The White House announced Oct. 11 that the family of U.S. Navy SEAL, Lt. Michael P. Murphy will be presented the U.S. Navy Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously, during a ceremony at the White House Oct. 22.
The Medal of Honor is the nationÂ’s highest military award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.
MurphyÂ’s father, Daniel, will accept the award on behalf of his son. Murphy will receive the award for his extraordinary, selfless heroism and steadfast courage while leading a four-man, special reconnaissance mission deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan June 27 to 28, 2005.
“We are thrilled by the President’s announcement today, especially because there is now a public recognition of what we knew all along about Michael’s loyalty, devotion and sacrifice to his friends, family, country, and especially his SEAL teammates,” the Murphy family said in a statement. “The honor is not just about Michael, it is about his teammates and those who lost their lives that same day.”
Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on mission to capture or destroy the local leadership and disrupt enemy activity. However local Taliban sympathizers discovered the SEAL unit and immediately revealed their position to Taliban fighters. The element was besieged on a mountaintop by scores of enemy fighters. The firefight that ensued pushed the element farther into enemy territory and left all four SEALs wounded.
The SEALs fought the enemy fearlessly despite being at a tactical disadvantage and outnumbered more than four to one. Understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his men, Murphy, already wounded, deliberately and unhesitatingly moved from cover into the open where he took and returned fire while transmitting a call for help for his beleaguered teammates. Shot through the back while radioing for help, Murphy completed his transmission while returning fire. The call ultimately led to the rescue of one severely wounded team member, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, and the recovery of the remains of Murphy and GunnerÂ’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson.
Eight more SEALs and eight Army “Nightstalker” special operations personnel comprising the initial reinforcement also lost their lives when their helicopter was shot down before they could engage the enemy. The entire battle, the culmination of Operation Redwing, resulted in the worst single day loss of life for Naval Special Warfare personnel since World War II. The sole surviving SEAL, Marcus Luttrell, wrote a book about the battle after he departed the Navy this summer. In his book Luttrell credited all three of his teammates for their heroism, including Murphy’s sacrificial act that eventually led to his rescue.
Murphy will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon during a ceremony scheduled Oct. 23. His name will be engraved beside the names of some 3,400 other service members who have also been awarded the nationÂ’s highest honor.
#1
I am currently reading "The Commandos" by Douglas C. Waller. My respect for America's special forces has increased but particularly so for the SEALS. What they have to endure in training is simply beyond comprehension. The degree of motivation and dedication shown by these men is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Considering that, for the longest time, special forces have been the red-headed stepchild of America's military, we all have a profound debt of gratitude for the intense commitment shown by these courageous soldiers. It would be a privilege to shake hands with any of them.
#3
I salute them and I am grateful for each of their sacrifices. I have no wish to start another Pat Tilman fiasco but like many old timers, I have become a bit skeptical about awards over the past yars. A full report on why 4 (Navy SEALS) were inserted into the AF mountains on this "recce" mission, prisoner snatch whatever, their instructions, ie, mission guidance/duration, equipment taken in, (equipment subsequently captured), communicaitons, contact plan, resupply, fire support plan, reinforcement plan, exfiltration plan, E&E/go to hell plan, etc, would make most interesting reading. Someone somewhere has surely had to answer some very, very, tough questions regarding this incident/mission. The "Blue Max" is wonderful gesture on the part of the White House and a grateful nation, no argument. A posthumous award in this particular case appears to indicate mission failure. Who failed? What failed? Why? How did we lose these brave warriors and how can we prevent it from happending again?
#5
I just finished Marcus Luttrell's "Lone Survivor." Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. According to Luttrell, the mountain was swarming with the taliban vermin, and he estimated there to be 300 of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's (was identified in book for security reasons as Ben Sharmak) finest. Those four heroes mowed down half of Gulbuddins' force, and Marcus said that 12 Seals could have defeated the whole force and come back with Hekmatyar's scalp. I thought Mike Murphy would get the Medal of Honor, when the Navy awarded Marcus, and the two fallen Seals, Danny Dietz and Michael Axelson, with the Navy Cross, and didn't give Mike Murphy the same award. Marcus Luttrell was saved by Pashtun tribesmen following the age old code of Pashtun conduct called Lokhay Pashtunwalli. This is what we're up against trying to shake binladen, zawahiri, and the rest of the alqaeda out of the Pashtun villages in the tribal lands.
#7
A posthumous award in this particular case appears to indicate mission failure. Who failed? What failed? Why? How did we lose these brave warriors and how can we prevent it from happending again?
I reckon that is what's being asked. And I suspect that we won't see the report, but the SEALs will see the effects.
#8
It is unfortunate that in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the Medal Of Honor has been reserved for posthumous decoration. While it is well deserved, our nation also needs living Medal Of Honor recipients, who can for many years hereafter, personify to our people those rarest of qualities.
Why the hesitation in honoring living heroes?
There are some among us who hate and fear heroes, and do everything in their power to despise and demean them, and to parade their human flaws. But as a nation, we should rise above the meanness of these bitter few, and hold up the living examples of people who deserve to be honored, for their service above and beyond the call of duty.
#9
Moose, the requirements for awarding the MOH are so strict that it frequently ends up being awarded posthumously.
There has to be a living witness to the heroism in order for the medal to be awarded. If Marcus Luttal had died before being rescued, Lt. Murphy would not have gotten the the MOH, since no one would have known about his heroism.
#11
Remember that a military decoration is not given as just a personal tribute, but to honor that person's family, their community, their State and the nation itself for having produced them and their honorable peers. They remind us all of heroism personified.
Within two miles of my home in Arizona, there is a street named after Joe Foss, though his real home was South Dakota. He is honored here as well, not because of his charitable donations in our State, but because *we* were honored by his presence for a while. Because he was a hero, and a Medal Of Honor recipient.
He had to carry the Medal Of Honor with him wherever he traveled, because it was demanded of him by his nation, by everyone who met him. It was and is a symbol of national pride.
And it was to our utter humiliation, that at Sky Harbor Airport, he was stopped by Homeland Security personnel who refused to let him board an aircraft, saying he might have used his Medal Of Honor as a weapon, to commit a terrorist act.
He was a symbol of America, and belonged to all of us.
#12
And it was to our utter humiliation, that at Sky Harbor Airport, he was stopped by Homeland Security personnel who refused to let him board an aircraft, saying he might have used his Medal Of Honor as a weapon, to commit a terrorist act.
I hope someone lost their job and pension over that.
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". From here on it will be referred to as "Murph" in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
#15
Col Wes Fox is a MOH recipient whose still around IIRC. We met him at PI some yrs back when I was stationed there. That was a big deal when I was there as it should be. I served w/his son-in-law (another active duty Marine officer) prior to that. Talk about awe or honor having your father-in-law also be a true war hero.
#16
I have never had the honor to meet a MOH awardee, but this reminds me of an argument my wife and i have repeatedly: she insists on having me buried in Arlington Cemetery. I insist it is a special place and should be reserved for the real heros, of which the good Lt. is one, and not just for run of the mill Vets like myself. I am not even qualifed to carry Lt. Murphy's jock strap, much less be buried @ Arlington. How do the rest of the Burg Vets feel about Arlington?
#17
To many visits to Arlington. To many memories lost there. Save the space for the real heroes.
Besoeker: I don't understand your comment. Seems you think we are medal happy this time. Nothing compared to 'nam. I think we have only given out 2 MoH's and both posthumously. Also, SEAL mission was a common recon on high value target. SEAL are a SFO that does this mission rep quite frequently. They were well covered and quiet. It as only a freak chance encounter with a goat herd that compromised the mission. They let the kid go instead of killing him, knowing retrospectively that they probably sacrificed their lives for their western Christian values. Go ahead, investigate and report but unless you change the RoE and muzzle the Jack Murtha's of the world - you still make these missions "personal" decisions regardless of rank.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/12/2007 16:20 Comments ||
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#18
That's a damn good question, USN, Ret. I'm not a veteran but I do know that my grandfather singlehandedly stormed a German machine gun nest and used his sidearm to shoot several enemy soldiers at close quarters. His medical discharge came after suffering permanent pulmonary damage during a mustard gas attack at the Argonne Forest in France.
He, too, could have been buried at Arlington but instead opted for the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California. With my adult understanding of what he did in the defense of our country, I can only regard him as a hero.
#20
I have known but one MOH winner. His name was Hulon B. Whittington, a WWII vet. I met him in the early 1960s. He was an ordinary man but uncommon in his bravery. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetary. He died in 1969 at age 47. The MOH site describes his heroism.
Lt. Murphy was a brave man. "Thanks MOH winner Murphy. You gave all for your team mates and your country.
#21
USN, if it's in anyway handy, Andersonville. I can come and visit you. It has a weird something to it.
:)
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/12/2007 19:41 Comments ||
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#22
Andersonville - also an excellent song by Dave Alvin (about the prison camp)....Dave's a fav of mine, a Downey, CA native
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2007 19:50 Comments ||
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#23
Reader Neal Baumann writes:
A Navy Seal will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and the story is receiving little coverage. President Bush announced it yesterday. The story is in section B, page 3 of our local paper (The Journal News). Unbelievable! News 12 Long Island, the local home town cable news channel and web news service for the SEALÂ’s home area has no reference to the story.
#24
Nope, no Arlington for me - they can throw my ashes in the wind.
I've only done my job, definitely nothing special. Just glad no one I was in charge of ever got killed. Hopefully that doesn't change over the next 10 yrs or more.
(SomaliNet) At least 7 people were killed in fresh violence in Somalia, most of them in Somali capital, Mogadishu where the Ethiopian-backed government began security sweeps this week to find guns and insurgents, witnesses said on Wednesday.
In the provincial town of Baidoa, President Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi were meeting supporters amid rumours among legislators that the president wants to push a no confidence vote in his prime minister through parliament there. A growing rift between the pair has provided yet another headache for the Somali government, which has faced an Islamist-led insurgency all year in Mogadishu and is overwhelmed by humanitarian problems among its nine million population.
Insurgents carried out one of their heaviest assaults late on Tuesday on a police station near Mogadishu's Bakara market, police spokesperson Abdiwahid Mohamed Hussein said. "Around seven in the evening, insurgents assailed Hawlwadag police station, firing rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns," he told Reuters by telephone. "The police fought them and killed two of the insurgents while seriously wounding one. He was rushed to Medina hospital, but he died before reaching the hospital."
On Wednesday morning, unknown gunmen shot three men in the south Mogadishu neighbourhood of Bulo Hubey. "Early this morning two men armed with pistols shot three men in civilian dress around Bulo Hubey. Two of them were dead and the third one was in serious condition. The victims were government employees," said a witness who asked not be named.
Madina hospital sources confirmed one person who was gravely wounded in the head was admitted to the hospital. "We received one person who has serious bullet wound on the head and his condition is grim," Dahir Dheere, a medical officer in the hospital, told Reuters.
Two civilians died and nine were wounded in the southern port city of Kismayu, after a landmine explosion targeted a security agent on Wednesday. "Unknown gunmen remotely detonated a landmine when my car was passing at Alanley neighbourhood. My bodyguards, driver and I survived, but the gunmen opened fire at us after the blast and my bodyguards defended me," the security agent told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Witnesses said the blast killed two. "They were cut to pieces," local inhabitant Fadumo Abdulahi Hirse said.-
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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Quite simple. That event happend on June, 8. Not October, 12. (Not sure if those dates relate to the Wiccan calendar but maybe it will help you out anyway.)
#7
Whoa Nelly, 7 years ago to this day makes it the year 2000. How could there have been a terrorist attack in 2000. Bush wasn't President yet. You must have your dates wrong.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/12/2007 16:24 Comments ||
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#8
Bush wasn't President yet.
Yes, but his governership of Texas was already sending shockwaves throughout the Islamic world.
#9
I googled "Leah Ashley" (for you, don't do it). It takes you to a buncha myspace junk and tries to install garbage, while closing your RB window for some spam trash... thanks for playing, "Leah"
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2007 19:05 Comments ||
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#10
Try Laura Ashley, they way moar fun.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/12/2007 19:49 Comments ||
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A Frenchman of Moroccan origin caught with a crude bomb was a potential suicide attacker — not a despondent, jilted lover as he originally told police — and a Spanish judge has ordered him held on suspicion of terrorism, newspapers said Friday.
The 30-year-old was stopped at a routine highway checkpoint Sunday in the northeast Catalonia region shortly after he drove across the border from France. Police found his car to be carrying two butane gas canisters fitted with large firecrackers, and a samurai sword. The man told police he wanted to committed suicide because his partner had left him, Catalan police said Monday on their web site. Police said then that they did not know why he drove all the way from his home in the Alsace region of France to kill himself in Spain.
But investigators eventually found the man to be in possession of two Arabic-language letters — one praising jihad, or holy war, and another in which he said goodbye to his family, and while in custody they observed he had shaved his body completely. They said this is a common act among suicide bombers who see it as a way to die in a state of cleanliness and purity, El Mundo said. Investigators concluded the man may have been planning a suicide attack targeting a building in Barcelona, El Mundo and El Pais said.
Judge Juan del Olmo of the National Court questioned the suspect Thursday and ordered him held in jail on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack, the papers said. The judge also ordered a psychiatric evaluation of the man, they said.
Posted by: ryuge ||
10/12/2007 09:28 ||
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#1
"A Frenchman of Moroccan origin"
Imagine my surprise.
Hooda thunk it?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/12/2007 10:46 Comments ||
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#2
yeah looks like giving in too the muzzies doesn't work after all does it spain.
A French man who was arrested in Spain with explosives in his vehicle on Sunday had been planning a suicide attack in Barcelona, Spanish state security sources said on Thursday. The sources said Moulay Abel, 30, told police he planned the attack because of an unlucky love affair, but an Islamist motive was also suspected because he had a copy of the Koran in the car and had ritually shaved his scrotumpubes body hair.
The man is undergoing psychological checks, a court source said.
"Well, Doc, what's your diagnosis?"
"He's a nut, alright!"
He had planned to drive the vehicle, loaded with two butane gas cylinders and explosive material, into a public building and detonate it from inside, the sources said, citing a police report. The Interior Ministry was unable to confirm the report on Thursday.
"Hey, Manuel! We got any exploding Salafists today?"
"I dun' thin' so, Pedro!"
Barcelona police were unavailable to comment.
"George, if anybody calls, I'm at lunch!"
Police arrested Abel in Girona near the Spanish-French border, the sources said. Explosives found in the vehicle were sufficient to have caused a strong blast and fire. It was unclear which building he had planned to attack. After his arrest, police searched Abel's home in northeastern France, from where he had driven nearly 1,000 km (620 miles) before being arrested.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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Islamic militants staged one of their boldest attacks in months in Indian Kashmir on Thursday by attempting to storm a heavily-guarded police camp and provoking a fierce gun battle, police said. The crackle of gunfire could be heard from the banks of the scenic Dal Lake near Srinagar, the urban hub of the anti-India revolt in the disputed region, as security forces battled what rebels claimed was a three-member unit of Islamist fighters. "Militants hurled grenades and opened fire at one of our battalion headquarters in a bid to storm it this (Thursday) evening," P. Tripathi, a spokesman for Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) told reporters.
He said one militant had been killed and three members of the CRPF were injured, as fighting raged into the night around the camp -- which is situated the grounds of a hotel next to the Himalayan lake. A spokesman for the hardline rebel group Lashkar-e-Taiba told local news agencies that three of its men were involved. Local residents also reported fierce fighting, saying many in the area had fled their houses and houseboats.
The violence comes as the disputed Muslim-majority region prepares for Eid-al Fitr, the biggest Muslim festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Eid will be celebrated in the divided region on October 13 or 14, depending on when the new moon is sighted.
On Monday the Pakistan-based United Jihad Council, an alliance of rebel groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, declared a three-day truce from October 12 for the upcoming festival. Lashkar-e-Taiba is not a part of the Council. The Indian government has not responded to the truce so far, with Indian troops on high alert and continuing with counter-insurgency operations against militants they say continue to cross from Pakistan.
The attack on the police camp took place only a few kilometres from the state-owned lakeside convention complex, where Kashmir's Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was hosting "iftar", or fast-breaking party. The party continued despite the attack, an official said.
As why should it not, since it was a few kilometers away?
This article starring:
Lashkar-e-Taiba
United Jihad Council
Ghulam Nabi Azad
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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Seven soldiers and two civilians were killed in a blast at an Indian army camp in Baramula on Thursday. Scores of soldiers and civilians were also injured, APP reported.
A military spokesman said the exact number of dead and injured could be known only after the debris of the structure, damaged in the blast, were removed. Another report said a gas cylinder exploded inside the canteen at Hamraj Pattan this afternoon. The blast was followed by two more blasts. Junaidul Islam, spokesman for Hezbul Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the blasts in a phone call to the Kashmir News Service, AFP reported.
This article starring:
Hezbul Mujahideen
Junaidul Islam
Hezbul Mujahideen
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
One of these days they'll learn to stop filling their canteens with gasoline.
AJMER: At least two pilgrims were killed and 17 others, including a child, wounded in a bomb blast at the sufi shrine of Khawaja Moinuddhin Chishti where thousands of devotees gathered to break the day-long Ramzan fast on Thursday.
Two persons, including 45-year-old Mohd Sohaib from Mumbai, died on the spot and several others were wounded in the blast near Aasthan-e-Noor opposite Begum Ki Dhalan when people had gathered there for iftaar , Deepak Upreti, Divisional Commissioner of Ajmer, said. A near-stampede broke out soon after the bomb kept in a school bag exploded at 1816 hours as people, who were having food after the fast, ran helter and skelter, many of them profusely bleeding, and overturned plates and eatables lay scattered.
Union Home Ministry sources in Delhi said it was a terror strike in which militants had used a low-intensity improvised explosive device. They said the terror outfits, including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, were against sufi Islam and they could be prime suspects behind the blast which came barely ten days ahead of the meeting of Indo-Pakistan anti-terror mechanism here on October 22.
CRPF battalions based in Ajmer had been kept in readiness for deployment at the shrine. Of the 17 injured, who were taken to local Jawaharlal Nehru hospital, the condition of one was critical, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Kanihya Lal said in Jaipur.
This article starring:
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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A top Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM) militant was arrested with Rs 2.54 lakh hawala money on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Jammu district, official sources said on Thursday. On a tip off, police set up check posts on National Highway at Jhajar Kotli in Jammu district and intercepted a vehicle coming from Udhampur last night, they said. Hawala money amounting to Rs 2.54 lakh packed in cigarette packet was recovered from the arrested militant, identified as Manzoor Ahmed Mir of Arnas area in Reasi district.
The money was meant to be delivered to HuM militants Nazir Ahmed and Masood Ali at Domail on the highway, they said. A manhunt to nab the other two militants Nazir and Masood has been launched.
This article starring:
Hizbul Mujahideen
Manzoor Ahmed Mir
Hizbul Mujahideen
Masood Ali
Hizbul Mujahideen
Nazir Ahmed
Hizbul Mujahideen
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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MUMBAI: An accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case of last year in which over 40 kg of RDX was seized, has been arrested in Hyderabad, police said on Thursday.
Sayyed, allegedly a member of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), was among the conspirators who had planned the transport of the consignment which included 43 kg of RDX, 50 hand grenades, 16 AK-47 rifles and ammunition, Jaiswal said. The seizure of arms and explosives, made in May last, was one of the largest made in the state and the ATS had filed a chargesheet in the case. There are 18 accused in the case presently.
This article starring:
Students Islamic Movement of India
Mustafa Sayyed
Students Islamic Movement of India
Subodh Jaiswal from the Anti-Terrorism Squad
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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A small jirga of tribal elders is negotiating a ceasefire with government officials in North Waziristan after fierce clashes between security forces and militants in which 250 people have been killed. NWFP Governor Ali Jan Orakzai told reporters in Peshawar that a jirga was negotiating a ceasefire.
“Once the ceasefire is agreed upon then a larger jirga will discuss permanent peace,” he said.
“Once the ceasefire is agreed upon then a larger jirga will discuss permanent peace,” he said.
Tribal sources in Miranshah said that MNA Maulana Nek Zaman, Maulana Deen Dar and Maulana Muhammad Alam were holding meetings with the military authorities and the militants to reach a ceasefire. The jirga is also trying to negotiate the opening of the Miranshah-Bannu highway for public traffic.
However, the army reserved the right to retaliate if military installations were attacked. “We will retaliate if we come under fire,” Maj-Gen. Waheed Arshad told Daily Times by phone from Rawalpindi.
An informal ceasefire began on Wednesday to allow tribesmen to bury some 50 people who were killed in an airstrike the previous day that hit the main market in the village of Ippi. The army said the victims of the bombing were pro-Taliban militants, but residents said the dead were civilians including women and children.
55 civilians killed: “We know that the army killed 55 innocent people, and they included women and children,” Zaman told AP. “We know it because we buried them.”
Gen Arshad said he did not know how many civilians had died, but blamed militants for opening fire on security forces from villagers’ dwellings, making them legitimate targets. A military statement said elders from two villages near Mir Ali had sought army protection “because militants use their compounds, which are ultimately targeted by retaliating security forces drawing in and inflicting collateral damage on civilians”.
Many civilians have fled Mir Ali and nearby villages because of the fighting and a shortage of supplies. “Residents are still leaving for safer places despite the lull in fighting but the last two days have been far better,” Salam Dawar, a resident of Harmuz village, told Daily Times by phone.
50 foreign militants killed: Gen Arshad said the jirga which met military authorities told them that the 200 militants killed in ‘Operation al-Mizan’ included 50 foreigners, 25 of them Uzbeks and the rest from Tajikistan, Afghanistan and of Arab descent.
Two soldiers were injured when an improvised explosive device struck a military convoy coming from North Waziristan near Bannu airport on Thursday. Another IED was detected and safely exploded on the Miranshah-Bannu road at Pattasi Adda near Mir Ali, the military said. Late in the evening, militants fired rockets at the armyÂ’s Amin picket No 1 in Miranshah, prompting return fire from the security forces. There were no reports of casualties.
Yeah, sure. What's a few rockets fired off in the course of a ceasefire?
This article starring:
Ali Jan Orakzai
Maj-Gen. Waheed Arshad
Maulana Deen Dar
Maulana Muhammad Alam
Maulana Nek Zaman
Salam Dawar, a resident of Harmuz village
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I demand to know how many bunnies were traumatized.
Suicide attackers or fidayeens attacked a camp of India's key paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) camp in Srinagar, summer capital of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Thursday evening. The CRPF camp where the attack took place is located at Boulevard Hotel near Srinagars Dal lake, the news agency Indo Asian News Service reported. The area surrounding the hotel was crowded with Eid shoppers when the attack took place, the news agency said. An encounter between the CRPF and the suicide attackers is on. The attack took place when Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was hosting an Iftar party at Srinagars Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, nearly three kms away from the place of the attack.
If I'm reading this right, the site is sacred to Sufi Muslims, so I'd look to the Deobandis of Pakland to find the Mastermind™...
A small bomb exploded just after evening prayers at an important and crowded Muslim shrine in northwestern India on Thursday, killing at least two people and wounding eight, according to police. The blast occurred at around 6.15 p.m. (1245 GMT) just outside the famous Ajmer Sharif shrine, or dargah, in the city of Ajmer in the desert state of Rajasthan just before the end of the Ramadan fasting month. Hundreds of people were in and around the shrine at the time, many breaking their fast after prayers.
"A big crowd had gathered outside the main shrine to break their fast," Lalit Maheswari, additional police chief for Ajmer told Reuters. "The bomb was placed in a bag. We have recovered some mobile instruments, so we think some sophisticated device was used, but an investigation is going on."
Television pictures showed a man being stretchered from the site with his clothes apparently torn from his body and what appeared to be a corpse with his eyes open.
The shrine, which contains the tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Muslims in India.
KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - A bomb killed a child and wounded 13 others in a playground as they celebrated the Islamic festival of Eid on Friday in the northern Iraqi town of Tuz Khurmato, police said. The predominantly Shi'ite Turkmen town of Tuz Khurmato lies about 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.
Police Colonel Abbas Mohammed said a would-be suicide bomber hid the explosives in a cart he was pushing that was filled with children's toys. The bomber was wounded and is in hospital. Mohammed said he feared the death toll might rise.
A police source who declined to he named said 23 were wounded in the playground blast and most were children.
The playground bombing came a day after U.S. forces killed nine children and wounded three in an air strike on a building where they said senior al Qaeda members were meeting. Six women were also killed and one wounded in the strike. I am kind of surprised al Reuters put both these bits into the same story - the reader might be able to figure out that the reason these women and kids were killed was because guys like our playground bomber here were hiding behind them while our guys were pursuing them to prevent things like playground bombings.
#2
This is way beyond exploitation as PSYOPS. This calls for a full PR campaign throughout the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, a full advertising push, to equate al-Qaeda with child killing.
That the murder of Muslim children is *the* primary goal of al-Qaeda. In the public mind, they should be even more despicable than child molesters. Anyone who speaks on their behalf is a child hater, who wants to murder children.
#3
I might add that the strategy behind this is to force al-Qaeda to limit their targets, to actively try to avoid killing children. It will make what they are doing much, much harder, like how the US military was forced to create "no fire zones" in Vietnam.
#4
I think the reason they added the bit about the US forces was to make us look bad (as usual). It should have been a standalone story, but if they can link in our forces somehow... There is MSM logic in there somewhere.
#6
That the murder of Muslim children is *the* primary goal of al-Qaeda. In the public mind, they should be even more despicable than child molesters. Anyone who speaks on their behalf is a child hater, who wants to murder children.
Include those who would 'negotiate' with them. Some things simply should not be negotiable -- period.
#11
I think the reason they added the bit about the US forces was to make us look bad
While true, it goes beyond simple miscasting, Unique Battle. As Glenmore notes, this is a blatant attempt to attribute a "root cause" to American behavior instead of making sure the ball is left where it belongs; Which is squarely in Islam's court. This is a sterling example of the media willfully obfuscating Islam's status as a death cult. Does Israel force the Palestinians to recruit young retarded boys to wear bomb vests or inculcate their kindergarteners as shaheeds? Did coalition troops force Iraqi terrorists to leave two infants strapped into their car seats as they detonated the VBIED carrying them?
'moose is dead nuts right. This should be the basis of a massive psyops campaign to equate al Qaeda with child killers. These Islamic thugs are lower than a snake's belly full of buckshot and the whole world needs to know about it. Instead, you can bet your bottom dollar that this will amount to nothing more than another golden opportunity that slides under the bridge in the name of preserving Islam's reputation as the Religion of Peace. [spit]
The groups forming the council include the Islamic Army of Iraq, the Mujahideen Army, Ansar al-Sunna, the Fatiheen Army, the Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance (Jami) and the Islamic Movement of Hamas-Iraq.
Six main Iraqi insurgent groups announced the formation of a "political council" aimed at "liberating" Iraq from U.S. occupation in a video aired Thursday on Al-Jazeera television.
The council appeared to be a new attempt to assert the leadership of the groups, which have moved to distance themselves from another coalition of insurgent factions led by al-Qaida in Iraq.
In the video aired on Al-Jazeera, a man identified as the council's spokesman — wearing traditional Iraqi garb, with his face blacked out — announced the council's formation and a "political program to liberate Iraq." He said the program was based on two principles.
"First, the occupation is an oppression and aggression, rejected by Islamic Sharia law and tradition. Resistance™ of occupation is a right guaranteed by all religions and laws," he said. "Second, the armed Resistance™ ... is the Legitimate™ representative of Iraq. It is the one that bears responsibility for the leadership of the people to achieve its legitimate hope."
The groups forming the council include the Islamic Army of Iraq, the Mujahideen Army, Ansar al-Sunna, the Fatiheen Army, the Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance (Jami) and the Islamic Movement of Hamas-Iraq.
The step could be a bid by the insurgents for a more cohesive political voice at a time of considerable rearrangement among Sunni insurgent groups and Iraq's Sunni Arab minority. Splinter factions of two insurgent groups, the 1920 Revolution Brigades and the Mujahideen Army, have cooperated with U.S. forces in fighting insurgents allied to al-Qaida in Iraq.
Earlier this year, other groups — the Islamic Army of Iraq, the main faction of the Mujahideen Army, a branch of Ansar al-Sunna and the Fatiheen Army — formed a coalition called the Jihad and Reform Front opposed to al-Qaida in Iraq, though they have continued attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces.
#2
ok 2 questions. 1. haven't they tried this before? 2. If Al Jizz seems too be a mouth piece for these terror groups including Al Q , then why does washington still let them have an open office in wasgington and i'm sure new york. Wouldn't this like pretty much be letting spies or just enemies sit here and spew their bullshit
The commander in charge of helping local Iraqis organize and fight al Qaeda and other anti-coalition forces said Wednesday that a raid last month netted a treasure trove of information that could spell the doom of al Qaeda terrorist smuggling operations in Iraq and, potentially, worldwide.
The description of the find exemplifies the kind of intelligence American and Iraqi forces are gaining, with the help of local tipsters, and provides a window into how commanders speak with such authority on insurgent ties to Iran and al Qaeda activity in Iraq.
The raid, conducted Sept. 11 in the town of Sinjar near the Syrian border, targeted what Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner called “a foreign terrorist facilitation cell.”
As coalition forces busted in on the seven-man AQ team, one of them detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and one of his companions, while the U.S. team made short work of the rest.
Aside from disrupting the small smuggling team, coalition forces found “literally terabytes of electronic files,” Bergner said, including 800 names of al Qaeda terrorists – 143 of those either “en route or already delivered” to Iraq.
The intel included the terrorists’ names, passport numbers, home addresses and “their transit routes that were involved in getting them here,” Bergner said in an interview with military bloggers Oct. 10.
The computer files included documents on logistics and administrative activities, “we saw how they spend their money on everything from food, fuel and weapons … and even allocation of money to support some of their families,” Bergner added.
In one macabre find, Bergner said troops obtained copies of suicide pledges “that al Qaeda is using to help lead these individuals towards the performance of a suicide mission.”
Though the raid netted only seven dead AQ terrorists, the information gleaned from it could cripple the groupÂ’s operations in Iraq. Home addresses, phone numbers, transit routes, money information, food procurement, ammo, gunsÂ…think how many strands of the web were picked up and the down-stream effects those have to the entire AQ network.
I wonder if AQ cells are going to change their record keeping after this. And it also makes me wonder why they keep such detailed operational records. I thought we were being led to believe these groups were “loosely affiliated cells.” Only someone that was being held to strict account would keep such detailed records.
#1
As coalition forces busted in on the seven-man AQ team, one of them detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and one of his companions, while the U.S. team made short work of the rest.
Even AQ is helping out the Coalition these days! :-)
Aside from disrupting the small smuggling team, coalition forces found “literally terabytes of electronic files,” Bergner said, including 800 names of al Qaeda terrorists – 143 of those either “en route or already delivered” to Iraq.
Terabytes? Hmm. I'm going to start a betting pool on how much of that is pr0n. I'll take 99%.
#3
Terabytes? Hmm. I'm going to start a betting pool on how much of that is pr0n. I'll take 99%.
Inserting messsages in images through steganography and then putting those images in a website is a good way to unconspicuously brodcast information specially if website gets a lot of visits.
#4
Ah. So the poor terrorists are forced to have to use pr0n images to broadcast their messages. It's probably allowed in the name of taquiyya. Where can I sign up? :-)
#6
JFM - that's a pretty big english word for a Frenchman. I'm impressed! steganography
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/12/2007 6:21 Comments ||
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#7
.
This is a good example of the advantages of fighting offensively. When we go into our enemy's territory and attack them in their bases, then there will be many advantages for our side. Whenever we disperse the enemy, especially when we do so unexpectedly and violently, then we cause a lot of confusion, loss of information, loss of secrecy and loss of initiative.
This is true at the tactical level and also at the strategic level. When the USA invaded Afghantistan and also when the USA invaded Iraq, we shook up huge regions, dislodged large organizations and disrupted broad networks.
We created chaos that enabled new forces to stand up and eventually to ally themselves with us. These new forces are the oppressed majorities, the religious and ethnic minorities, the proponents for modernization, and multitudes of individuals looking for personal vengeances and opportunities.
The people who oppose our invasion of Iraq underestimate the many advantages of going onto the offensive. They argue that we would have been wiser to limit our strategy to strengthening our defenses, strengthening our alliances and strengthening our moral reputation.
Certainly there are many disadvantages to going on the offensive. Let's do recognize, however, the many advantages of being able to attack and to seize people, equipment, documents and information and to chase people from their bases and to scatter them far and wide.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
10/12/2007 7:06 Comments ||
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#8
Good point, Mike.
I would characterize one point differently, however:
The people who oppose our invasion of Iraq underestimate the many advantages of going onto the offensive.
I don't think they oppose it because of any military strategic considerations. They oppose it because in their world view, war is always wrong, regardless of it's causes, it's goals, or it's outcome. The concept that there are evil people in the world, and that you don't reason with evil, but rather, you crush it, never enters their minds. It's the antithesis of Americanism.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
#9
It sounds too good to be true, which means it probably is. More likely this group are like a motor pool file, in which after the fact, dozens of vehicles and mountains of equipment just happened to be parked there when the fire broke out.
That is, they are good cover for where we really got the info. Think about it. Terabytes of data? *A* terabyte of data would take over 200 DVDs.
#10
Back to Sylwester's points; You never get a peek into the organization if you stay on defense, but by kicking in a door or two, you get at the bookkeeping and phone banks and contact numbers and locations. A great deal at any rate.
#13
JFM - that's a pretty big english word for a Frenchman. I'm impressed!
In French it is steganographie. In fact it is a Greek word who has been adapted to other languages. Did I mention I work in IT?
Also in the vein of the old commercials for French Navy: "Enlist and you will visit countries" I envision the following slogan for Al Queda: "Enlist and you will get all the p0rn you can watch".
#14
For an interesting fictional read that covers steganography very nicely, consider perusing William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition". As a tasty side-dish, he serves up some historical insight about how the Curta calculator narrowly escaped stillbirth at the Buchenwald concentration camp.
#17
Bobby, JFM has been using steganography in all his comments. Yesterday, he reminded me that I haven't had a good boef tartare in a while. And a few days ago he reminded me to drink a bottle of claret (Vieux Chateau Certan) every day for month. All of this appeared as he was commenting on Algerian unrest. Go figure.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/12/2007 16:30 Comments ||
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#18
It is interesting, how a good intell wonk can take a terabyte here and a gigabyte there and unravel the whole shebang.
I just hope we can make some use of this fun stuff before the NYT sends a love note to OBL and let's him know whats been found.
I think our guys in the back room are putting together a pretty good mosaic of AQ operations and I expect the rate of attrition of that organization in Iraq to accellerate.
Gosh I hope so, my driver and his family want to know when I can come back for a visit.
American air forces in coordination with ground troops killed 13 gunmen over the past 24 hours, the US Army said in a statement released on Thursday. The air force scrambled into action after being tipped about a group of gunmen poising to assault a residence in the western sector of the capital. The aircraft radars detected the armed elements as they were assembling at a location close to the target. Back-up aircraft opened fire on the gunmen, instantly killing 10 of them. Shortly later, American ground forces arrived at the scene and radioed to the overflying air force about location of three gunmen trying to hide. The trio were also killed immediately after they were shot upon. The statement said the three armed men were affiliated to a notorious cell, known for engineering car bomb blasts.
The air force scrambled into action after being tipped about a group of gunmen poising to assault a residence in the western sector of the capital. The aircraft radars detected the armed elements as they were assembling at a location close to the target. Back-up aircraft opened fire on the gunmen, instantly killing 10 of them. Shortly later, American ground forces arrived at the scene and radioed to the overflying air force about location of three gunmen trying to hide. The trio were also killed immediately after they were shot upon.
The wimminz and kiddies were in the house where the final three gunnies holed up.
saw that yesterday..
and the Hate America Harpies Started Another Round of Condemnation™... Wot a Surprise..
We Repeat: da simple math.. USA/Coalition are Saving Iraqi Men, Women and Children by the thousands every month..
Because we are rolling up the Gross Murderers, the Terrorists that use multiple VIBEDs in food markets, hotels, government buildings and religious gatherings.
Suicide Vests in lines, weddings and funerals etc.
And shoot em up drive bys and kidnappings.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
10/12/2007 12:14 Comments ||
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#7
..Because the strategy is paying off in Iraq look for AP, MSM, and other anti-USA organs overseas to pour it on.
Wouldn't be surprised to see another breathless Abu Ghraib Series by WAPO or the NYSlimes... LOL!
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
10/12/2007 12:22 Comments ||
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An Iraqi officer was killed and three others were injured when two booby-trapped cars exploded at army bases in Kirkuk city northern Iraq, a security source said on Thursday. The source revealed that one of the cars, loaded with plaster material, exploded yesterday at a military base for the army injuring three officers and causing damage to properties nearby.
One of the officers died while he was at hospital, indicated the source, adding that another suicide attack on a base in Abbasi area led to property damage.
A suicide car bomb blew up Thursday evening at a public caf{ in Baghdad, killing at least eight people and leaving 25 wounded, an Iraqi source said on Thursday. The source told KUNA the suicide attacker rammed his explosives-laden car into a popular cafe and detonated the bomb, adding that the death toll could rise as some of the wounded were in critical conditions. The incident took place at 9:00 pm (1800 GMT) shortly after the Eid al-Fitr holiday began while young men were relaxing at the cafe in New Baghdad area in the southeast of the capital, according to the source. The explosion caused damage to nearby shops, including several vehicles who parked near the cafe.
Two Palestinian factions claimed joint responsibility for launching a missile at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Thursday. The National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed joint responsibility for the attack. They said the attack was in retaliation for Israeli crimes and escalation in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces killed Thursday a Palestinian activist affiliated with Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, in Jenin. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops in Arab dress broke into the city and opened fire on a car carrying Aqsa activists, killing Mohammed Abu-Suror. The Israeli troops detained another Aqsa activist, Hilal Al-Saadi, adding that they continued to fire heavily at Abu-Suror even after his death.
This operation came one day after killing of another Aqsa activist in the city of Nablus, and the killing of a Fatah activist and wounding another. Israeli troops also detained over 10 Palestinians in Nablus and neighboring areas, including a young girl.
Three Palestinian activists were wounded when Israeli warplanes launched an attack targeting activists in the town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip on Thursday. According to medical sources, the injured are affiliated with Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, and one of them is seriously injured.
Locals said an Israeli warplane fired three missiles in separate areas in Beit Hanoun and injured a Palestinian fighter.
Another Israeli aircraft demolished the main electricity power station in the town of Beit Lahiya, causing power outage in several parts of the city. The power station at Sheikh Zayed residential city was also destroyed by an Israeli warplane missile. There was electricity outage but no causalities were reported.
#2
It's getting to the point that a group of men wearing Arab clothing and speaking like natives are assuredly Israeli troops escorting Shin Bet assassins.
#3
Another Israeli aircraft demolished the main electricity power station in the town of Beit Lahiya, causing power outage in several parts of the city. The power station at Sheikh Zayed residential city was also destroyed by an Israeli warplane missile
A strong explosion targeting a vehicle of a Hamas activist shook Khan Younis city south of Gaza early Thursday. Eyewitnesses said the explosion, caused by a bomb planted under the car of Zayid Al-Qodra, destroyed the vehicle completely. The explosion that took place in Al-Qodra street did not cause any casualties, they added. According to the witnesses, a large number of the deposed Palestinian government's executive force members rushed to the area following the explosion.
A suspected terrorist insurgent was shot dead by security force during fierce fighting in a dawn raid at a village in this southern border province.
Over 100 personnel from combined police, military and the civil administration raided the targeted village at 6.30 am but were ambushed by a group of suspected terrorists insurgents as they were about to attack. After 20 minutes of a fierce exchange of gunfire, the insurgents withdrew. Two local officials were wounded in the firefight and were evacuated to hospital.
The forces had inspected the area and one suspected terrorist insurgent was found dead at the scene of the fighting. Local officials said they needed more time to identify dead suspected terrorist insurgent. Military weapons and ammunition were also seized during the raid. The joint combined force were reinforced to track the suspected terrorists insurgents. At least three of the anti-government group were believed to have been injured during the gun fight.
Meanwhile, at 12.30 pm, two villagers of Tak Bai district of Narathiwat were shot during riding a motorcycle back home from the nearby monastery. One victim, identified as Thas Kaewnoi, died at the scene but his wife, Mrs. Niam, while wounded, survived the attack and is hospitalised in Tak Bai.
In nearby Songkhla province, three mobile phone signal posts in Chana district were torched by suspected insurgents. Police said the insurgents used oil-soaked clothing to fire the posts.
Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace on Thursday. A Lebanese military source told KUNA Israeli warplanes flew low over Jazin and Iqlim Al-Toffah regions in southern Lebanon. The Israeli violation goes against UN resolution 1701.
#3
gorb snark haz growd up good, snidely derisive in both breadth and width! kudos!
Snark (Half-Life)FYI, Snarks are small, red, and bulbous, with a large (in relation to body porportion) single green eye and a large pincer-like mandible.
Snarks are normally calm creatures that show little signs of intelligence, but if they see any living creature other than another Snark, they immediately begin to attack it.
Snarks seem to colonize in the form of an egg sac and only emerge to attack.
They attack aggressively, persistently, and erratically, leaping and biting at their target. After attacking for about twenty seconds, a snark will explode in a spray of acid.
Despite their size, they are very dangerous, doing as much as 10 damage with each quick bite (a player can normally take 100 damage).
At each bite they release a squeak, which becomes progressively higher in pitch as the time they have left to live shortens.
At the end of their 20 seconds, they release a last squeak before exploding.
~:)
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
10/12/2007 17:00 Comments ||
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The head of a British demining team on Thursday died in an accidental blast of a cluster bomb left behind by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, official sources said. The bomb disposal expert died while examining the bomb at a location near the village of Ainata close to the Israeli-Lebanese border. Scores of people have lost their lives in such incidents in south Lebanon.
#2
how about adding the truth?:
"Scores of people have lost their lives in such incidents in south Lebanon... The cluster munitions were used in response to an across-border attck by Hezbollah which killed Israeli soldiers and abducted hostages. Both actions violate International law. Hezbollah is an armed militia funded by Syria and Iran and operates by their bidding, not in any Lebanese interests. Hezbollah also uses civilians' homes, schools and hospitals for weapons centers, often holding civilians hostages as human shields. All these actions are violations of International law. The cluster munitions would not be there but for Iran, Syria, and their puppet terrorist's actions"
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2007 7:14 Comments ||
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We've had a little problem lately with trolls, some old, some new, infesting the Burg. Consider this post as a dose of Kwell for the problem.
The mods will troll-dump anyone who spams. We'll troll-dump anyone who's main purpose on the Burg is to pick fights and antagonise others. We'll troll-dump anyone who forgets how to behave decently in a civilized, on-line society. Some behaviors that will lead to troll-dumping include repeated insults to other posters, hijacking of posts and comments, and antagonizing others.
We do not troll-dump people who have divergent opinions and express those opinions in a reasonable and respectful way. Divergent opinions are helpful to all of us, they challenge us to defend what we think.
Troll-dumping is different than redacting. We occasionally remove (redact) comments that violate our policies, but a person who is redacted may continue to post (remembering why their one post was redacted).
The mods discuss troll-dumping at the Moditorial Ranch-n-Day Spa. We monitor the situation and agree on when to pull the trigger. We try not to act precipitously but when pushed to our limit, we'll act.
Regulars should know that we won't put up with trolling. It may take a few days to deal with borderline cases, but we will indeed act. A private e-mail to a mod is very helpful in alerting us to a problem.
And trolls should understand that Rantburg is not a place to poop. If your main goal in life is to antagonize others, go draw a cartoon of Mahommad. That should do it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/12/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11130 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
.
OK. Can we go play some more now?
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
10/12/2007 9:49 Comments ||
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#2
I don't have the patience to play, Mike.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 9:52 Comments ||
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Posted by: Boris the Wonder Troll ||
10/12/2007 10:21 Comments ||
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#8
Can't we all just get along?
Posted by: Rodney King ||
10/12/2007 10:46 Comments ||
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#9
Apparently not, Rodney.
"If your main goal in life is to antagonize others, go draw a cartoon of Mahommad. That should do it."
Outstanding snark, Steve. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/12/2007 10:49 Comments ||
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#10
My only request is that when a troll post is deleted, it is replaced by a placeholder. That way, if someone refers to a request for a cleanup, or just to another post, by number, the numbers will still be valid.
The best placeholder is the picture of the trooper asking the poster to leave the internet because they are too f*cking stupid.
#11
Excellent, excellent, excellent category for this post, "War on Terror". Not being able to deal with dissent verbally is indeed terrifying to those who are not verbally effective and must moderate through banishment of free speech.
#13
Pheager, just keep it civil, well reasoned and on topic and you'll be OK. I can't speak for Fred but I would personally welcome a liberal or a jihadi to this site if they could present a coherent point of view. I think it would be most interesting to exchange views with them. There have been a few who tried, I think most notably the Levant who cheered for Hezbollah when they were having their little dust up with the IDF. As far as I know he was never redacted, removed or sinktrapped even though his views on this blog were highly unpopular to say the least. But his kind are few and far between and mostly incoherent. Draw your own conclusions as to why. Maybe they would rather kill us than try to reason with us. Maybe they are just incoherent. Maybe their masters are afraid they might learn something here.
#15
Hey Imposter,
The freedom to assemble doesn't mean any ol ass can walk off the street into my dinner party, eat my food, piss in my bathroom, then drink my booze and yell at me because it isn't the brand s/he wants or should be.
Sarcasm is the very lack of communication, whether written or verbal, that you call others guilty of.
"Out of the unconscious lips of babes and sucklings are we satirized. " - Mark Twain
I know he is talking about how children grow up to be mirrors of their parents, but it seems somehow appropriate.
If your speech is truly being squashed I would not have had the opportunity to witness your behavior, at a gracious host's expense.
#17
Rantburg represents my free speech, nobody else's. You're welcome here as long as you're reasonably civil and well-behaved, and we don't push the definitions to extremes.
But even if you are, if I decide I don't want you around, I have every right to ban you. If you want a site where your free speech is being showcased, you should
1. Contract with a hosting company and write them regular checks
2. Write or buy and install the software
3. Administer the database
4. Write whatever you damned well please
I have no problem with people who don't have the same views as I do. But we can have identical views and I'll dump you if you're rude and abrasive.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2007 12:51 Comments ||
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#19
Another thing to keep in mid, Pheager: this website is private property. Fred owns it. He's generous enough to invite the rest of us to come play in his sandbox, but that's always with the proviso that Fred gets to make the rules, and reserves the right to withdraw the invitation at any time for whatever reason strikes his fancy.
That's the same set of rules, by the way, in effect at every other website I know of that allows comments: LGF, Kos, MyDD, Brothers Judd, the Amazon "Car Lust" blog, and millions more. You might also note that your friendly local dead-tree newspaper has the same degree of control--absolute--over its Op-Ed page and Letters to the Editor column.
The concept of "free speech" protects political and artistic expression from government censorship, but it doesn't give you an easement over someone else's private property. You have a free speech right to campaign for Hillary Clinton, but no right to put a Hillary! sign in my front yard if I don't want one.
There are plenty of opinionated websites that enforce absolute ideological conformity in the comboxes--the Chomskyite site "zmag.org" for example. As private citizens exercising dominion over their private property, they're of course free to do so.
Fred doesn't do that. He has a standard of civility that he enforces, but it's not so tight that it doesn't prevent raucous and freewheeling debate, and more'n a little hostility from time to time. (You shoulda seen the flaming I got on an immigration thread a few months back--and what I got was mild compared to some other combox wars I've seen!) You wanna play in Fred's sandbox, you have to observe Fred's rules. If you don't like Fred's rules, start your own site (it's free on Blogspot!) and set the rules you want. If you have something interesting to say, you'll build an audience and attract a group of regulars.
If you're gonna hang out here, spend some time reading old threads and lurking to get a feel for the place and the people here. Argue intelligently, try not to get personal, and you'll do fine. We might even get you to change your mind--or vice-versa!
Posted by: Mike ||
10/12/2007 13:26 Comments ||
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#22
Some people are uncontaminated by common courtesy immune to reason or even the civilizing effects of polite society. Oh yeah, and what Barbara said.
#28
I was able to post without a "roadside america" site opening up when I deleted some content. There is nothing even remotely offensive in it. ----------
Local regs make my local betting place pay 93% of slot machine receipts back to players.
If they are not subject to national law, what would prevent them from keeping 20+ percent?
The government may treat betting as a moral issue, but they have consumer interests to protect.
The WTO can go to blazes.
#29
One addition: Aris is not welcome here any more. We mods are very tired of his thread-hijacking and insults. All of his comments will be troll-dumped and he's on the poop list.
That's just the way it is.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/12/2007 17:00 Comments ||
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#31
I got it!!!!!! Use the word that begins with cas- and ends with -ino, and you end up in "Roadside America." "Gambling den of iniquity" would be OK.
#32
What's the problem with Roadside America? We found the World's Largest Catsup Bottle there and visiting it was one of the highlights of this summer's vacation. Thanks for the tip, Fred.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
10/12/2007 17:30 Comments ||
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#38
Fred you're a hypocrite!!! And you accuse Muslims of being easily offended!!!
Stop promulgating this nonsense about privacy when you've opened your website to the public! Sure you can pull the trigger on anybody for whatever reason you wish, but what does that say about your character?
Posted by: Hans Klass ||
10/12/2007 17:38 Comments ||
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#39
Nimble S:
Okay, maybe the "casnios" attempt self-interested promotion here. Let me see if another designation for self-promotion is also a "Roadsider": DONALD TRUMP.
Yeah, we know; and it's primarily because of the annoyance caused to the regular readership by these jerks, that we decided to drop the hammer on 'em.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
10/12/2007 18:40 Comments ||
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#51
I know you're probably surprised, but I welcomed it.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2007 18:44 Comments ||
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#52
...the frigging hammer
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2007 18:45 Comments ||
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#53
A while back I registered at DailyKos and DU because I wanted to honestly debate their take on the war against radical Islam and other issues. Not only was it very difficult to post criticisms because of the layout of those sites but my comments - well-reasoned and delivered nonconfrontationally - were soon deleted.
Aris can go and complain to them about the unfairness of their "guest speaker" policy (assuming there is a subject in which he is in disagreement with them).
#54
I know you're probably surprised, but I welcomed it.
Easy for you to say, but I got them bad erupting Teefes.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/12/2007 19:37 Comments ||
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#55
they c me rollin,
patrolin,
they spamin
IMA KICKIN
Posted by: U Wanna b A Mood ||
10/12/2007 19:43 Comments ||
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#56
Knock it off.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
10/12/2007 19:55 Comments ||
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#57
Done
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/12/2007 19:56 Comments ||
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#58
Thank you. And like Steve has said: pick one nym-- ONE-- and stick to it.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
10/12/2007 19:58 Comments ||
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#59
While we're on the topic, count me among the mods who have grown fed up lately with
a) tendentious comments by people who just HAVE to have the last word in a thread (despite having posted dozens of comments that day)
b) snide pooping comments. You know who you are, and some of you are already troll listed.
c) 'clever' trolls who use umpteen 'nyms &/or umpteen IP addresses to play these games.
d) guests here who issue belligerent challenges and demand, DEMAND, an answer. Who indeed strut proudly about claiming vindication if they a) don't get one that night or b) don't like the one they got or c) are too stupid to see that they did indeed get answered.
Like Fred, Dave and Steve have already said: knock it off.
#62
How long did Aris last this time? Like a week or something. Too bad. Heck, I'm even man enough (or stupid enough) to admit that I thought 3-4 yrs ago he was good for a point here or there. I even thought he was fairly bright about playin' devil's ad. However, after observing his infantile reasoning this past week, along w/not answering valid challenges, & bringing up huge non-sequitors (i.e. chinese exclusion policy, & muslim converts to christianity still being murderers, lol) made me remember that for the 10% of validity he brought to a discussion there was the 90% of non-sensical crap that came w/it thus making the aforementioned 10% not worth bearing. So goodbye again Aris, I used to think you we're just an *sshole, albeit an intellectual one. Now I'm certain you're just the former.
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.
(SomaliNet) At least 7 people were killed in fresh violence in Somalia, most of them in Somali capital, Mogadishu where the Ethiopian-backed government began security sweeps this week to find guns and insurgents, witnesses said on Wednesday. 
A French man who was arrested in Spain with explosives in his vehicle on Sunday had been planning a suicide attack in Barcelona, Spanish state security sources said on Thursday. The sources said 
Islamic militants staged one of their boldest attacks in months in Indian Kashmir on Thursday by attempting to storm a heavily-guarded police camp and provoking a fierce gun battle, police said. The crackle of gunfire could be heard from the banks of the scenic Dal Lake near Srinagar, the urban hub of the anti-India revolt in the disputed region, as security forces battled what rebels claimed was a three-member unit of Islamist fighters. "Militants hurled grenades and opened fire at one of our battalion headquarters in a bid to storm it this (Thursday) evening," P. Tripathi, a spokesman for Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) told reporters.
Seven soldiers and two civilians were killed in a blast at an Indian army camp in Baramula on Thursday. Scores of soldiers and civilians were also injured, APP reported.
AJMER: At least two pilgrims were killed and 17 others, including a child, wounded in a bomb blast at the sufi shrine of Khawaja Moinuddhin Chishti where thousands of devotees gathered to break the day-long Ramzan fast on Thursday. 
A top 
MUMBAI: An accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case of last year in which over 40 kg of RDX was seized, has been arrested in Hyderabad, police said on Thursday. 
A small jirga of tribal elders is negotiating a ceasefire with government officials in North Waziristan after fierce clashes between security forces and militants in which 250 people have been killed. NWFP Governor 
However, the army reserved the right to retaliate if military installations were attacked. “We will retaliate if we come under fire,” 
Two Palestinian factions claimed joint responsibility for launching a missile at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Thursday. The 
Three Palestinian activists were wounded when Israeli warplanes launched an attack targeting activists in the town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip on Thursday. According to medical sources, the injured are affiliated with Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, and one of them is seriously injured.
