[Tolo News] A top Afghan security official in northern Afghanistan Thursday said military pressures over the Taliban in the north has made them escape from the area
An Afghan military official, General Dawood said the momentum of Taliban has reversed in the north and they have lost ability to fight with security forces.
Following an increase in military operations in the north, a number of bully boyz have joined the Afghan government, he said.
While rejecting the neighbouring countries connection with the Taliban, Gen. Dawood said some Taliban fighters because of pressures by offensive have sought refuge to northern borders of the country.
"We had a report that 35 Taliban fighters had beat feet to joint borders in the north and our operation is still in progress there and we asked our neighbour's border forces to take part in the push," he said.
From now on, small and persistent operations will be launched in different parts of the north in an attempt to avoid increase of their influence, he said.
He said that twelve villages in Chahar Dara district of northern Kunduz province were cleared of Taliban bully boyz on Thursday and he also acknowledged that Takhar province is fully under the control of the central government and all the Taliban fighters have been wiped out.
It is said that nearly 100 Talibs have joined the Afghan government in the past two months in the northern and northeastern provinces.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Hopefully there is some kind of anvil waiting for them.
Security has improved since British troops were replaced by US marines in a volatile area of southern Afghanistan that has seen some of the most intense combat of the war, a key Afghan official has said. Gulabuddin Mangal, governor of Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, said the American military had better resources and finances to deal with insurgent violence in and around the town of Sangin.
Our government is willing to pay for bullets and helicopters, so our troops are able to be more effective. This is no reflection on the ability or courage of the British troops, nor on the perspicacity of their officers. Hopefully, once the British government gets the budget under control, they'll see to properly outfitting their armed forces.
US Marines took over responsibilities for Sangin in September, taking over from British troops who had fought there since 2006 and suffered more than 100 deaths - almost a third of the 342 casualties suffered by the UK since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001.
American forces replaced the British allies under a reorganisation of international troops in Helmand. Some critics claimed the switch followed a pattern set in Iraq, when the Americans moved into regions around the southern city of Basra to shore up Britain's military efforts.
British officers insist the move out of Sangin was on tactical grounds, allowing US troops to cluster in the north of Helmand, while British and other troops focus on central and southern areas of the province.
Mr Mangal, who said he will meet with relatives of a British soldier killed in Helmand and visit the National War Memorial in Staffordshire during his trip to Britain, insisted that UK forces had achieved successes.
The governor said insurgent groups had been effectively dismantled in Helmand's Nad-e-Ali, Marjah, Nawar and Gereshk districts as a result of recent joint offensives between Afghan and international forces.
"The insurgents are not able to have ten or 15 people in their groups, this means they were broken into pieces and defeated," Mr Mangal said.
He said that he had now ordered his staff to use only roads - rather than helicopters - to access those areas in the future, to demonstrate the improved security.
This may not be wise, but it certainly is demonstrative.
#1
Brit mil leadership and their men have been superb...TF Helmand are top notch lads, I have nothing but praise for the avg Brit troop...their media is just as nauseating as ours.
We're getting ready to push up from Sangin to the kajaki dam at some point, & it's going to be messy. This is probably just the first stage to reposition troops for that eventual move. BTW - by all accounts Mangal is one of the better governors. Another thing for people to be aware of is Karzai has put a stop on supposed private security firms working in parts of douchebagistan, no big wonder who's going to assume that role for the near future...
#2
WAFF > [USMC Commandant GEN. JAMES AMOS] AMOS DESCRIBES MARINE CORPS' FUTURE CONFLICTS.
ARTIC = ...
* In Future, WATER + [Food Sources]may be MORE VALUABLE THAN OIL [Also read, PRECIOUS COMMODITIES = Gold, Silver, etc.].
* DRUG, OTHER BLACK MARKET = CRIMINAL GANGS/ORGS may be as potent iff not superior to STATE(S)-SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL/REGULAR ARMED FORCES.
* RISE IN PROLIFERATION OF ILLEGAL ARMS + HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES, espec to NON-STATE ENTITIES.
* VIOLENT CONFLICTS to take place in INCREASINGLY POOR, INCREASINGLY URBANIZED AREAS [Major Cities-Towns, Suburbs], no lnoger in remote or difficult Natural Environments = Terrains.
#3
Broadhead6: the "...supposed private security firms working in parts of douchebagistan" you mention; are they Afghan/indig or foreign in makeup? I suspect they have a more 'local warlord' flavor, but I wanted to ask for the sake of clarity.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
11/05/2010 1:36 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Broadhead6
Mind the Green Zone and Kajaki Sufla. They'll want to hold onto their old digs. Your lads at the dam will be happy to see you. Godspeed!
[Al Arabiya] Egypt's Coptic Pope Shenouda III said Wednesday that recent threats by al-Qaeda to attack Copts served to strengthen national unity, while an Islamist movements expert found terrorist attacks on Egyptian churches unlikely.
In the sermon he delivered on Wednesday night in the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Pope Shenouda III described threats by Iraq's al-Qaeda to target Egyptian Christians as a curse as well as a blessing since they unified the people of Egypt, Mohammedans and Christians, as they all declared their support for the Coptic church.
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an Iraqi group linked to al-Qaeda, grabbed credit for the attack on Storied Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation Church which, they alleged, was in retaliation for the detention by the Coptic Church of two Egyptian women, Camilia Shehata and Wafa Constantine, who reportedly converted to Islam.
After a deadline to release the two women expired, the ISI declared all Egypt's Christians legitimate targets and threatened to carry out similar attacks inside Egypt.
In its latest statement, the ISI called upon Christians to exercise pressure on the Coptic Church to release Shehata and Constantine and warned that they will not be saved from death unless they declare their innocence of the church's actions.
In the one-hour long sermon, the pope talked about the threats for only five minutes and preferred to call them "warnings" while refraining from mentioning the name "al-Qaeda."
Expert on Islamist movements Hassan Abu Haniya said it is unlikely that al-Qaeda carries out in Egypt attacks similar to that of the Baghdad church.
"Al-Qaeda is not active in Egypt," he told Al Arabiya.net. "The only exception is a very limited presence in some parts of the Sinai Peninsula and they are not popular with Egyptians anyway."
Also in the Gaza Strip, where they occasionally annoy their Hamas rulers.
Abu Haniya explained that it is difficult for the ISI to carry out attacks outside Iraq since most of its members are Iraqis and Egypt is not one of the countries where al-Qaeda has been gaining power lately.
"Al-Qaeda has forcefully re-organized its ranks in Iraq and the same happened in Yemen and the Arab Maghreb, but not in Egypt."
The recent threat by ISI to target Egyptian Christians, Abu Haniya added, aims at showing the world that the group is following regional and international issues and is not just confined to Iraqi affairs.
"The group also wants to gain popularity in Egypt by supporting the cause of Camilia Shehata and Wafa Constantine," he concluded.
Camilia Shehata and Wafa Constantine, both wives of Coptic priests, are said to be currently imprisoned in monasteries Coptic Church after having voluntarily converted to Islam.
The cases of the two women triggered massive protests by followers of both religions across Egypt with Christians claiming the two women were either forcefully converted or have never converted in the first place and Muslims calling for their release and accusing security forces of handing them to the church.
Although the case of Constantine dates back to 2004 while the controversy about Shehata started in July of this year, both incidents are seen as threatening to the already volatile sectarian situation in Egypt.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq
#1
See also TOPIX > CHRISTIANS: A DECLINING COMMUNITY IN THE [mainly Muslim] MIDDLE EAST.
[Arab News] The interior minister has reportedly said that Algeria will resume a policy of arming people to reinforce the fight against terrorism in the north African country.
Dahou Ould Kablia says the government would honor a request of some civilians in insecure areas for weapons "to fight against terrorism." He didn't specify which people would be armed and said the defense ministry was behind the decision. Algerian media on Wednesday published the comments made Tuesday.
Al-Qaeda's offshoot in North Africa has its roots and has carried out killings in Algeria.
The government had a policy of arming civilians during the Islamist insurgency that left up to 200,000 people dead in Algeria in the 1990s. It was later halted under amnesty deals.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa
[Yemen Post] There is no plan for sending U.S. Special Forces to conduct secret operations against Al-Qaeda targets in Yemen under the supervision of the Central Intelligence Agency CIA, a front man for the Pentagon has said.
Nor will they tag along with the British teams already roaming the landscape, of course.
The reports previously published by U.S. media that Obama's administration was discussing such a plan after last week's cargo bomb plots were untrue, Bryan Whitman said.
U.S. reports said on Monday that an increasing number of military officials within Obama's administration urged to deploy U.S. counterterrorism forces in Yemen under the supervision of the CIA.
The explosive parcels, that were seized before they could reach their destinations in the U.S., emphasized the need for reconsidering all military options before the administration to fight Al-Qaeda in Yemen, which was responsible for sending the packages intercepted in London and Dubai, reports citing unidentified officials said.
Sending U.S. troops to Yemen will help the United States of America to carry out quick and more secret strikes against Al-Qaeda targets in the country, they said, citing officials as saying that the administration was also mulling over the addition of CIA drones to the Yemen-based anti-terrorism arsenal.
But Whitman said at a presser a day later' the Pentagon did not take seriously all proposals for the contents of the reports, and there is no radical change in the way we support Yemen's efforts to root out terrorism.
The Yemeni counterterrorism efforts are applauded, and the U.S. is working closely and cooperatively with the Yemeni authorities to face all security and other challenges, he said.
You will never get information about what you call secret terror operations in Yemen, he told news hounds.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
#1
US CT = SPECOPS
versus
* ITAR-TASS > RUSSIAN WARSHIPS TO FIGHT PIRATES IN GULF OF ADEN IN 2011 [PERMANENT RussNav presence planned for Gulf of Aden + Horn of Africa].
#2
ION CT, DAILY TIMES.PK > WALL STREET JOURNAL > [US CT Officials] OSAMA, AL QAEDA GUIDE YEMEN PLOTS [AQAP Parcel Bombs]FROM PAKISTAN.
versus
* TOPIX > [AQAP aka AQIY] AL QAEDA CLAIMS THEY LAUCNHED THREE AIRCRAFT ATTACKS IN A YEAR [warns that it will similarly strike at US-ALLIED INTERESTS + SUCCEED due to defects in Tech, Search Methods which the US wilfully lies about].
Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has said he is against the construction of a mosque close to the 9/11 site in New York and also he had no part in financing the controversial project.
"I am against putting the mosque in that particular place. And I'll tell you why. For two reasons: first of all, those people behind the mosque have to respect, have to appreciate and have to defer to the people of New York, and not try to agitate the wound by saying 'we need to put the mosque next to the 9/11 site'," he was quoted as saying by the 'Arabian Business'.
"I heard and saw a lot of news about me being associated with it and this is all wrong. We did not finance this thing," he added.
The Islamist website that inspired Roshonara Choudhry to stab her member of parliament has called on Muslims to take up the 'knife of jihad' against other MPs who voted for the Iraq War.
It has also published a full list of the MPs who voted for the war along with the statement: 'In their personal website, you can usually find the time and location of their "surgeries", where you can encounter them in person.' Beneath a list of Stephen Timms' constituency surgery times, the website has posted a link to an advertisement showing a three-piece knife set for sale.
In a tribute to Choudhry, who was jailed for life this week, the American-run website states: 'We ask Allah for her action to inspire Muslims to raise the knife of Jihad against those who voted for the countless rapes, murders, pillages, and torture of Muslim civilians as a direct consequence of their vote.'
Choudhry, who stabbed Labour MP Stephen Timms after making an appointment at one of his weekly surgeries, named the website Revolutionmuslim.com as a source of inspiration for her attack.
An intriguing 'Sign the Petition to Barack Obama!' link at the Revolutionmuslim site bears witness to the success of Obama's outreach efforts.
At the website, the list of MPs is accompanied by references from the Koran that support jihad against infidels. One quote has been altered to include references to bomb vests, nail bombs, homemade explosives, 'dirty bombs' and car bombs. And yesterday the site posted a new link to a video by Al-Awlaki, entitled 'a call to jihad.'
Related story: Meet one of Choudhry's supporters, Mohammed Shamsudeen. He calls himself a friend of Britain, then warns "there will be blood on the streets." I have a bad feeling we'll be seeing his name in Rantburg again soon.
Perhaps Mr. Shamsudeen will be inspired to embark on jihad in Somalia, where Mr. Darwin has been so active.
[Geo TV] Thousands of poor Pak immigrants in Britain are being discriminated against in the style similar to the South African apartheid era; hundreds have been jugged by the UK Border Agency officials, even in violation of international laws.
The draconian crackdown on Paks, without any objections from the Pak government, started before the visit of British Home Secretary Theresa May to Pakistain last month where she and interior minister Abdul Rehman Malik renewed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) empowering authorities from both sides to curb illegal immigration.
"But we're Pakistani -- we're entitled!"
Hundreds have already been deported and hundreds await forced deportation within weeks - without having the chance to present their case before the courts of law and exhausting the full legal course available to every citizen of the world in Britain, barring Paks now.
The "clean-up operation", targeting Paks only, has caused panic amongst Pak immigrants and hundreds of those Paks who are awaiting decision on their immigration cases, it is feared, will not turn up to sign on weekly basis - a requirement for those seeking asylum and awaiting decisions on their cases.
Barrister Amjad Malik, who has started a campaign to highlight the discrimination against Pak immigrants from the platform of Association of Pak Lawyers, said that the memorandum between Pakistain and Britain is flawed as there are millions waiting to be regularised in UK and deportation and or removal of only Paks without due process will be discriminatory and against the basic human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... of those individuals some of whom are seeking protection under the Geneva Convention 1951 and ECHR 1950.
"It will be also discriminatory if any other country refuses to sign such memorandum, especially when economically crippled country like ours relies heavily on foreign remittances from its citizens, which top any other non-state contributions. This will help Britain outsource torture."
The MoU did not take into consideration the very poor human rights record of Pakistain and the boundless discrimination that Paks face in their homeland, forcing many to flee the country.
Although the agreement is binding for both countries but it has become a known fact now that the only victims of this agreement will be poor Paks - and the cases of Britons being deported from Pakistain will be rare or negligible.
It is believed that there are around 3 million undocumented Democrats working in Britain from all corners of the world, nearly 1 million only in London, working in the underground or black economy but considered the backbone of the economy for the cheap labour they provide.
How many unskilled Brits are unemployed at the moment?
The number of Pak immigrants is very small yet they are being singled out for the discriminatory treatment, especially after the signing of this MoU.
Many studies have recommended to the government to regularise the undocumented Democrats and high-flying Conservative London Mayor Boris Johnson has openly asked for an amnesty for undocumented Democrats.
The crackdown on Paks comes at a time when the British government is known to be contemplating, at the behest of Indian authorities and its business groups, measures to exempt Indian economic immigrants from the upcoming immigration cap from the countries outside of the European Union.
While Pak authorities were overzealous against their own citizens, almost no other country in the world has agreed for this kind of one-sided and discriminatory arrangement for their citizens
The heavy-handed crackdown on Paks continues amid the confirmation yesterday in an official watchdog report that the UK Border Agency may be discriminating unlawfully against Paks in its visa decision-making process.
Independent chief inspector John Vine said the UKBA officials were making it more difficult for the people to enter the UK from Pakistain than from states that were members of the Gulf Co-operation Council such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Dubai.
There were also "worrying levels of inconsistent and sometimes poor decision-making", senior UKBA managers were dismissive of appeal decisions and there was a "worrying lack of confidence in the work of the visa section - particularly in Pakistain visa operations".
Watchdog inspectors found staff "applying higher evidential requirements for entry to the UK to customers from Pakistain and this was not made clear to them".
Vine said: "I believe the UK Border Agency must take immediate action to ensure it is acting in compliance with its duties under the Race Relations Act 1976, and that, where it considers that different criteria are necessary, it ensures that it has the appropriate authorisation."
Abdul Rehman Malik said that Pakistain had reached an understanding with Britain that it will accept only 120 Pak nationals who will be deported every month from Britain.
Guy Taylor of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said in a statement to our sources: "JCWI continues to campaigning for the regularisation of irregular or 'illegal' migrants, this includes migrants of Pak origin in the UK.
"Irregular migrants" -- that's a creative term...
In the current climate, irregular migrants suffer the worst from cutbacks, and experience situations that lead to further exploitation and vulnerability on the part of these people. We call on the government of the UK to issue an amnesty for all irregular migrants in the UK."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
just goes to show you can have only so many curry shops...
#5
Hundreds have already been deported and hundreds await forced deportation within weeks - without having the chance to present their case before the courts of law and exhausting the full legal course available to every citizen of the world in Britain, barring Paks now.
You are illegal and hence have no protection of the host nation's laws. Get legal or get out.
[Chosun Ilbo] Cyber attacks targeting the computers of Cheong Wa Dae officials are increasing as the G20 Summit in Seoul approaches, officials say. Even the home computers of senior Cheong Wa Dae officials have apparently become targets.
Officials believe North Korean hackers based in China are behind the attacks. "North Korean hackers are increasingly accessing the website of the G20 Summit preparatory committee," said one Cheong Wa Dae official. "They appear to be gathering data of lower importance, but we are keeping our eyes open for any sudden moves."
As the hacking attempts intensify, officials are changing their computers every six months, and security officials at the presidential office are having their cars screened every month for bugs planted by North Korean agents.
According to the National Intelligence Service, North Korea has a 1,000-strong hacker unit. There have been 9,200 hacking attempts targeting the computers of the G20 Summit preparatory committee and other government agencies this year. Since June, the government has been running a special cyber defense team to prevent attacks against major private and public computer networks.
The government has also stepped up vigilance against terrorist attacks on human targets by North Korea and other international terrorist groups. "North Korea is unlikely to carry out acts of provocation when Chinese President Hu Jintao is in Seoul, but we are taking precautions for any eventuality," a government official said.
A Cheong Wa Dae security official said, "There appear to be around 14 suspected terrorist groups including al-Qaeda to be watched out for, and we've stepped up alert levels for these groups." The government is also looking out for parcel bombs after explosives were found on a U.S.-bound cargo plane and letter bombs were sent to some leaders in Europe.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Commies
#1
ION CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > [Kurils]RUSSIA ANSWERS JAPAN'S PROTEST: THE ANSWER IS "WE ARE HERE, DEAL WITH US"! | RUSSIA FLEXES MUSCLES ON ISLANDS SPAT WID JAPAN. Do not dictate to Russia what to do on Russian territory.
* TOPIX > JAPAN JGSDF BUILDUP IN SOUTHERN OKINAWA PERFECTURE GAINS MOMENTUM, including options to base Japanese forces on ISHIGAKI + YONAGUNI ISLES CLOSE TO TAIWAN.
#5
This is nice to hear, I'd pretty much written the ACLU off as a lost cause. Although I can't say I agree with the state senator calling for diversity training instead. We don't need Soviet re-education classes for those who disobey our masters.
Posted by: Black Charlie Chinemble5313 ||
11/05/2010 14:02 Comments ||
Top||
#6
The ACLU are anarchists. This isn't a surprise. It gives them cover while attacking the state. Ask them about their record of defending the 2nd Amendment.
The 467th Combat Stress Control Detachment is made up of around 43 officers and enlisted soldiers, trained in psychiatry, psychology, social work and therapy. Their mission was to provide care to troops in Afghanistan.
The 467th was inside the building at Ft. Hood when Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who was not part of the detachment, opened fire killing 13 and injuring dozens more. He had been scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan with the unit.
The rest of the unit was offered the chance to skip their long-planned deployment. None of them did. The unit has returned home, almost one year to the day since the shootings.
The surviving members of the 467th have been invited to attend Friday's ceremony at Ft. Hood commemorating the 1-year anniversary of the massacre.
(CNN) - Arrested believed to be members of the La Familia Michoacana cartel, based in the state of Michoacan, in southwestern Mexico. Authorities seized 46 pounds of methamphetamine, a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory, nearly 95 pounds (43 kilograms) of cocaine, 4,120 pounds of marijuana, 20 firearms and $2.349 million.
The Atlanta distribution group supplied Florida, Alabama, Indiana, Illinois and North Carolina, the DEA said.
The investigation, called Operation Choke Hold, started in May 2009.
Found beneath the Mexico-U.S. border: The 600 yard long drug tunnel with its own electricity supply and even a miniature railway line connecting warehouses on each side of the border.
Federal authorities have made one of the largest marijuana seizures in the U.S., confiscating more than 20 tons of cannabis with a street value of $20 million smuggled into the country through an elaborate underground tunnel.
Mexican authorities also seized more than four tons of cannabis from a warehouse on their side of the border.
'This is obviously the work of a cartel,' said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton, who held a news conference outside the warehouse in an industrial park near the Otay Mesa truck crossing, across from Tijuana.
Officials said the lightning-speed, 12-hour operation started last night when U.S. authorities watching a warehouse under surveillance followed a tractor-trailer as it left the building. Authorities say they found 10 tons of marijuana inside the tractor-trailer. The driver, a U.S. citizen, and his Mexican wife were arrested and will be arraigned in San Diego tomorrow.
The clandestine passageway was too low to stand up in and was believed to be in operation for only a brief time, Morton said.
Officials said the seizure was the largest ever in California and was believed to be the second-largest in the U.S.
Today's announcement comes only weeks after Mexican officials made their largest marijuana seizure ever, confiscating a massive 134 tons believed to belong to the powerful Sinaloa cartel.
Morton credited the increase in tunnel discoveries to "good old-fashioned law enforcement" efforts, with agents keeping a close eye on the thousands of warehouses storing goods moved back and forth across the border.
Morton said such a rapid bust, which came after a month-long investigation, was possible because of cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities.
About 26 tons of marijuana had been transported through the tunnel to San Diego, and 10 of those tons were intercepted Tuesday by authorities as a tractor trailer was transporting the load from the Otay Mesa warehouse, officials said. About five tons were found by the Mexican military inside the Tijuana warehouse and the tunnel, officials said. Authorities will be investigating the owners of the Tijuana and San Diego warehouses, officials said.
The smuggling was active for about a month until this week's seizure. The tunnel was rather small and crude, and an individual can't stand up in it, according to ICE director John Morton.
The task force became the first of its kind in 2003, when it was assembled to deal with a growing number of underground smuggling routes on the California-Mexico border, and because of post-September 11 security concerns, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.
The task force uses robots to scout out a newly discovered tunnel before agents are sent into it. Federal agents are trained like miners on how to negotiate confined spaces, and the San Diego-Mexico region is even used to test the latest ground-penetrating technology to detect tunnels, including by the U.S. military, Mack said.
#1
Today's announcement comes only weeks after Mexican officials made their largest marijuana seizure ever, confiscating a massive 134 tons believed to belong to the powerful Sinaloa cartel.
Apparently the narcos expected California Prop. 19 to pass.
The plot is no surprise to intelligence officials, who recalled a similar terrorist plot in 1995 known as Project Bojinka. It was meant to be a large-scale attack planned by Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, by al Qaeda affiliates in the Philippines, to blow up 12 airliners carrying a combined 4,000 passengers en route from Asia to the United States.
The plot was uncovered "by luck," a U.S. official said.
Separately, from the same article:
The Obama administration's policy of treating terrorist attacks as a law enforcement matter rather than as acts of war has emboldened terrorists, helped al Qaeda's resurgence and hindered the intelligence gathering needed to thwart attacks, according to a top Republican lawmaker.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., ranking Republican on the Committee on Homeland Security, said the administration's policies have weakened the U.S. position to aggressively go after terror networks. While King praised the administration for its recent handling with the Yemen bomb plot, he said he's "very much concerned" about U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's push to try terrorists as criminals in U.S. courts.
A U.S. official stationed in Afghanistan told The Examiner that al Qaeda and Taliban detainees "are wise to the fact that we have lost an enormous amount of power on what we can and can't do with them. It's as if we've given them the war book and they, terrorists, have more protection than we do."
"We don't know our enemy," the U.S. official said. "But it seems our enemy knows us."
U.S. authorities admitted Monday that the terrorists in Yemen came close to getting bombs through elaborate airport defenses. They believe there may well be more bombs that have not been located.
King said that some policies initiated by Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan have plagued the intelligence community.
"He, more than any homeland security adviser or national security adviser, runs policy," King said. "I know people in the intelligence community believe that he is making the decisions and has influence over the president and, of course, Congress. Because he is a White House employee I can't call him out for questioning or bring him before a congressional committee. He's running homeland security policy and is beyond the jurisdiction of Congress."
MOD: Edited to combine two posted article of same story
Beverly Giesbrecht was once a leftish, libertine and secular reporter in Western Canada. She became interested in Christianity in the late 90s but after 9-11, for some reason, she identified with Al Q. She changed her name to Khadija Abdul Qahaar and placed pro Islam, pro Islamic and pro Jihad messages on her website Jihad Unspun
#1
This was the 'Jihad Unspun' apologist. I seem to remember several comment threads here at the 'burg when she was 'abducted' by the folks she so loved.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
11/05/2010 13:01 Comments ||
Top||
#4
btw - a Peruvian judge ordered that bitch, Lori Berenson, released from prison today. Again. We don't want her back. Revoke her passport and citizenship. Let that trust-fund lib scum rot somewhere else.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/05/2010 19:24 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Well at least she died in the bosom of her beloved Taliban. Bet you got all the answers you need now, don't you, hon?
[An Nahar] Hizbullah criticized a report by U.N. chief the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon, accusing him of being biased in favor of Israel.
A statement issued by Hizbullah "condemned the stance of the number one official at the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society (Ban) as extremely biased in favor of the Zionist enemy."
Hizbullah accused Ban of standing by the "executioner against the victim, an unsurprising position the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon always made us used to."
"The report was written by an American hand using Israeli ink," Hizbullah said.
Ban has issued the preliminary version of the 14th Report of the Secretary General on the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
The report discussed the operations of the United Nations Interim Force in Leb and various political developments in Leb.
Ban said the security situation south of the Litani River has seen a "deterioration" since the publication of the last report in July.
Leb "political tension increased markedly during the reporting period, fueled by speculation and public pronouncements over potential indictments to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Leb (STL)," he added.
"The situation continues to be volatile and more work remains to be done by the parties to advance the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
Ban condemned all violations of 1701, including various affronts to the freedom of movement of UNIFIL troops and the border festivities on August 3 which "illustrated the fragility of the security environment across the Blue Line and raised the specter of a serious escalation between the parties."
Two Lebanese soldiers, a journalist and an Israeli officer were killed in the incident in the border town of Adaisseh.
Ban's report urged Israel to withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar "without further delay" and vowed to fight repeated Israeli breaches of Lebanese airspace.
Ban said Israel has reported that Hizbullah has amassed more than 55,000 increasingly sophisticated missiles and continues to build up arms -- with the help of Syria and Iran -- in violation of Resolution 1701.
The UN, however, was "not in a position to "independently" confirm this information, he said.
"The presence of gangs in Leb operating outside the control of the state poses a challenge to the ability of the state to exercise its full illusory sovereignty and control over its territory, and violates Resolution 1701," Ban said. "I continue to believe that the disarmament of gangs (which remains a long-term objective) should be carried out through a Lebanese-led political process that would result in bringing all arms under the control of the state."
Ban believed that warming relations between Leb and Syria were a cause for optimism and the July rapprochement and the signing of several economic agreements may pave the way for improvement of border-monitoring provision.
This could additionally speed up the disarmament of Paleostinian factions, Ban said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
[An Nahar] Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem ... Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... had informed French Ambassador to Leb Denis Pietton that the party cannot remain in a government whose prime minister accuses it of assassinating his father, revealed the daily Al-Akhbar on Thursday.
Qassem's statements came during a meeting with Pietton last month during which the French official asked him whether the opposition seeks to topple Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government.
He had also asked him about how Hizbullah intends on dealing with the indictment in the investigation into the liquidation of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, to which Qassem replied that the party does not reveal its future plans.
The daily added that Qassem stated that no harm can reach the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society Interim Force in Leb as long as it respected its rules of engagement.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Thursday that the Lebanese do not differentiate between Mohammedans and Christians, saying that the present coexistence in Leb is the backbone of the country.
He said during the opening of the preliminary workshop to launch the Cultural and Religious Tourism Project at the Grand Serail: "We in Leb will be firm in facing anyone who will target any Lebanese Christian."
He said of the project: "It is our duty to prepare programs in this framework to prove to the world that this is the reality of Leb and its real picture. Coexistence is not just words, and we must show the world Leb as we see it."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
Prime Minister Saad Hariri stated on Thursday that it is unfortunate that some sides were absent from the national dialogue because "dialogue is central to the country."
"We have been saying from the start that we are facing a major challenge, which are the Israeli threats. What can we say today before the Israelis when the national dialogue members do not convene over the important matter of a defense strategy?" he asked after holding talks with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda palace.
"This is a negative and unfortunate matter," Hariri stressed.
"The president was clear in his statements when he said that he will schedule a new session for the national dialogue where all its members are obligated to attend," the prime minister added.
He urged the need not to link the defense strategy, Israeli threats, and matters discussed in Cabinet to each other.
"Simplifying matters is a crime against the nation ... we want dialogue to continue for the sake of all Lebanese," Hariri said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[An Nahar] Baath Party MP Assem Qanso warned that in the event of a future confrontation, Leb will witness what he termed "bigger than" the May 7 events.
Hizbullah fighters seized control of west Beirut after three days of deadly street battles with pro-government foes May 7-9, 2008.
"Things on the ground suggest that, if they continue to take intransigent positions towards us, in this case, let it be. This time, it will be a big May 7," Qanso warned.
He also threatened Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... leader Samir Geagea, saying: "We've had enough. Maarab won't take two hours (to fall)."
Maarab is Geagea's headquarters.
"We want to defend ourselves and the unity of Leb," Qanso said, adding that the Lebanese army stands by Opposition forces in safeguarding the country's unity.
"Protecting the Resistance That'd be the Hezbullies, natch... is more important than anything else," he stressed.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
[An Nahar] France's foreign minister will travel to Beirut on Friday for a brief visit aimed at discussing mounting tensions over a U.N. probe into the liquidation of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, a Lebanese government official said.
"Bernard Kouchner is coming to Leb to discuss the latest developments linked to the crisis over the Special Tribunal for Leb (STL)," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
Kouchner is set to meet with President Michel Suleiman, parliament speaker Nabih Knobby Berri, the Hizbullah sock puppet and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain former premier.
France has been a staunch backer of the STL, which was set up in the aftermath of Hariri's 2005 liquidation in a massive bombing.
However the court has become the focal point of a standoff between the coalition headed by Saad Hariri and Hizbullah.
There are unconfirmed reports that the court stands to indict members of Hizbullah for Hariri's murder and the group has rejected such an outcome and called for the Lebanese to boycott the work of the tribunal.
The crisis has raised fears of a sectarian outbreak of violence pitting Hariri's mainly Sunni supporters against the Shiite Hizbullah, by far the most powerful political and military force in Leb.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
MEMRI > EDITOR OF PRO-SYRIA LEBANESE DAILY [Al-Akhbar]: SAUDI ARABIA HAS LOST, SHOULD JOIN IRAN + SYRIA.
ARTIC > Saudi Arabia = Saudi Royals-Govt. must realize that AMERICA'S PROJECT [Agendum] IN REGION HAS BEEN DEFEATED; IFF YOU CAN'T BEAT IRAN + SYRIA IN LEBANON, ANDOR IRAN IN IRAQ, TIME TO JOIN 'EM!
[An Nahar] Prominent international judiciary sources in The Hague have warned of the seriousness of the current period in Leb, expressing real concerns over a possible return of liquidations "as a tool in the ongoing political conflict regarding the Special Tribunal for Leb."
A former official with the international investigation commission -- who was part of investigations into the murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri and his lover companions and the other liquidation crimes, liquidation attempts and bombings that had followed, before assuming another judicial post in The Hague -- has noted that the current period reminds him of the stage that witnessed the liquidation of late MP Gebran Tueni.
He noted that the murder had taken place hundreds of meters away from the HQ of the international investigation commission in the Monteverde area, "as a double message simultaneously addressed to the international investigation commission and Tueni's political camp."
In an interview with Naharnet in The Hague, the U.N. official added that he fears new liquidations would target individuals directly related to the U.N. probe and the content of the anticipated indictment, such as witnesses, suspects and security personnel involved in analyzing telecom data, wiretapping and collecting evidences and information.
However, The infamous However... he ruled out any "serious" targeting of Lebanese politicians or STL staff.
The U.N. official noted that, according to indications, the speculations about a possible issuance of an indictment next month might turn out to be true, which requires taking serious security measures to prevent any breaches that may allow the return of liquidations.
He stressed that any security mishaps "will not affect the tribunal's course and its work," noting that repercussions would affect Leb's stability and security, without those upset by the STL being able to put an end to its work.
The former Hariri probe employee noted that the Serbian authorities' boycott of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the nineties of last century -- in addition to the committed massacres, the fought wars and the political and ethnical turmoil the former Yugoslav nations had witnessed -- had not led to halting the mission of the Yugoslavia tribunal.
"On the contrary, those who had obstructed its work ended up in its (Yugoslavia tribunal's) detention places and then appeared before its judges prior to being convicted and sent to prisons in European countries with which the tribunal had signed agreements in this regard," the U.N. official added.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
[Al Arabiya] Iran's Jundallah jihad boy group on Thursday slammed a U.S. decision to designate it as a terrorist organization and threatened to retaliate; meanwhile Iran welcomed the U.S. decision as a "step in the right direction."
"We condemn the (U.S.) Foreign Ministry's inclusion of Jundallah resistance movement's name in its terrorism list and we consider this as encouraging the regime in Tehran to commit further crimes," Jundallah said in statement obtained by AlArabiya.net.
The movement said it would respond against the U.S. move by causing it "problems and damages" in the strategic Baluchistan region, southeast of Iran, and across its borders with Afghanistan.
"The United States has always supported criminals and murderers, like Sharon and Zionists, and supports also criminals (In the Iranian regime) to advance its interests," the statement added."
The United States has had classified the main Iranian opposition movement, Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK), as a terror organization since 1997 when the Clinton administration sought to placate the Iranian regime and change its policy.
"This shows that Iran is a friend of the United States," the statement added.
Iran has consistently accused the United States of supporting Jundallah, a charge the movement often rejected.
Tehran welcomed the U.S. decision to designate Jundallah as a terrorist group saying the move was a "step in the right direction."
"Fighting against terrorism is the responsibility of all nations, and the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran believes that classifying the terrorist group (Jundallah) in the list of terrorist organizations by the United States is a step in the right direction," said the front man of Foreign Affairs, Ramin Mehmanparast, according the Fars agency.
"Iran will evaluate the change in U.S. policy towards terrorist groups like Jundollah, Tondar (Monarchist), or PJAK," he added.
Jundallah claims to fights for the ethnic and religious rights of the Baloch who are Sunni Mohammedans. It was founded by Abdolmalek Rigi who was captured and hanged in Iran in June.
Jundallah said Riggi was captured in Afghanistan by the U.S.-backed government in Kabul and was transferred to Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Jundullah
[Asharq al-Aswat] Thousands of Iranians chanted "Death to America™" as they staged Thursday a mass protest against the "Great Satan™" to mark the 31st anniversary of the capture of the American embassy by Islamist students. Waving Iranian flags and carrying anti-US banners alongside posters of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the largely young crowd also shouted anti-Israel slogans.
Banners saying "I will give my life for the leader (Khamenei)" "Saddam, we will defend you with our blood!"
and another quoting Iran's revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as saying, "If you want to shout, shout at the US", were displayed at the closed embassy compound in central Tehran, an AFP correspondent reported.
Iran annually on November 4 marks the anniversary of the capture of the US embassy by Islamist students in Tehran in 1979, months after the Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed shah. The embassy has remained closed and the US and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since then.
The students, who took 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days, said they were responding to Washington's refusal to hand over the deposed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Ezatollah Eragami, the keynote speaker at the rally and one of the 1979 hostage takers, hit out at US President Barack B.O. Obama over Washington's foreign policy.
"Obama has acted very weakly and badly when it comes to his foreign policy," Eragami, who now heads Iranian state media, told the cheering crowd. "The reason for that is that he is using an array of advisers who are exhausted bureaucrats."
The organisers of Thursday's anti-US demonstration, in their final declaration, said that Iran considers "America as the Great Satan™ and enemy number one."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
"Obama has acted very weakly and badly when it comes to his foreign policy," Eragami, who now heads Iranian state media, told the cheering crowd. "The reason for that is that he is using an array of advisers who are exhausted bureaucrats."
#2
WAFF > [StratFor] WHAT BOMBING IRAN WOULD REALLY MEAN.
ARTIC NUTSHELL = AIR, COMMANDO STRIKES ALONE is NOT enough to either STOP IRAN FROM DEV INDIGENS NUCWEAPS, NOR TO STOP ITS ABILITY TO DESTRUCTIVELY RETALIATE AGZ THE US-ISRAEL-ALLIES.
IMO, IOW ARTIC read, US-ALLIED GROUND FORCES MUST GO IN + DE FACTO CONQUER OR OTHERWISE OVERTHROW MOUD + MULLAHS, + LT OCCUPY THE COUNTRY. ITS THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE.
IMO, ARTIC also read, NO GROUND INVASION + OCCUPATION = REGIONAL. GLOBAL NUCLEAR MILITANCY-TERRORISM, not just a NUC IRAN.
[Asharq al-Aswat] Iran welcomed on Thursday a US decision to label the shadowy Sunni rebel group Jundallah a "terrorist" group, saying it was a move in the "right direction".
"Fighting terrorism is a general responsibility of all nations and the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran in this regard considers placing (Abolmalek) Rigi's terrorist group on the US national list of terror organisations as a move in the right direction," foreign ministry front man Ramin Mehmanparast said.
But he reiterated Iranian accusations that Washington supports the group. "Iran will evaluate in practice America's change of policy regarding its support of terror groups like Jundallah, Tondar and PJAK," he added, according to Fars new agency.
The United States on Wednesday officially designated Jundallah a foreign terrorist organization, blaming it for a series of attacks in Iran. It has already placed the outlawed Kurdish group PJAK on its list of terror groups.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[14 views]
Top|| File under: Jundullah
[Asharq al-Aswat] Hezbullies and its allies boycotted the latest round of Leb's national dialogue on Thursday because of tensions surrounding a U.N. tribunal's investigation of the 2005 liquidation of a former prime minister.
Many fear there could be violence in coming months if the U.N. court probing the truck bombing that killed Rafik Hariri and 22 others indicts members of the beturbanned goonHezbullies, a Shiite force that accuses the tribunal of bias.
Hezbullies's ally Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... said the boycott was to protest the government's refusal to tackle the issue of witnesses accused of giving false information to mislead the investigation.
Seven out of 19 leaders were absent from Thursday's talks, which are part of a series of regular meetings held by Leb's political factions.
Hezbullies shares power in a fragile unity government with a Western-backed coalition led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri -- the son of the slain former leader.
The bombing that killed Rafik Hariri along Beirut's Mediterranean waterfront on Feb. 14, 2005 was one of the most dramatic political liquidations the Mideast has seen. A billionaire businessman, Hariri was Leb's most prominent politician after the 15-year civil war ended in 1990.
The tribunal has not yet indicted anyone in the liquidation, but Hezbullies leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah says he expects members of his movement to be named. That has raised fears of violence between the heavily armed Shiite guerrilla force and Hariri's mainly Sunni allies.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
(KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ... sometimes described as the Smartest Woman in the World and at other times as Mrs. Bill... called Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday to reaffirm US commitment to Lebanese illusory sovereignty and and even more illusory stability.
"Secretary Clinton called Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri this morning to reaffirm the strong commitment of the United States to Leb's illusory sovereignty, independence, and vaporous stability", said a statement released by the State Department. Define "commitment." We're not going to send in the Marines when Hezbollah knocks over the government...
"Her Excellency also spoke about recent developments and political issues in the region, expressing the United States appreciation for Prime Minister Hariri's steadfast leadership on behalf of the Lebanese people", added the statement. Make sure he doesn't start his own car. And never drive over a freshly "repaired" patch of road.
The State Department noted that Clinton "reconfirmed the importance to the United States of a peaceful and independent Leb and our commitment to strengthening Leb's state institutions through our security and economic assistance programs".
"The Secretary and the Prime Minister looked forward to continuing their partnership, strengthening our ties, and pursuing a more peaceful, more secure, and more prosperous Middle East", concluded the statement.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2010 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
See also TOPIX > WASHINGTON FALLOUT: ANALYST SAYS US MID-TERM ELECTIONS GOOD FOR ARMENIA [notsomuch for Azerbaijan, "iffy" as per Turkey].
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.
[Al Arabiya] Egypt's Coptic Pope Shenouda III said Wednesday that recent threats by al-Qaeda to attack Copts served to strengthen national unity, while an Islamist movements expert found terrorist attacks on Egyptian churches unlikely. 
The Islamist website that inspired Roshonara Choudhry to stab her member of parliament has called on Muslims to take up the 'knife of jihad' against other MPs who voted for the Iraq War. 
[Geo TV] Thousands of poor Pak immigrants in Britain are being discriminated against in the style similar to the South African apartheid era; hundreds have been 
[Chosun Ilbo] Cyber attacks targeting the computers of Cheong Wa Dae officials are increasing as the G20 Summit in Seoul approaches, officials say. Even the home computers of senior Cheong Wa Dae officials have apparently become targets.
[An Nahar] Hizbullah criticized a report by U.N. chief 
Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh 
[An Nahar] Prominent international judiciary sources in The Hague have warned of the seriousness of the current period in 
[Al Arabiya] Iran's Jundallah
[Asharq al-Aswat] Thousands of Iranians chanted "
[Asharq al-Aswat] 
(KUNA) -- US Secretary of State 
