#1
Years ago there was an episode of 'Young Indiana Jones Chronicles' set around the border wars with and within Mexico before WWI. One scene had some poor Mexican peasant commenting on how no matter which side wins "they all steal my chickens." Great scene!
A prominent member of al Qaeda was killed in fighting with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, the group said in a statement posted on an Islamist website on Sunday. Abu Suleiman al-Otaibi, formerly one of the group's leaders in Iraq, was killed in a "fierce battle with the worshipers of the cross" in Paktia, it said without giving the date of the battle. Another al Qaeda member, identified as Abu Dejana al-Qahtani, also died in the fighting, it added.
I'm guessing this is a different al-Qahtani from the one who was reported dead in Iraq a couple years ago. If it's the same one, I hope they drove a stake through his heart this time, so he doesn't end up getting killed in China or Morocco a couple years from now.
Afghan officials said they had no information on the report. But the government earlier said in a statement that "five opposition" fighters were killed on Saturday in Paktia during an operation involving Afghan and U.S.-led troops. The leader of al Qaeda in Afghanistan Mustafa Abu al-Yazid said Qahtani left Iraq about six months ago without giving further details. Otaibi was the head of the judiciary at the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq, a group started by al Qaeda and fellow Sunni militant groups.
Both are fairly common Saudi names, so it's probably appropriate that they're part of the Islamic State in Iraq.
This article starring:
Abu Dejana al-Qahtani
al-Qaeda
Abu Suleiman al-Otaibi
al-Qaeda
Mustafa Abu al-Yazid
al-Qaeda
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Abu Suleiman al-Otaibi, formerly one of the group's leaders in Iraq, was killed in a "fierce battle with the worshipers of the cross"
"Worshipers of the cross" I guess they think of us as crusaders. They just can't get off the dime on that. We got Muslims fighting over there as well as Christians. We have Jewish folks too. We probably got a few aetheists too. Maybe a few wiccans too.
Islamist rebels ambushed an armored convoy transporting Somalia's internal affairs minister Saturday in the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu, sources said. Muse Nur Amin, the Interior Minister, was in one of the vehicles but his car was not directly hit by the insurgents. But two other cars which were part of the Interior Minister's convoy were laced with bullets and later captured by the insurgents, according to witnesses. At least four government soldiers were killed and two others wounded, with the Interior Minister escaping the ambush unhurt.
Ali "Ganey" Adan, a police commander in Lower Shabelle region, confirmed to reporters that Interior Minister Amin's convoy was attacked and local authorities dispatched police units to the area reinforce the government minister. Al Shabaab spokesman Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," who claimed responsibility for the deadly ambush in Lower Shabelle region, bragged that no one on their side was hurt during the skirmish.
In Mogadishu, at least 11 people died from a series of overnight attacks, including two Ethiopian soldiers who were killed when their vehicle came under rocket fire in northern Mogadishu. Five civilians were reported dead when shells hit their homes following street fighting between insurgents and government forces, locals said.
This article starring:
Al Shabaab
Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur"
Al Shabaab
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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Ethiopian troops have removed the governor of central Somalia's Hiiran district from his post and disarmed his supporters, a report says.
Hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers marched into the main town of Balet weyn in Hiiran district and asked governor Yusuf Ahmed Hagar and his supporters to surrender and lay down their guns, a Press TV correspondent reported Sunday. Hagar and his supporters refused to give in first, but the soldiers managed to take the governor's headquarters and beat his supporters. The Ethiopian army disarmed Hagar and his supporters collecting at least 2000 guns and 21 military vehicles. They said they would appoint a new governor for the region who is due to come soon from Baidoa.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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At least three Somalis are killed and five more injured as Ethiopian soldiers open fire in a market in the South-central city of Baidoa. The bloodshed took place in Baidoa downtown on Sunday while a convoy of Ethiopian soldiers attacked the marketplace and destroyed a number of small shops there. The convoy was reportedly deployed from the Capital, Mogadishu.
Similar to their previous attacks, the soldiers began killing civilians in the marketplace, said a Press TV correspondent from Mogadishu. A Somali man who refused to give his name said that the Ethiopian soldiers had lost their self-confidence and they desperately kill civilians before they are targeted themselves. Ordinary civilians are the main victims in an ongoing war in Somalia.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic Courts
The last of the Darfur rebel forces has left Sudan's capital, after unprecedented battles in the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman. "All rebel forces have now left the capital," Mutrif Siddig, the under-secretary at Sudan's Foreign Ministry, told Reuters on Sunday.
A security source from Umm Bedda, the furthest outlying reach of west Omdurman, said rebels had retreated to some 70 km (45 miles) outside the city. Searches continued inside Khartoum for individuals thought to be insiders due to meet the rebels who fought their way into Omdurman with about 70 vehicles on Saturday afternoon. "And even those are being chased down by security forces," Siddig added. Dozens of people were being arrested throughout the capital.
No one was available to comment from the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). On Sunday morning, a JEM commander told Reuters they were in more outlying areas of Omdurman. But no shooting has been heard there since late morning.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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At least 20 Kurdish separatists and six Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes that erupted between Turkish troops and PKK rebels.
Some 50 PKK members from northern Iraq attacked a gendarme station in the province of Hakkari near the border, killing two soldiers, Turkish military sources said in a statement posted on its website. After the attack, Turkish warplanes bombed rural areas along Turkey's border with Iraq, where 20 militants were killed, the army source confirmed, adding in a second statement that another four soldiers died in ensuing clashes as the army pursued the rebels on the ground.
Earlier in the day, three people were killed and a dozen injured in three landmine explosions in Turkey's southeastern provinces of Siirt and Batman and in eastern Bingol province, said security sources.
The violence comes amid an ongoing military operation, backed by attack helicopters, tanks and artillery against the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas in the restive and mountainous parts of southeast Turkey.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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(AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Shaukat Afridi, who supplies oil to NATO forces in Afghanistan, was abducted in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Friday by armed men believed to be linked to an al-Qaeda cell. Shaukat, originally a Pashtun from the Khyber Agency, was kidnapped after he left his home in an exclusive residential neighborhood, headed for his office situated in Clifton, a district in the southern port city.
Taj Muhammad Afridi, brother of Shaukat Afridi told Adnkronos International (AKI) that armed men detained his brother as he was getting out of his car. Police suspect the possible involvement of a local al-Qaeda cell in the abduction which they believe is part of a strategy to choke NATOs supply line to Afghanistan.
NATO oil supplies come through the port of Karachi and are transported through the Khyber Agency in the North West Frontier Province across the Afghan border and then transferred to Kabul.
The Taliban initially set up their hide outs in the Khyber Agency and successfully blocked NATO' supply lines. But Pakistani security forces then began using a pro-Taliban local tribal leader Haji Namdar who helped them to wipe out the Taliban in the area.
Last week, a suicide attacker tried to kill Haji Namdar near Peshawar when he was collecting funds for the Taliban. Haji Namdar survived but another 10 people were killed.
I think that means Mr. Namdar is less kindly disposed towards the Talibunnies than he was before ...
Eighty percent of NATO's oil supplies go through the Khyber agency but Taliban attacks have disrupted transportation. The oil terminal is situated near Kemari which is populated by Pashtuns reportedly allied with the Taliban and Shaukat Afridi's office is close to where several Taliban activists have been arrested in the past.
This article starring:
Haji Namdar
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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Security forces on Sunday arrested seven militants in Darra Adam Khel. According to Dawn News, the militants were arrested from a school in the Mazid Khel area. Separately, ARY TV reported that the Kohat Tunnel was temporarily closed on Sunday after militants attacked a security forces convoy. It said that the security forces have started a search operation for the attackers after imposing a curfew in the areas of the Kohat tunnel, Para Wan and Noor Ali Qila.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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Tribal insurgents killed 11 railway workers in the northeast on Sunday, police said, a day after security forces gunned down 11 rebels. Police said militants attacked a remote railway station in Assam, killing three workers. They later raided a railway construction site and killed eight workers. "All eleven were killed on the spot," said a senior police officer, who did not want to be named.
He said the suspects were members of a breakaway group of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), fighting for regional autonomy. The DHD is observing a ceasefire and holding talks with the government, but the breakaway DHD (Jewel) faction frequently targets non-tribals working in saw mills, railway stations and farmlands. On Saturday, Indian security forces killed 11 of their members in the same area, police said.
The DHD (Jewel) had warned of attacks if India went ahead with the construction of roads and railway tracks connecting the mountainous region with the rest of the country.
This article starring:
Dima Halam Daogah
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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The bodies of nine local Taliban killed by United States forces in Afghanistan have arrived in Wana. According to a BBC report, around 30 militants led by the Mullah Nazir Group crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border some 20 days ago to attack US forces in Afghanistan.
"G'bye, Mom! I'm off to fight the hated infidels!"
"Have a good time, Sonny! But be careful!"
"Maulana Muhammad Iqbal's in command, Mom! What could go wrong?"
They attacked a convoy of US coalition forces in the Uruzgan district of Paktika province.
"Die, hated infidels!"
Twelve of them were killed in a retaliatory airstrike by US forces.
"Boss! Boss! De plane! [KABOOM!]... Aaaaiiieeee!"
Coalition forces detained some others.
"Into the paddy wagon wit' yez!"
Three bodies are still in Afghanistan.
"What do you make of these bodies, Dr Quincy?"
"Hmmm... Interesting pattern of perforations... Don't think I've ever seen them shredded quite like that before... Sam, get me the camera, wouldja? I'm gonna write these guys up! They're gonna be famous! Still dead, but famous."
Mulla Nazir Groups Deputy Commander Maulana Muhammad Iqbal was also killed in the attack. Seven of the deceased were from Wana, while two of them were from Punjab.
This article starring:
MAULANA MUHAMAD IQBAL
Mullah Nazir Group
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#2
Q: Who paid the freight to send this scum home?
A: No, Who's on first, he couldn't have.....
(Sorry, the little voices in my head said i had to do that)
VIDEO LINK, Warning: graphic footage of fighters' bodies being paraded
A humvee military vehicle idles on a broad avenue as an Iraqi army soldier walks nonchalantly past without so much as a glance at the body slung across the bonnet. The dead mans trousers have been pulled down to his ankles, exposing white underwear below a torn T-shirt drenched in blood from wounds to his chest and side.
Behind is a second Humvee with another body sprawled over the front, arms and legs outstretched. On his white shirt, a large bloodstain indicates the wound that may have killed him. A soldier sitting on the roof dangles his legs over the windscreen and seems to prod the corpses stomach with his boot.
As the vehicles roll slowly forward, the tooting of car horns rises to a crescendo in apparent celebration of victory in battle and the sound of whooping and gunshots can be heard. See Video Link above.
A police officer in a blue uniform drives alongside, smiling as the Humvees are waved forward by a pedestrian in civilian clothes and head towards two large arches that span the road. The bodies are being paraded like prize stags after a hunt.
The film, which appears to have been made with a mobile phone, was passed to The Sunday Times by a senior official close to Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric who leads the Mahdi Army militia.
The official said it had come from Basra and showed the bodies of two Mahdi fighters who died after the Iraqi army launched an offensive in the southern port city in March with the aim of liberating it from the grip of warring militias.
There was no way to corroborate the officials information or to identify the dead men as Mahdi fighters, but the vehicles bear Iraqi army markings and the arches glimpsed in the film resemble a Basra landmark.
The release of the video follows the Iraqi armys success in taking a Mahdi stronghold in Basra and coincides with intense fighting between the two sides in the Sadr City suburb of Baghdad, where more than 1,000 people have been killed in little more than a month.
A second video obtained from the same source purports to show prisoners being beaten in a police station in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, south of Baghdad.
An Iraqi lawyer who has advised Malikis government said the two videos showed soldiers and police in serious breach of the law. Desecrating a corpse is prohibited in law, even if he had been the worst criminal on earth, said Maen Zaki, a former member of a government committee that handled legal issues arising from operations to restore order in Baghdad.
Major-General Mohammed al-Askari, an Iraqi defence ministry spokesman, said: All videos and films can be manipulated these days. However, we do not tolerate anyone who defiles a body or abuses a persons human rights. We will exercise the maximum punishment.
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC ||
05/12/2008 11:07 ||
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#1
That's not cricket. The Iraqi brass is gonna have to teach their subordinates a few things about military decorum and etiquette.
#2
ZF, I agree with you. But there is a certain propaganda function that needs to be performed. This is doing it, they need to come up with a better tactic.
#3
I agree, punishment is merited. I suggest the offenders be sent to bed without dinner. Or if that's too harsh, maybe a 5 minute time-out in the corner. In the meantime, let the parade of bodies continue!!! It would be nice if they gave Muqtada himself a "ride" like that.
#4
We don't understand the Arab mindset, but this stuff prolly has great PR value for the IA. And, public acceptance and support is what is needed most by them in these street fights.
#6
While this offends our western mindset, it is still accepted in the arab and African areas of the world. It is good propaganda for the IA to show Basra that they succeeded in their task.
#8
The assumptions in the article are that it was the Humvees beeping and the Iraqi troops shooting off guns... and that there must be internal storage for dead bodies in the vehicles. Are any of these assumptions justified? I'm quite sure I remember all sorts of things strapped to the outside of vehicles during the 2003 invasion, not to mention in WWII movies.
#9
Desecrating a corpse is prohibited in law, even if he had been the worst criminal on earth, said Maen Zaki, a former member of a government committee that handled legal issues arising from operations to restore order in Baghdad.
I guess cutting off heads and dragging bodies through the streets is an exception to the rule? What about the Palestinian car swarms that pick apart the bodies? Double standard seems a pale description of this cognitive dissonance.
#10
They're just playing an old Iraqi game called, "Who's the Most Ghastly Monster". The pot is full and the stakes are high. Remember they live there, they have a lot more at stake than us. If this can help freak the Mahdis out and give them an edge, I think they should go for it.
#12
It's probably great PR if you're an Iraqi. I'd say let them do it, but try to funnel them in the direction of doing less of it as time goes on. You can't change this behavior overnight. Perhaps just painting little black turbans on their humvees or something instead will do the trick.
I find it interesting that the Iraqi forces are so willing to do this. It tells me they probably feel they have public support. That's a good thing.
#13
I thought of disapproving, and I thought of cheering. Then I thought "not my problem". This is (allegedly) IA troops, on an IA-organized, government-planned, government-ordered operation. No US or Coalition troops involved.
Not My Problem. If it pisses off Iraqis, hey, they're closer than we are, and have regional elections coming up fairly soon. Their problem, their decision.
Transporting corpses tied to the outside of vehicles isn't the worst thing we've seen on Muslim streets these last fifteen years.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
05/12/2008 16:09 Comments ||
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#14
I thought of disapproving, and I thought of cheering.
Mitch - I concur, but recall that Ms. Corrie's estate, or supporters, or somebody, tried suing Caterpillar for her death while supporting Gazans. Wonder if some "support group" has lawyers at hand to litigate Hummer? Been tried before.
#15
No body remembers the taking of trophies in Laos?
What about the rangers in Somalia?
Or the contractors hanging from a bridge?
We are all diminished.
with a MN-I issued map of the festivities
US and Iraqi forces continue to strike at the Mahdi Army in Baghdad despite the agreement reached between the Iraqi government and the Mahdi Army late Friday. Seventeen Mahdi Army fighters were killed in northeastern Baghdad over the past 24 hours. watch the hands, not the mouth
Nine of the Mahdi Army fighters were killed in Sadr City: four Mahdi fighters were killed by an air weapons team as they planted an explosively formed penetrator roadside bomb; three were killed as they attacked the barrier emplacement teams along Qods Street; and two were killed as they fired rockets. Five more Mahdi Army fighters were killed by air weapons teams in New Baghdad as they grouped for an attack, and three more were killed as they conducted attacks in Adhamiyah.
The cease-fire signed yesterday between the Sadrist movement, which runs the Mahdi Army, and the government of Iraq will not hinder the building of the concrete barrier or operations against the Mahdi Army, US military officials have stated.
"Seeing as how the Special Groups never listened to [Sadr] to begin with, I don't see how things will change," Lieutenant Colonel Steven Stover, the chief Public Affairs Officer for Multinational Division Baghdad, told The Long War Journal on May 10. "We're not stopping [construction on the barrier]," Stover said. "The barrier emplacement is ongoing and about 80 percent complete." AOS understands reality
Brigadier General James Milano, the Deputy Commanding General for Multinational Division Baghdad, confirmed the barrier is 80 percent complete and gave no indication the construction would be halted. During a briefing in Baghdad, Milano showed a map detailing the barrier. The northwestern portion of the wall running along Qods Street, which divides the bottom third of Sadr City for the northern neighborhood, is all that remains. Estimates indicate it will take two weeks to complete this segment.
US Army air assets have relentlessly pursued the Mahdi Army in and around Sadr City. "To date, 57 rocket rails and mortars have been destroyed and 150 Special Groups Criminals killed," Milano said. heh
The Mahdi Army has taken heavy casualties in Sadr City and the surrounding neighborhoods since the fighting began on March 25. A total of 579 Mahdi Army fighters have been confirmed killed in and around Sadr City since March 25, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal. More than one-quarter of the Mahdi Army fighters killed have been killed via the air.
The Mahdi Army has fired over 1,000 rockets and mortars into Baghdad, causing 269 casualties. "The majority of these attacks have come from Sadr City," Milano said.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
US and Iraqi forcesThe Mahdi Army continue to strike at the Mahdi Army US and Iraqi forces in Baghdad despite the agreement reached between the Iraqi government and the Mahdi Army late Friday.
Bill, Bill, Bill. Make sure credit is given where credit is due!
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/12/2008 10:45 Comments ||
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#3
Qods Street should be renamed to Brigadier General James Milano Street. Then, after the rubble that was once Sadr City is cleared away and the place is rebuilt, they should rename it Freedom City.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/12/2008 12:02 Comments ||
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#4
Wasn't the area briefly named "Thwar City" in between being "Saddam City" and "Sadr City"?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
05/12/2008 16:11 Comments ||
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Meanwhile, Hamas said early Sunday morning that one of its members had been killed in an explosion along Gaza Strip's fence with Israel. Its military wing said a man was killed, and another injured, during a Jihad mission. The Israeli army issued a statement clarifying troops were not operating in the area at the time of the explosion early Sunday.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
If it was an explosion, it was self-inflicted. The Israelis use bullets that leave holes, not widely scattered lumpy bits.
Heavy fighting broke out Sunday between supporters of Lebanon's Western-backed government and Hezbollah-lead opposition militiamen in Druze strongholds overlooking Beirut.
Machinegun fire and heavy artillery echoed throughout the village of Aitat, 20 kilometers southeast of Beirut. Mortars were fired between opposition and government supporters across Aley hills.
Sunday's fighting between pro-government supporters of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Shiite gunmen started in Aitat around 2 p.m., involving exchanges of rocket and machine gunfire. There also were sporadic gunbattles in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Hezbollah vacated the families of its supporters from Aramoun, Bshamoun and all suburbs of Beirut near Shouaifat, then proceeded to bombard the densely populated towns with heavy mortar fire.
Hezbollah have continued to prevent the free press from covering the conflict. Today the militia prevented the Al-Arabiya crew from filming al-Jabal clashes in Aley. Hezbollah has continued to funnel fiction through their Al Manar mouthpiece.
Progressive Socialist Party members have been handing the Lebanese Army control of its security centers. Rather than securing the locations, the Army has instigated more violence by in turn handing over the locations to Hezbollah militiamen, further enraging the situation.
Opposition Druze leader Talal Arslan echoed Jumblatt's call for a ceasefire, then proceeded to appease Hezbollah, "All the Druze are keen on protecting the resistance... this mountain will never stab the resistance in the back."
"I agreed to negotiate on these matters as I and Jumblatt agreed with my colleagues in Hezbollah to hand all areas in al-Jabal to the army, in addition to whatever arms are found in storage and security centers," Arslan announced in a press conference.
A citizen from Deir Koubel, a Druze village, told LBC in an interview: "We have been calling the army to come to our village since yesterday, but they have ignored our call. Hizbullah is still bombarding us. Our village is burning, we don't have weapons or armed men here. We will not accept any other force in our village. Only the army. What are they (the army) waiting for?"
As Hezbollah continues to flex its muscles and intimidate the Lebanese people, many wonder whether the next stop on the coup d'etat tour of the country is in Christian land.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Is it just me or are we letting Iran invade Lebanon? I hope we have a counter somewhere else
#2
WORLDNEWS/TOPIX > HIZBULLAH REDRAWING THE MAP OF LEBANON AND MIDDLE EAST + JORDAN FEARS SPREAD OF ISLAMIST/BERUIT-STYLE VIOLENCE + JORDANIAN SECURITY CLOSELY WATCHING ISLAMIST GROUPS.
#3
I love the way that the media propaganda services have decided that this is a war between Hezbollah and " Lebanon's Western-backed government". On Saturday, I noticed that every single solitary news report in print or broadcast called it the "US-backed government". Apparently oday they have modified that to "Western-backed".
It's troubling that the media is able to do this with such impunity.
#5
Our leaders insist on blabbing about respecting the wishes of Arab voters. However, we outlawed Nazism in 1945; 3 times we banned the Communist Party; we criminalized Iraq Baathism in 2003. Yet, Condi wants us to respect Hamas and Hizbollah. An ideology doesn't become good, just because some desert savages support it. The Arabs can go to hell.
Secular democrats in the ME are getting almost zero support from Western Civilization. In fact, we insist on taking in immigrants who support ethnic cleansing of Seculars, Christians, Jews, etc, back home. Debbie Schlussel documents the Fed terror prop, almost daily.
Why? Jimmy Carter redux. Notwithstanding his near annihilation of the US alliance system, which deliver the infamous Soviet Winning Streak in the 'seventies, elites in Washington insist on embracing his religious based "peace" nonsense. Juan Cole - an expert on Shiism - has been shilling for a rough balance of power between Sunni and Shiite movements in the ME and Central Asia. Bush also favors a religious based peace; he only differs with Cole in that he sees a role for US troops. However, Cole's group and Bush regime variants, both indulge the worst forms of Wahabism and Khomenism. Until recently, I thought that Bush would move against Iran; however, Iraq Shiites have been able to use Iranian arms to take most of the north Tigris in Baghdad, although the Mahdi Army is somewhat out of the picture. The President appears to be working for a Sunni-Shiite balance, if not unity. Nevermind the koranic prophecy about sectarianism, and its bloody end. Nevermind the fact that the stronger that Islamic states become, the more aggressive they become. I forsee a recipe for catastrophe; and you can quadruple that, if Billary or Obewan assume power. And if the best the GOP can do in Iraq is to indulge Iranian hegemony, then US voters have no real choice. Senator McCain could surprise, but his commit forays into ethnic politics don't bode well.
#7
M: Secular democrats in the ME are getting almost zero support from Western Civilization.
The question is whether there is any real support for secular democrats among the populace. Unfortunately, Middle Easterners are not a blank slate waiting for some secular democrat to write on - a fair chunk of them appear to be committed to some tribal or religious faction.
So far it doesnt seem Hezb WANTS to occupy the Sunni areas long term, thats why theyre turning them over to the Leb army, which is hardly reliable for them either. The point for them is NOT to run all of leb, its to make it clear that whoever DOES nominally run lebanon cant tell Hezb what to do. So they raid, kill, and leave.
#10
An ideology doesn't become good, just because some desert savages support it. The Arabs can go to hell.
McZoid
Don't want to nit pick but calling them savages is a badge of pride amongst them.
I've found that calling them barbarians really pisses them off. Apparently it's synonymous with infidel to them.
#11
I wish there was a way for us to clandestinely loan artillery and air support. These are brave men and women fighting against the most evil influence in the region - the mullahs who seek to commit genocide - kill or convert the entire Druze people.
My exclusive Lebanese Intelligence sources tell me that a number of Hezbollah terrorist fighters have been caught, over the weekend, and they cannot speak Arabic, only Farsi. They are Iranian and have identified themselves or been identified by third parties as members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. This is the same group that, under Khomeini, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and kept U.S. civilians hostage for over 444 days in 1979-81, in Iran.
#16
I wouldn't be surprised if Schlussel's anonymous report were true -- but that's all it is, a putative report from an unnamed source. So no - it doesn't constitute proof that Iran is involved. Not until / unless that information is confirmed by a trustworthy source.
#18
REDDIT/TOPIX > AMERICAN CHRONICLE - THE NEW HEZBOLLAH STATE IN LEBANON?; + REALCLEARPOLITICS > CAN ISRAEL SURVIVE ANOTHER SIXTY YEARS, + REDDIT [old] > ISRAEL WILL DISSOLVE IN 10-20 YEARS; + TOPIX > THE MIDDLE EAST NEEDS ISLAMIST REVOLUTION.
Also from REDDIT + AMER CHRONICLE > AMERICANS ARE LIVING {AND DYING] IN A SOCIALIZED STATE [Amerika = USSA?].
Fighting has broken out between pro-and anti-government supporters in Lebanon's central mountains overlooking Beirut, security officials say. Echoes of explosions can be heard as far as Beirut.
The clashes between US-backed pro-government gunmen of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and opposition supporters started in the village of Aytat around 2 p.m. (1100 gmt) Sunday. They involve exchanges of rocket and machine gun fire.There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Jumblatt militiamen were seen carrying their guns and heading to the area, DPA quoted witnesses as saying.
Jumblatt and his rival Druze leaders in Mount Lebanon, Waam Wahab and Talal Arslan, have called on the army to intervene in order to end the clashes. Arslan has also announced that the current fighting in Mount Lebanon is not related to Hezbollah forces.
"It's, um, .. somebody else ..."
Jumbalatt is said to have called on his militias to lay down their arms.
Meanwhile, a Press TV correspondent in the area said it apears that Jumbalatt has lost control over its forces. He added that the Lebanese army is trying to control the region. Forces Loyal to Jumbalatt have reportedly attacked army forces who try to restore peace and calm in the area.
Tensions eased in Beirut on Saturday after the army revoked two government controversial measures which had sparked four days of unrest in the capital.
The new clashes between the two sides, however, erupted after Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a close ally of Jumblatt, predicted that tensions will continue in the country. "The situation in Lebanon will deteriorate and this condition will continue until Hezbollah is defeated and the war that the group is spearheading ends," Geagea said in an interview with al Arabia on Saturday.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Forces Loyal to Jumbalatt have reportedly attacked army forces who try to restore peace and calm in the area.
The reporting on this crisis by our western media is just horrific.
#3
The problem is there is no strong central government, so there's really no "adults in charge". Iran and Syria want a weak Lebanese government and a strong Hezbollah so they can threaten Israel. Israel has a weak government, or they could put an end to the entire mess by telling Syria, Iran, Lebanon, and Hamass that the next missile detected leaving Lebanon or Gaza would be answered by a regional nuclear attack from Israel. That would send heart attacks throughout the State Department and the EU, but it might be the only thing that allows Israel to have at least a semblance of peace.
Israel has at least 40 KNOWN Jericho missiles with a range of 350km and can carry a 50kt nuke warhead. There have been rumors for years they have an extended-range missile called the Massada with a range of 1750km that can carry a 250kt nuke warhead. Everyone's pretty sure Israel has nuke warheads. Nobody, including the US, has any idea how many. The world may very soon get first-hand evidence of Israeli nuclear warfighting capability, especially if Iran keeps pushing.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
05/12/2008 14:26 Comments ||
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#4
"that the next missile detected leaving Lebanon or Gaza would be answered by a regional nuclear attack from Israel."
I agree Olmert is weakened. But I cant recall any Israeli govt, under Begin or Shamir or Bibi or Sharon that would have done that.
#5
One thing that Israel could do is use its armed UAVs to do a little "pick-and-choose" hunting on the Hez mortar teams. That would be a huge equalizer for the Druze and would put a real level of fear into the Hez about how many of their mortar teams would survive. Also, because of the years of surveillance in the area, I am sure that the Israelis could manage a few VSTOL prop aircraft deliveries of needed small arms and ammo to the Druze.
#6
SB, this isn't western media, that's an English-language Iranian news agency based out of Tehran. It's not surprising they'd be blatantly pro-Hezbollah.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
05/12/2008 16:34 Comments ||
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#7
And I'm afraid that any of Jumblatt's legitimacy and chances of being supported by the Sunnis would go right out the door if the Israelis would do anything so impolitic as directly or openly support the Druze against Hezbollah. It would make him the instant successor to the South Lebanese Army, and leave him with no choice other than to beat leather for the nearest small boat out of the country.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
05/12/2008 16:38 Comments ||
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Opposition forces are not intending to enter Harriri's and Jumblatt's houses but they have not decided on entering Prime Ministery building.
The former Lebanese minister, Wiam Wahhab, said that the opposition forces are not going to enter the houses of the leader of the pro-government bloc, Saad Harriri, and the Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, but they are yet undecided on whether to enter the government building, where cabinet sessions are held.
Referring to the death of three Hezbollah fighters, Wahhab said that apparently Jumblatt was not involved in the killings and the act murdering the fighters may have been committed on orders from one of his aides.
After the Lebanese Army Commander, General Michel Suleiman, rescinded two anti-opposition decisions made earlier by the government, calm was restored to Beirut, which had been the scene of fierce fighting between supporters of the ruling bloc and the opposition in the past few days, with Lebanese troops patrolling Beirut after Hezbollah fighters pulled back from some of the areas they had occupied.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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Clashes continue in northern Lebanon between pro-government fighters and Syrian Social National Party supporters, leaving one person dead.
A security official said the fighting, which erupted overnight was between armed men of the Western-backed pro-government Al-Mustaqbal Movement and residents of the Bab al-Tebbaneh, Kobbeh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods located on the northern edge of the coastal city of Tripoli.
At least one person was killed in the Sunday clashes in Tripoli, the official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said. The source added that thousands of civilians were fleeing and a number of people had been wounded.
Residents of Tripoli could hear heavy machine gun firing and the thump of exploding rocket-propelled grenades, some of which fell inside the city.
Syrian Social National Party (SSNP) is not connected to Lebanon's resistance movement of Hezbollah.
The unrest came despite a return to calm in the capital Beirut on Saturday, which was the scene of fierce fighting between supporters of the ruling bloc and the opposition.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
"Syrian Social National Party (SSNP) is not connected to Lebanon's resistance movement of Hezbollah"
They ARE allied with them though, as common supporters of Syria. Now if Syria ever turned against Iran, I think the SSNP - Hezbollah relationship would get more interesting.
Shi'ites loyal to Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah battled Druze supporters of the ruling coalition east of Beirut on Sunday, adding to the worst civil strife since the 1975-90 war.
Looks like Civil War Version 2.0 is on...
The fighting in Aley, a town in the mountains overlooking Beirut, and nearby villages was the latest violence between followers of Hezbollah, a group backed by Syria and Iran, and supporters of the U.S.-backed governing coalition. At least five people were killed and 12 wounded, bringing the number of dead in five days of fighting throughout Lebanon to 49. At least 140 people have been wounded.
Hezbollah and allied Druze fighters took control of several village in the area, security sources said. A 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) ceasefire did not hold, witnesses said. Black smoke rose from several villages as explosions and sound of gunfire echoed in the pine-covered hills and valleys of the picturesque area.
Dunno if that's a misprint or if there are Druze allied with Hezbollah, vice following Wally Jumblatt's lead...
Arab foreign ministers, meeting in emergency session in Cairo, appealed for a ceasefire in Lebanon. "The council (of Arab foreign ministers) appeals for an immediate halt of bombings and shooting, and the withdrawal of gunmen... and the enabling of the army to deploy in those areas," the Arab League said in a statement read by Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed Bin Hilli.
Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when the pattern was one of ceasefire after ceasefire, followed immediately by violation after violation.
An 18-month-old political conflict between the opposition and governing coalition spilled into open warfare on Wednesday after the government decided to move against a military communications network operated by Hezbollah and sacked the head of security at Beirut airport, who is close to the group.
This article starring:
Ahmed Bin Hilli
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
The first order of business for the Lebanese government is to purge their military of disloyal soldiers who refuse to follow orders.
The second is to drive as many Shiites as possible into Syria.
#3
yeah apparently theres a druze faction allied with Hezb, a Druse version of Aoun and his followers I guess, or maybe just guys who cant stand Wally.
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A prominent member of al Qaeda was killed in fighting with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, the group said in a statement posted on an Islamist website on Sunday. 
Ethiopian troops have removed the governor of central Somalia's Hiiran district from his post and disarmed his supporters, a report says. 
At least 20 Kurdish separatists and six Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes that erupted between Turkish troops and PKK rebels. 
(AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Shaukat Afridi, who supplies oil to NATO forces in Afghanistan, was abducted in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Friday by armed men believed to be linked to an al-Qaeda cell. Shaukat, originally a Pashtun from the Khyber Agency, was kidnapped after he left his home in an exclusive residential neighborhood, headed for his office situated in Clifton, a district in the southern port city.
The bodies of nine local Taliban killed by United States forces in Afghanistan have arrived in Wana. According to a BBC report, around 30 militants led by the 
Meanwhile, Hamas said early Sunday morning that one of its members had been killed in an explosion along Gaza Strip's fence with Israel. Its military wing said a man was killed, and another injured, during a Jihad mission. The Israeli army issued a statement clarifying troops were not operating in the area at the time of the explosion early Sunday.
Shi'ites loyal to Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah battled Druze supporters of the ruling coalition east of Beirut on Sunday, adding to the worst civil strife since the 1975-90 war.
