Mulvi Kabir, the former Taliban governor in Afghanistan's Nangahar Province, and a key figure in the Taliban regime was recently captured in Pakistan, two senior US officials tell Fox News. Kabir, considered to be among the top ten most wanted Taliban leaders, was apprehended in the Naw Shera district of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province by Pakistani police forces.
A senior U.S. military official in Afghanistan called Kabir a "significant detention".
The intelligence that led to Kabir's capture was gathered from Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's second in command, who was picked up roughly two weeks ago in Karachi, Pakistan by a joint CIA and Pakistani intelligence operation.
Baradar's capture has been followed by a series of major detentions within the Taliban's ranks in recent days, individuals U.S. officials are describing as "shadow governors" who operate from the safety of Pakistan's frontier and tribal regions. Aside from Kabir, Mullah Salam of Afghanistan's Kunduz province and Mullah Mohammad, who reportedly controlled the Baghlan province, are two of the most notable captures since Baradar was detained.
Perky Katie sez it's true ...
(CBS) NATO troops are meeting heavy resistance as the major offensive against Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan enters its second week.
As the Marines in 3rd battalion's Jump platoon began a recent routine re-supply mission, the unit drove down a narrow road in Marjah heading for Kilo company with fresh supplies and - most importantly - mail from home when the lead vehicle hit a roadside bomb. Jump platoon's trucks are Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected, or MRAPs for short, and that armor saved the lives of the five Marines who were in it.
That bomb was the forth improvised explosive device to hit an American convoy on that patch of road, and every time the bombs get bigger and more dangerous.
No one was injured in the attack, but the Marines were not going to leave the damaged MRAP so the convoy split up, and a small team stayed behind to secure the area. The Marines spent most of the day trying to pull the heavy vehicle out of the bomb crater.
As light started to fade, the Marines came under attack again. The Taliban fighters had time to prepare this ambush. Well-hidden snipers aimed direct fire at the Marines, who, with a disabled vehicle and limited firepower, took cover.
After some time, the troops finally managed to pull out their damaged vehicle and the convoy headed back to base. Despite everything that the enemy threw at them, the Marines had completed their mission.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Ultimately, all of the bad guys that stay and fight the Marines will die in vain for allan.
#4
The MSM knows exactly two things about the Taliban.
One is that when the Taliban stay and fight, they put up "fierce resistance" (a Google search for "fierce resistance Taliban" gets about 200,000 hits going back to 2001.)
The other is that when the Taliban run screaming in the other direction, it is because they have melted into the population leaving behind questions about the effectiveness of American strategy or tactics. (A search for "Taliban melt" gets over 4 million hits, also going back to 2001.)
The one thing the MSM knows about the Marines in Afghanistan is that they are under heavy fire (although a search for "Marines under heavy fire Taliban" gets only about 40,000 hits.) I assume this passive description is because no reporter, or at least no surviving reporter, has ever spent much time on the wrong end of a Marine (or US Army) rifle platoon.
Posted by: Matt ||
02/21/2010 10:45 Comments ||
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#5
Don't forget that, according to the MSM, once a terrorists puts down his gun, if only for a second - to go pee for example -, he instantly becomes an 'innocent, helpless, civilian'.
Also any Terrorist Casualties become instant 'Civilian casualties killed in cold blood' once they're guns are removed by their cohorts.
#6
Also seen on a headline, "Nato takes heavy losses".
6 soldiers killed is "Heavy Losses". It's a good think these bug wits weren't around during WWII.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/21/2010 13:19 Comments ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Saturday said his government had signed an agreement with Darfur's rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and claimed it would help resolve the Darfur conflict.
"Today we signed an agreement between the government and JEM in N'Djamena and in N'Djamena we heal the war in Darfur," Bashir said in a speech on Sudanese state television.
Bashir added that his government quashed death sentences against some 100 Darfur JEM rebels after the signing of the peace deal.
"I cancel all the sentences of hanging pronounced against members of the Justice and Equality Movement," Beshir said in a campaign speech to members of women's associations.
"And tomorrow we will release 30 percent of the prisoners," he said.
He did not go into details of the deal but earlier JEM delegates in the Chadian capital said they signed a "framework agreement,"which was not a full peace deal but would set out the terms for future negotiations.
"We have just initially signed the framework agreement," JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein told AFP in a phone call from the Chadian capital Ndjamena.
"We will discuss of many issues -- return of the IDPs (internally displaced persons), power and wealth sharing, compensation, detainees," he said.
"We are committed to a peaceful solution for Darfur," he added. JEM leader "Dr Khalil (Ibrahim) asks to our force to stop" military operations.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
It's hard to to keep a straight face while reading something with the words "Sudan" and "peace" in the same article.
Posted by: American Delight ||
02/21/2010 20:48 Comments ||
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#2
Der Fur is coming off der katze.
"We are committed to a peaceful solution for Darfur," he added. JEM leader "Dr Khalil (Ibrahim) asks to our force to stop" military operations.
Stop your military actions, stop right now, or we will take away your bullets.
[Ma'an] German officials investigating the murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai have found that one of the suspected assassins carried a genuine German passport, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.
One German passport was used in the 20 January assassination, which has been attributed to the Israeli spy agency Mossad, although Israel has not confirmed any involvement. Six British, three Irish, and one French passport were also used, according to Dubai police.
Der Spiegel said German intelligence agents found that in June 2009 an Israeli man identifying himself as Michael Bodenheimer - a name listed by police as a member of the hit squad - approached immigration officials in Cologne with the pre-World War II address of his grandparents. Bodenheimer acquired German citizenship on the basis of this information.
After Dubal police listed his name on the 11-member assassination team, a US-born Israeli man also named Michael Bodenheimer said he was a victim of identity theft.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Bodenheimer, who immigrated to Israel from the United States more than 20 years ago, studies at a Jewish religious school and was surprised to see his name on the list. His family says he holds only American and Israeli citizenships.
British officials reported earlier this week that the passports used in the killing were fake. The British government launched an investigation into the apparent passport forgeries.
But the UK's Independent newspaper reported on Thursday, quoted a source in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, claiming that the British passports were real.
The Independent's foreign correspondent Robert Fisk quotes his source saying, "The British passports are real. They are hologram pictures with the biometric stamp. They are not forged or fake. The names were really there. If you can fake a hologram or biometric stamp, what does this mean?" What do you think it means ...
Dubai authorities have also said that the assassins used Austria as their base of operations, and also used at least two US-issued credit cards.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
See also DAILY TIMES.PK > DUBAI HAS EVIDENCE ISRAELI MOSSAD KILLED HAMAS MAN.
#2
I watched the video of the teams and IMHO they wanted the authorities to know what had gone down. Why? To make every arms or supporter of Hamas nervous about their safety.
#4
Robert Fisk? Did he ask for another beating? Jeebus, if the authorities, reporters and intel agencies put this much effort in, say, stopping terrorists, we might be safer
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2010 10:22 Comments ||
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#5
Until there is actual evidence that Israel did this, I remain open to the possibility that it was someone else, and that Israel is just hewing to their long-standing principle to neither confirm nor deny. Really, those other countries are going to look awfully stupid if it turns out to have been someone else who did it. Legitimate passports with real diplomatic papers? Something very strange is going on, using resources that, were they Israel's, Israel ought to have reserved for someone a good deal more of a threat than some Hamas weapons facilitator...eg. Iranian president Ahmadenijad.
#6
Everyone keeps blaming Israel, but the only people who have actually been arrested (AFAIK) are Hamas-niks.
Hmmmm.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/21/2010 21:40 Comments ||
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#7
Well , Try Newfoundland : Canada ! How about : Iceland !?
Posted by: Kung Og HawaiiFukt : Austria ||
02/21/2010 22:08 Comments ||
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#8
You find ignorance and laziness everywhere. Take this closing line for example:
Dubai authorities have also said that the assassins used Austria as their base of operations, and also used at least two US-issued credit cards.
Now, unless I'm woefully mistaken, the Fed doesn't issue credit cards (aside from acts of congress and financial panics), and certainly not to individuals.
So, I expect what this article means is that the cards were issued by banks located in the US. Ok, fine, let's play with that logic. Let's say they were issued by Citi. We all know who owns a huge chunk of Citi, don't we? Yes, our friends the Saudis. Ergo, is Dubai claiming that KSA had a key role in this affair?
#9
CNN + FOX NEWS AM > The NOT-THE-DOOBIE-BROTHERS DUBIES are repor now demanding a full-fledged UNO investigation, INTERPOL + ICC, into the killing + passports, proclaiming that The MOssad has committed a de facto breach of international law + sovereignty.
New Delhi: The Pakistan Taliban beheaded three Sikhs and dumped their heads at a gurdwara in Peshawar, reports on Sunday said.
The Sikhs were picked up from a place called Badi in Peshawar on Sunday afternoon and then murdered. One of the dead men has been identified as Jaspal Singh.
Details about the murders are sketchy and it is not known whether the three men were residents of Peshawar or visitors. In 2009, the Taliban in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) forced the minority Sikh population to pay it lakhs of rupees as religious tax.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/21/2010 11:38 ||
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#1
The Sikhs are a group that I don't think i would want to p*ss off. If they're already paying their jizya, where's the 'protection'?
Of course, jizya originally was only meant for protection from forces 'outside' the Ummah.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/21/2010 12:24 Comments ||
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#2
I wonder what it takes to get Sikhs riled up? What I don't wonder is what happens when they *do* get riled up.
[Dawn] Tribal elders in the Kurram Agency on Sunday agreed to a ceasefire after two days of clashes between rival groups that left 12 people dead and another 15 injured.
Official sources revealed that the political administration, with the help of tribal elders, managed to broker the ceasefire between the Dalasa and Bughdy tribes of upper Kurram Agency.
The fierce clashes between the rivals had taken place over a land dispute.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Pakistan has increased its military posts along with Afghanistan border in Balochistan to keep strong vigil on the movement of Taliban militants from Afghanistan to Pakistani areas in the wake of ongoing Operation Mushtarak.
Top military sources told Dawn News that twenty six new posts have been set-up by Pakistani security forces raising the number to two hundred and eighty six.
The sources also said that Pakistan would handover militants to Nato forces if they cross over to Pakistani areas from Helmand province.
Both Pakistan and US forces in Afghanistan have also arrived on understanding of timely intelligence sharing.
Commander of ISAF General General McCrystal during his meeting with Army Chief General kayani assured that US and Nato forces would extend maximum intelligence cooperation to Pakistani forces about militant movement.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] A top al-Qaeda leader of Egyptian origin Sheikh Mansoor had been killed in suspected US drone strike in Toll Khel area of the North Waziristan Agency.
Official sources said the strike which was carried out on Febraury 17 also left number of other important militants killed.
They said Mansoor was leading the militants who were fighting the US led Nato forces in Afghanistan.
The sources also claimed that the son of Afghan Taliban leader Jalaud Din Haqqani, Muhammad Haqqani had gone to offer fateha for the deceased Shiek Mansoor when his vehicle was targeted by another drone in Dandi Darpakhel the following day.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I think I like this new translation of 'fateha' as 'targetting opportunity.'
[Dawn] An anti-terrorism court indicted on Saturday Akram Lahori, said to be the chief of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, and an aide of his in a 2002 sectarian killing case.
Mohammad Ajmal, better known as Akram Lahori, and his aide Attaullah have been booked in a 2002 murder case of a property dealer within the remit of the North Nazimabad police station.
Judge Anand Ram Hotwani of the ATC-III read out charges against the suspects who pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.
The judge summoned all prosecution witnesses to appear in court and record their statements on the next date. The hearing was adjourned till March 4.
The trial is being conducted inside the Karachi Central Prison due to security considerations.
According to the prosecution, Irfan Haider was sitting along with a friend outside the Zohra estate agency in North Nazimabad in February 2002 when two assailants riding a motorbike targeted him and escaped.
The police arrested the suspects on June 29, 2002 within the remit of the Defence police station in three cases (FIRs 173/02, 175/02 and 176/02) registered against them under Section 13-D of the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965. During initial interrogations, the suspects disclosed that they were also involved in the killing of the property dealer, it added.
A case (FIR 180/2002) was registered against the suspects under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7(e) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the North Nazimabad police station.
The suspects were indicted after seven years of their arrest.
Special Public Prosecutor Mubashir Mirza, who is pleading the case on behalf of the state, told Dawn that the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in Karachi had directed the trial court to dispose of all pending cases against them within six months.
Two PWs testify in sectarian killing case
The same court recorded the statements of two prosecution witnesses in another sectarian killing case against Mohammad Ajmal alias Akram Lahori, Mohammad Azam alias Sharif and Attaullah alias Qasim.
They have been charged with killing the principal of the Jamia Millia Polytechnic Institute, Malir, Zafar Mehdi Zaidi, his driver and peon in 2002 within the remit of the Al-Falah police station.
The two witnesses, Medico-Legal Officer Nadim Noor and Assistant Sub-Inspector Wahid Bux, appeared in court and recorded their statements. SPP Mirza conducted the examination-in-chief of the witnesses.
The MLO deposed that he had conducted the post-mortem on the three bodies while the ASI deposed that on his request the doctor completed the procedure as required under Section 174 of the criminal procedure code.
The defence counsel also cross-examined the witnesses.
The court adjourned the hearing till March 4.
A case (FIR 78/2002) was registered under Sections 302 and 34 of the PPC read with Section 7 (e) of the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997 on the complaint of Syed Hasan Zaidi, a relative of the deceased, at the Al-Falah police station.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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TEL NOF AIR FORCE BASE, Israel Israel's air force on Sunday introduced a fleet of huge pilotless planes that can remain in the air for a full day and fly as far as the Persian Gulf, putting rival Iran within its range.
The Heron TP drones have a wingspan of 86 feet (26 meters), making them the size of Boeing 737 passenger jets and the largest unmanned aircraft in Israel's military. The planes can fly at least 20 consecutive hours and are primarily used for surveillance and carrying diverse payloads.
At the fleet's inauguration ceremony at a sprawling air base in central Israel, the drone dwarfed an F-15 fighter jet parked beside it. The unmanned plane resembles its predecessor, the Heron, but can fly higher, reaching an altitude of more than 40,000 feet, and remain in the air longer.
"With the inauguration of the Heron TP, we are realizing the air force's dream," said Brig. Gen. Amikam Norkin, head of the base that will operate the drones. "The Heron TP is a technological and operational breakthrough."
Israeli officials refused to say how large the new fleet is or whether the planes were designed for use against Iran, but stressed it was versatile and could adapt to new missions. The plane's maker, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, has said it is capable of reaching the Persian Gulf, which would put Iran within its range.
"The Heron TP has the potential to be able to conduct new missions down the line as they become relevant," said Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, commander of Israel's air force.
Israel believes Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons and has repeatedly hinted it could strike Iran if diplomatic efforts to curb the nuclear program fail. Israeli defense officials said the Heron TP could be a useful tool against Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly called for the Jewish state's destruction. In addition to providing surveillance, the aircraft can jam enemy communications as well as assist in communications between ground control and manned air force planes.
The Heron TP has been in development for about a decade, but the aircraft first saw action during Israel's offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip just over a year ago. Palestinian witnesses have long claimed that Israeli drones fire missiles in Gaza, both before and during the Israeli offensive. Israel has never confirmed that its unmanned aircraft are capable of firing missiles.
Israel first began using drones in the early 1970s, and its fleet has steadily increased since then. The unmanned planes are now considered an integral part of the military and tend to accompany air and ground forces on various missions.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2010 15:36 Comments ||
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#2
You use a few to transmit the special codes that shut down the S-300 and other anti-air systems the Iranians have. The rest provide real-time imaging at critical locations.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2010 19:05 Comments ||
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#3
Much less than meets the eye here. RPAs (UAVs) cannot operate in contested airspace and further, unless IAI has pulled a rabbit out of someone else's hat, the Heron TP is just an ISR platform, no weapons. When enemy fighters can fly, these are just targets.
The "fleet" is problematic because there are a number of countries that had to lease Herons because the Israelis couldn't deliver the Heron TPs they had sold. Most of the Heron "customers" are not very happy with either the Heron or IAI.
Unidentified Gazans approached the border with Israel on Saturday, drawing mortar and machine gun fire from the IDF. Palestinian sources say three people were wounded in the incident.
The suspects were spotted by a Gaza Division lookout walking toward the electronic fence near Kibbutz Kissufim early on Saturday morning. Golani Brigade soldiers on the scene fired mortar shells and machine gun rounds at the suspects in response.
A remote-controlled machine gun deployed on the border fencer was also used by the army to hose down fire on the suspects, according to one report. The IDF Spokesman's Office said it could not respond to that claim.
Army sources say terrorists are continuously attempting to plant explosives targeting IDF patrols along the fence, and that an upsurge in such attempts has been noted in recent days.
Conflicting Palestinian reports on the identity of the individuals appeared in the hours after the incident, with some identifying the group as gunmen, while others claimed that some of the injured were farmers.' Simple farmers. Heavily-armed, simple farmers ...
Also on Saturday, IDF soldiers in the Hebron area opened fire on a vehicle containing two Palestinian youths who tried to run them over. The incident began when the army received a report that several Palestinians were at a parking lot for seized vehicles, to steal the cars.
When soldiers arrived, the suspects fled in a number of cars, one of which tried to run down the soldiers. Palestinian sources said the two youths were lightly injured.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/21/2010 00:00 ||
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A senior Islamic militant was among six killed in an assault by Philippines troops on a rebel camp on the southern island of Jolo, officials say.
Abu Sayyaf commander Albader Parad was wanted for the abduction of three Red Cross workers on the island last year.
Gen Benjamin Dolorfino said his death was a "big blow" to the group. "We have confirmed that one of the six bodies found belonged to Albader Parad as confirmed by independent civilian sources," said Gen Dolorfino. "We consider it a big blow on the cause of Islamic militants in the south."
He said Sunday's raid was carried out after tip-offs from local residents.
One marine was killed and three were wounded during the assault.
Philippine officials said in December 2009 that they had arrested an Abu Sayyaf founder - Abdul Basir Latip - who has allegedly been involved in kidnapping foreigners and Christians. He has also been accused of forging links between Abu Sayyaf and other militant Islamist groups, such as Jemaah Islamiah and al-Qaeda
#1
The passing of Passadf is seemingly hoped to be not a folly in which captive audience is to be endangered if not : opted free : Prior 2 : Eet ! Have Abu Sayf do the right thing to have dialogue : Sue For : PEACE ! Have : Them : Free : Audience : Freedom : Captives !
Posted by: Roger Duz Ebert ||
02/21/2010 21:59 Comments ||
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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.
A senior Islamic militant was among six killed in an assault by Philippines troops on a rebel camp on the southern island of Jolo, officials say.
