#3
Human Rights Watch argues they are particularly brutal and that their blast makes it virtually impossible for civilians to take shelter.
Um... I hate to break it to you, but a 500lb bomb hitting your building doesn't allow you much for "taking shelter" either. At least with the "enhanced blast" hellfire, the orphanage for fuzzy ducks and baby bunnies isn't peppered with pieces of building, bomb and terrorists. Limits collateral damage so to speak.
#4
And, since the organ shredding and asphyxiation happens fairly quickly, the terrorists don't suffer for very long.
If HRW had their way, troops would be armed with squirt guns and Nerf bats.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
06/23/2008 16:51 Comments ||
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#5
As Monty Python put it, "lightly killed..."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
06/23/2008 17:09 Comments ||
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#6
If HRW had their way, troops would be armed with squirt guns and Nerf bats.
Agreed. Spitballs would be banned (after all they have 'spit' on them.....) while the terrorists will be armed with nukes and defend themselves with human shields.
#11
GC9023, that story should be highlighted under "Why we win"
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
06/23/2008 19:15 Comments ||
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#12
Wasn't that big mother propane tank bomb thingee we used in Viet Nam to clear LZ's and collapse tunnel complexes essentially one of these Thermobaric gizmoes?
Posted by: James Carville ||
06/23/2008 20:03 Comments ||
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#13
Someone needs to ask these twits this question:
If we're killing them, does it really matter HOW they die? Do they really think Thermobaric weapons are MORE painful than putting 3-4 holes in their body and them bleeding out over several minutes/hours?
Personally, the more they suffer, the better.
Course, I have no mercy or compassion for the enemies of my country.
#14
British forces in Afghanistan have used one of the worlds most deadly and controversial missiles to fight the Taliban.
Apache attack helicopters have fired the thermobaric weapons against fighters in buildings and caves, to create a pressure wave which sucks the air out of victims, shreds their internal organs and crushes their bodies.
What's so controversial about that? It's what they want. They get to go to heaven and have their 72 virgins and not have to consider the wife and kids they leave behind.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has admitted to the use of the weapons, condemned by human rights groups as brutal, on several occasions, including against a cave complex.
OK. Fine. All you parasites "human rights" groups can just take care of clearing the terrorists out of the caves and convincing them to go back to farming wheat and I promise I will be against the use of TB technology. Until then, STFU. And what about the rights of all the folks killed by their actions? Seems to me that ought to be the first item on the Pareto chart ought to come before terrorist "human rights". F-ing muppets. ;-)
The use of the Hellfire AGM-114N weapons has been deemed so successful they will now be fired from RAF Reaper unmanned drones controlled by pilots at Creech air force base in Nevada, an MoD spokesman added.
That's how it's done! and those "pilots" can use the human rights groups headquarters for target practice until they get it just right.
KABUL, Afghanistan - Militants ambushed troops patrolling in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, prompting a gunbattle and airstrikes that left about 55 militants dead, the U.S.-led coalition said Monday. Hey. That's not the way an ambush is supposed to work...
Meanwhile, a coalition helicopter attacked men suspected of laying a roadside bomb in the same region, killing one. Afghan officials said two civilians, including a 4-year-old boy, also died. Must've been Take Your Kid to Work Day...
The major battle began Friday in Paktika, one of the Afghan provinces along the porous Pakistani border where clashes between Taliban militants and security forces have intensified in recent months. The coalition said militants ambushed the patrol on a road in Ziruk district with rockets and gunfire, prompting U.S.-led troops to return fire and call in warplanes. About 55 insurgents were killed, including three key leaders, a coalition statement said. It did not identify them. Twenty-five militants were wounded and another three detained, it added. 'Patrols in the ambush area continue to report additional enemy casualties,' it said.
Nabi Mullahail, the provincial police chief, said the fighting had continued into Sunday. He said militants suffered 'huge' casualties, but had no details. The clash was the second in three days to inflict heavy casualties on insurgents, who have little answer to Western airpower.
The Afghan Defense Ministry said its soldiers counted the bodies of 94 militants after a joint operation with NATO forces Wednesday in Arghandab, a valley just outside the southern city of Kandahar.
Outgunned militants have turned increasingly to planting bombs for passing convoys of government or foreign troops. The coalition said Monday that NATO troops spotted four militants laying a bomb by a road in Nangarhar, another eastern province. After a gunbattle, a coalition helicopter fired on the militants, killing one of them, spokesman 1st Lt. Nathan Perry said. The troops pursued the other three and discovered a cache of bomb-making materials. Perry said he had no reports of civilian casualties. and now...The AP spin.
However, Zalmay Dadak, mayor of Khogyani district, said coalition fire during the overnight operation also hit a house in a village, killing a man and a 4-year-old boy. Hundreds of villagers blocked the road in protest for several hours Monday. Mohammed Wali, a village elder, said the father and son were asleep in their house when a projectile hit the roof. Two other homes were hit, killing more than a dozen cows, he said. 'We are asking President (Hamid) Karzai and the parliament to get serious about this kind of thing. Otherwise the consequences (for foreign troops) will be the same as for the Russians,' he said, a reference to the humbling of Soviet troops by Afghan rebels in the 1980s.
Abdul Mohammed, a senior provincial police official, also said one militant and two civilians were believed dead. Civilians are regularly killed in clashes between militants and security forces as well as bearing the brunt of insurgent suicide bombings.
Coalition and NATO commanders insist they take all reasonable precautions. They blame militants for launching attacks from family homes. However, they also face criticism from Karzai and ordinary Afghans for using heavy firepower in residential areas.
Also Monday, Pakistan renewed an offer to fence the country's porous border with Afghanistan to stop crossings by militants. Oh, good. I'm so hopeful.
Are they gonna build the fence high enough to stop artillery?
The idea was first proposed by Pakistan's previous government of allies of President Pervez Musharraf. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Monday more than 22 miles of 'selected' sections had been built when the projected was shelved last year. Afghan and U.S. officials complain militants fighting in Afghanistan freely roam the 1,500-mile border. Afghan officials have argued a fence doesn't deter militants but affects families separated by the border. They sound like Democrats...
#1
someone, i think Asia times, said the other day that the Taliban ops in Kandahar were really a distraction from a larger attack in Khost (which is near Paktika)
Looks like the eastern attack isnt working out too well, so far.
#2
Otherwise the consequences (for foreign troops) will be the same as for the Russians,' he said, a reference to the humbling of Soviet troops by Afghan rebels in the 1980s.
There is a reason that thr rooshins never go in a fight with us.
Namely- we fight harder.
#1
Sounds like our U.K. ally was suitably impressed with American technology.
Posted by: Thaimble Scourge of the Pixies4707 ||
06/23/2008 7:01 Comments ||
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#2
And the NYTimes on Sunday are trying like hell to sponsor and promote a feud between USAF and the Army. To the point, that they are actually endorsing a move by Army to establish their own air power (albeit, the Prowler UAV). Now that the war is basically won, the Times now has to break the machine so Obama can come in a fix it - thereby making it look like something a Kenyan would create.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/23/2008 8:43 Comments ||
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#3
Jack, it's actually a sound proposal. The Air Force has consistently kept its UAV fleet undermanned and underdeployed, despite direct orders from SecDef.
The Air Force, operating UAV's from Nellis and not the front, insists that they must be flown by pilots, officers, who have flown them before. That happens to be a remarkably small number of people.
UAV pilot is not an MOS that is in demand in the AF. They have made halfhearted attempts to increase UAV availability but the fact remains that one of our top weapons systems is vastly underdeployed and it is the direct responsibility of the AF.
#4
I've heard good arguments for both sides from people I respect.
It is absolutely true that USAF has moved slower than Gates wants on expanded UAV capability.
But it's also true that the Army, used to tactical air ops only, tends to underestimate issues like airspace management as UAV use broadens.
Moreover, there are UAVs and then there are UAVs. Little Ravens op'd by squads for very local recon are one thing. But a highly respected pilot I know makes a strong case that (at least for the Predators) there are or were good reasons to use skilled pilots to fly them.
The reality is that both operational doctrine and the state of the technology are evolving rapidly. Neither service IMO has a good grip on how to manage this effectively.
#7
Off Topic (kinda): If you had ever flown into busy airspace while keeping the aircraft under control, dealing with air traffic control, ducking that fast mover who doesn't think he has to follow flight regs, ect. you would realize why a trained pilot is required in complex situations per lotp's comment.
One reason that UAV's are not in common use in the CONUS is that they do NOT have sufficient situational awareness to safely mix with other air traffic where the UAV does NOT have priority. I suspect that "playing well with others" is a problem with the E4's controlling some of these UAV's. This is where the pilot training comes in.
The Warrant Officer program is probably the best way to get those trained pilots. Train them to fly (not jets) then crosstrain to UAV's. Base them fairly close to the area where the UAV is being used as the commo time lag can literally be a killer in some complex situations and a 3-5 second lag is probably one reason they lose aircraft in emergency situations.
#8
If you had ever flown into busy airspace while keeping the aircraft under control, dealing with air traffic control, ducking that fast mover who doesn't think he has to follow flight regs, ect. you would realize why a trained pilot is required in complex situations per lotp's comment.
Yep. It was interesting to watch the air situation during GWI. There were clusterf**ks. Attack aircraft returning fast, low and 'dark' (everything that radidated shut off). Aircraft vectored to rather odd routes (like over Iran). Aircraft missing their 'ordnance dumping' zone and nearly hitting ships. Aircraft mistaking friendly vessels for enemy. Cruise missiles in their own corridors, supposedly known to the air crews. JSTARs, tankers, ELINT, EW, P-3s, airborne controllers, CAP, CSAR, ASUW helos, Marine helos conducting a diversionary feint...
#11
I am only concerned about the "slippery slope" of the Army going retro back to their own ground support air wing. The AF is more than strategic and airlift - it is defense and tactical. In SpecOps you can have the mix since in SpecOps there are no straight lines but lots of overlap - FTC and Security and C3I and all sorts of MOS performed by whoever is first with the best. But in other operations we don't need more redundancy and non-standardization. That has been our achilles heel for years. We need razor sharp divisions of responsibility and in-synch commo and leadership.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/23/2008 12:44 Comments ||
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#12
Airspace control will be an issue regardless of enlisted, warrant or officer pilots, and regardless of which service controls things.
Piloting a UAV takes special skill sets, and passing pilot school does not give you the ability to fly a UAV well.
Its a very specialized skill set - and as such, probably best belongs in the Warrant Officer ranks - technical experts who spend their entire career becoming a master of a particular field.
Same case could be made for fighter aircraft.
The Army Aviation way is probably the best - train pilots, some officer but mostly warrants (basic flight school at Ft Rucker will do the trick).
Keep the Warrants flying the UAVs and other airborne assets (like attack helis). Have officers fly some missions, but mainly serve as unit commanders after the get promoted "up and out" of O-2/O-3 area.
Give the A-10's to the Army - they fit better there as part of a combined team with attack helis. Marines already do similar work with their pilots and aircraft.
The air control split really depends on the environment. In a hostile air conflict area, USAF and Air Superiority are the lead dog.
But in something like Iraq, the Army/Marines should have priority and control.
USAF gets everything above 12000AGL (including Global Hawks and theater predators), Army/ Marines get everything below that.
Other than A-10's thats how the USAF seems to like it anyway.
#13
The Marine Corps has done just fine with it's own tactical air arm. When it comes to CAS no one is better. But, I'd invite the A-10 jocks to my party any time.
If the Air Force gets rid of the A-10's, refurb them and let the Marines have a go. The Harriers have been susceptible to ground fire. Unfortunately they are being replaced by the F-35's. I guess the Super Cobras are going to have to work harder.
Bring back the OV-10. In Nam that was our A-10. We had 8 5" Zuni's, 24 2.75's (4 marking, 20 HE) and 4 M-60's strapped to the belly. We could put Hellfires in place of the Zuni's. Now that's the ticket.
I see an occasional OV-10 flying as a controller aircraft at grass and forest fires here in California. Makes me sigh and remember my good friend JB. He's a FAC for God now.
#15
Gorb,
The F-35s have stealth to help against MANPADS and heavier SAMs. However nothing is stealthy against a bullet.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
06/23/2008 16:36 Comments ||
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#16
Close Air Support in the Marine Corps doctrine means just that, "close". The advent of precision weapons have changed some of the "close" requirements, but unlike the AF, the Marines have never tried strafing runs from 30,000ft.
#17
Buddy of mine flew A-1's in Nam - best close-support aircraft flying at the time. Lots of gun, lots of bombs and lots of linger time. Ate Charle's ass but good.
#18
GB - you'll have to fight the Army to get your hands on those A-10's if we can ever convince the USAF to let go of them.
Close Air: its like our attack helicopter guys say in the cav: if you ain't coming back with tree branches on the undercarriage, you're flying too high.
#20
BTW The Marine, Army, Navy Warrant or Officer pilots who flew through the Trees, Bushes and long grass to save your huevos are what Ima talking about!
You want to kiss them when they are overhead loitering in the SPAD or the OV-10.
OV-10 Bronco
The OV-10 Bronco was a multi-purpose, light attack aircraft acquired by the Marine Corp for observation squadrons to conduct visual reconnaissance missions. The OV-10A is a twin-turboprop short takeoff and landing aircraft conceived by the Marine Corps and developed under an Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps tri-service program. The first production OV-10A was ordered in 1966 and its initial flight took place in August 1967. The OV-10 can be used for short take-offs and landings on aircraft carriers without the use of catapults. With the second seat removed, it can carry 3,200 pounds of cargo, five paratroopers or two litter patients and an attendant.
The Bronco's mission capabilities include observation, forward air control, helicopter escort, armed reconnaissance, gunfire spotting, utility and limited ground attack; however, the USAF acquired the Bronco primarily as a forward air control (FAC) aircraft. The Bronco also provides transportation for aerial radiological reconnaissance, tactical air observers, artillery and naval gunfire spotting and airborne controllers of tactical air support operations. Other tasks include armed escort for helicopters and front line, low-level aerial photography.
The first USAF OV-10As destined for combat arrived in Vietnam on July 31, 1968. A total of 157 OV-10As were delivered to the USAF before production ended in April 1969.
ABLE DOGS aka ABLE DAWGS...
GRRRR
Skyraiders
A total of seven major models and 28 different versions of the Skyraider were created and produced; this is more than any other aircraft in history. Some of the modifications included its use as an Attack Dive Bomber, All-Weather Attack Bomber, Radar Counter-Measures, Airborne Early Warning, Anti-Submarine, Photo Reconnaissance, Troop Carrier, Air Tanker, Air Ambulance, and Target Towing Aircraft.
With a cruising speed of 170 to 200 kts, a level attack speed of 260 kts, and a maximum (sea level red-line) speed of 410 kts, the Skyraider was able to hug the terrain below enemy radar coverage and deliver ordnance loads up to 8000 pounds.
(Xinhua) -- Afghan National Army (ANA) in efforts to further stabilize security in Afghanistan's east central Ghanzi province has launched anti-Taliban operation, a press release of defense ministry issued here Sunday said.
The operation dubbed "3rd Thunder" was kicked off in the restive district of Andar district would cover adjoining areas to root out militants, the press release added. It is the second anti-Taliban operation launched over the past week. The previous offensive was launched last Wednesday against Taliban militants in Arghandab district of southern Kandahar province during which 94 insurgents had been killed.
"Operation 3rd Thunder was launched on Saturday in Andar district with an objective to wipe out terrorists from the area, establish checkpoint posts, stabilize security and assist the locals," the press release stressed.
The troops in the first day of operation captured two militantsand wounded five others from Qarabagh area, Afghan defense ministry in the press release further said.
Andar district has been considered a hotbed of Taliban insurgents in Ghazni province which links Kabul to southern Kandahar and central Bamyan provinces.
Escalating insurgency and violent incidents have left more than1,500 people dead since January this year in Afghanistan. @
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Four civilians, including two children, were killed on Sunday when militants from inside Pakistan fired rockets at NATO bases in eastern Afghanistan, the coalition force and police said. Some 20 rockets slammed into the area in two separate incidents, with five of them coming from inside Pakistan, NATOs International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement. ISAF said the military responded in self-defence with artillery fire on the launch site, which it said was located about 985 feet inside Pakistan. Afghanistans Defence Ministry said in a statement that 13 rockets were fired from across the border on NATO and Afghan army bases in Khost. The force also responded with artillery and an airstrike to an earlier rocket barrage fired from a location inside Afghanistan, the statement said. Islamabad was notified about the rebel attack on its bases, ISAF said. The Pakistan military was immediately notified when ISAF forces came under fire, it said.
Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas denied reports that the fire might have come from Frontier Corps troops and said international forces and militants had exchanged fire on the Afghan side of the border while Pakistani forces also fired at the militants.
Army denial: Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas denied reports that the fire might have come from Frontier Corps troops and said international forces and militants had exchanged fire on the Afghan side of the border while Pakistani forces also fired at the militants.
It is not possible. It was not from our fire, it could have been the militants fire but not from our positions, Abbas said.
It is not possible. It was not from our fire, it could have been the militants fire but not from our positions, Abbas said when asked about the NATO report of shells landing close to one of its forward bases and inside an Afghan army compound. We openly engaged the militants on the border. There is no possibility of our engaging the camps of the Afghan forces inside Afghanistan. This is another reason why the international community must pressure Pakistan to stop militant activities within its territory, Karzais chief spokesman, Homayun Hamidzada, told AFP.
This article starring:
Athar Abbas
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I just pray that this incident regardless of its veracity doesn't force some wet behind the ears JAG lawyer to change the RoE's. Just when we seem to becoming more bold in terms of border lines, we don't need a new set of handcuffs.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/23/2008 8:45 Comments ||
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#2
*sigh* It's sad that sometimes accuracy is lost when troops are under fire like that. Perhaps the Pakistan Army should consider requiring the local militants move a set distance from wherever uniformed troops are standing, before firing toward Afghanistan.
(Xinhua) -- At least four Somali government soldiers were killed and four civilians were wounded after a roadside hit a military vehicle in southwest of the capital, Mogadishu, witnesses and local media reports said.
The explosion ripped through a government military truck as it passed through a street in Darkinley district, killing four of the soldiers on board and wounded four civilians standing by the street, witnesses confirmed to Xinhua.
Local media reported the same figures, adding that Somali government security forces cordoned off the area of the blast and carried out searches for suspected insurgents.
The vehicle was completely burnt by the huge blast that rocked the southwestern part of the capital where many of the residents sought refuge as it was relatively calmer than other areas of the Mogadishu.
Somali government officials were not readily available for comment on the latest attack and no group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast but insurgents opposed to the government and the presence of foreign forces in Somalia carry out near daily attacks on Somali and Ethiopian troops.
The Somali transitional government and the a faction of the opposition coalition, the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia(ARS), signed a peace deal early this month but another faction of ARS and the hard-line Islamist group Al-shabaab boycotted the talks in Djibouti and rejected the agreement reached there.
They vowed to continue their fight against Somali government security forces and the Ethiopian troops backing them. Under the agreement Ethiopian troops would withdraw in 120 days after the deployment of "a sufficient number of UN force."
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- The chief of the UN refugee agency in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, has been kidnapped from his home by unknown gunmen, witnesses said Sunday.
Hassan Mohamed Ali had been taken to an unknown location by heavy armed men in two cars who raided his home in Elasha Biyaha, between Mogadishu and the southwestern town of Afgoye, witnesses told Xinhua.
'The men with two cars stopped in front of his home and forced themselves in and taking him in their car,' Mohamed Yare, an eyewitness told Xinhua,
'They took him away but we do not know where,' the eyewitness said.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people live on the outskirts of the restive Somali capital after they fled the on-going violence in the city. Most of the displaced people encamped in Elasha Biya camps, get aid deliveries from UNHCR office in Mogadishu which has not commented on the kidnapping yet.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest abduction.
Another eight people, most of whom aid workers, are being held in the south of the war-torn horn of African nation since early this year. Militias capture locals and Foreigners in Somalia mainly for ransom and most of them can be released after intervention by local clan elders who wield substantial influence on militias.
Aid agencies have withdrawn their expatriate staff and have suspended operation in south Somalia after the kidnapping and killing of some local and foreign aid workers early this year.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Hassan Mohamed Ali had been taken to an unknown location by heavy armed men...
They shouldn't be too hard to find. I'm betting there's not too many fat guys in Somalia.
Taliban in the Mohmand Agency have warned women to either wear burqas or face punishment, a private TV channel reported on Sunday. The TTP has pasted posters announcing this in various parts of the agency, Express News reported. The posters ask women not to work in the fields and prohibit them from attending marriage ceremonies and visiting doctors and markets without a male escort.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
And Karzai praised those animals in Der Spiegel. What a goof.
#2
Need to train some burka-babes in armed resistance. When the taliban come to tell them to wear a burka, they get blasted into next Tuesday. Might put a halt to a LOT of nonsense.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/23/2008 12:21 Comments ||
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#3
But, if no one wears a burka, how will the brave lions of pisslam disguise themselves when they come to blow up the school or the hospital?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
06/23/2008 13:06 Comments ||
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Militants blew up a music shop by hurling explosive material into its premises in Tirah Bazaar, Kohat injuring three people, including the shop owner, BBC Urdu reported. It said the attackers were veiled and riding motorbikes. The injured were moved to hospital and were reportedly in a stable condition. Police are searching for the militants, who fled following the attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Unidentified militants released 16 Christians on Sunday after they had abducted them in Khyber Agency the night before.
The hostages were handed over to the political authorities in Khyber Agency and later brought to Political Agent (PA) Tariq Hayat Khans office on Bara Road from where they were taken to the Banarasabad locality of Academy Town.
The militants, however, have yet to release a Muslim local named as Haji Siraj, who had rented the building to the Christians and was kidnapped along with them on Saturday night.
NWFP Assembly minority parliamentarian Prince Javed told Daily Times that when the abducted were engaged in worship at around 7pm, unidentified armed people entered the compound and took them away to an undisclosed location. Meanwhile, PM Gilani assured the NA that thorough investigations would be conducted.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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The Taliban advance in Afghanistan could not have taken place without support from Al Qaeda, according to Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid.
He told CNNs Wolf Blitzer in an interview on Sunday that Al Qaeda has established a route to Iraq for the Taliban and there is a lot of traffic on it. He said Al Qaeda is also raking in vast amounts of money from the drugs trade, some of which it is siphoning off to the Taliban. The sophistication with which the Taiban carried out the recent jailbreak seems to have been carried out with the help of Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda seems to be very much an organisational coup for the Taliban, he added.
Rashid, asked about Osama Bin Ladens capture, replied that President Bush would like to see him captured before the United States presidential elections but we have no indication on the ground that anything dramatic is about to happen. He said the US has stepped up its attacks, including attacks by drones, on the Pakistani side of the border and if intelligence indicates that there is a gathering of Taliban or Al Qaeda, the US acts very, very fast and does not always seem to have asked the Pakistanis for permission. Asked if the new government in Islamabad was really going to move against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, he replied, The problem is that the military has been engaging the Taliban in peace deals for quite some years and they have not been able to get very much out of it. I think what the civilian government wants to do is to have a more comprehensive plan - political reform in the Tribal Areas, where the Taliban and Al Qaeda are based, and economic development. But such plans have to be backed by a strong military position and the problem now is that the military is in a very static position. The military is not on the offensive, it is not showing a picture of strength to the extremists and this is going to stymie the whole effort by the civilian government.
Asked if the new government is going to take steps to go after the terrorists, Rashid answered that it would do so, provided the army and the new government were speaking from the same page, which he believes they are not. What is needed is a mixture of social and economic development, plus military power, which only the army can provide, he argues. Asked whether there are elements in the Pakistani military sympathetic to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, Rashid replied: I think there is enormous sympathy for the Taliban within the military establishment and there is no doubt that the Taliban do have sanctuaries in Pakistan where they are not affected by any kind of military action. He said 30-40 percent of the fighters coming into southern Afghanistan are coming from the Pakistani side of the border.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
He is most certainly an expert on al-Qaeda, and he ain't lying about his government contacts. Do the math. Al-Qaeda was founded in 1989, by a Paleoarab, Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden. Azzam was murdered in the same year. When the Soviets pulled out, Arab jihadis settled around Kandahar. They protected Pakistan based Afghans, who sought to build a Pashto state based on the Pushtarun Code, which was a harsh localized sharia. When various Afghan governments proved weak, Taliban created a mass movement that built from its power base until it assumed control of most of the country. It was when it was somewhat consolidated, that they expanded the Al-Qaeda genocide camps, and invited foreign terrorists to train. Pre 9-11 American Muslim websites posted open bragging by trainees.
Although Taliban took UN and US aid money ($43 million in 2001 alone), they never acknowledged same. During their rule they publicized burnings of opium poppy fields in the north, while they allowed a Pashto monopoly in the trade. Taliban took, and is still taking, a 15% cut of said trade, and they now deal Heroin. Karzai allowed the first Heroin factories to go up in Afghanistan. Most of these are visible from Pakistan, which allows provincial exploitation of that trade (there are 2,000,000 heroin addicts in Pakistan).
With Obama having a 15% lead in the presidential polls (of course, it is a bump) it is likely that NATO would effectively hand deliver Afghanistan to the same animals who carried out 9-11. Taliban and al-Qaeda were and are an integral unit. Of course, Karzai told Der Spiegel that he admired their morality. Real moral people; they wouldn't allow single women to work, and shot them when they resorted to begging.
#2
I think there is enormous sympathy for the Taliban within the military establishment and there is no doubt that the Taliban do have sanctuaries in Pakistan where they are not affected by any kind of military action.
I wonder what influence Hamid Gul still has over the ISI/Army?
Posted by: Paul ||
06/23/2008 9:57 Comments ||
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#3
the US has stepped up its attacks, including attacks by drones, on the Pakistani side of the border and if intelligence indicates that there is a gathering of Taliban or Al Qaeda, the US acts very, very fast and does not always seem to have asked the Pakistanis for permission.
Very good. McZoid, I love your background pieces -- I always learn something new, and see old bits of information in a new perspective. Thank you!
Paul, good question. I look forward to the day when you post well-informed answers. :-)
Posted by: Paul ||
06/23/2008 12:38 Comments ||
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#5
I am serious, Paul. It was a good question, one of the many (ok, almost all) to which I do not know the answer, but which caused me to stop and think. And I really do think you have the potential to become one of Rantburg's regional experts; look how quickly you responded to usable criticism of the approach you'd taken up 'til yesterday.
Go deep into Rantburg's archives and read what Dan Darling used to post, back when he was still a university undergraduate student. He learnt so much that as soon as he had that bit of parchment with BA on it he was swept into the world of terrorism consulting, far beyond the ken of us open source amateurs. There used to be another Paul, too, who was an expert on Pakistan; I think 'twas he that started posting nuggets from the Urdu press. He dropped away when he got too busy at school, I believe. The nice thing about the internet is that worldly rank is of less consequence than knowledge and understanding. There is no barrier to you achieving that here, irrespective of your chosen field in the analog world. (And for all I know you're an adorably excitable professor of nuclear physics at Cambridge, or a frustrated city grammar school teacher, or a London Bobby. But you know what I am, and yet you value my opinion of you -- life's a funny old thing, eh?)
A bomb planted by unidentified militants near the outer wall of the Taj Cinema in Mardan exploded on Sunday, the Hoti police station SHO said, adding however that no casualty has been reported. "The remote-controlled bomb, hidden in a ghee-tin, went off minutes after the end of a show at the Taj Cinema," SHO Shaukat Khan said.
Khan said six to eight kilogrammes of explosive material were used in the bomb.
The outer wall of the cinema was badly damaged. Senior police officers rushed to the site, cordoned off the area, and have started an investigation.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Armed men of a tribal warlord detained a suspected would-be suicide bomber in the Jamrud area of the Khyber Agency on Sunday and took him to an undisclosed location.
Local people identified a suspicious youth, and informed the political administration, sources told Daily Times. A Daily Times correspondent, who was present at the scene, witnessed the would-be bomber warn the khasadar force against arresting him.
Meanwhile, armed men in pickup trucks belonging to warlord Haji Namdar, who leads the local Amr Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar, reached the scene and held talks with the would-be bomber for two hours. Following negotiations, they took the youth with them to an undisclosed location.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Will surrender the bomber to the authorities. Will keep the bomb just in case.
A security guard was killed and two people injured when a bomb went off at Batkhela Bazaar in Malakand Agency, an official said on Sunday night.
The official said the explosive device was wrapped in a piece of cloth and placed in front of a CD shop. The bomb exploded when security guard Pervez Khan examined the cloth package. Pervez was killed and Sanaullah Khan and Safdar sustained critical injuries. The injured were taken to Batkhela hospital.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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Jewish conspiracies on our TV channels
Columnist Irfan Hussain wrote in daily Aajkal, that with the growth of TV channels we thought our people would be more informed and our society would be changed. However, whenever we turn on the TV we see the same faces singing the same old tunes. TV anchors, instead of presenting investigative reports, help to flare up old prejudices. A certain individual commenting on the national economy said that the last two governments were working to fulfill the Jewish agenda. The TV anchor seemed to have similar views.
Thieves stole electricity wires from mosque
As reported in daily Aajkal, thieves stole electricity wires from some houses and a mosque. They climbed the electricity poles during load shedding and cut the wires. They stole wires from eight houses and a mosque in Chonian.
Cultural minister to stop vulgarity on stages
As reported in daily Aajkal, Punjab cultural minister Dr Tanveer ul Islam will preside over a meeting to stop vulgar dialogues and dances on stage plays. Stage owners, producers, directors and actors will be invited to this meeting and a moral code will be formed for the future. He said that he is not against dances, but he wants to stop the vulgar display of the body during dances and vulgar dialogues during stage plays.
Democracy champions took money from ex-DG ISI
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, governor of Punjab Salman Taseer said that those who call themselves champions of democracy were taking money from ex-DG ISI Asad Durrani. He said that ex-DG ISI Hamid Gul played a role in conspiring against elected governments from 1986 to 1997. Why do these generals remember important national secrets after 10 years?
Majid Nizami is the second atom bomb
Sarerahe wrote in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, that chief editor Majeed Nizami said that Dr Qadeer has made Pakistan invincible. India is angry that we have teasers who go to India and tease them. India cant tease us now as Dr Qadeer has placed a fire cracker in the way. The pride of journalism (fakr-e- sahafat), Majeed Nizami, is another atom bomb that has been placed in the way.
Shaukat Aziz aka uran tashtari (flying saucer)
Lyrical columnist Irfan Siddique wrote in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, that ex-prime minister Shaukat Aziz testified that the PMLQ is not a political party, but a group of opportunists. Shaukat Aziz aka uran tashtari (flying saucer) used this group for his own opportunism and became Ali Baba of 40 thieves. He also disclosed a sensitive and serious secret that the Lal Masjid operation was entirely a military operation. This evidence shows that the order to burn the flower-like innocent girls of Jamia Hafsa with phosphorus bombs was given by a person named Musharraf. Now with Gen (r) Jamshed Kianis evidence, can we allow safe passage to Musharraf who refused safe passage for the weeping and wailing girls of Jamia Hafsa?
Desi bombs exploded in Multan
As reported in daily Express, in Ghaziabad, Multan, members of a banned organisation have been making desi bombs that caused two explosions. Abdur Rauf, a student of a science college, made a bomb with another student which went off during the making. The explosion destroyed the door of the house, cracked the building and shattered windows in the area. Police arrested the uncle of Abdul Rauf, who owns a book store of religious books, and his cousin Sahil Ali.
In defence of Dr Qadeer
Famous columnist Abdul Qadir Hassan wrote in daily Express, that when Pakistan became a nuclear power and Indias hegemony was eliminated, some so called Pakistanis became angry. These people spread lies about the benefactor of Pakistan and dug up his grave. Pakistan angered some people by destroying Russia, and their immediate ally, India, was made ineffective by Dr Qadeer.
Journalists in tribal areas tell only half the truth
As reported in daily Khabrain, tribal journalists in a workshop held in Islamabad said that if the administration is happy with their reporting then the Taliban gets angry. They said that they give only information that does not put them in danger. They complained that their organisations dont give them enough pay, but if any journalist dies in the line of duty, their cases are presented out of proportion. One journalist said that he only tells 40 per cent of the truth and drinks the remaining news as he loves his life.
Long march for imposition of Sharia
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, head of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that they demonstrated against Muharrafs policies, but where were those demanding impeachment of the president when he was killing religious people? He said that the lawyers had shown us the way and they will also do a long march to Islamabad for the imposition of Sharia in Pakistan.
Bomb attack on Sofi Mohammad
As reported in Daily Pakistan, the leader of the banned Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi, Sofi Mohammad, was on his way to Bashigram to attend a meeting when his convoy was hit by a bomb blast. The blast destroyed a police van and killed four policmen who had been deployed for his security. Sofi Mohammad was not hurt in the explosion.
Lawyers and political parties split over long march
As reported in daily Khabrain, lawyers and political parties have split into two visible groups. The PMLN and the political parties of the APDM are participating fully in the long march while the PPP, PMLQ, ANP and MQM are refraining from it. Lawyers associated with different political parties are following their partys line and have divided into two different groups. Lawyers were also divided over the participation of deposed judges in the long march.
Restore the holy places of Islam
As reported in daily Jang, the International Organisation for the Protection of Holy Places in Pakistan organised a conference in Idara Minhaj ul Hussaini and demanded that the holy birthplace of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), his home and the shrines of Bibi Amna, Hazrat Khadija and Hazrat Abdul Mutlib, Hazrat Abu Talib in Mecca and the shrine of Hazrat Fatima and martyrs in Madina should be reconstructed. They also demanded the reconstruction of the shrines of Imam Ali Taqi and Imam Hassan Rizvi in Samra that were destroyed by bombs.
Long march against blasphemous cartoons
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, Jamat Ahl Sunnat said there will be a long march against the printing of blasphemous cartoons, and a meeting with prime minister Gilani to present Nizam-e-Mustafa package to be imposed on Pakistan. They said that the long march will travel from Lahore to Islamabad, Sukkher to Karachi and from Haripur to Peshawar.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
As I read the RDS&TP each day, it becomes more andmore obvious that Islam destroys intelligence, especially in places like Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. It's impossible to deal realistically with a bunch of psychopaths. The only thing that MIGHT work is to seal them into their own tiny world, and never, ever let any of them out. The only other option would be to totally destroy Islam, which I don't think can be done. These people are insane.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/23/2008 12:47 Comments ||
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Around 10 people were killed and more than 30 others injured as clashes between two rival militant groups continued for the second consecutive day in the Khyber Agencys Tirah Valley on Sunday, locals said.
The Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) and the Ansarul Islam (AI) groups, however, have given conflicting accounts of the casualties. A purported LI commander told Daily Times by telephone that the LI had killed around 12 AI men, while also admitting the death of four LI men. However, an AI spokesman said the AI had killed 18 LI men, adding that only five AI activists had been killed in the fighting.
The clashes erupted on Saturday when the LI attacked the Sandpal area in the Tirah Valley. Sandpal is considered to be an LI stronghold in the Khyber Agency. Local sources said activists of Bara-based warlord Haji Namdar had also joined the LI. The locals said AI men had been expelled from Sandpal to Shlobar, where the activists of Haji Namdar and the LI had surrounded them. Officials from the Khyber Agency political administration were not available for comment.
This article starring:
Ansarul Islam
Lashkar-e-Islam
Haji Namdar
Lashkar-e-Islam
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
So, which one do we root for?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
06/23/2008 11:13 Comments ||
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WASHINGTON Roadside bomb attacks and fatalities in Iraq are down by almost 90% over the last year, according to Pentagon records and interviews with military leaders. In May, 11 U.S. troops were killed by blasts from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) compared with 92 in May 2007, records show. That's an 88% decrease.
Military leaders cite several factors for the drop in attacks and deaths. They include:
New vehicles. Almost 7,000 heavily armored Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles have been rushed to Iraq in the last year. 'They've taken hits, many, many hits that would have killed soldiers and marines in uparmored Humvees,' Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a recent interview.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates made obtaining at least 15,000 MRAPs his top priority last year.
Iraqi assistance. Ad hoc local security forces, known as the Sons of Iraq, have provided on-the-ground intelligence to U.S. forces looking for IEDs, said Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, who commanded a division in Baghdad from February 2007 until May.
Each member of the security forces earns about $8 per day. Lynch has hired about 36,000 of them to man checkpoints and provide intelligence on the insurgency. He said about 60% had been insurgents.
Improved surveillance. Lynch said his troops used new security cameras that could see bomb builders up to 5 miles away. 'If they're out there planting an IED, we can go whack them before they finish,' he said.
Also, Lynch said, the 14-ton MRAPs have forced insurgents to build bigger bombs to knock out the vehicles. Those bombs take more time to build and hide, which gives U.S. forces a better chance of catching the insurgents in the act and then attacking them.
Among the new U.S. tactics, paying the Sons of Iraq is a particularly good investment, said Dakota Wood, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Whether the money is viewed as 'buying off' insurgents is less important than the lull in violence it creates, Wood said. It's almost impossible to rebuild infrastructure, foster commerce and set up elections when streets are unsafe, he said. 'Any effort that creates a window of opportunity in which other stabilization actions can take root is a good thing.'
Iraqi insurgents, however, are changing their tactics. During a visit to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., Marines showed Mullen the latest trend in IEDs: Fake curbs fashioned from metal, filled with ball bearings and explosives. Virtually indistinguishable from concrete rubble, the new bombs require a trained eye to spot.
Insurgents are also using pressure-detonated IEDs, including those with 15 pounds of explosives that blow the tires off an MRAP and allow insurgents to attack it, Mullen said.
'The whole issue of IEDs vehicle borne, suicide, you name it is going to be the weapon of choice and I think it's going to be around a long, long time,' he said.
BAGHDAD, Iraq One U.S. soldier was killed and five others were wounded today in a bizarre shooting incident near the town of Salman Pak, south of Baghdad, according to U.S. and Iraqi authorities.
Iraqi authorities said a member of the town council, which is part of the U.S.-allied Iraqi government, carried out the shootings,
An Iraqi police captain, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident, said local council member Raed Hmood Ajil opened fire on the U.S. troops for unknown reasons and was killed at the scene by American forces. The account could not immediately be verified.
The U.S. military could confirm only that "initial reports indicate one Coalition forces (soldier) killed in action, five Coalition forces soldiers wounded in action and one enemy killed in action" at 1 p.m. today in the Salman Pak area.
#2
I don't recall discussion of that clause, Dr. Baehr. Could you quote it, please?
Salman Pak... I seem to recall that was where Saddam Hussein's pet terrorists were trained by Iraqi Army specialists. Had Mr. Ajil been connected with them in the bad old days of less than a year ago?
(Xinhua) -- U.S. troops killed six suspected Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen and wounded another in eastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
In a statement issued by the U.S. military, U.S. soldiers on Friday sporadically fought 'Special Groups' members trying to plant roadside bombs in Baghdad al-Jadida neighborhood, or New Baghdad.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. military said its troops detained a suspected 'Special Groups' member who believed to be one of the most wanted criminals during a predawn raid on his hideout in Bayaa neighborhood in southern Baghdad on Saturday.
In the terms of the U.S. military, the Special Groups refer to the Shiite militia extremists funded, trained and armed by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force operatives. Iran denies the accusations.
Security improved markedly in Iraq over the past several months, in part because of a dramatic decrease in activity by Shiite militia linked to Iran, which considers itself the patron of followers of the Shiite sect of Islam worldwide.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Everything is going so orderly in Iraq . . . an attack here, 10 killed . . . .an attack there, councilman kills 3 US soldiers . . . all duly categorized and reported to the Pentagon or Congress.
And not a damned thing is done about bringing the troops back home.
R M Kraus . . . . Akron, Ohio
Posted by: Robert M Kraus Sr ||
06/23/2008 21:26 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Interesting troll. Wonder if (s)he is from the Obama campaign, Tehran, or has lost a loved one. In any case, Robert, there is noting orderly about war. I have often thought that is why soldiers drill. At least there's some semblance of order on the parade field. And every one of those deaths is bringing us closer to a true peace with freedom rather than the coward's peace of slavery you seek.
#3
You'll be comforted to know, Mr. Kraus, that the last of the troops that went over to Iraq in the surge have now returned home, with plans in place to bring home more units as the Iraqi Army becomes capable of taking over increased responsibility in more of the country. I'm not sure if the Iraqi version of West Point has yet opened as has the nicknamed 'East Point' in Afghanistan, but both officers and enlisted are receiving American-style training, and the Iraqi police as well.
(Xinhua) -- After 72 hours of implementing a truce between Hamas and Israel, the latter on Sunday reopened two borders crossing points and allowed food and fuels into the territory, Palestinian security sources said. The sources said that at 9 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), the Israeli army reopened the crossings between Gaza and Israel and allowed products of basic food supplies coming into Gaza, where most of them was not allowed in for one year.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Israel, in effect, rewards and reinforces bad Paleo behavior by such action. Suicide on the installment plan.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
06/23/2008 1:03 Comments ||
Top||
#2
This means a whole lot of things..
HamAssiStan is completely under the THumb of HamAss. Even the so called sub-groups..
like al-Qaeda
Popular Resistance Committees terror group
Qassam Brigades [HamASS]
Hudna!
02/25/08, 11:47 AM
Israel Sends Aid, Gaza Terrorists Attack in Return
(IsraelNN.com) As Palestinian Authority Arabs in Gaza were transporting, unpacking, and preparing to distribute Monday's shipment of humanitarian aid from Israel, local PA terrorists said "thank you" by launching two Kassam rockets at Israeli citizens whose taxes helped pay for the aid shipment.
The two Kassam rockets were fired at Israel from northern Gaza at the same time 60 trucks of goods and supplies were passing through the Sufa Crossing for Arab civilians in the Gaza region.
Bags of flour, sugar and other supplies slowly made their way into the region despite the dismal driving conditions caused by the pouring rain, along with other humanitarian supplies from Israel.
Thousands of other Gaza residents meanwhile were lined up against the separation barrier, exhorted by the ruling Hamas terrorist organization to crowd the separation barrier in a massive protest against Israel's closure of crossings into the region.
As did Egypt, Israel sealed off crossings into Gaza after Hamas terrorists took control of the region in a violent coup last June. The crossings have been opened sporadically since that time, primarily for deliveries of humanitarian and other supplies into Gaza from Israel. Recently IDF and security forces tightened the closures in response to the constant attacks on Israeli civilians in the western Negev.
While Hamas terrorists hid among the women, children, disabled, elderly and other civilian adults massing for a protest at the Gaza-Israel separation barrier, their colleagues continued the attacks on Israel.
One of the rockets exploded in southern Ashkelon. Gaza terrorists have increasingly targeted the coastal city since increasing the range of their rockets; a number of strategic installations are located there.
The other rocket missed the mark and landed within Gazan territory.
#3
RD, please tell me that Israel immediately closed the crossings, since the ceasefire had been ended by the Palestinians, right?
What? They continued to ship stuff into Gaza?
Are they FREAKING INSANE????
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
06/23/2008 13:45 Comments ||
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Security forces killed six suspected Muslim jihadis rebels in southern Thailand on Monday, where all rail services have been halted after a brutal weekend attack on a train, police said. About 200 police and soldiers raided a jungle hideout used by Muslim separatist terrorists guerrillas in Yala, one of the four southernmost provinces where more than 3,000 people have been killed in a four-year insurgency, police said. "It's a major victory as we have eliminated some snipers," Police Colonel Sompien Ekpanya told Reuters at the scene of the fighting.
Police said they had found a rifle with telescopic sights and a dozen mobile phones used for detonating bombs. After a relative five month lull, the insurgents -- who have never identified themselves or their aims -- have stepped up operations this month, most notably with Saturday's ambush of a moving train in which a policeman and three rail workers were killed. Last week, a police officer was shot dead and five others were wounded in a nearby ambush. A helicopter flying in to attend to the victims suffered engine trouble and crashed, killing all 10 on board.
State Railways of Thailand suspended its services until security for staff and passengers was improved in the Malay-speaking Muslim region, a former sultanate annexed by predominantly Buddhist Bangkok a century ago. "Staff morale has fallen to a new low," southern rail manager Tanongsak Pongprasert told Reuters. "Services will resume only when we are assured of proper security measures."
A joint patrol of more than 20 police and soldiers was ambushed on a road in the Bannang Sata district, 780 kilometres south of Bangkok, sparking a five-minute gunbattle, said Bannang Sata police Colonel Sompien Todsomya. After the attackers fled, government forces pursued and found one insurgent dead about 100 metres from the road, he said. A second clash occurred in the jungle, leaving two insurgents dead, the colonel added. The government troops pursued the insurgents again, leading to a third shootout in the jungle that claimed another four suspected separatists and left four soldiers and police wounded, Sompien said.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Pattani province, suspected terrorists separatists on Monday shot dead a rubber merchant in the Panare district, and villagers discovered the corpse of an unknown man in Yarang, believed to be another victim of the jihad violence.
(Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and more than 20 others wounded in Sunday's clashes between supporters of the majority and opposition in northern Lebanese town of Tripoli, local LBC TV reported.
Most of the casualties are civilians hit by sniping fire from rooftops in the areas of Baal Mohsen and Tabbaneh.
Most of the casualties are civilians hit by sniping fire from rooftops in the areas of Baal Mohsen and Tabbaneh. Mortars, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and automatic rifles were used in the clashes, and several residential apartments were set ablaze.
The clashes, which erupted early Sunday, eased down in the afternoon, following a meeting driven by the Sunni Mufti of Tripoli and gathered prominent leaders. It is unclear what triggered the sudden clashes, both sides exchanged accusations.
Three people were killed and several wounded last Monday in the Bekaa Valley east of Lebanon when clashes broke out between majority and opposition supporters. Similar clashes took place in many regions of the country last month, leaving at least 70 people killed and over 200 wounded. @
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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TRIPOLI, Lebanon - Two people were killed, including a policeman, and at least 33 others wounded in northern Lebanon on Sunday during clashes between armed opponents and supporters of the parliamentary majority.
The fighting began at 4:15 am (0115 GMT) in Bab Al Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, northern districts of Tripoli, a security official told AFP. He said pro-majority Sunni militants fought with a group of Alawites, a dissident branch of Shiism which however supports the Shia Hezbollah opposition movement. The fighting spread to Al Qobbe where an AFP correspondent said families were seen fleeing the area.
At least 27 people were wounded in Bab Al Tebbaneh and Al Qobbe and were taken to the Islamic Hospital of Tripoli, a security official said. One had a severe wound to the head. At least six people wounded in Jabal Mohsen were trapped by the fighting and could not be taken immediately to hospital. According to a security official, many of those wounded were caught in the crossfire and hit by stray bullets while inside their homes.
Bab Al Tebbaneh and Al Qobbe are mainly Sunni districts while residents of Jabal Mohsen are predominantly Alawite.
A military spokesman told AFP that the army is still deployed in the zone which separates the two sides and has not altered its position.
The fighting has eased in intensity and we are working to contain it, the spokesman added. But armed militiamen could still be seen on street corners leading to Bab Al Tebbaneh.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/23/2008 00:00 ||
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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.
Jewish conspiracies on our TV channels
Around 10 people were killed and more than 30 others injured as clashes between two rival militant groups continued for the second consecutive day in the Khyber Agencys Tirah Valley on Sunday, locals said.
WASHINGTON Roadside bomb attacks and fatalities in Iraq are down by almost 90% over the last year, according to Pentagon records and interviews with military leaders. In May, 11 U.S. troops were killed by blasts from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) compared with 92 in May 2007, records show. That's an 88% decrease.
BAGHDAD, Iraq One U.S. soldier was killed and five others were wounded today in a bizarre shooting incident near the town of Salman Pak, south of Baghdad, according to U.S. and Iraqi authorities. 
TRIPOLI, Lebanon - Two people were killed, including a policeman, and at least 33 others wounded in northern Lebanon on Sunday during clashes between armed opponents and supporters of the parliamentary majority.
