KABUL - Afghanistan will use all means to stop Pakistan erecting a fence on their border to stop the movement of Taleban militants, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
'cause there's no grievance like an old grievance ...
The ministry also denied Afghanistan had apologised for an incident last week in which its troops tore down part of the new fence being erected by Pakistani soldiers, sparking a gun battle which caused no casualties.
Pakistani foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said in Islamabad the incident was raised in a commission of the Afghan, Pakistan and NATO-led militaries and there was an apology.
This was rejected by her Afghan counterpart, Sultan Ahmad Baheen. The ministry had this week summoned the Pakistan ambassador in Kabul to lodge a protest about the fence, he told AFP. We will use all legal tools to stop this fence, he said. It is not a solution to crossborder attacks, it divides families living in the area.
Pakistans President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally, announced late last year plans to fence 35 kilometres (22 miles) of the 2,500-kilometre border to stop the movement of militants Kabul says are involved in attacks inside Afghanistan. Kabul, which does not recognise the border drawn up by colonial Britain in 1893, has written to United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon to express deep concern over the issue.
'deep concern'? Them's almost fightin' words at the UN!
But Pakistani officials have said they are determined to go ahead with the fencing. An earlier plan to mine the border to stop militants was dropped after widespread international criticism.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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moat with gators
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 0:57 Comments ||
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#2
Nah, Piranhas.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/25/2007 6:13 Comments ||
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moat with gators
Gila Monsters, tarantulas, and scorpions would be more appropriate in Afghanistan, but a trench filled with land mines would work. Unfortunately, the reason Afghanistan refuses to allow the fence is because the border is in very hot dispute. The Durand Line is a British-drawn fiction. The Afghanistan border should be the Indus River, and India should control the other bank. Pakistan is a piece of islamocrap, and needs to disappear.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 11:47 Comments ||
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#4
boy howdy! Absorbing those former "Pakis" certainly will help Afghanistan's stability.....
I don't think so...the people are the problem
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/25/2007 12:13 Comments ||
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#5
Sadly, and I do believe that it is sad that it will have to come to this, but I think Pakistan is the place that is going to get glassed, particularly the tribal region. It is the region that has taken the Saudi poison and drank it by the gallon. Every day they demonstrate that they are becoming progrssively more insane. There will come a time when they do something really stupid and that will be the end of them.
(AKI/APP) - Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero held formal talks here Tuesday and vowed to maintain close interaction between the two countries to fight terrorism. The talks soon after the arrival of Musharraf on a three-day official visit to Spain covered wide-ranging issues of common interest, with special emphasis on strengthening existing ties. Official sources said the two countries also agreed to increase cooperation in the field of defence procurement. Before the talks an agreement was signed on bolstering bilateral relations in the fields of culture, education and science. The leaders resolved that the two countries would continue working as coalition partners to curb terrorism and promote peace and stability at the regional and international levels.
Official sources said both leaders accompanied by their aides discussed regional and international issues, including Afghanistan where Spain has troops operating in the NATO-led coalition. President Musharraf apprised the Spanish leader of Pakistan's role in the war against terror and briefed him about India-Pakistan relations and the ongoing dialogue between the two South Asian neighbours to resolve disputes, including Kashmir. Zapatero noted that about 70,000 Pakistanis were working in Spain and contributing to the development of his country.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Zapecker means business....
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 0:58 Comments ||
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Zapatero noted that about 70,000 Pakistanis were working in Spain and contributing to the development of his country
with approximately 287,000 passports
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/25/2007 8:26 Comments ||
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(AKI) - Muslims electors in France shunned rightwing presidential frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy and opted in droves for Socialist candidate Segolene Royal in the first round of voting on Sunday, according to a newly published CSA-CISCO poll commissioned by Catholic daily La Croix. Just one percent of Muslims cast their ballot for crime busting free marketeer Sarkozy, compared with a massive 64 percent for Royal and 19 percent for centrist candidate Francois Bayrou. That tells me which side each of the candidates is on.
Catholic electors, on the other hand, favoured Sarkozy over Royal. Overall, 37 percent voted for Sarkozy, compared with 20 percent for Royal - the same proportion as for Bayrou, who is a practising Catholic, according to the poll, which was carried out on a sample of 5,000 voters.
While Muslim voting patterns did not depend on whether the elector surveyed was a practising or non-practising Muslim, the poll found a higher percentage of practising than non-practising Catholics voted for Sarkozy: 45 percent of those going to mass at least once a month compared with 11 percent who voted for Royal.
According to final interior ministry results, Sarkozy took 31.1 percent of Sunday's vote against Royal's 25.8, Bayrou's 18.6 and far-right anti-immigrant candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen's 10.5. Sarkozy and Royal will face each other in the 6 May run-off. An IPSOS poll conducted after Sunday's first round predicted Sarkozy would beat Royal by 54 percent to 46 percent in the run-off - in which observers say the middle ground will tip the scales.
This article starring:
Francois Bayrou
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Nicolas Sarkozy
Segolene Royal
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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May be due as per WAFF graph of SARKOZY's policy point, i.e. not supporting Turkey's entry into EU or easier immigration for Muslims???
#2
SEGOLENE's points appear to be more POPULIST despite my doubts over France's = Paris's budgetary ability to support them. * RIAN/
WORLDNEWS > SARKOZY, ROYAL MOVE TOWARDS FRENCH CENTER.
#3
I hope that JFM is right and that Sarko isn't another so-called "Atlanticist" who'll slip us the knife. At least he's not an ENArque, which will be a major step up for France if he's elected.
I worry about his ambition, though. Anyone who is that desperate to be Co-Prince of Andorra bears watching.
Posted by: Ernest Brown ||
04/25/2007 2:51 Comments ||
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That shows me who i want to win-GO SARKOZY!!!!
Posted by: Paul ||
04/25/2007 6:13 Comments ||
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PRAVDA this AM > RUSSIA WORRIED OVER OUTCOME OF FRENCH ELECTION. Russia doesn't feel the love with either SARKOZY or SEGOLENE - article claims was historically easier for Russia to deal wid the FRENCH RIGHT, NOT THE FRENCH LEFT???
The Conservative government cast tales of prisoner abuse in Afghanistan as the unsubstantiated ramblings of a few cold-blooded Taliban killers. Detainees have reportedly been kicked in the head, whipped with cables, slammed with rifle butts, or electrocuted by Afghan authorities after being turned over by their Canadian captors. Several of the prisoners have been cleared and released, and some have spent months awaiting formal charges, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper accused his opponents of siding with terrorists when they raised the alleged beatings in the House of Commons. "These are merely allegations being made by the Taliban," the prime minister said in French. "I don't accept allegations without evidence from the Taliban."
The Liberals said the government's own words place it in violation of the Geneva Conventions, which require a presumption of innocence for charged captives. A handful of detainees told the Globe and Mail that they were treated humanely by Canadian soldiers upon their capture. But it was a different story once they were transferred to Afghan authorities. One was quoted saying that a particularly fearsome interrogator nicknamed 'Bobo,' Afghan slang for a B-52 bomber, kicked him in the head and warned him as he bled not to dirty the carpet.
Public Security Minister Stockwell Day cast the Canadian prisoners as "so-called detainees" who are cold-blooded killers. He said humane treatment of prisoners is a radical thought to some people in Afghanistan, and that Canadians have a message for local authorities when transferring over prisoners.
"We're saying to them that these people that we're bringing you to put in jail -- these people have no compunction about machine-gunning, mowing down little children," Day told an international counter-terrorism conference in Quebec City. "They have no compunction about decapitating or hanging elderly women. . . . Now we've captured them and, yes, these people that we've captured want nothing more to do than to kill you and your children."
Posted by: Steve ||
04/25/2007 09:53 ||
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As the House and Senate prepare to vote this week on the final conference report on the $124 billion troop funding bill which would also mandate that U.S. combat troops begin withdrawing from Iraq on Oct. 1 at the latest Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to come to the Hill tomorrow to brief lawmakers on the progress of the recent troop escalation. ABC News has learned, however, that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will not attend the briefing. "Nope. Sorry. Can't make it. Too busy."
"What're you doing that so important?"
"Having another face lift."
"She can't make the briefing tomorrow," a Democratic aide told ABC News Tuesday evening. "But she spoke with the general via phone today at some length." "she's busy, travel-planning her trip to meet Ahmadinejad, who is a respected statesman for the great nation of Iran"
A Pelosi aide said the speaker on Tuesday requested a one-on-one meeting with Petraeus but that could not be worked out. He said their phone conversation lasted 30 minutes. no can do, San Fran Nan - you'd lie and spin the conversation...we need winesses
Last week, House Democratic leaders were criticized by their Republican counterparts when they initially declined an invitation from Petraeus to brief House members on the status of the war due to "scheduling conflicts." "too busy scheduling pork-for-votes" House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the decision "irresponsible" and said it constituted a "dereliction of duty." But by the end of the day, Pelosi's office changed course and scheduled a briefing for members of the House for Wednesday, April 25. The office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the senator would attend the classified briefing with senators on Wednesday at 4 p.m. "and lie about it at 4:25PM"
This article starring:
Gen. David Petraeus
House Minority Leader John Boehner
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
If this political whore can fly through a half-dozen time zones to confer with America's worst enemies, she'd better be ready to sit through an hour or two address by the soldier who is putting his life on the line to defend America. If not, she should resign her position and take up some other sort of less demanding occupation, like being a human dart board.
#8
Thanks, Nance. Just when I thought nothing was lower than Harry "The war is lost if it'll get us more Senate seats" Reid, you come along and give new meaning to the word contempt.
I'd e-mail you, but you block e-mails, except from San Franciscans. Maybe I have time for another letter that'll take three weeks to clear the anthrax scanners...
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/25/2007 5:56 Comments ||
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#9
If Pelosi has another face lift, she's going to have nipples on her chin.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
04/25/2007 5:58 Comments ||
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Didn't you know? Those bags under her eyes are her tits.
#14
Damn. These dim-witted dhemmi leaders (Pelosi, Reid, and Murtha) don't mind criticizing everything at every turn; but Peolosi doesn't think it's important to find out the facts from someone who is there conducting the operation. These people are the lowest of the low. They don't care about our troops. They are vested in defeat. The press is a party to this also. They are our enemies every bit as much as AQ. You just can't shoot them.
#16
At one time in our history, we hanged traitors. Now, it seems, we elect them to Congress. This nation needs a serious house-cleaning.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 11:53 Comments ||
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the SF grandma millionaire just can't be seen associating with what appears to have the early signs of success. You have to wonder what Lincoln would have done.
#18
She is too busy to attend General Petraeus briefing today, but managed to find time for a special 30-minute phone call from the General. How convenient for you! You dont have to rearrange your schedule and you can interpret the conversation any way you want, since the General is too much a gentleman and a public servant to publicly state that you misunderstood his words (a nice way of calling you a liar). But I believe before the week is out, you will be disagreeing with reports of the briefing, saying Thats not what the General told me!
Wait for it.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/25/2007 12:33 Comments ||
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And by such inaction, Bush is running his administration, its legacy and republican chances in the next election straight into the ground. How can he expect America's electorate to see through the democrats' facade of bullshit if he doesn't start calling them on it? The democrats' transgressions are so egregious that even a moron could find a dozen talking points.
US Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Pluto), a frequent Iraq war critic, canceled plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday, citing Cheney's health problems.
Cheney was taken to his doctor's office for an ultrasound of a blood clot in his leg Tuesday. He later returned to the White House to resume his normal schedule, said Megan McGinn, a spokeswoman for the vice president. "Until the vice president's condition is clarified, I am placing any action on hold," the Ohio congressman, who also unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, said in a news release.
This article starring:
Megan McGinn, a spokeswoman for the vice president
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Vice President Dick Cheney
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Kucinich -- the mouse that bored
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 1:01 Comments ||
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Good one, Denny - "He's a danger to the Country worthy of impeachment, but he's not feeling well, so I'll let it ride."
Fred, you sly dog, you! Denny's not really a representative of Pluto! Is he?
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/25/2007 5:59 Comments ||
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#3
Might as well be, he's that far out.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/25/2007 6:19 Comments ||
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hey denny; lets talk about the number of abstensions in your last elections. Get this, all those non votes are, were, and will forever be; indictments against your politics....stupid ass.
U.S. Democratic lawmakers voted on Wednesday to subpoena Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify about administration justifications for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. On a party-line vote of 21-10, the House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee directed Rice to appear before the panel next month.
Republicans accused Democrats of a "fishing expedition." But Democrats said they want Rice to explain what she knew about administration's warnings, later proven false, that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger for nuclear arms.
"There was one person in the White House who had primary responsibility to get the intelligence about Iraq right -- and that was Secretary Rice who was then President George W. Bush's national security adviser," said committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat. "The American public was misled about the threat posed by Iraq, and this committee is going to do its part to find out why," Waxman said. Lincoln would not have put up with this.
They didn't just drink Joe Wilson's KoolAid, they must have mainlined it. Even Joe, in his real report, confirmed Iraq was sniffing around Niger.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 14:45 ||
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administration's warnings, later proven false, that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger for nuclear arms.
For the billionth time, wrong. There weren't warnings, there was public referral to British intelligence assessments, since reviewed and confirmed several times, that Iraq had sought uranium in Africa. Hint: Africa's got more than one, actually more than two, very likely uranium sources - not to mention several more potential if less likely. Nothing was "proven false" - NOTHING.
THIS, my friends, is "journalism" today.
And what an outrageous thing for the idiotic committee (that's Waxman's little fantasy shop, I believe) to do - subpoena the SecState. Did she turn down the request to testify? If not, then it's really a new low - not that it will be noted by the so-called media, nor of course mentioned by the administration.
One saving grace: if she goes, she'll have one (last?) chance to redeem her and the administration's astonishingly incompetent response to this non-issue. Not that it will change the record: she, Tenet, Hadley, even Cheney and his office demonstrated with that still-unbelievable debacle in response to the Wilson non-issue that they were far, far from ready for late-night, much less prime time.
So go ahead, Condi, "testify". Let me prepare your statement. It'll take all of 10 minutes, off the cuff, without consulting notes. It will eviscerate the committee, the idiotic premise of their "inquiry", the media's handling of the non-issue, and the Wilson op-ed and performance. As if Condo or any of the other mediocrities now in DC would be capable of something so easy and neccessary .....
#3
I for one want Dr. Rice to testify FOR THE RECORD and UNDER oath that Saddam was in fact shopping for uranium. Joe Wilson CONFIRMED that the Iraqis had in fact contacted the Trade Minister but was turned down because The French handle the export of Uranium. I also hope that Dr. Rice cleans house on the Assnine Donkocrats who sputter this nonsense every other month.
#4
If I recall correctly, Rice did a pretty good job when she was "forced" to go before the 911 Commission on that witch hunt. There, again, those old f**ts tried to bully her, but it didn't work. Wasn't it before that committee that she responded to some woman about questioning her intelligence?
But, still didn't shut these folks up! I hate that she is having to do this once again, but I agree, let her go and let Verlaine write her script. She can eat Waxman alive, and he won't even know it! I hope they let that Condi loose again.
#5
The dishonesty of the Democrats is simply breathtaking. How any decent human being can vote for these contemptible frauds, or ally himself with them in any way, is beyond me. They truly are People Of The Lie.
To any thinking adult who didn't spend the entire 1990's in a deep coma, the case for invading Iraq and getting rid of Saddam's regime should have been glaringly, scintillatingly obvious. Bill Clinton stated it eloquently and made removal of Saddam's regime official U.S. policy, though he did little to bring it about.
For the Democrats to pretend now that that entire decade, and everything we ALL-- including them-- thought we knew about what Saddam was doing, never happened, bespeaks an utter contempt for the truth and for all Americans.
Frankly, if I were to wake up tomorrow morning and find that the entire leadership of the Democratic Party-- including every one of these lying, thieving bastards in Congress-- had been rounded up in the middle of the night, charged with treason, tried, convicted, sentenced, and shipped off at sunrise to spend the rest of the war in internment camps, it would not bother me one goddamn bit.
These assholes are jeopardizing the survival of our nation.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 17:51 Comments ||
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Sarge: while i share your thoughts on this, you can bet you ass that the congresscritters will very tightly control the procedings and if the good Dr. even shows the least little bit of coloring outside the lines, they will shut her down. Bet on it.
#7
SHHHHHHHH!!! Actually this is a good thing for the trunks. These meatballs are getting target-fixation on bringing down bushhitler at any cost. Keep this up and they will lose the House and Senate in 2008 and the presidency.
#8
anymouse, I rather agree - but it's long, long, long past time that there be a withering, substantive, and vituperative response (to guarantee coverage) - not any statesmanlike blather, which is lost on most people, and much more easily controlled by the committee.
As I said, she should directly confront the committee, and the media, about their despicable introduction of the political poison of "deception" into the whole discussion; review the many reasons - none of them based on intelligence assessments, but simply prudence and common sense - that the Iraqi regime had to go post-9/11; use the Wilson case as an example of all that is wrong with things in the last few years, to include shameless and duplicitious public servants (Wilson), in collaboration with media who never challenge the "critics" much less nuke them when they've been proven to be liars or cranks, along with irresponsible politicians who take policy disagreements on life/death matters and criminalize them while they defame decision-makers and drag the country through endless and mindless second-guessing while never offering a hint of a constructive alternative on any matter.
Political and media behavior CAN be affected through corporal punishment, in the form of harsh public scolding. It must be harsh, it must be repeated, it must be unapologetic. The rock-bottom confidence numbers of those surveyed regarding major media scream out the need for and feasibility of an overt challenge.
It's not about the GOP, or Dubya. It's about the country and the future. There are voters, soldiers, citizens and - yes, really - journalists who would gain immeasurable energy and confidence if such a glimmer of sanity were to intrude into our shameful, delusional public square.
#10
Democrats, republicans, the UN, Europe ... EVERYBODY signed off on invading Iraq, based upon the evidence at hand. THEN was the time to challenge it, not now.
To any thinking adult who didn't spend the entire 1990's in a deep coma, the case for invading Iraq and getting rid of Saddam's regime should have been glaringly, scintillatingly obvious.
This remains a central and undeniable fact of the matter. For the democrats whose platform is pinned to human rights to turn around and suddenly claim that there was no good reason to depose Saddam is disingenuous at best. At worst, this is a naked attempt to discredit their political opponents at any cost, even their own credibility. Such a callow strategy relies upon a blind and easily misled electorate which indicates an abusively cynical appraisal of the American voter not seen since Richard Nixon.
The democrats have become everything they purportedly despise. Even though I have long contested how the republicans' ostensible moral franchaise was obtained through an unholy and anti-conservative alliance with the religious right as of now republicans are more qualified to be America's standard bearers, even against the most worthy democrats.
That democrats have sought the imprimatur of such total gangster street scum as Al Sharpton confirms every justifiable suspicion of how willing they are to sell out America at any cost, so long as it brings them to power.
If Rice should be brought forward under legal compulsion to testify about anything, it should be her palliative engagements with the Palestinians and other terrorist governments. Rice has much to answer for about why she has lent so much validity to these rogue regimes. Perish the thought that democrats would do anything which might cast Pelosi's treason in an unfavorable light, even as they seek to undermine America's national security.
#11
Does anyone think the committee would allow her to fully testify or to tell the actual truth?
I think they just want a show trial for the evening news where they are 'grilling' the administration for the 'lies' bush told before Iraq. Never mind that there never were any lies. They will make the accusation on camera and then not allow Ms. Rice to respond or if she does respond the MSM will edit her response out of the evening news.
A man accused of threatening a Nevada Republican Party official with a rifle was arrested Tuesday in a vehicle in which police found swords, knives, a shotgun, shells and a flare gun, authorities said.
Matthew Hunter Kramer, 31, did not resist officers who arrested him on a warrant issued after the April 3 confrontation at state Republican Party offices in Las Vegas. It wasn't clear why he was not arrested earlier.
Zachary Moyle, executive director of the state GOP, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Kramer invited him to look at something in the trunk of his Mercedes before pulling out a rifle, pointing it at his face and warning that he would be back if President Bush vetoed an emergency war spending bill being considered by Congress.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 06:53 ||
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So is this guy concerned with getting the funding to the troops, regardless of the baggage, or is he actually in support of the baggage? Sounds more like the former than the latter - behavior is more wacko right wing than wacko left wing, what with all those guns and stuff.
#4
"So is this guy concerned with getting the funding to the troops, regardless of the baggage, or is he actually in support of the baggage?"
Probably neither; Powerline describes him as a "Democrat and former political candidate". Best explanation is he's angry about Bush's refusal to exit Iraq on a timetable.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 8:36 Comments ||
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#5
Strange. This is usually a Democratic Party election day tactic.
Posted by: ed ||
04/25/2007 9:36 Comments ||
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#6
Strange. This is usually a Democratic Party election day tactic.
#7
That's a dimmercrat for ya - under-armed, drivin' a foreign car, all hat and no saddle. If it'd been a repuglycon, he'd at least let off a round 'r two. Course, if he wuz a western Independent, he'd of pulled up in a surplus M-48 and let go a couple of canister rounds before making his pitch...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 11:58 Comments ||
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#8
Material for Malkin's "Unhinged Lefties - Vol 2".
House Democrats burrowed into the histories of Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch and Cpl. Pat Tillman in a hearing on Tuesday, holding up the episodes as egregious examples of officials twisting the truth for public relations in wartime.
They received help in making their case from witnesses who have mostly shied from the spotlight, Ms. Lynch and Corporal Tillmans mother, Mary, and brother, Kevin, who enlisted in the Army along with him after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary, said Ms. Lynch, speaking softly but firmly into the microphone as more than 12 photographers clicked away in front of her.
Accounts from officials of Ms. Lynchs bravery held the nation in thrall in the early stages of the Iraq invasion in 2003 after her maintenance convoy went astray near Nasiriya and she was taken prisoner. After her rescue, which was made into a television movie, she disputed those who said she fought off Iraqi soldiers until she was captured. She never fired a shot, she restated on Tuesday.
The story of the little girl Rambo from the hills who went down fighting was untrue, she said.
Kevin Tillman was scathing in his assessment of how his brothers death in Afghanistan in 2004, which was later determined to be a result of American fire, was initially portrayed by the military as an act of heroism in the face of enemy fire.
A terrible tragedy that might have further undermined support for the war in Iraq was transformed into an inspirational message that served instead to support the nations foreign policy wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Tillman said.
Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California and chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, promised to take his quest for answers in the case, which drew most of the questions from lawmakers, to the highest levels of the Bush administration.
We dont know what the secretary of defense knew, said Mr. Waxman, who has made himself a thorn in the administrations side since Democrats took over control of the House in January. We dont know what the White House knew. These are questions this committee seeks answers to.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 06:43 ||
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An awful lot of noise over essentially nothing. Nobody did or said anything out of malice, and no harm was done. The fratricide was a tragic fact of war and it was promptly investigated to try to reduce recurrences. Tillman was a hero the day he enlisted - that was not diminished by how he died. I don't understand why the fratricide ever needed to become public - did it make the family feel better to learn he was killed by friendly fire rather than hostile fire? Based on his record one would guess Cpl. Tillman would have preferred being represented incorrectly if it benefited his country and his unit rather than correctly to the benefit of their enemies. And as far as I can tell, the people who have pursued this issue from the very beginning are enemies of the US military.
#2
They also believe, very deeply, that the only REAL heroism lies in victimhood.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 7:35 Comments ||
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#3
...Over at a couple of other sites - most notably blackfive.com - there are some VERY strong indications that the quotes in this article are less than accurate, but I fear both sides have done some cherry picking in this matter. One thing that is not being addressed by the MSM however is that in CPL Tillman's case, it's been known for more than two years that his death was the result of friendly fire - and in the case of PFC Lynch, DOD had the word out not long afterwards that the initial story just wasn't right. The MSM however wouldn't let it go.
Anyone who ever did any time at all in uniform - and this may indeed be the problem here - would have known that you never believe the first reports of any incident, and given the confusion that had to have been present at both cases, I don't know anyone who took the initial stories at face value. That's not meant as any disrespect to PFC Lynch or CPL Tillman - both conducted themselves admirably.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/25/2007 8:29 Comments ||
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#4
Let us remember Sgt. Donald Walters who fought heroically and died, and from Iraqi intercepts, Pvt. Lynch was initially credited with. None of these congress cowards are worthy to speak his name and none dare.
Posted by: ed ||
04/25/2007 8:50 Comments ||
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#5
Frank G will also be greeted by a large block headline in the local rag today about this story - "Keep Quiet on Ranger, Tillman Told". After that one factual item's out of the way, it's a nauseating and infuriating classic of MSM distortion - implications that senior DOD or the WH must have known, uncritical relaying of Tillman's brother's idiotic remarks, etc. (sad to hear Tillman's brother sound so stupid and uninformed, as he apparently enlisted as well, to his credit - but he sounds pretty ignorant). It took a whole month for the system to figure out that one or two at the bottom had fibbed, and to take corrective action, as the investigation so far revealed. Scandal!
As to Lynch, I didn't pay enough attention to it at the time to even get the details straight - guess I wasn't "in thrall" to the tale. As I recall, and Mike notes above, DOD put cool water on the Lynch thing pretty quickly, but the media continued its mindless carnival act for some time.
Don't know about "both sides" cherry picking anything here, Mike, but the basic problem is that a distorted and sensationalized and serious allegation is, as usual, irresponsibly spouted by the loathsome cretin Waxman and then megaphoned instead of analyzed by the press. "egregious examples of officials twisting the truth for public relations in wartime". In one case, a handful of low-level "officials", in the other, possibly not even that much, just excitement over initial and typically inaccurate reports.
Do any Republicans bother to show up at these things, to ask the obvious (not "tough") questions that the "press" obviously can't figure out? Oh, wait, that would involve lifting a finger to combat the hysteria and moronic and self-indulgent idiocy on war matters that is now "the national mood". Never mind.
#6
yeah - gritted my teeth and went to the Sports page. F*ckers
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/25/2007 11:17 Comments ||
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#7
Perhaps Waxman will demand the cancelling of the Silver Star awarded to Pat and then Tillman's brother will be happy? Mary Tillman reminds me of Cindy Sheehan while Waxman reminds me of Groucho Marx in vampire drag. Verlaine nails it, as does Kozlowski and Dave D...too bad Frank G is stuck with the Onion Tribune sports page again.
#8
House Democrats burrowed into the histories of Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch and Cpl. Pat Tillman in a hearing on Tuesday, holding up the episodes as egregious examples of officials twisting the truth for public relations in wartime.
Cause we all know politicians would never do anything like that.
I have no opinion on the actual matters at hand and am content to let the Army handle things.
As for Congress: I think it needs a top-to-bottom cleaning, even if some good eggs (very small clutch, IMO) get thrown out in the process. I'm becoming more convinced that strict term limits are the only alternative to an ever more corrupt, disconnected, arrogant and dishonest Legislative branch. I have completely given up on Congress as anything but a fetid cesspool.
ISLAMABAD, April 24: The government has agreed to accept all demands put forward by the Lal Masjid management, including the enforcement of Sharia in the country.
The second round of talks started on Tuesday night when Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain paid a surprise visit to Lal Masjid and met its in-charge Maulana Abdul Aziz and deputy in-charge Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi. The PML chief assured the mosque administration and girl students of Jamia Hasfa that the government was ready to accept all their demands, including the enforcement of Sharia.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, Chaudhry Shujaat said all contentious issues between the government and Lal Masjid clerics had been settled, adding that he would tell details of the talks before the parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to a question about the situation inside the mosque, the Pakistan Muslim League president denied the presence of activists of banned outfits and illegal arms in the mosque.
"No, no, certainly not!"
President Gen Musharraf had said many times in the recent past that the mosque administration had provided shelter to suicide bombers.
Two security officials, who were made hostage by the students of Jamia Hasfa last month, had also told the media that they had seen a bulk of arms and ammunitions in the mosque. Simply objects of worship.
"That stuff is .. um .. for widows. Yeah. Widows. We collect money and buy ammo for 'em. They need lots o' ammo."
About enforcement of Shariat, the PML chief said: No Muslim rejects the enforcement of the Islamic system in the country.
Not if he wants to live in those parts, anyway.
The ruling party chief also met two sisters who had taken refuge in Lal Masjid after being sexually abused by an influential man in Jehlum. He assured the victims that they would be provided justice and the accused would be punished. But if they accept Sharia, isn't it the rape victims who get punished?
Must have been eight witnesses, huh?
He said the district police office of Jhelum would visit Lal Masjid on Wednesday and would register a case against the accused, Azhar Iqbal.
Later, Chaudhry Shujaat took a round of Jamia Hafsa and said that female students were studying in a good atmosphere.
The first round of talks was suspended after a military helicopter had continued hovering over the mosque for 20 minutes last week. The mosque administration condemned what it called aerial surveillance of the mosque and spraying of some gases. This allegation is not true, unfortunately.
NEW DELHI - Indias prime minister opened talks with politicians from revolt-hit Kashmir on Tuesday in a bid to ease tensions in the divided state, but little progress was likely with separatists boycotting the meeting. The Kashmir roundtable has been billed as an internal peace process for the region and the talks are the third such meeting for groups in the Indian-administered part of the area, which is divided between nuclear-rivals India and Pakistan.
There are two dimensions to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir. One is an internal one and the other an external one, involving Indo-Pakistan relations, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the start of the talks. It is our intention and sincere desire to advance on both fronts towards resolving the problems through a process of dialogue.
A peace process with Pakistan, known as the composite dialogue, was started by the two nations in January 2004.
And it's going nowhere as fast as the internal dimension.
Approximately 25 representatives of political parties and other Kashmir groups were present at the one-day talks at the prime ministers sprawling colonial residence in New Delhi, an aide said.
But separatists in Indian-held Kashmir, where an insurgency against Indian rule has raged since 1989, say that the internal dialogue can go nowhere without the presence of the militants and of Pakistan. It (the roundtable) is a futile exercise, Yasin Malik, a former militant who is now a separatist politician heading the pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, told AFP Tuesday. Talks should be held exclusively with the people who question Indias authority over Kashmir and not with those who already swear by the Indian constitution.
Even moderate separatists have dismissed the talks as a waste of time. We are not against talks. But talks should involve militant leaders from India and Pakistan and both parts of Kashmir, moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said last week. Farooq heads the regions moderate faction of the main separatist alliance, the Hurriyat Conference, which is pushing for total independence for Kashmir, and has held separate talks with India and Pakistan.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto warned the government on Tuesday of the emergence of extremist militant groups that could threaten the entire country.
In a statement, she said the emergence of the Al Badar and Al Shams groups on the political horizon in 1971 had lead to the countrys break-up. Groups like Lashkar-e-Islami (LI), Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are now playing havoc with the country, she said, adding, The PPP is alarmed that even now in Islamabad, Lal Masjids prayer leader calls upon Madaris to provide militants. She warned that if the fire ignited by the religious militants was not extinguished, it would enflame the whole country. She urged the government to wake up to its responsibility and restore law and order. The regime has failed in its responsibility to contain militants and extremists, she said.
Recalling the latest sectarian riots and killings in the Khyber Agency, she said, Armed men of a private militia of the Lashkar-e-Islami (LI) set on fire five security check posts in Bara on Sunday and plundered several shops. Earlier, the private militias head Mangal Bagh Afridi had warned security forces in an announcement on FM radio that his troops would attack if the LI centres were not vacated by early morning on Sunday. She said that as the deadline ended, the group rampaged. She said it appeared the government had abandoned its responsibility and yielded before extremists not only in tribal areas, but also in the countrys developed areas.
It appears that extremists have regrouped and grown in strength following the rigging of the 2002 general elections, she said, adding, If elections are rigged again to keep the PPP and its allies out, the forces that regrouped the Taliban in tribal areas and allowed extremists to spread as far as Islamabad would be strengthened to the detriment of the Quaids vision of Pakistan as a federal, democratic and moderate state and threaten our peoples way of life and our nations destiny.
This article starring:
Benazir Bhutto
Khyber Agency
MANGAL BAGH AFRIDI
Lashkar-e-Islami
Pakistan Peoples Party
Al Badar
Al Shams
Jaish-e-Mohammad
Lal Masjid
Lashkar-e-Islami
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Perv has encouraged the rise in religious groups because he knows what the West fears most.This way he stays in power and the West funds him!!!!
Posted by: Paul ||
04/25/2007 7:43 Comments ||
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#2
In other breaking news: the sun will definitely rise tomorrow morning.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
04/25/2007 13:57 Comments ||
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The government cannot give any time frame for the resolution of the Jamia Hafsa standoff because of the sensitive nature of the issue, Zafar Iqbal Waraich, state interior minister, told the National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday while responding to a calling attention notice from members.
Waraich told the NA that the Lal Masjid was initially allocated a small plot of 25x40 feet but the administration of the madrassa now illegally occupied 18 kanals of land. He said the clerics were using the female madrassa students as shields during the crisis and the government did not want to take any action that could lead to bloodshed.
Waraich said the government had contacted all the leading clerics of the country to persuade the stubborn administration of the Lal Masjid, but it turned a deaf ear to their requests. He said the government had involved Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in an attempt to resolve the issue peacefully through talks. Waraich claimed that the talks were heading in a positive direction, but did not give any details of the progress.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Bury Jimmy Hoffa Jamie Hafsa under the New Jersey Turnpike or the Giants stadium.
The situation in Bara is tense, but under control as no untoward incident was reported in the area on Tuesday after four students were killed and 10 others injured in clashes between security personnel and Lashkar-e-Islami (LI) men on Monday. "It's calm, Sarge!"
"Too calm!"
The political authorities, however, have not arrested anyone for Mondays clashes, a local journalist told Daily Times on the telephone from Bara. LI spokesman Haji Misri Khan told a press conference in Bara that the LI would not resist political authorities and would cooperate with the government in maintaining law and order.
This article starring:
HAJI MASRI KHAN
Lashkar-e-Islami
Lashkar-e-Islami
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Convincing evidence that corroborates NewsMax.com's accounts of the Haditha insurgent ambush has compelled the prosecution to take extraordinary steps to bolster their crumbling case. The stunning announcement that all charges are being dropped against Sgt. Sanick P. Dela Cruz, formerly accused of murder in the Haditha incident where 24 Iraqis were killed during an insurgent ambush against the Marines, is indication that the prosecutors have a very weak case against all the defendants, lawyers for the some of the accused say.
"Dela Cruz provided several sworn statements to the government," Mark Zaid said. Zaid is one of the attorneys representing defendant Sgt. Frank Wuterich adding that as part of its obligations the government turned over statements to Wuterich's defense team. "Unless there's something new that he is suddenly going to come forward with, it's not entirely clear that it's damaging to my client at all," Mark Zaid, one of the attorney's representing Sgt. defendant Frank Wuterich, told NewsMax.com. "Those statements were available for the government to use, and we found that there are numerous conflicting statements within his own statements."
The announcement of the deal with Dela Cruz is further evidence that the cases against the Kilo Company Marines and several of their superior officers are in deep trouble. It comes on the heels of postponements of Article 32 hearings slated for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, the battalion commander and two of the enlisted men charged with murdering civilians in Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005.
Although the prosecutors said they needed more time to prepare their cases, there is much more to the story than that NewsMax.com has learned, and it paints a shocking picture of a prosecution that should never have been pursued.
In a nutshell, the case exploded when an intelligence officer dropped a bombshell on prosecutors during a pre-hearing interview when he revealed the existence of exculpatory evidence that appears to have been obtained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and withheld from the prosecutors.
This officer, described by senior Marine Corps superiors as one of the best and most dedicated intelligence officers in the entire Marine Corps, was in possession of evidence which provided a minute-by-minute narrative of the entire day's action material which he had amassed while monitoring the day's action in his capacity as the battalion's intelligence officer. That material, he says, was also in the hands of the NCIS.
Much of that evidence remains classified, but it includes videos of the entire day's action, including airstrikes against insurgent safe houses. Also included was all of the radio traffic describing the ongoing action between the men on the ground and battalion headquarters, and proof that the Marines were aware that the insurgents conducting the ambush of the Kilo Company troops were videotaping the action the same video that after editing ended up in the hands of a gullible anti-war correspondent for Time magazine. When asked by the prosecution team to give his copies of the evidence to the prosecution, he told NewsMax.com that he was reluctant to do so, fearing it would again be suppressed or misused, but later relented when ordered by his commanding general to do so.
Confronted by the massive mounds of evidence that Marine Corps sources tell NewsMax proves conclusively that the cases against the Haditha Marines are baseless, the prosecutors were forced to postpone the Article 31 against Lt. Col. Chessani and two of the enlisted men in an attempt to regroup. By granting immunity to the officer on the scene of the house-clearing effort, the prosecution, lawyers say, has further weakened its case.
Because the intelligence officer was slated to return to Iraq for another tour of duty, arrangements were made prior to his departure to videotape his testimony for use in the hearings which would take place after his departure.
Those familiar with his testimony, which included masses of classified material, insist that the narratives of the day's events disclosed by NewsMax.com in a long series of stories about Haditha were accurate presentations of the true facts and a total repudiation of all the slanderous material leaked by the Pentagon to the media. Thanks to this officer's testimony, the defense team was able to present over one hundred classified exhibits, including video.
Lawyers for some of the accused told NewsMax that the officer's eight hour-long deposition will be made available to the defense in all the cases for use at the various Article 32 hearings which begin with Lt. Col. Chessani in May. Because most of it remains classified, it will be reviewed in private by the hearing officers and not revealed in the open hearings.
NewsMax, however, can reveal that the facts of what happened early that November morning clearly show that the incident was part of a planned ambush by insurgent forces, that the civilians tragically killed in the were used as human shields by the insurgents, and that despite claims by Rep. John Murtha, there was indeed an ongoing firefight between the Marines and the enemy.
In short, what the intelligence officer provided, was a fully backed up account that puts the listener at the scene of the action and takes him though the entire day's action. All of this information was made available to senior officers up the command ladder including the Battalion commander Lt. Col. Chessani. It was so complete it eliminated any need for further investigation.
Robert Muise, the Thomas More Law Center attorney who questioned the officer, told NewsMax in a statement, "The intelligence officer is a crucial witness in this case. During his testimony, he effectively described the enemy situation prior to, during, and after the November 19 terrorist attack, providing the necessary context for the decisions that were made as a result. His testimony shows the complexity of the attack this day, the callousness of the terrorists toward the local civilians, whom they use to their advantage, and the error of viewing this incident in a vacuum.
"The officer also showed how the insurgents used allegations of wrongdoing by Marines as propaganda to support their cause. In fact, another witness, who was the assistant intelligence officer during the attack and is now the current intelligence officer for the battalion, testified that since the Haditha incident received so much negative attention, terrorist propaganda alleging law of war violations against American servicemen in Iraq has ballooned.'"
Addressing this point, Richard Thompson, the president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center said, "The government's politicized quest to find wrongdoing in this case will ultimately harm the war effort, and it has already resulted in an incredible expenditure of time, money, and scarce resources, which could be better used fighting the terrorists. "Our job is to allow the facts of November 19, 2005 and beyond to be presented to the investigating officer rather than the scurrilous and unfounded accusations from anti-war politicians and media who rely on insurgent sources for their stories about our decent and hard fighting men in uniform."
Another government cover-up and politicization of the war! Congressional investigation sure to......yeah, right
In the past few days, as an apparent part of the prosecution's damage control effort, some Pentagon officials leaked the once classified 130-page report, by Maj. Gen. Eldon A. Bargewell of the Army, to the New York Times and The Washington Post. That report, however, failed to conclude that any officers covered up evidence or committed a crime the basis of the charges against Lt. Col. Chessani and the other officers charged. In previous attempt to stir up animosity to the defendants, some people in the Pentagon leaked information allegedly compiled by the NCIS to the Washington Post. As NewsMax demonstrated, that information was false.
A shocking example of the sort of slanderous material being leaked to the media was this story broadcast by WKRN in Nashville, Tenn., which reported that military prosecutors said marines went on "a killing rampage in November 2005 in Haditha, Iraq, after their Humvee was destroyed by a roadside bomb killing one marine and injuring two others." According to the WKRN report, "The surviving marines went on a killing spree shooting two dozen Iraqi civilians including unarmed men in the street and men, women, and children in their homes."
They went on to quote one Gen. Jack Keane, rescribed as an ABC News consultant, who said that "at that point, there was a fundamental . . . breakdown in the chain of command. They became more like a gang than a military unit. The order and the discipline fundamentally broke down and they were seeking revenge."
The Pentagon report, WKRN admitted, "did not find specific evidence of a cover-up but concludes that nobody was interested in investigating the allegations."
The facts show that these reports are blatantly false, and typical of the shamefully distorted media coverage of the Haditha killings.
On April 3, the prosecution granted immunity to talk to prosecutors to Lt. Max Frank, who arrived at the scene after the IED blast of the explosion. The grant was made as part of an order to "cooperate and truthfully answer all questions posed by investigators." He has not been charged in the case.
According to Muise and Brian Rooney of the Thomas Moore Law Center both former Marine officers now representing Lt. Col. Chessani, Frank, who personally witnessed the scene of the attack shortly after the fighting and assisted with removing the civilian bodies from the insurgent-occupied homes, insisted that there was no evidence of "executions" and that he saw no evidence of misconduct.
Muise observed that Frank was testifying under a grant of immunity by the government, which he said added further credibility to his testimony.
Lt. Col. Shelburne, the military defense counsel for Chessani who questioned Kallop, noted, "This officer's testimony is significant. He was on the scene shortly after the attack. He saw the location of the bodies. He personally observed the damage caused by the attack. And yet, he saw nothing that caused him to suspect any wrongdoing on the part of the Marines. Moreover, this officer was given immunity by the government, so the only way he can get in trouble is if he testifies untruthfully."
Posted by: Steve ||
04/25/2007 16:49 ||
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#2
Those familiar with his testimony, which included masses of classified material, insist that the narratives of the day's events disclosed by NewsMax.com in a long series of stories about Haditha were accurate presentations of the true facts and a total repudiation of all the slanderous material leaked by the Pentagon to the media.
What is the Pentagon doing about this "leak"? A full-scale witch hunt had better be going on.
the facts of what happened early that November morning clearly show that the incident was part of a planned ambush by insurgent forces, that the civilians tragically killed in the were used as human shields by the insurgents ...
... His testimony shows the complexity of the attack this day, the callousness of the terrorists toward the local civilians, whom they use to their advantage
Furthermore, if for once our Marines were finally shooting through human shields to nail their terrorist attackers then they should be given medals for combat valor. The stress that they must experience in doing so must be appalling.
The more often that human shields end up dead, the less likely they will be to volunteer in the future. Terrorists who are willing to use human shields represent the most vile and dangerous sort of combatants. Their elimination even at the cost of civilian lives must remain a top priority.
It must be understood that deterring civilian cooperation with the terrorists at every turn is absolutely imperative. Shooting through human shields, strafing car swarms and capping children who go out to collect weapons and ammunition at firefight scenes are all important measures to discourage civilian cooperation.
#3
Question for exJAG and other mil/ex-mil types here: let's say the case collapses and the prosecution (or the judge) brings the proceedings to an end without any convictions.
As I understand it, the defendants could still be punished by an administrative hearing or mechanism. Is that correct?
I'm looking for knowledge here. Thanks.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/25/2007 17:49 Comments ||
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#4
TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART II > CHAPTER 47 > SUBCHAPTER XI > § 938
§ 938. Art. 138. Complaints of wrongs
Any member of the armed forces who believes himself wronged by his commanding officer, and who, upon due application to that commanding officer, is refused redress, may complain to any superior commissioned officer, who shall forward the complaint to the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the officer against whom it is made. The officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction shall examine into the complaint and take proper measures for redressing the wrong complained of; and he shall, as soon as possible, send to the Secretary concerned a true statement of that complaint, with the proceedings had thereon.
- It's only just begun. Can you say Nifong'd boys and girls.
#6
More to the point, is there any penalty attached to prosecuting a case known to be unfounded, leaking false or slanted information to the press, or otherwise acting dishonourably in a case where not only the defendents' standing as members of the military, but their very lives could be forfeit if found guilty?
#7
D'you suppose the Marines that were charged, and those who were slandered by accusations in the media will get any apology upon being exhonerated, from the likes of Murtha, from the MSM and from turds like Sy Hersh who were willing to fling around charges of war crimes and atrocities?
#8
This brings to mind the story about a month or so ago, where the Marine Special Operations Command detachment was supposedly "thrown out" of Afghanistan by the Army General in charge. Is that another false accusation? Has anyone heard any more about that story?
This account is somewhat unclear. There seem to be two issues. One is the leaking of false and negative stories by the pentagon. The other is whether the prosecution knew of this exculpatory evidence early on. In regular crimial prosecutions, witholding exculpatory evidence from the defense is called "Brady Error" for Brady v. Maryland. I am sure there is a comparable UCMJ provision. I am sure ex-jag would know. Regardless, the whole thing stinks to high heaven.
#9
What is a BIACH here is those Marines can't clear their names, because the MSM will ignore this. I was skeptical given the length of time involved in the action. It's one thing to go nuts and kill a bunch of people quickly, it's an entirely diffirent matter to kill a bunch of people of a period of hours. Some people at JAG and the Pentagon need to be taken to the woodshed for leaking and carrying forward this HIGhly volitile case. Their actions have brought shame on the DOD, the USMC and the U.S. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
Nifong, indeed. Is there evidence of prosecutorial misconduct here, and if so does the military have a mechanism to deal with it?
The leaking is (in the new, post-9/11 sense) unbelievable (and precisely what Nifong was engaged in - correct? I confess I didn't read 2 sentences about the Duke lacrosse case as it developed). Then there's Fitzgerald's bizarre press conference (not to mention closing argument) in the Libby trial.
I ain't no trial attorney, but it seems there's an epidemic of prosecutorial misbehavior lately. Or it's just in high-profile cases, where people supporting or fighting the war are the targets (uh, Duke case excepted, of course). Instapundit had some intriguing links I didn't fully pursue yesterday about serious problems with all sorts of prosecution shenanigans nation-wide, including bogus "expert" witnesses and of course bad cops who made s**t up. Every system, no matter how well safeguarded (and our is so well equipped in that regard that it is famously at a disadvantage against wrong-doers), still depends in the end on the integrity of key individuals. Rather shocking what we're seeing that department lately ....
Any person punishable under this chapter who (1) commits an offense punishable by this chapter, or aids, abets, counsels, commands, or procures its commission; or (2) causes an act to be done which if directly performed by him would be punishable by this chapter; is a principal.
Art. 78. Accessory after the fact
Any person subject to this chapter who, knowing that an offense punishable by this chapter has been committed, receives, comforts, or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial, or punishment shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Art. 98. Noncompliance with procedural rules
Any person subject to this chapter who (1) is responsible for unnecessary delay in the disposition of any case of a person accused of an offense under this chapter; or (2) knowingly and intentionally fails to enforce or comply with any provision of this chapter regulating the proceedings before, during, or after trial of an accused; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Art. 107. False official statements
Any person subject to this chapter who, with intent to deceive, signs any false record, return, regulation, order, or other official document, knowing it to be false, or makes any other false official statement knowing it to be false, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Art. 108. Military property of United StatesLoss, damage, destruction, or wrongful disposition
Any person subject to this chapter who, without proper authority (1) sells or otherwise disposes of; (2) willfully or through neglect damages, destroys, or loses; or (3) willfully or through neglect suffers to be lost, damaged, destroyed, sold, or wrongfully disposed of; any military property of the United States, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Art. 133. Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman
Any commissioned officer, cadet, or midshipman who is convicted of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
And of course the ever present catchall
Art. 134. General article
Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.
#13
'Don't know about the main case, but - having myself serveed as an Article 32 hearing officer - the Article 32 hearing (roughly equivalent to civilian Grand Jury hearing) is not conducted by the prosecution - it is conducted in the name of the Courts Martial convening authority, by a regular military officer (not JAG or TDS). It is not intended to determine guilt or innocence, but to determine three things:
1. Is there evidence that a crime may have been committed?
2. If so, does it appear that the Courts Martial convening authority has jurisdiction over this crime, and its key actors?
3. If so, is there evidence linking the accused in some way to the crime?
A key role of the Article 32 officer is accomplishing "discovery" for the alleged crime. All evidence that will be used by the prosecution in the Courts Martial hearing must be revealed to the Article 32 hearing officer, and he is responsible for making sure that such evidence has also been provided to the defense.
Within the context of the case, the Article 32 hearing officer carries the authority of the General officer convening authority. If the Article 32 hearing officer becomes aware that the prosecution has concealed crucial evidence from the defense (and from the Hearing Officer), the Artcle 32 hearing officer may recommend dismissal of the case.
If awareness of the withheld evidence becomes know to the defense only after the Aricle 32 hearing officer has recommended that the case go to trial, the defense attorney can request that the case be thrown out due to non-disclosure of such evidence during "discovery".
I would assume that the Article 32 hearing officer is about to reommend dismissal of the Haditha case due to deliberate withholding of crucial evidence by the prosecution, during the discovery phase of the Article 32 hearing. Either that, or he my review the evidence, and determine that the preponderance of evidence suggests that no crime has been committed.
The prosecution probably screwed up - and this one is over.
I don't know if it is still true, but in my day, I think it was required that before a JAG officer served as a member of the Trioal Defense Servuce (TDS), they had to first serve a tour as a JAG prosecutor - and only the best prosecutors were considered to later work for TDS. Frankly, the TDS people always seemed to me to be more competent than the prosecutors.
#14
Just checked CNN.com and USATODAY.com (8:20 PM PST) and not a word about this. MODS: is this worthy of being carried over for add'l comments tomorrow?
WASHINGTON Iraq's Baath Party, once the machine of Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule and now a key player in the country's civil war, has been divided by an internal power struggle pitting one of Hussein's top aides against a former general, U.S. and Iraqi government officials say.
U.S. military and intelligence officials are still debating whether to welcome the power struggle or fear it. But they agree the outcome could strongly influence the course of the Sunni-led insurgency against Iraq's U.S.-backed government.
On one side of the power struggle is Izzat Ibrahim, the highest-ranking member of Hussein's inner circle to evade capture. The king of clubs in the Bush administration's "deck of cards" that depicted the most wanted members of Hussein's regime, Ibrahim was Hussein's chief deputy and has been viewed as a ringleader in the insurgency.
Who can't show his face in public.
The forces apparently seeking to oust Ibrahim from his leadership of the Baath movement are led by a former general in Hussein's army, Mohammed Yunis Ahmad.
U.S. officials learned of the infighting after a meeting in the northwestern Syrian town of Halab that military and intelligence officials believe involved Baath Party leaders. The meeting in January, shortly after Hussein's hanging, led to an apparent split in the movement. Some U.S. commanders in Iraq believe that was a welcome development. They see Ibrahim and his followers as intransigent elements of the Hussein regime who are trying to regain control of Iraq. The American commanders hope that Yunis' faction is more willing to seek peace with the country's U.S.-backed government.
Others, including U.S. intelligence officials and some Iraqi officials, are more wary, viewing the internal battle as an attempt to put a new face on a Baath movement that remains a threat. "These guys, No. 1, are very capable. They know how to lead, they know how to control, they know how to dominate, and they know how to execute a coup," said a U.S. military official, explaining why Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority remains fearful of a Baath resurgence. The official, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity when discussing intelligence assessments.
They know how to lead? What they know is how to put a gun to someone's head and compel that person on pain of death. That's not leadership, and in turn that suggests a solution: you peel away their potential followers by making them safer to be with you than with them, you offer their potential followers a chance for a better life, and -- oh -- you kill these bastards if you possibly can.
Iraqi officials say the government in Baghdad is considering reaching out to Yunis as part of its effort to revise the sweeping policy that forbids most former Baathists to participate in government activities. One Iraqi government official said Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has authorized initial overtures to Yunis, while contact with Ibrahim remains taboo. "We are waiting to see if they [Yunis' group] would offer anything that will be of benefit," said the Iraqi official. "If they can prove they are not Saddamist groups, I think there is a legal precedent for opening a dialogue with them, provided that talking to them proves beneficial."
There you go: if Yunis can be turned, fine (you still watch him like a hawk). That leaves you Izzy.
Ibrahim has kept such a low profile that U.S. officials say they have frequently suspected he is dead. But he has emerged as at least the titular leader of the Baath movement, which American officials believe controls significant amounts of money assets of the former regime and new resources gained through current activities in Iraq. Ibrahim "probably commanded great respect, especially from the very most senior political elites that were still left from Saddam's regime," the U.S. military official said.
He knows the access numbers for all the secret bank accounts.
Although accounts of the meeting in Halab vary, U.S. military and intelligence officials said partisans loyal to Yunis "hijacked" the session and expelled Ibrahim and others affiliated with him, declaring the ex-general the new party head.
The U.S. military official said Ibrahim, who was not at the meeting, quickly responded by issuing a communique denouncing Yunis and declaring that he was no longer a member of the party. "Yunis orchestrated this meeting and did so without what appears to be the consent of Ibrahim," the military official said. "There was a walkout at the meeting, and clearly Ibrahim's camp and his followers, or those who thought that the meeting was going to do harm to Ibrahim and their interests, walked away from it. Hence you have the split."
The officials declined to provide details on how they learned of the meeting and its aftermath, citing the need to safeguard intelligence methods.
Those U.S. officials who see the divisions within the Baath Party as a positive development believe the split reflects a recognition by Baathists that the current Iraqi government would never reconcile with Ibrahim, given his close ties to Hussein, said a Pentagon consultant who was briefed by military intelligence officers during a recent trip to Baghdad. "It is the Baath Party's realization that the Shia-dominated Iraqi government would never make a deal with the former Saddamists, who have so much Shia blood on their hands," said the consultant.
But the U.S. military official expressed the views of others in the intelligence community and the Pentagon who are more skeptical about Yunis. These officials worry that Yunis' group could be plotting an effort by the Baath Party to regain power. "Why do the Shia have such problems with this? They don't want the Baath Party anywhere close to them because they've seen what happened in 1963, and 1968, and 1979," the official said, referring to coups orchestrated by Iraqi Baathists.
Ibrahim has headed what U.S. officials believe is the "political arm" of the Baath movement. Yunis' role is less clear. Some U.S. officials believe he has headed the party's military arm and has been an active player in the Sunni insurgency. But some Iraqi officials and insurgent spokesmen dispute that, although many of them remain wary of Yunis.
As early as February 2004, U.S. commanders put Yunis at the top of their list of 32 insurgent leaders. They offered $1 million for his capture and described him as a main organizer of guerrilla cells in Iraq.
A year later, the Treasury Department moved to block his assets, calling him a "financial facilitator and operational leader" of the Baath Party. That move was backed by other international organizations, including the European Union.
Because he also has access to bank accounts -- perhaps he's been spreading the cash around to favored Y'urp-peons?
"He is instrumental in providing guidance, financial support and coordination of insurgent attacks throughout Iraq," the Treasury Department said in a statement at the time.
Iraqi officials also are concerned about Yunis' ties to Syria. He has long been based in Syria, and Iraqis believe he operates there with the tacit approval of the Syrian government, which also influences his actions.
The Iraqi government official said Ibrahim was less dependent on Syria than Yunis was because he had access to Baath Party financial assets while Yunis lacked an independent financial base.
That counters what was said above.
Intermediaries have told Iraqi officials that they must meet certain Syrian demands before they can open talks with Yunis' group, the government official said. "The Syrians want returns," the Iraqi official said. Among the demands are changes in hard-line U.S. policies toward Syria. "They want concessions from the State Department. They want concessions we cannot give," the Iraqi official said.
Of course if there was a new Syrian government ...
Ties to Syria have also made Yunis suspect in the eyes of some Sunni insurgents who are driven partially by nationalistic sentiments and are therefore skeptical of influence from Damascus.
A reminder of the days when Syria and Iraq didn't get along.
Former Hussein loyalists have shunned Yunis, said Abu Marwan, a spokesman for the General Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces, a group of former Iraqi army officers who served under Hussein. "The Mohammed Yunis wing is ready to be involved in the political game in Iraq, but the important thing is they have not got too many members," Abu Marwan said. Most Baath Party members support Ibrahim, he said.
More recently, supporters of Ibrahim have used Internet sites linked to Baath Party loyalists to criticize Yunis. One site noted that the meeting at which the ex-general attempted to seize power occurred around the time Hussein was executed and Maliki launched an effort to revise de-Baathification laws an apparent attempt to link Yunis' moves to the Shiite government.
#1
Such splits are nice and predictable but are of no importance absent a serious effort to break the will of the Sunni community to resist the new order. Nothing else is that important, because nothing else will change the basic dynamic.
#2
Verlaine: we've been hearing about how at least some Sunni tribal chiefs are now siding with us (at least versus al-Q). Does that count in your mind in terms of a new order? I'd appreciate hearing what you think since you're a lot closer to this than I am.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/25/2007 15:29 Comments ||
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#3
Syrian town of Halab.
The road to peace goes through Damsacus. Does it end in Halab?
#4
The road to peace goes through Damsacus. Does it end in Halab?
Halab is just a speed bump on the road through Damascus. The road ends in Latakia and Beirut, unless a couple of Marine Expeditionary Forces land on the Syrian/Lebanese coast. In my personal, unprofessional opinion, there should only be two things left standing in Syria - two signposts that will allow the nomads to tringulate where Damascus USED to stand, and where it's currently best to avoid (at least until the radiation dies down a bit ~5000-10,000 years or so).
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 18:31 Comments ||
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"Win" the vote. Oh, the Irony!
House Democratic leaders predict they will have enough votes to pass legislation requiring U.S. troops to begin leaving Iraq by Oct. 1 and send it on to President Bush for his promised veto.
Several House members said they would go along with the bill negotiated with the Senate in a bid for party unity despite their desire for an earlier, binding withdrawal date.
The House vote scheduled Wednesday would come as the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and other defense officials try to convince lawmakers that a timetable would push Iraq into chaos. Bush's promise guarantees a showdown with Democrats emboldened by last year's election, which handed them control of Congress.
"For the first time, the president will have to be accountable for this war in Iraq," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday. "And he does not want to face that reality." And YOU want to be accountable for what follows, Madam Speaker?
I distinctly heard the man say he'd veto the current bill, and I heard him say to give him a clean bill. Sounds like he's accountable to me.
The White House and Democrats traded insults Tuesday. Vice President Dick Cheney accused Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of pursuing a defeatist strategy in Iraq to win votes at home.
"Some Democratic leaders seem to believe that blind opposition to the new strategy in Iraq is good politics," Cheney told reporters at the Capitol after attending the weekly Republican policy lunch. "Senator Reid himself has said that the war in Iraq will bring his party more seats in the next election."
"It is cynical to declare that the war is lost because you believe it gives you political advantage," Cheney said. A mastery of understatement.
Reid, D-Nev., dismissed Cheney's comments. "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with the administration's chief attack dog," he told reporters. Good comeback, Harry. You called him a name.
Harry's all about class.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/25/2007 06:13 ||
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#1
Dingy Harry is an ass kissing, fallacious, SOB.
He never talked like this when Clinton was is the White House. It was "cut and rip" then. Why are we to believe that he is a peace lover now.
#3
... cigarettes in exchange for a--- no, no, NO. Don't want to follow that train of thought...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/25/2007 8:38 Comments ||
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#4
The 20th century demonstrated that tyrants often get 99 or 100 percent votes all the time. However, the electorate didn't seem to be as willing to give their last full measure of devotion when the time came to defend them. That is the true vote.
#14
FREEREPUBLIC/DRUDGE/LUCIANNE > DOW PASSES 13,000-MARK. Which IMO is why the Dems are pushing, at least on the MSM, for "timetables", etal - want the MSM credit come Jan 2009 iff a Dem wins the WH. Iff Dubya refuses to stop entrenching, + does NOT invade Iran, and Radical Islam fails to initiate any type Amer Hiroshima(s)/new 9-11's inside America, PCORRECTNESS > DEMS = MOUD-MULLAHS > BOTH HAVE TO CHANGE FOCII TOWARDS PRESERVING LOCAL POLITICAL POWER-ADVANTAGE, which for the Dems means taking credit for Dubya's successes/agenda in the ME, i.e. US/US-Allied flags all around Radical Iran.
LONDON - Britains Royal Navy is to resume boarding operations in the northern Gulf that were suspended following the capture of 15 personnel by Iranian forces, Defence Secretary Des Browne announced on Tuesday. The Royal Navy has a United Nations mandate to patrol Iraqi territorial waters to protect the strife-torn countrys ports and oil installations.
Pending the results of the inquiries set up to identify any lessons we can learn from this incident, we have taken measures, in line with the findings of the initial reviews of procedures, to ensure the risk to boarding operations is minimised, Browne said in a written statement to parliaments lower House of Commons. This will involve an incremental return to full boarding operations in all areas.
And the next time the Iranians snatch your people? ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
IRONY > WAFF.com Poster claims to have non-PS'ed photo of brand-new Chinese PLAN TYPE 022 sinking = listing as iff taking on water? shortly after leaving drydock???
#8
I guess Britain finally agreed to accept the CAP the US offered for future patrols - two F/A-18s, a flight of four A-10s on the runway at the nearest airfield, and a dozen Apaches and a pair of B-1s as back-up.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 12:26 Comments ||
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#9
I don't understand why a type 22 frigate isn't enough backup. It has a 114 mm gun with a range of 12 miles, plus Harpoon missiles. It also has a Mk 8 Lynx helicopter, armed with Sea Skua anti-ship missiles.
If they go into a boarding operation assuming that the target is hostile, and that there may be hostiles lurking about, the ship should be able to protect itself and the boarding party.
#10
Type 22 frigate should be enough backup, but Brits are intercepting ships very far from it. I think that it is very unwise, since there is a narrow space and no shelter on a RHIB. If there are armed hostiles on a ship that is to be boarded, they could fire on a boarding party and inflict many casualties.
#11
Type 22 frigate should be enough backup, but Brits are intercepting ships very far from it. I think that it is very unwise, since there is a narrow space and no shelter on a RHIB. If there are armed hostiles on a ship that is to be boarded, they could fire on a boarding party and inflict heavy casualties.
"My government has dedicated efforts to convince the Palestinian factions to maintain the truce with Israel," said Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday. Haniyeh went on to say that the Palestinian factions had adopted a "positive position" on this issue. The PA prime minister added that the Palestinians were surprised by the aggression Israel was showing towards them.
Meanwhile, PA government spokesman Ghazi Hamed reiterated that the PA government was interested in maintaining the truce, stressing that the calm would collapse if Israel continued with its aggression. Hamed called on Israel to stop threatening an incursion into the Gaza Strip. Earlier Tuesday, a spokesman for Hamas's military wing declared that the truce with Israel was not longer binding, Israel Radio reported.
This article starring:
GHAZI HAMED
Palestinian Authority
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Haniyeh: PA gov't dedicated to maintaining truce
Suuuuure, that and rocket launching. The sooner Haniyeh catches a slug, the faster that a real peace accord is reached.
Yeah, that's why carpet-bombing and heavy artillery are called for. "The only good paleo is a stain on the side of a building" attitude is called for.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 12:28 Comments ||
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#4
Zenster, they are all Haniyehs
No argument. When the Palestinians knowingly elected a terrorist government, that was the tipping point. They could all slide into Hell and I would only cheer.
Former Palestinian foreign minister Mahmoud Zahar said Monday that if Israel agreed to withdraw from the West Bank and release Palestinian security prisoners, the Palestinians would be obligated to negotiate with Israel, since there would be a national purpose involved, Israel Radio reported.
Zahar emphasized, however, that "negotiations" did not mean recognition of Israel. In an interview with a Hamas-affiliated Web site, the former minister said that there was nothing preventing talks with Israel, as long as the talks did not involve making concessions. Even the prophet Muhammad, Zahar said, held negotiations with infidels and enemies. On Friday, Zahar said in an interview that recognizing Israel ran contrary to the teachings of the Koran.
This article starring:
MAHMUD ZAHAR
Hamas
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I refuse to recognize that warty person
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 1:03 Comments ||
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#2
And one of these days the People of Israel are going to realise that.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Mashaal are scheduled to meet in Cairo on Saturday for talks on political partnership and the continued international embargo on the PA, a senior PA official reported Monday.
Earlier, Abbas said that a year of economic sanctions on the Palestinian government has plunged people's lives into tragedy and hurt prospects for peace in the Middle East and beyond. "If the international community wants to help us, it must lift this embargo so that we can lead a normal life," Abbas said after talks Monday with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. "Everyone recognizes that peace in the Middle East and a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can put out the fires at all the flash points in the world," Abbas said.
This article starring:
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis
KHALED MASHAAL
Hamas
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Try the pork ribs for dinner
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 1:06 Comments ||
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Pseudo-leaders of pseudo-nation having talks about pseudo-truce between their pseudo-armies.
Palestinian Authority Interior Minister Hani Kawassmeh resigned from his post because he does not want the PA security forces to be involved in any attempt to halt rocket attacks on Israel, PA officials said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy was killed and nine others injured in fighting that erupted over the last 48 hours between rival clans in the Gaza Strip, PA security sources said. The sources said the family of a Palestinian man killed in internecine violence earlier this week raided on Tuesday the offices of the Palestinian parliament in Gaza City, carrying their son's body with them. The move was meant to protest the ongoing violence.
Kawassmeh, who joined the new Hamas-led government five weeks ago as an independent, submitted his resignation earlier this week amidst reports of a major dispute he had with PA security commanders in the Gaza Strip. He complained that the security commanders were hindering his efforts to implement a security plan that would restore law and order to Gaza.
Kawassmeh's main criticism was directed against Rashid Abu Shabak, a top security commander in the Gaza Strip, who is closely associated with PA National Security Advisor Muhammad Dahlan. Kawassmeh has accused both Abu Shabak and Dahlan of undermining his powers. Kawassmeh's resignation was the first crisis to face the new coalition, and it came amidst renewed tensions between Fatah and Hamas.
This article starring:
HANI KAWASMEH
Palestinian Authority
MUHAMAD DAHLAN
Palestinian Authority
RASHID ABU SHABAK
Palestinian Authority
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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The IDF plans to ask Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday for permission to carry out "pinpoint" operations against Gaza-based Hamas terrorist chiefs and infrastructure, in response to an attempt by the Islamist group to kidnap soldiers near the Gaza Strip.
According to IDF sources, a barrage of more than 10 Kassam rockets and 20 mortar shells on the Negev Tuesday morning was meant to provide cover and distract attention from an infiltration by a terrorist cell, whose members intended to kidnap soldiers deployed on the Gaza border.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in Rome after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, said the rocket attacks were a "one-time violation of the truce." He called on Israel to show restraint in order to avoid a "deterioration" in the region."
Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said that Rome was concerned about the renewed rocket attacks, and called on Abbas to adhere to the principles set by International Quartet - especially the recognition of Israel.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said the rocket attacks were a "one-time violation of the truce."
And we'll never do it again until the next time.
OK, how about this: We'll let it slide this time, but if by some chance even one more rocket lands on Israeli soil you hand over this specific list of men or these specific members of government within 24 hours - no questions asked and no excuses whatsoever - or we have your agreement to take matters into our own hands.
#5
Don't kill the leadership. Kill the people below them. If they start dying, thier the only ones who can put pressure on the leadership to change. The leadership is just replaced by people with new ideas who have learned from thier predessesors mistakes.
#6
Orc scum make war from behind the skirts of Orc women and children. I am long stopped caring if some Orc Chieftain wears a paper hat for a crown; drive the lot of them back into Egypt and "Jordan" from whence they came. Push them back out of rocket range every time they let off another Orcish firecracker. Keep pushing all the way back their devil cube and smash it to pieces.
#8
Can we whack a few of their supporters here in the US? Oh, wait, those are congresscritters, State Department higher-ups, and "political elite". I guess they're still off limits. {{sigh}}
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
04/25/2007 12:31 Comments ||
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#9
the rocket attacks were a "one-time violation of the truce."
Completely different from all the other one-time truce violations.
Don't kill the leadership. Kill the people below them. If they start dying, thier the only ones who can put pressure on the leadership to change. The leadership is just replaced by people with new ideas who have learned from thier predessesors mistakes.
Totally wrong approach, plainslow. We are not talking about low context American culture where corporate magnates can wield equal or greater influence than an elected president. In high context societies like Arab cultures, top tier leadership represents the most well-connected, charismatic, persuasive and influential operatives. Taking them out eliminates vital and sometimes irreplacable links who alone have sufficient prestige to manage cross-clan negotiations and other such delicate proceedings.
By capping these Grand Poobahs you eliminate important elements of social cohesion and make internal strife much more likely. Collective terrorist cultures like that of the Palestinians must be destabilized at every turn. The recent levels of infighting show just how valuable this strategy is.
It is this simple fact that makes me continue to question the wisdom of trying to halt Sunni - Shiite violence in Iraq. As Napolean said, "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake". So must I wonder if stopping these murderous bastards from killing each other is the wisest choice.
Israeli and Palestinian officials are conducting secret negotiations in Europe on creating an independent Palestinian state by the end of 2008, a Palestinian newspaper reported on Tuesday. But don't tell nobody, okay? 'Cuz they're secret.
Palestinian and Israeli officials are holding secret meetings in a European capital under the aegis of the United States and Europe to try to reach an agreement on final status issues, with a view to establishing a Palestinian state at the end of next year, wrote the leading Al-Quds daily.
Basing its report on informed sources, the newspaper said the talks were including the thorniest issues in the decades-old conflict, such as borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees, Jerusalem and Jewish settlements.
The newspaper said the goal of the talks was to realise US President George W. Bushs two-state vision before his term in office expires in January 2009.
The United States and European countries have put pressure on the Israeli government to take part in these meetings, the newspaper said. Government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said the Israeli prime ministers office categorically denies this report. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP he was not aware of such talks, but did allude to unofficial Israeli-Palestinian meetings without elaborating.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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Tehran, 25 April (AKI) - The spokesman of the Muslim Students Association at a Tehran polytechnic was arrested on Wednesday, Iranian news agency ILNA reports. Babak Zamanian was reportedly arrested because of interviews he gave to Farsi language radio stations that broadcast outside Iran. The students of the Amir Kabir Polytechnic made front page news around the world last December when they managed to prevent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on a visit to their campus, from making his speech. It was the first time since his landslide victory in June 2005 that Ahmadinejad had been challenged in public.
Dozens of protesters burned pictures of the Iranian president crying 'dictator go away', 'death to dictatorship' and threw firecrackers, forcing him to interrupt several times a speech and leave before scheduled. "The direction of the university had been warned we didn't want Ahmadinejad here," Mehdi Hatefi, an activist with students' group Tahkim Vahdat told Adnkronos International (AKI) at the time, saying the organisers had tried to fill up the lecture hall with people from other universities.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/25/2007 17:01 ||
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#1
I'm sure Amnesty International will be right there. Please stand by...
#3
Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn of "The Gulag Archipelago" fame speculated how if only Moscow residents had gathered together to resist the midnight raids and strung those KGB agents up from balconies by their bootlaces, maybe there wouldn't have been such a problem with Soviet surveillance.
Iranian students need to learn from this historical lesson. If they can't, fuck 'em.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Syria on Tuesday for tough talks with its president on two Lebanese issues - support for an international court to try the killers of Rafik Hariri and preventing arms smuggling to Hizbullah.
Syria, a major patron of Hizbullah, has up to now stood its ground on these points, but the government has pledged to cooperate with Ban Ki-moon, who began talks with President Bashar al-Assad shortly after his arrival. The state newspaper Tishrin said in an editorial Tuesday that Ban would find "a lot of common ground that can be built on."
Ban has warned that the smuggling of weapons across the Syrian-Lebanese border threatens the August 14 cease-fire that halted the fighting between Israel and Hizbullah.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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tough talks....priceless
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 1:05 Comments ||
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We'll be happy to do all they can to minimize arms smuggling. After Hezbullah is resupplied. Can we schedule a follow-up meeting sometime in July after we do some initial investigations on this oh-so-serious matter?
(AKI) - A conference on Islam and terrorism organized by Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, the representative of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Islamic movements worldwide, is scheduled to open in Tehran on 1 May. Some 150 researchers and policy makers from 26 countries are expected to take part in the talks on 'The Muslim world, the main victim of terrorism'. Among them are former Iraqi premier Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the leader of the Dawa Party, a member of the Shiite bloc known as the United Iraqi Alliance, and Pakistan's minister for Islamic affairs, Mohammad Aziz al Haq.
"The main aim of the conference is to make a clear distinction between terrorism and resistance," said ayatollah Taskhiri on Tuesday. "Today the Muslim world is being attacked by international powers and shedding light on the issue has become a necessity in order to respond to the absurd accusations against us."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/25/2007 00:00 ||
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I think I already know how this ends
Posted by: Captain America ||
04/25/2007 1:04 Comments ||
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#2
'The Muslim world, the main victim of terrorism'
Muslims are ALWAYS victims in their own fantasy world.
#3
Sounds like every leftard I know. To them, child rape, female genital mutilation and murder-bombings make you Robin Hood. They should all be raped by dogs.
I like the way you think, John QC. We missed that Taliban funeral, let's not overlook another such opportunity of this magnitude.
Imagine the disruption to dissemination, indoctrination and collegial terrorist activity that could be obtained by America gaining a reputation for obliterating all such depraved congregations of our declared enemies.
It is Islam's clerical aristocracy that must be violently disjointed. Any plan that seeks to interdict individual terrorist acts represents a one-bullet-at-a-time strategy. This fallacious concept must be discarded in favor of bulk interdiction.
I have long advocated lobbing a swarm of Tomahawk cruise missiles into any majority congregation of Iran's majlis. It will only be by launching such decapitating strikes that substantial progress against terrorism can be achieved. Were it not so counterproductive, I'd recommend that Iraq's current government be subjected to such "purification". A few "rinse & repeats" might get us a compliant ruling body who would actually pursue the institution of a real democracy in that judicially parched land.
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.
KABUL - Afghanistan will use all means to stop Pakistan erecting a fence on their border to stop the movement of Taleban militants, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. 
(AKI) - Muslims electors in France shunned rightwing presidential frontrunner 
NEW DELHI - Indias prime minister opened talks with politicians from revolt-hit Kashmir on Tuesday in a bid to ease tensions in the divided state, but little progress was likely with separatists boycotting the meeting. The Kashmir roundtable has been billed as an internal peace process for the region and the talks are the third such meeting for groups in the Indian-administered part of the area, which is divided between nuclear-rivals India and Pakistan.
Former Prime Minister and 
WASHINGTON Iraq's Baath Party, once the machine of Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule and now a key player in the country's civil war, has been divided by an internal power struggle pitting one of Hussein's top aides against a former general, U.S. and Iraqi government officials say.
Although accounts of the meeting in Halab vary, U.S. military and intelligence officials said partisans loyal to Yunis "hijacked" the session and expelled Ibrahim and others affiliated with him, declaring the ex-general the new party head.
Iraqi officials also are concerned about Yunis' ties to Syria. He has long been based in Syria, and Iraqis believe he operates there with the tacit approval of the Syrian government, which also influences his actions.
"For the first time, the president will have to be accountable for this war in Iraq," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday. "And he does not want to face that reality."
"My government has dedicated efforts to convince the Palestinian factions to maintain the truce with Israel," said 
Former Palestinian foreign minister 
Israeli and Palestinian officials are conducting secret negotiations in Europe on creating an independent Palestinian state by the end of 2008, a Palestinian newspaper reported on Tuesday.
