.
McConnell's testimony came the day after the CIA deputy director, Stephen R. Kappes, flew to Pakistan to confront President Pervez Musharaff with "compelling" evidence that new al Qaeda training camps were being established on Pakistani territory. President Musharaff...Do you know there are AQ training camps in the Wazoo? Do you know Bin Ladin is hiding there? No? Oh, OK.
U.S. officials would not describe the evidence in any detail, but people in the intelligence community have speculated recently that the CIA may have obtained surveillance photos of either bin Laden or Zawahri in Pakistan. Double Duh!! and satellites and UAV's. Triple Duh!!!
McConnell's public testimony was followed by a closed, secret session with senators. Is Leaky Leay there? We have to arc-light the wazoo. Play to win and piss on the rest. It's America and American lives at stake.
#2
I could buy the statement that there are camps in Paki land. But to say OBL is there and operating is questionable. If we knew he was there and we had proof he was there and operating Perv would find out the same way the rest of the world would, by the rockets and bombs. We would not wait one second before striking his ass, let alone inform Perv so his deputies could warn OBL.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
02/28/2007 13:07 Comments ||
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#3
49Pan...I hear you, but that's not how we work. It's how Isreal and Mossad works, but not the US.
I believe we are scared that we would upset the delicate balance in Pakistan, getting Perv's cap popped, and put nukes with delivery vehicles in the hands of the radical elements in Pakistan. That would potentially scare the Indians into doing someting irrational, and throw the ME into even dealier chaos.
Especially now with a conflicted Congress, and a lame duck. Just MHO.
#4
OBL is NOT there, Why? because 25 mil is well within Perv's "Buy" range.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/28/2007 14:47 Comments ||
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#5
Referring to Pakistan's rugged tribal area, McConnell said "to the best of our knowledge that the senior leadership, No. 1 and No. 2, are there, and they are attempting to re-establish and rebuild and to establish training camps."
Actually, going on this single DIRECT quote, who knows if he's talkin' about binny and Blinky? I believe they're both dead, and just some borgs are runnin' around Paki-Waki now. Notice how we always seem to grab AQ's (or the Talibunnies') "#2 or #3 man" in the press, without any specific names? It's cause they're getting replaced so fast, they can't upload the new guys' name before he's off'd. And, we're not even to the dreaded Taliban Spring Offensive™ yet, lol!
Posted by: BA ||
02/28/2007 15:03 Comments ||
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A bomb hoax delayed the Karachi-bound Karakoram Express at Darul Ahsan Railways Station near Sangla Hill, some 100 kilometres from Lahore, for almost four hours on Tuesday. Sources in Pakistan Railways said that the PR central control room received a call from an unidentified cell number at around 5:30pm on Tuesday evening. The caller, who introduced himself as Imtiaz, an operator at WAPDA House in Lahore, told the control room that there was a bomb in bogie number 6 of the Karakoram Express.
PR operator Shafiq Hussain passed the information on to Pakistan Railways high-ups, who ordered the train stopped as it passed through Darul Ahsan Railway Station in Faisalabad division. Bomb disposal squad and civil defence officials reach the scene and started searching the train with the help of Railway Police. However, they found no explosive material and the train was cleared to continue its journey at around 9:30pm.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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Two alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba militants lodged in Lucknow District Jail gave police the slip at a local court where they were brought for a hearing around Tuesday noon. Police said the two, arrested on March 26, 2002 on charges of conspiring to attack the disputed structure in Ayodhya, are Pakistani nationals.
Following the duos flight, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajiv Krishna has suspended and ordered arrests of three policemen Sub Inspector Ram Awadh Ram and two constables who were escorting the militants from jail to the court. The cops have been charged with negligence on duty. The state government has announced an award of Rs 1 lakh each on these POTA accused. The absconders have been identified as Masood Ahmed and Mohammad Syed, though they are known by many assumed names. SSP Krishna said the police have formed several teams and launched a massive manhunt to trace the duo.
A Delhi court had earlier awarded death sentence to Masood Ahmed for attacking a CRPF camp in 2001. A constable had died in that attack. Both are active members of Lashkar and were in possession of heavy ammunition when they were arrested, ASP (Special task Force) Rajesh Pandey said. He said police recovered an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 72 live cartridges, an Internet card, explosives and timer devices from them after the arrest. According to police, Pakistan currency was also recovered from them.
On Tuesday morning, the two were kept in lock-up at the district judges court till about 11.30 am, when they were taken for their hearing, police said. But since the court was hearing another case, they waited with police escorts outside, awaiting their call. According to police, the duo requested their escorts to let them go to the bathroom at around 11.45 am. They reportedly came out of the bathroom, a couple of minutes later, with pistols aimed at the police escorts.
According to police, the duo then ran out towards the rear side of Balrampur Hospital, located next to the court premises, before disappearing in the bylanes of Nai Basti, under Wazirganj police circle According to information, an unidentified youth had entered the washroom and is likely to have planted the pistols inside when the militants were waiting outside the courtroom with the police escorts.
Police sources said two constables escorting them Naresh and Amit trailed the duo on their flight and the militants allegedly fired at the constables after reaching the hospitals rear side. The constables, too, shot back in retaliation, though none was reported hit. Several senior officers, including the Lucknow DIG and SSP, reached Nai Basti area for the search operation. The police teams checked every settlement in the area, choc-a-bloc with matchbox-size houses.
Police sources said a local resident there, one Mohammad Asif, told the cops that two men came asking him for the residence of one Vicky. Asif apparently saw them ride away on different motorcycles with two other persons after a few minutes.
Meanwhile, police are also on the lookout for the youth who allegedly planted the pistol in court washroom, as also the two other men who, as per Asifs information, helped the militants escape on motorcycles from Nai Basti. According to record, there were 11 millitant lodged in Lucknow jail. Four of them were charged on POTA.
This article starring:
ASP (Special task Force) Rajesh Pandey
MASUD AHMED
Lashkar-e-Taiba
MOHAMAD SYED
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Mohammad Asif
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajiv Krishna
Sub Inspector Ram Awadh Ram
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Cops were probably paid off.
Posted by: John Frum ||
02/28/2007 5:37 Comments ||
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#2
No! Reeeeeeeally?
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 7:29 Comments ||
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#3
Hey, Mahmoud. Those guys look like Lashkar militants.
Where? Hey, look! A bag of money!
US forces have arrested in Iraq a commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran)'s Quds Brigade, Mohsen Shirazi, reports said on Tuesday quoting US sources. Shirazi is suspected of having aided Shiite insurgents on Iran's behalf. Shirazi was allegedly arrested in Baghdad in the home of top Shiite politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Washington accuses Iran of arming Shiite insurgents in Iraq who are fighting against US-led foreign troops in Iraq.
This article starring:
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim
MOHSEN SHIRAZI
Pasdaran
Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq
#4
Wonder if we didn't flip ole Al Hakim to our side? I seem to recall US busting another major Quods guy at a Hakim camp getting some very sensitive papers and a temporary interrogation of Quods guys that lead US to the hit in Kurdistan that popped the top ranking Quods guy.
Either these guys are Iranian proxies and we are not able to arrest them even thou they keep ending up at our raid locals or Iran has not figured out thier boys in Iraq are getting sold off to the Big Satan.
Either way WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLIERS, KNIFE, SYRINGE, BLACK GLVES PICTURE?
#6
So another Quds commander arrested at Hakim's home and different from the previously arrested Quds #3? I'm sure all sorts of interesting Iranians can be found by staking out any Iraqi politician.
Posted by: ed ||
02/28/2007 17:17 Comments ||
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#7
First Asghari 'disappears' now Shiazi is arrested. Anyone else sense a round up of the Passarans? Wonder if ole short Dinnerjacket is getting the message.
#10
Shirazi was allegedly arrested in Baghdad in the home of top Shiite politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).
yep - and Hakim's home is an Iranian Consulate
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/28/2007 18:18 Comments ||
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#11
Teh ROE must be really different if we're barging into ol' Hakim's chalet...
#15
Sea, maybe, just maybe, the ROEs have changed that much. Kinda like when we (and the Paki's supposedly) busted KSM. Strange knocks on the door at 2 am, and he looked like shiite in his wife-beater and 5 o'clock shadow stubble, LOL! What are we up to now, Task Force 236?
Posted by: BA ||
02/28/2007 22:00 Comments ||
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#16
Don't crush that dwarf, just hand me the pliers.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
02/28/2007 22:47 Comments ||
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#17
AP - I prefer 2-O snagging hooks, myself. Usually attach them to a 20" piece of turned hickory with barbed wire. You get such astounding sounds!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
02/28/2007 23:25 Comments ||
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Clips from four CentCom press releases today, each reporting at least one successful coalition effort not in Baghdad proper.
Dismounted paratroopers located an insurgent safe house uncovering a weapons cache and freeing two hostages south of Baghdad Feb. 26. Paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division located the safe house, where they found the two hostages and a weapons cache near Mahmudiyah.
Samarra Iraqi Police and Coalition Forces captured a suspected insurgent bomber during operations Feb. 27 southwest of Samarra. The suspect was captured during operations targeting an insurgent improvised explosive device cell conducting attacks against Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces. The cell is responsible for emplacing IEDs targeting Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces along Main Supply Route TAMPA and other locations in Samarra.
Al Hillah Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics personnel captured eight suspected members of the Mahdawiyah insurgent group during operations with Coalition advisors Feb. 26 in the Wardiyah district of Al Hillah. The suspects are believed to be involved in attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces in the area. The suspects are allegedly part of the insurgent group that fought against Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces Jan. 28 in Najaf. The suspects are believed to threatening the lives of persons within the leadership of Iraqi Security Forces in Babil Province.
Coalition Forces killed eight terrorists and detained six suspects during operations Wednesday morning targeting foreign fighter facilitators and the al-Qaeda in Iraq network.
Intelligence reports indicated terrorists associated with small arms and rocket attacks against Coalition Forces were operating northeast of Taji. As Coalition Forces approached the targeted area, they noticed several armed men maneuvering toward them in a nearby palm grove. Coalition Forces called in close air support to eliminate the threat. Rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft used precision fires killing eight armed terrorists.
Coalition Forces also captured two suspected terrorists in Amiriyah. Just the reported items for one day for part of Iraq, virtually all of which gets buried by the MSM, leading to the public perception that all is hopeless and the Coalition is doing nothing.
#2
Part of the character of the surge that is being missed is that only small areas of Baghdad needed to be cleaned out with major operations. Most of the city just needed to be quietly occupied for a few months to achieve several goals:
1) Break the momentum of enemy actions. Much of their perceived effectiveness is based on keeping up daily attacks.
2) It gives the Iraqi authorities time to establish themselves in a neighborhood and start to fix up the place. The identify who are the good people, which makes it harder for the bad guyz to come back.
3) Once all the neighborhoods are secure, then city-wide operations can go into effect, such as limiting Baghdad to five major access points, and setting up really large permanent checkpoints on those roads.
Police and Iraqi state television said a car bomb exploded Tuesday near a park popular with young soccer players, killing at least 18 boys in Ramadi, a city west of Baghdad. However, the U.S. military said 30 civilians and one Iraqi soldier were injured in a "controlled detonation" of explosives southeast of Ramadi but there were no deaths.
It was unclear whether there were two blasts or confusion over the casualties from a single explosion. The military routinely blows up captured weapons and ammunition. Both local police and state television said the bomb-rigged car blew apart Tuesday afternoon while the boys, aged 10-15, were playing in Ramadi, an insurgent stronghold about 70 miles west of Baghdad. The Interior Ministry did not immediately return calls for details.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
It was unclear whether there were two blasts or confusion over the casualties from a single explosion.
EU official: Quartet still united on demands of PA unity government
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Visiting European Union external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said Wednesday there is no discord within the Quartet of Mideast peace makers on its demands of the Palestinian unity government, despite recent signs of divisions....
Russia is being cute with the Paleos by making hints and nice noises but since Russia's financial contribution to the PA was pretty close to nothing in 2006 (and prior years), the PA may actually resent the cuteness.
Rebecca Anna Stoil and Shelly Paz , THE JERUSALEM POST
A gang of serial rapists has been prowling the North, raping Jewish women as revenge for IDF actions in the West Bank, police revealed Tuesday after arresting six suspects.
"We are raping Jews because of what the IDF is doing to the Palestinians in the territories," one of the six suspects told investigators from the Northern District Central Investigative Unit (CIU) during questioning. During their questioning and their brief appearance at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court Tuesday, none of the four main suspects indicated that they felt remorse for their actions.
Police said they were aware of four attacks carried out by the gang, but they believed there were probably other incidents that had gone unreported by the victims.
In all four cases, police said, the rapists' modus operandi were strikingly similar - all of the attacks were directed against young women who were waiting at bus stops or designated hitchhiking points in the western Galilee and the Haifa area.
In all of the cases, the attackers forced their victim into a car and drove together with the victim to an isolated spot, where they raped her.
All of the suspects are from the Galilee town of Bir al-Maksur, a Beduin village near the Hamovil Junction. The last of the four known rapes was carried out in a forested area just outside of the village.
The first attack occurred in April 2005, when a 13-year-old girl was raped at the Zevulun Beach in Kiryat Yam. In December of that year, a 19-year-old soldier was kidnapped and raped just outside of Kiryat Ata.
According to police, the gang attacked again three days later. In that assault, the gang allegedly kidnapped a 16-year-old girl who was standing with her friends at the Kiryon Junction in Kiryat Bialik. They allegedly took her to a grove near Tamra, where they raped her.
It was after the third attack, commander of the Northern District CIU Asst.-Cmdr. Menahem Haver said, that the police realized they were dealing with a serial rape gang. In that case, the teenage victim told investigators that one of her attackers told her the attack was in revenge for IDF operations in the Gaza Strip.
Investigators managed to gather DNA from two of the crime scenes and began to search for potential suspects who fit the victims' descriptions. Haver said police approached around 170 youths who fit the descriptions offered by the victims, and elicited DNA samples from the suspects. Police said one of the tests appeared to offer a match to DNA found at one of the crime scenes.
But while police were investigating the first three attacks, the rapists struck again.
In November 2006, police say, the gang struck close to home, abducting and raping a 25-year-old woman who was standing at a bus stop on the outskirts of Bir al-Maksur.
At one point, police set up checkpoints and ambushes at intersections that they suspected the gang might frequent. At one of those checkpoints, police officers noticed an old, white car that resembled the car described by the victims. When the car approached the police checkpoint, its driver made a quick U-turn across an unbroken yellow line.
But police noticed the suspicious vehicle and initiated an undercover surveillance, following the vehicle back to Bir al-Maksur.
The suspects' arrests were released for publication by the Nazareth Magistrate's Court, which also extended the four key suspects' remands by 10 days. The remand of an additional suspect was extended by five days. A young woman from the village who is suspected of collaborating with the suspects was released on restricted terms.
The arrest of six residents of the village shocked the locals, who said the police's suggestion that the crimes were committed for anti-Israel reasons stirred up emotions even more.
Hasan Gadir, a village leader, said he called an urgent meeting with all northern local council representatives to be held Wednesday, in order to decide how to address the issue.
"We are shocked and horrified," he said. "This was a dark day for all of us and we cannot take its implications seriously enough. Our tribe is known for its good temper and spirit, and we denounce those youths' actions. We will never accept this sort of behavior. For us, this is worse than a murder."
Gadir said he spent the day Tuesday with Cmdr. Dan Ronen, Northern District Police chief, and at the detention center, where he met with the suspects and their parents.
"I don't know the suspects personally but I know their parents. They are all from good families, but none of us can even think why and how it happened," he said. "We are going to examine the cases more deeply and draw conclusions, so that this will never happen again. I took it personally and it made me sad and shocked. This village has made me proud in the past, and I hope I will be proud of it again."
Gadir's reaction was echoed by other members of the town.
"I read about it on the Internet and it made me upset," said Adel Hareb, manager of the Bir al-Maksur Education Department. "That doesn't add respect to our community and this kind of behavior is against our belief, culture and tradition as Beduins."
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday, Hareb said the village members "will support any punishment they receive, but I hope this turns out to be a mistake. I am sure that their family members denounce their actions just as we do," Hareb added.
Bir al-Maksur is home to 7,000 residents, most of whom are Muslims.
"This is a friendly and safe village which many travelers from all sectors enjoy visiting. It is too bad that irresponsible people can ruin, with a wave of a hand, what we have built with hard work, love and care," Hareb said.
Another resident of the village expressed shock at the report of the rapes, saying, "These kinds of crimes are shocking. We hear on the news about rapes all the time, and even if we cannot feel what the women who were attacked feel, this is just as terrible. Our village is a quiet place whose residents live in coexistence and friendship with all of its Israeli neighbors and I hope people don't hold it against us all."
#3
Sadly, I think all those urban wasteland movies of the 80's are going to come true. In Europe. And it can all be laid at the feet of spineless european governments (Cause I know that not all of the actual people in Europe are spineless) and islam. I think they'll try it here, but it'll fail cause while our politicians might be spineless, on average most americans are well armed and the type riots you see in france would end here real quick as the rioters discover that armed Americans are VERY different than unarmed French subjects.
#4
This is an example of an item that ought to be posted to Page 2.
I'm not sure, I did post it on page 1 because I felt this was terror, too, through other means, true, but terror nonetheless.
What's the difference with say, the teen couple being kidnapped and stoned to death in the beginning of intifada II, or the various running-over of bystanders or random knife attacks over the last few years (yes, I'm talking about Israel too here, though the "spontaneous jihad" has happened in the USA, if less conclusively terrorist in nature)?
Posted by: ed ||
02/28/2007 11:51 Comments ||
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#6
remove their weapons
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/28/2007 12:16 Comments ||
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#7
Set up an ambush. If you hopefully catch one, then immerse him up to his neck in pig fat. Then take lots of pictures of him. After several days, remove him from the fat and leave him on the street next to a mosque.
The pig fat should have all sorts of interesting effects on his skin, like corroding it off.
The best part will be in flooding the Internet with those pictures. Everywhere you look, fanatic Muslim(s) soaking in a vat of pig fat.
The psychological effects would be amazing, worldwide.
They could even do a 4-day-long video of him soaking in it.
#8
Nothing that casteration wouldn't fix. I guarantee that if they gang-rpaed my daughter, there would be a several fewer paleos wasting perfectly good O2.
#10
Better yet, cut off their dicks; leave the balls intact. That way, they could really really want to, but couldn't do anything about it. Castration takes away a lot of the urge.
They could also remove their prostates - leave them impotent.
#11
"This was a dark day for all of us and we cannot take its implications seriously enough. Our tribe is known for its good temper and spirit, and we denounce those youths' actions. We will never accept this sort of behavior. For us, this is worse than a murder."
"Yes, yes, it is much more humane to kill the Jooos than to rape them," he added. Not to belittle rape AT ALL, but this mindset has gotta change in Paleoland. The Brave Lions of Islam™ again doing their "work" against defenseless girls. Like the school bully, these arsewipes need to be smacked down and hard.
Posted by: BA ||
02/28/2007 15:10 Comments ||
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#12
I have no remorse in stating that your religion is bunk and you deserve the carniage that is about to befall you moslems. This may not represent you all, but there is an awful lot of it. Curse you and your religion and I won't see ya in hell.
Security officials said the head of the Islamic Jihad in the city opened fire at the officers, hitting one in the shoulder and lightly wounding him. The officers returned fire, killing the three men. Palestinian reports said the men were sitting in a car when a black vehicle passed and lethal gunshots were fired. They claimed that one of those killed in the incident was a civilian who was driving the Islamic Jihad members.
According to security officials, the men were members of an Islamic Jihad cell that tried to carry out a suicide bombing attack in central Israel last week. The attack was thwarted when Israeli security forces caught a would-be bomber in a Bat Yam apartment. A senior official from the Islamic Jihad's military wing, al-Quds Brigades, told Ynet that his organization would avenge the killing very soon and that "the response will be hard and painful."
He said his organization had proven its abilities in the past and that the Israelis would witness them again in the coming days. Hundreds of Palestinians met near the hospital in Jenin and Saadi's home and fired shots in the air calling for quick revenge.
#3
No big deal. Probably just five or six guys "mishandling" their firearms.
Then they reloaded and "mishandled" them again. Twice.
As long as the Trucefire is still holding, I guess it's okay...
The Israeli army has withdrawn most of its forces from the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinians said on Tuesday, three days after a raid it launched to arrest suspected militants. The Israeli army declined to comment on the report. A spokeswoman said she was unable to give any details on the status of troops in the area. Local Palestinian residents and Israel Radio said that the Israeli army began pulling troops out of Nablus late on Monday night and that most of the soldiers had left the city by Tuesday morning.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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Istanbul, 28 Feb. (AKI) - Retired Iranian general and former deputy defence minister, Alireza Asghari, has gone missing during a private visit to Turkey, Arab and Iranian newsreports said on Wednesday. Asghari arrived in the Turkish city on a flight from Damascus and after checking into the Hotel Ghilan has not been seen since, the reports said.
Baztab, an internet site linked to the Pasdaran, reported that Ashgari may have been kidnapped. Baztab recently reported that Asghari's name was one of 20 belonging to Pasdaran officers which appeared on what the site said was a CIA hit-list.
Defected ahead of a purge?
This article starring:
ALIREZA ASGHARI
Pasdaran
former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami
Pasdaran
Posted by: Steve ||
02/28/2007 11:58 ||
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#2
Don't worry. We'll find out soon enough about this covert mission from the frontpage of the NY Times. Probably lots of background on the kidnap team.
#4
Finally Iran has been added to the gloves off list that AQ has been living on sinse 9-11.
Bush for all of his faults at talking/rallying the people gets the job done and will do what has to be done. In 20-40yrs when the classification falls off we will learn this WOT is much like a iceburg with the majority under water so to speak. A couple simple examples of changes :Bush changing authorization to allow in field leaders to make calls on missions rather than calling back to washington on time criticals :Bush giving SOF free reign to any point were AQ targets are operating and on and on.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/28/2007 19:05 Comments ||
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#12
The little gray guys beamed him aboard!
"Uh, General, you do realize that our little gray friends here, in exchange for their technological advantages, have requested certain, ah, sexual advantages of their own, right? Well, sir, you're it for tonight - and for the next several nights...oh, and don;t worry about those sharp implements over there - they rarely use them on anything but cows...Oops! I guess it's you're lucky night! I'll be leaving now..."
A few simple reminders, which we all need from time to time:
Provide a source for your post. If you don't your post will be deleted. None of the moderators have enough time to look for the source of your post, as we have 80 to 110 posts a day now.
Shorter, not longer, titles. Remember, URL source does NOT go into the title. Snarky and catchy titles are fine.
File it in the right place. If it's about the current intifada in Frankistan, don't file it under 'Great White North'. This has been a problem lately even for long-time posters. Please, please file your post in the right place the first time.
Don't post images using the img src tag and a URL as an external reference. That chews up bandwidth and might make the source unhappy. We have a wide array of pics. See something on the web that deserves to be in the Burg's archives? E-mail it to Fred or a mod.
We focus on the WoT and matters related to the WoT. That includes general thuggery around the world, such as Zim-bob-we, and the politics surrounding the WoT. The farther away it is from that, the less likely people here want to read it here on Rantburg. We assume y'all read other weblogs for the other news. Weird animal stories, of course, are always welcome: they go into the SAST as a 'non-WoT' item. Weird crime stories have a place here; let's not over-do it. But domestic issues in Australia, surface crawlers on Mars, and whether Britney visited the gift shop at the rehab hospital shouldn't be posted here. Unless Fred does it in which case it's okay.
Opinion pieces go into the 'Opinion' category. Tricky, eh? This includes blog pieces. Some exceptions exist: VDH, Lileks, and Marc Steyn can go into any appropriate category. All the rest go into Opinion. And that's not an invitation for other blog-owners to post stuff in Opinion just to advertise their own blog. When you post an opinion piece, put the author's name in italics on the first line, then leave a line-space before the rest of the article.
Please format the post. That means, help us make the post readable. Think of it as a chance to teach English composition to the MSM. Delete the fluff and the stuff we already know. If there are no line breaks, put them in. If there are too many line breaks, take some out. Some sources (e.g., BBC) think that each and every sentence should be a new paragraph. Other sources (e.g., myway.ap.news) think that an entire story is a single paragraph, three pages long. Some gentle editing to make a post readable really helps all of us, especially the moderators who then don't have to go back and re-edit stuff. I can't re-emphasize this enough: cut the fluff!
Your comments are in highlight (yellow) text. Start your comments on a separate line. Don't put a leading line space before or after. If you do it correctly it looks like this. Tricky, no? And more readable for the rest of us.
Strikout text can be placed in-line in the text. Some here complain when we use too much of it. Unless you've got a sure-fire 'mad-libs' winner, use strikeout text sparingly. But within a paragraph enlightened comments like this snark should be done as strike-through and not hilite.
Check for duplicates before you post. I miss that one myself sometimes.
And as always, thanks for all your support. You make Rantburg a special place.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/28/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Thanks to all the Mods that take the time to wade on through.
#5
Don't post images using the img src tag and a URL as an external reference.
I resent that! I don't do that, it's my Evil Twin, really, you've got to believe me. I would never, ever do that. Nope, nope, not my style. My Evil Twin, while I'm not here, I can prove it.
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.
A suicide attack at an Afghan air base where US vice-president Dick Cheney was staying shows that the Taliban and al-Qaeda have penetrated local intelligence agencies, analysts and officials said. The blast early on Tuesday at Bagram air base near Kabul also highlights the increasing sophistication of the extremist outfits as they prepare for a feared spring offensive against Western troops, they said. 
Yemen's powerful Islamic political party, Islah, on Tuesday replaced one of its top leaders who Washington suspects of funding terrorism and supporting al-Qaida. The 4,000-member party voted out 
The imam of a Georgia mosque who pleaded guilty to providing support to the militant group Hamas was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison. 
Two alleged 
US forces have arrested in Iraq a commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (
