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Tunisia jugs 19 for al Qaeda links
Today's Headlines
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Page 1: WoT Operations
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Afghanistan
Talibs kill 8 Afghan cops
At least eight Afghan police have been killed and seven others wounded in two separate militant attacks in southern Afghanistan.

Taliban militants opened fire on anti-drugs Afghan policemen, who were destroying poppy-cultivated fields, in Maiwand district of Kandahar province, killing four police, provincial police chief Sayed Agha Saqib said Sunday. He said some Taliban militants were also killed in the firefight but could not say the exact figure.

Separately, in Gereshk district of Helmand province, Taliban militants ambushed a police vehicle overnight and killed four officers and wounded seven, district police Chief Khair Mohammad Sheja said.
Posted by: Fred || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under: Taliban

#1  Wherever there are drug interests to be maintained, the Taliban are ready to do the dirty. Bring out the napalm.
Posted by: McZoid || 04/14/2008 7:40 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Tunisia jugs 19 for al Qaeda links
A Tunisian court has jailed 19 men for up to eight years for having links to al Qaeda's North Africa wing, a defence lawyer said on Sunday. "Tunis court judge Hedi Ayari announced the verdict to jail the 19 men between one and eight years for having links with al Qaeda and setting up a Jihadist cell," lawyer Samir Dylo Said, adding the verdict was pronounced on Saturday. The defendants, who were arrested in late 2006, had pleaded not guilty.

Local lawyers say about 1,000 people have been arrested since 2003 on terrorism charges including recruiting fighters for the Iraqi insurgency against U.S.-led forces. Fourteen gunmen were killed in and around Tunis in clashes in late 2006 and early 2007, rare breaches of security in a country most Europeans know only as a tranquil holiday destination. Thirty Tunisian Islamists said by police to have been involved in the clashes were found guilty in December of belonging to a terrorist group. One was sentenced to death while the remainder were sentenced to long prison terms.
Posted by: Fred || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Top judge murdered in southern Russia
NAZRAN, Russia - A top judge in Russia's southern troubled province of Ingushetia who had led trials of Islamic rebels was shot dead on Sunday, local police said. Khasan Yandiyev, deputy head of Ingushetia's Supreme Court, was killed while changing a tyre on his car near the town of Karabulak, a regional interior ministry spokesman said. “No one heard the shot, perhaps it was a sniper or assailants used a gun with silencer,” he added saying that Yandiyev died of wounds in an ambulance car on the way to hospital. The spokesman said an investigation was under way, but could give no further details.
It's Russia. Of course he'll say no more.
Russian news agencies said earlier that Yandiyev, 51, was killed from an assault rifle. As a senior judge, Yandiyev has chaired trials of both Islamic rebels and corrupt officials, Russian media said.
This article starring:
Khasan Yandiyev
Posted by: Steve White || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under: Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

#1  Ingushetia: Putin has the right formula [Chechnya] for the Islamics.

The Putian formula tho is pretty damn rough on the target population worth savin, as well as the target population that needs killin.
Posted by: RD || 04/14/2008 12:02 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Paks arrest three in kaboom of top doc
Secret agencies in Karachi have arrested three suspected terrorists, including the mastermind of a suicide attack that killed the Army’s chief medic in Rawalpindi on February 25, sources said on Sunday.

According to the sources, those arrested have links to Al Qaeda and were allegedly planning to launch suicide attacks on the Karachi corps commander and Navy Vice Admiral Iskandar Mirza. The suspects, posing as newspaper hawkers, had carried out surveillance of their intended targets, the source said, adding that they had also managed to have tea with staff in the office of the Naval vice admiral. However, sources in the Anti-Terrorist Wing, which consists of various secret agencies, claimed the suspects were allowed to have tea so that they could be arrested safely.

During the investigation, the sources said, the suspects had disclosed that their accomplice had killed Lieutenant General Mushtaq Baig after information they had gathered following their surveillance. The suspects also claimed to be present at the crime scene when Baig was killed, the source added.

The sources quoted them as telling investigators that they were apologetic over the death of a doctor but considered every person who was a part of a government allied with the United States worthy of being killed.

The suspects, who hail from North Waziristan and Punjab, also divulged the presence of 20 of their accomplices in the city. The sources said they had claimed that the late Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah had trained them, and that Baitullah Mehsud and Al Qaeda commander Tahir Yelduf were their patrons.

The Anti-Terrorist Wing is working to arrest other accomplices who are operating in the city disguised as hawkers.
This article starring:
BAITULLAH MEHSUDTaliban
Lieutenant General Mushtaq Baig
MULLAH DADULLAHTaliban
TAHIR YELDUFal-Qaeda
Vice Admiral Iskandar Mirza
Posted by: Fred || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda

#1  The sources quoted them as telling investigators that they were apologetic over the death of a doctor

OK, so we apologise just before tripping the trap door, all OK now?
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 04/14/2008 22:43 Comments || Top||


Iraq
British journalist rescued in Basra
BAGHDAD - Iraqi troops rescued a British journalist for CBS News in the southern city of Basra on Monday two months after he was kidnapped, the Iraqi military said. Richard Butler was in good condition when he was found with a sack over his head and his hands tied inside a house, Lt. Gen. Mohan al-Fireji said. The discovery came during an Iraqi military sweep in the Jibiliya area, a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Defense ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said that an army patrol conducting a search came under fire from the house where Butler was being held. One of the gunmen was wounded in an exchange of fire and another captured while two men escaped, he said.

Butler was later shown on Iraqi state television laughing and greeting his rescuers."Thank you and I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS and thank you again," Butler told al-Askari. He described the soldiers' performance as "brilliant."

"The Iraqi army stormed the house and overcame my guards and they burst through the door," Butler said. "I had my hood on, which I had to have on all the time, and they shouted something at me, and I pulled my hood off."

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband welcomed Butler's release and said he was "very grateful to (Iraqi) security forces for the professionalism of the task they have undertaken." He said Butler was in the care of the British consulate in Basra. In New York, CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said the network was "incredibly grateful that our colleague ... has been released and is safe."

Butler was kidnapped along with his Iraqi interpreter on Feb. 10 in Basra. The interpreter was later released. Iraqi police and witnesses said the two men were seized by about eight masked gunmen wielding machine guns who stormed a hotel in the city.
Posted by: tu3031 || 04/14/2008 13:48 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  BBC Headline: British journalist FREED in Iraq

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7346487.stm

In another BBC article he's RELEASED.

It's "almost" deliberately misleading.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 04/14/2008 14:00 Comments || Top||

#2  It will be interesting to see what kind of coverage the Iraqi forces get from the MSM or if it gets spun somehow????
Would they so stoopid as to bite the hand that frees it???
Posted by: USN,Ret. || 04/14/2008 14:02 Comments || Top||

#3  Would they so stoopid as to bite the hand that frees it???

Yes but its not out of stupidity; its out of malice.
Posted by: mhw || 04/14/2008 14:14 Comments || Top||

#4  Richard Butler was in good condition when he was found with a sack over his head and his hands tied inside a house

Too bad they didn't follow the British-Army model and 'not get involved in an obvious Shiite matter'.
Posted by: Pappy || 04/14/2008 15:28 Comments || Top||

#5  The the Iraqi government, doing british heavy lifting again. Whay exactly are the british forces still doing in sothern Iraq? Are they waiting to surrender to Iran?

And yes, I know the problem comes from the top.
Posted by: Hector || 04/14/2008 16:27 Comments || Top||

#6  This guy works for the Australian version of 60 Minutes, a program I loath and refuse to watch under circumstances, not least because they paid terrorists large amounts of money for their stories. Thus making terrorism both cool and profitable.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/14/2008 19:02 Comments || Top||

#7  phil b - wonder if this schmuck still thinks terrorism's coooool.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 04/14/2008 20:06 Comments || Top||

#8  I wonder if briton's foreign office will offer his kidnappers sanctuary, along with tea and scones.

spit
Posted by: Hector || 04/14/2008 20:14 Comments || Top||

#9  His fortune is made, the papers will throw ungodly sums at him gor an "Exclusive" Interview, then slant/print whatever they want (Depending on the paper's intended Agenda)
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 04/14/2008 22:47 Comments || Top||


Halted Basra campaign continues to successfully move forward
BASRA, Iraq – Operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, entered a new phase of operations in Basrah, April 12. The operation, which began March 24, has now started the process of clearing strongholds previously dominated by criminal militias.

A deliberate house-to-house clearance operation of the south-western Basrah district of al-Qiblah was conducted without major incident. It resulted in significant quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives being found. To date, Coalition forces involvement has been minimal, reflecting the ever increasing ability and resolve of the Iraqi Security Forces to enforce the rule of law.

Iraqi operations in al-Qiblah to date have yielded an improvised explosive device factory, numerous weapons handed over by locals, or left in the streets, in addition to two significant arms cache finds with numerous IEDs, mortars and RPGs.

Operations have not been limited to Basra. A senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader was arrested at an Iraqi Army checkpoint in the small town of Abu al-Khasib 20 kilometers southeast of Basrah.

Coalition forces continue to provide 24-hour-a-day airborne surveillance over the city for the ISF. On several occasions, CF fighter aircraft provided “shows of force” in support of ISF troops on the ground and remain ready to provide air support if required.

Elsewhere, United Kingdom and United States Military Transition Teams, or MiTTs, are embedded with Iraqi Security Forces. These teams are providing advice and support to the units they work alongside.

The atmosphere inside the city has generally been calm over the past two weeks. The people of Basrah are proud of what the Iraqi Security Forces, both Police and Army, have achieved in the city. Many Iraqis feel positive progress has been made against criminal elements, as life returns to normal.

The Port of Umm Qasr opened a few days after the start of Operation Charge of the Knights, having been secured by the Iraqi Army. The port is now operating, with the Government of Iraq working to bring it up to recognized international standards. An Iraqi Navy detachment has taken over port security from the Army.

“Basrah is one step closer to realising its true potential,” said Maj. Tom Holloway, a spokesman for Multi-National Division - Southeast. “There is much further to go, but recent operations in the city have been described by locals as the most significant events since 2003. The sense of optimism is palpable, and the desire by Basrawis to seize the moment is evident.”
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 04/14/2008 10:47 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  “Basrah is one step closer to realising its true potential,” said Maj. Tom Holloway, a spokesman for Multi-National Division - Southeast. “There is much further to go, but recent operations in the city have been described by locals as the most significant events since 2003. The sense of optimism is palpable, and the desire by Basrawis to seize the moment is evident.”

Fantastic news indeed, let's cross our fingers and wait for the Coup de Grâce upon the confirming follow-up reports.
Posted by: RD || 04/14/2008 11:45 Comments || Top||

#2  Note the capture of a senior Al Qaeda in Iraq ina small town, 20 kilometers South-East of Basrah. That would be right on the Iranian border, opposite Korromshahr or Abadan.
We all know the (Sunni) AQ types would never even think about venturing into big bad (Shiite) Iran, don't we? Must have been there on vacation or something.
Posted by: Grunter || 04/14/2008 12:20 Comments || Top||

#3  Is it just me, or has the news coming out of Iraq gotten a lot better these last few weeks? Perhaps I'm suffering from a case of misguided optimisim but there are a number of developments over the last few months that seem to indicate things are finally starting to move in the right direction.

Another anecdotal indication is the demeanor of the President. I recall when things had gotten really bad in Iraq, shortly before he announced his Surge strategy, that Bush looked tired, depressed, and his usual self-confidence was missing not to mention his sense-of-humor. Nowadays, he seems like a different man. He's laughing more, more confident, and more hopeful and optimistic about the situation in Iraq. If my observations about his demeanor are accurate, perhaps we're seeing the man regain his footing as result of the improved situation and the confidence he now has in how things are going over there.

Of course, you would only know this if you have been paying relatively close attention to events in Iraq and making every effort possible to ignore whatever the MSM is trying to tell us, the lying pack of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells that they are.
Posted by: eltoroverde || 04/14/2008 17:28 Comments || Top||

#4  A big question that won't be answered soon is when the US deploys high altitude static observation blimps. Basically a blimp that blends in, high enough to not be noticed that just sits there, continually observing a city.

Anytime anything bad happens, you trace the bad guys back to their lairs. Over the course of weeks, you identify every building in the city used for mischief.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 04/14/2008 17:37 Comments || Top||

#5  This is the Shia 'civil war' that had to happen. There was never any real doubt about who would win, unless you work for the MSM of course.

The reports of weapons thrown out on the street shows its over for the gangs and Sadr and they know it.

Now that the Kurds, Sunnis and Shias have all settled their civil wars, the outcome will be a federal Iraq of strong regions and relatively weak central government.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/14/2008 18:53 Comments || Top||


An e-mail from Basra
sent to David Frum of National Review

I just wanted to give you a bit of a non-classified update on things here. Despite what most of the clueless media outlets are saying, things are headed in the right direction. There has been no cease-fire, and frankly, I don't entirely understand how that assumption came about. The locals, including tribal leaders, are generally supportive of the operation and the Iraqi government. They know this is their chance to get rid of the thugs. One snag occured with weapons surrender: rather than comply in an orderly manner, militia members have been throwing weapons in the river and out in the streets before the ISF moves into a neighborhood.

I cannot comment on troop movements and other assets, but I will say that I am gratified with what the US is doing. The British have been completely marginalized, though. I would look for an eventual, low-key exit by the Brits covered by talk of concentrating on Afghanistan. ...

The behaviour of certain Democrats towards Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker was really hard to stomach, wasn't it? It is especially disgusting when one is working over here and seeing the positive results.
Posted by: Mike || 04/14/2008 09:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The behavior of certain Democrats towards Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker was really hard to stomach...

Pretty much everything the dhimocrats do nowadays is hard to stomach.
Posted by: DarthVader || 04/14/2008 9:53 Comments || Top||

#2  Pretty much everything the dhimocrats do nowadays is hard to stomach.

Treason is one horrible dish to digest, Darth.
Posted by: RD || 04/14/2008 11:50 Comments || Top||

#3  The Democrats have been breathing their own exhaust for too long. They are invested totally in defeat. They attempted to recreate Vietnam in order to recreate Nixon in George Bush but they failed. Now there is little left but sour grapes.

And now they have apparently seriously damaged the economy since being seated in 2007.
Posted by: crosspatch || 04/14/2008 12:40 Comments || Top||

#4  sorry pal, Bush recreated Vietnam when he ordered the U.S. into Iraq. The Democrats just saw an opening to rebound back into power by criticizing the war. I think Biden made fair commentary and asked relevant questions here and there. Go back and review old footage of the Vietnam era and it's like watching tonight's 6 o'clock news. Thank God there are some people in Congress who don't want tens of thousands more Americans to die before we realize ( or rather all the chicken hawks realize ) that these people will not be "won" over. We had a much better chance in South Vietnam than we do any place in Iraq.
Posted by: Galactic Coordinator Unomoting5108 || 04/14/2008 14:06 Comments || Top||

#5  Oh Goody, a new chew toy!!!!!!


Now remember people don't feed the troll........cut up, beat, annihilate, fine; but don't FEED it.
Posted by: AlanC || 04/14/2008 14:14 Comments || Top||

#6  Thank God there are some people in Congress who don't want tens of thousands more Americans to die before we realize ( or rather all the chicken hawks realize ) that these people will not be "won" over.

Tens of thousands? Of course we mourn the loss of even one soldier. But when donks deliberately exaggerate like this merely for the sake of hyperbole it brings into question their credibility as well as their sincerity.

C'mon now, Galactic, isn't your real complaint the way that mean, old George W. Bush stole the election from Gore?
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 04/14/2008 14:31 Comments || Top||

#7  well I don't understand exactly what you're trying to say Abu but if you're accusing politicians of "exaggerating" casualities I would think you were an arm-chair general giving third rate opinions about our people. You can't exaggerate 4,500 dead Americans. Same goes for the thousands in Vietnam. It sounds like you're saying a democrat isn't credible if it's pointed out that losing tremendous amounts of American life should be necessary only when it is absolutely so, and not anytime before then. That somehow decreases credibility? Like I say, you're a little too flippant when it comes to casualties.
Posted by: Galactic Coordinator Unomoting5108 || 04/14/2008 15:09 Comments || Top||

#8  and yet galactic, i saw no mention or remorse for Pol Pots 3 million souls liberated under your internationals guidance.

No remorse at all.....we could go on and on....but of course you already know that.

Look no further than your own red hands to remind you everyday, what you stand for.
Posted by: Thraviper Panda2099 || 04/14/2008 15:35 Comments || Top||

#9  You can't exaggerate 4,500 dead Americans.

You just did, idiot. Death toll as of today: 4034.

Same goes for the thousands in Vietnam.

Try this out for size. In Vietnam, the US lost 58,209 dead plus at least 2,000 MIA.

Posted by: Iblis || 04/14/2008 15:51 Comments || Top||

#10  Don't forget the million of Vietnamese civilians who have been murdered in your re-education camps because the DEMOCRATIC congress reneged on its commitment to support South Vietnam after the pull out.

The democrats (and media) have been trying their best to turn Iraq into another Vietnam. Look at what Ted Kennedy has been saying - its the exact same bullshit he said back then. Look at what the MSM has been putting out - its the exact same bullshit Walter Cronkite spewed after the Tet Offensive.

Unfortunately, as Dan Rather found out, the Donks MSM lapdogs no longer have a monopoly on information and news. You can't simply declare 'The War is Lost' anymore because bloggers will not only call you a liar - but provide the proof! (But don't tell Reid that - he's kind of train-wreck interesting when he embarrasses himself like that...). People can bypass the talking heads and go find out for themselves. How many Iraqi Bloggers are there? Each have their own story to tell. Look at freelancers like Michael Yon.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 04/14/2008 16:01 Comments || Top||

#11  Seems I recall having a similar diatribe from a Long Beach commenter before.

Frankly, sir - you are out to lunch.

Iraq is not Viet Nam. I don't recall the UN being consulted, nor a mandate issued (and renewed). I don't recall the prelude to war being so drawn out, the errors so publicly displayed, nor the advances so consistently ignored.

The only thing you have right so far is that the Democrats see it as a way to regain political power. Just like they did during Viet Nam. And I suspect that they will be just as blind to the after-effects of a pull-out and abandonment. The only real difference is that the USSR isn't around to fund things and those with a reasonable amount of intelligence remember what happened. If you're hazy on that, I suggest a short trip to Westminster.

I would really appreciate it if you defended your statements using other than stock boilerplate rhetoric. You surely can't be serious about comparing "old footage of the Vietnam era and it's like watching tonight's 6 o'clock news". The only similarity I can see is the media's bias hasn't changed (except that they've lost the 'Uncle Walter' touch).

Lest you think this is another armchair general, I'm stationed at a little base about two hours west of you. I'd like think I'm a bit more in tune with what's going on.

Now, are you going to intelligently defend your assertions, or should I chalk it up to yet another 'casualty of Vietnam'?
Posted by: Pappy || 04/14/2008 16:20 Comments || Top||

#12  The war in Iraq will have to move on at the same pace it is now for the next 72 years before we reach 58,000 killed.
Posted by: Grenter Protector of the Geats4975 || 04/14/2008 16:33 Comments || Top||

#13  Grenter - why, that's only 72% of John McCain's 100-year war.

- snark off - I'm just guessing the comeback to you calculations.

Another interesting comparison is total military deaths during the Clinton and GWBush presidencies. Last I saw, I believe it was actually higher under Clinton, largely due to larger military, higher accident rates, and so forth.

The reasonable conclusion, though baffling to so many on the left, is that the military at war is so good, learning so fast, and so focused that its casualty rate drops compared with peacetime. There's a lot to be analyzed there, and the tragedy, of course, is that nobody on the left seems willing to learn, even if only to argue to different conclusions.
Posted by: Albemarle Hupert6384 || 04/14/2008 17:36 Comments || Top||

#14  Galactic Coordinator Unomoting5108 and the rest of the folks who think we are chicken-hawks: Been mobilized once, and am ready to go again. Son is Basrah as I write. Piss on you.
Posted by: anymouse || 04/14/2008 18:37 Comments || Top||

#15  Galactic Coordinator Unomoting5108 and the rest of the folks who think we are chicken-hawks: Been mobilized once, and am ready to go again. Son is in Basrah as I write. Piss on you.
(shoulda turned syntax-check on before I hit the enter button)
Posted by: anymouse || 04/14/2008 18:39 Comments || Top||

#16  Hmmm.... a working democratic government instead of a dictatorship, a military that can and does hold its own instead of collapsing like a house of cards, the native population mobilizing against terrorists and working with the Americans, the military (both Iraqi and American) learning from their mistakes and making changes, US casualty rate at a historic low and re-enlistment rates with front line units at 127%.

Yep, just like Vietnam.

Liberal troll. Trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Oh, and many of us here are vets and know EXACTLY what a military death and wounding means. Flippant? No. Gallows humor, yes. It is part of the job and one we have WILLINGLY signed up for in the past and watch our children go into hell as well. We are willing to fight on ground of our choosing instead of letting the terrorists gain strength and strike our homes and families and fellow countrymen. For that simple reason, the war is not unjust. Radical Islam has lost close to two infantry corps fighting our soldiers. Two corps worth that are not forming in failed Islamic countries and planning to strike us. Two corps worth that aren't trying to kill your dumb ass. For that simple reason, we will continue to sign up and fight for you. You don't like it, don't sign up. Get behind the troops or get in front of them.
Posted by: DarthVader || 04/14/2008 18:51 Comments || Top||

#17  I wouldn't be too harsh. If it's the same gentleman that posted here some months back, then it's a matter of relating Vietnam experience to today. It's also anachronistic.

We aren't children, we aren't stupid, we aren't 'mindless tools', and we certainly aren't 'victims'. This isn't Viet Nam. There isn't a draft. The social and cultural elite may be missing in action, but I'll put my people up against any Harvard graduate.

It's condescending and insulting to infer that my Marines and corpsmen are here because they a) couldn't find a job, b)got conned into joining and c) are the 'unfortunates' of society. With all the news, and the war having gone on for four years, it isn't a matter of 'not knowing'.

His concern is noted. That said, I expect more than boilerplate rhetoric. It isn't Viet Nam, no matter how much certain parties wish it to be so.
Posted by: Pappy || 04/14/2008 19:19 Comments || Top||

#18  I wouldn't be too harsh.

I know... but I'm tired of liberals spouting the same, no thinking, party-line, lemming mentality that is constantly spewed by the left.

...'ll put my people up against any Harvard graduate.

I'll put any military man or vet (Even Marines ;) ) against Harvard graduates. Ivy league graduates are taught to theorize and plan without any real world experience. The military teaches you to adapt, overcome and win.
Posted by: DarthVader || 04/14/2008 19:27 Comments || Top||

#19  I take points away from him for not mentioning Global Warming or No Blood for Oil.
Read your playbook, son...
Posted by: tu3031 || 04/14/2008 20:47 Comments || Top||

#20  I bet our little troll didn't realize the nature of a lot of the posters here. Been deployed, are deployed, will be deployed. Fairly high percentage considerin all branches and agencies.
Posted by: OldSpook || 04/14/2008 20:50 Comments || Top||

#21  Nowadays lots of our military people have gotten interesting advanced degrees from Ivy League and other "name" schools. I've forgotten where and for what General Petreus got his PhD, but I remember being pleasantly surprised.

Unlike so many other Rantburgers, I guess I'm a chicken hawk... or a liberal hawk
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/14/2008 23:53 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinians: IAF killed gunman in Beit Lahiya (Important Questions Unanswered)
Ynet sez he was riding a bicycle. AP sez he was getting out of a car.

Is AP covering up the humiliation of a bicycle swarm?
Posted by: phil_b || 04/14/2008 20:01 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  LOL! Bicycle swarm, LOL!

Donkey cart swarms coming soon! Getcher popcorn!
Posted by: Brett || 04/14/2008 21:29 Comments || Top||

#2  Nice visual: "I got the horn! *honk* Allan Snackbar!"
Posted by: Frank G || 04/14/2008 21:31 Comments || Top||

#3  Picture of bicycle swarm
Posted by: phil_b || 04/14/2008 22:03 Comments || Top||

#4  I just have to ask,
The "Horn" on a Donkey Cart is what, a string around his nuts?
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 04/14/2008 22:54 Comments || Top||

#5  Redneck Jim, that was not fair!
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/14/2008 23:37 Comments || Top||


Gaza raid ices two Paleostinians
A raid launched by the Israeli Air Force against the city of Gaza has left two Palestinians wounded, a Palestinian security official says. The attack occurred in the neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan, in the center of Gaza City. It had apparently targeted the house of Abu khaled Hejazi, the head of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesman confirmed the raid on the Gaza City.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is a Palestinian resistance group and is linked to the Fatah political party of Mahmoud Abbas.
This article starring:
ABU KHALED HEJAZIAl-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
Posted by: Fred || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  looks like they missed Hejazi, though, too bad.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 04/14/2008 9:33 Comments || Top||

#2  They may have missed him, LH, but I'm sure he's sleeping in 2-hour catnaps and moves between them. Tired people make mistakes. They'll get him soon enough.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 04/14/2008 10:58 Comments || Top||

#3  LH, my thoughts exactly. When I saw the headline, I assumed there would be a happy ending to the story.
Posted by: Angatle Dark Lord of the Pixies1433 || 04/14/2008 13:12 Comments || Top||

#4  The message was - You want to rocket Isreali homes, well we can rocket homes as well and ours are a lot more accurate.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/14/2008 18:08 Comments || Top||

#5  I still favor the idea of a pig guts catapult.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 04/14/2008 22:57 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Abu Sayyaf suspected in Philippines cathedral boom
The Philippines' most dangerous Muslim militant group is one of the main suspects in Sunday's twin bomb attacks, one outside a Catholic cathedral, in a southern city, security officials said on Monday. "The Abu Sayyaf Group is one of our primary suspects," said Jonathan Perez, Zamboanga City police chief, showing reporters a sketch of one of the suspected bombers. No one was hurt in the pre-dawn blasts in Zamboanga City, where dozens of members of the U.S. special forces are based, but the attacks raised fears of a renewed campaign of violence by Abu Sayyaf.

Perez said the type and make of the explosive devices used in the attack on the cathedral and another blast near a branch of Malaysian bank Maybank were similar to those used by the Abu Sayyaf in previous attacks in other parts of the south. "The signature on the bombs were almost identical. They used a mobile phone to detonate a crude bomb made from an 81mm and 60mm mortars," he said.

Perez said the suspects were trying to plant the bombs inside the Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral before the first mass on Sunday at 5 a.m., but they were forced to leave them under a pickup truck outside when people noticed them. "They threw the second bomb about a kilometre away near the MayBank branch when a group of police officers tried to accost them," he added.
Posted by: ryuge || 04/14/2008 06:12 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf

#1  The religion of peace!
Posted by: Rob Crawford || 04/14/2008 8:07 Comments || Top||

#2  Unfortunately, my island of Guam may face a similar incident(s) one day, iff Radical Islamism and aligned ever succeed in penetrating the various Asian "land bridges" into WESTPAC + CENTPAC. WHETHER THEY KNEW IT OR NOT, THE PLANNERS OF 9-11 UNLEASHED A HOST OF POWERFUL FORCES-PRESSURES, INCLUDING THOSE NOT NECESS ISLAM/ISLAMIST-CENTRIC, THAT WERE FORMERLY EFFECTIVELY CONTAINED OR ISOLATED DURING THE COLD WAR.

Iff NOT controlled or nipped, GUAM + WESTPAC NOMINALLY FACE A NEW, POTENS SERIOUS ARMED/
VIOLENT CONFLICT ["Philippines"-style?]FOR MANIFEST DESTINY + CONTROL OF THE ISLANDS + REGION, over and exclusive of any other Nation-specific anti-US ambitions.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/14/2008 18:50 Comments || Top||


Sri Lanka
Bloody fighting in Sri Lanka kills 79 LTTE, 13 soldiers
On a day of fierce fighting, as per the Sri Lanka military, at least 79 cadres of the LTTE and 13 of its troops were killed and dozens others injured on Sunday in continuing battles along the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) in the north. Going by the death toll given by the military and the Tigers, it is one of the bloodiest days of fighting in recent weeks. The pro-LTTE TamilNet put the death of soldiers at 30 and said that a further 75 were injured.

A statement by the Defence Ministry issued here said that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) infantrymen backed by artillery ‘gained a significant area of ground’ by driving off the Tiger cadres on the Mannar front further into the Wanni ‘non-liberated areas.’ “As troops commenced their military onslaught early in the morning, day-long fighting was reported from Kattankulam, Udaiyadi, Munkilmurichchan, Ilantaivan areas. Also, snipers deployed in the Puliyankulam Malikaittidal, Vannakulam, Parayakulam and Ittikandal, claimed gunning down of 7 LTTE cadres,” the Ministry said. Quoting ‘intercepted radio transmissions,’ the military claimed that 77 Tiger cadres were killed and at least 26 injured on the Mannar front alone. It said 12 soldiers died in the battle while 29 were injured. The Ministry claimed that during these operations, eight LTTE bunkers located at various positions on the battlefront came under the army’s control. During the search operations the body of an LTTE cadre was found.

“LTTE cadres in the frontlines were in a desperate situation in the face of military advance as the terrorists’ leaders, leading the battle from the back, failed to send sufficient reinforcements. Terror leaders Bhanu, Lakshman, Selvi and Ramesh were heard in the radios from their command posts miles behind the frontlines pleading their reserves in Palamodai area to move forward but failed as the junior cadres refused to comply,” the Ministry claimed.

Quoting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan, TamilNet claimed that at least 30 SLA soldiers were killed and 75 wounded when the LTTE’s ‘defensive formations’ in Mannar confronted a four-pronged SLA attempt to advance west of Giant’s Tanks in Mannar. The website said that Tigers lost three cadres in the fighting that lasted from 5.30 a.m. till 1.30 p.m. “The SLA continued to target Madu area with artillery and mortar fire and sporadic clashes were reported west of Thadcha’naamaruthamadu, according to Tiger military spokesman,” it said. The military further said that troops engaged in `limited counter terrorist offensives’ in the Jaffna theatre of operations claimed that at least two Tiger cadres were killed and 5 bunkers destroyed in day’s clashes in the Muhamalai area.

Mine explosion
It said two soldiers were injured when the LTTE cadres fired mortars at the security forces FDL in the Muhamalai. Another soldier suffered serious injuries due to a mine explosion. The Defence Ministry said that a soldier was killed and another suffered injuries when an LTTE cadre lobbed a hand-grenade at an Army picket at Malesandi in Jaffna district. The incident occurred around 1.15 p.m. while the soldiers were providing security for the people going to Nelliadi town.
Posted by: Fred || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


30 rebels and six soldiers killed in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO - At least six soldiers and 30 rebels were killed in fierce confrontations between the two sides in northern Sri Lanka on the eve of the traditional New Year, a military spokesman said Sunday.

Troops backed by artillery fire advanced into rebel-controlled areas on Saturday in four locations in Mannar, 320 kilometres north of the capital, amid resistance from the rebels, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. The army had extended their forward defence line with the operation and killed at least 30 rebels and injured over 50 of their cadres, he said. Six soldiers were killed and 25 others were injured in the operation as the military described the fighting as "fierce confrontations."

The fighting comes as the country marks the traditional New Year on Sunday with celebrations in all parts of the country. The event is celebrated by the majority Sinhala Buddhists as well as the minority Tamil Hindus.
Posted by: Steve White || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


Good morning..
Posted by: Fred || 04/14/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This girl has what Sabrina lacks....and vice versa.
Posted by: wxjames || 04/14/2008 7:39 Comments || Top||

#2  Come and knock at my door,
I'll be waiting for you . . .
Posted by: Scott R || 04/14/2008 8:32 Comments || Top||

#3  Safari so Goodie.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 04/14/2008 22:39 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
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Two weeks of WOT
Mon 2008-04-14
  Tunisia jugs 19 for al Qaeda links
Sun 2008-04-13
  More than 200 dead as battle rages in Baghdad
Sat 2008-04-12
  Iraq military thumps Sadr City
Fri 2008-04-11
  Gunnies Off Senior Sadr Aide in Najaf
Thu 2008-04-10
  Nahal Oz fuel depot closed after attack. Surprise.
Wed 2008-04-09
  Two Israelis killed as terrorists infiltrate Nahal Oz
Tue 2008-04-08
  French Military Police Mobilized After Somalia Hijacking
Mon 2008-04-07
  Sadr City assault strains cease-fire
Sun 2008-04-06
  US troops move into Sadr City
Sat 2008-04-05
  Jalaluddin Haqqani not dead, releases video, still 71
Fri 2008-04-04
  Maliki Vows Crackdown in Baghdad
Thu 2008-04-03
  Iraq commander leads convoy into Basra
Wed 2008-04-02
  45 Qaeda suspects held in Turkey
Tue 2008-04-01
  US charges Foopie with Africa bombings
Mon 2008-03-31
  Iraqi govt lifts curfew across Baghdad


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