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Today: 46 articles and 153 comments as of 16:26.
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Turkey Finds Sarin Gas In Homes Of Suspected Syrian Islamists
Today's Headlines
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1 22:45 Procopius2k [4] 
17 22:16 Winky Sproing5899 [4] 
9 18:13 Redneck Jim [4] 
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2 10:44 Frank G [6] 
1 02:26 Redneck Jim [2] 
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Page 1: WoT Operations
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9 21:19 junkiron [6]
4 22:36 Thing From Snowy Mountain [7]
1 05:59 American Delight [8]
6 11:23 swksvolFF [6]
2 22:58 Pappy [2]
3 20:30 Besoeker [10]
4 17:11 Procopius2k [4]
2 11:10 Shipman [6]
4 23:22 Skidmark [6]
1 13:15 Redneck Jim [3]
1 13:03 Redneck Jim []
2 15:12 Pappy [4]
6 13:12 Redneck Jim [2]
4 11:20 Jiggs Snavitch1005 []
6 21:47 Lone Ranger [3]
1 14:46 chris [4]
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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21 21:10 Rambler in Virginia [2]
-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
White House: Asteroid 'Poses No Threat' to Earth
[An Nahar] Have no fear: The White House says an asteroid more than 1 1/2 miles (2.7 kilometers) long poses no threat to planet Earth.
And if it did, what'd we do about it?
The big rock called Asteroid 1998 QE2 was making its closest approach to Earth on Friday, keeping a safe distance of 3.6 million miles (5.8 million kilometers), or 15 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

White House front man Josh Earnest was asked about the asteroid during a briefing. He says scientists have concluded the asteroid "poses no threat to planet Earth."

He added, to laughter, "I never really thought I'd be standing up here saying that."

The asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles (2.74 million kilometers) long.

The White House was hosting a "We The Geeks" Google
...contributed $814,540 to the 2008 Obama campaign...
+ Hangout Friday, bringing together NASA's deputy administrator and scientists to talk about asteroids.
Posted by: Fred || 06/01/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  As a good Madonna fan, I catch my Space Rocks + other over Guam-WESTPAC like I do my "Aurora" USDOD-DARPA spy planes.

Personally I'm more interested in observing COMET ISON - its path around the Sun + back reminds me of Guam's KAMALEN.

[NOSTRADAMUS' "CHIREN" = TWIN-SWORD = SWORD OF BOTH HEAVEN + HELL here].

Apollo + Cyntheia, Hades + Death.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 06/01/2013 0:39 Comments || Top||

#2  Just be glad it wasn't The Won saying that: based on his football and basketball playoff picks, we would be flattened by that thing.....
Posted by: USN,Ret. || 06/01/2013 0:54 Comments || Top||

#3  The asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles (2.74 million kilometers) long.
Another NASA metric conversion?
Posted by: Skidmark || 06/01/2013 1:38 Comments || Top||

#4  ObeOne called for the White Sox to beat the Cubs last Monday, too.

Heh!
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 06/01/2013 8:10 Comments || Top||

#5  These clowns wouldn't be aware of a threat until they read it in the NYT....

Posted by: Uncle Phester || 06/01/2013 10:10 Comments || Top||

#6  #3 The asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles (2.74 million kilometers) long.
Another NASA metric conversion?


NASA Col. Barbie: "Math is hard"
Posted by: Frank G || 06/01/2013 10:41 Comments || Top||

#7  Not this time, but wait for it.

Posted by: Jiggs Snavitch1005 || 06/01/2013 11:03 Comments || Top||

#8  The White House claims a debt more than 12 trillion dollars high poses no threat to planet Earth.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 06/01/2013 17:07 Comments || Top||

#9  Hmmm, "When you owe the bank a hundred thousand dollars, you got a problem, BUT if you owe several million, (OR EIGHTEEN TRILLION) THE BANK HAS A PROBLEM", maybe that's the problem, HE doesn't owe it, Peg the debt to his salary, and listen to his screams.

IDON'TOWEITIMNOTPAYINGIT,ITS NOT MY FAULT. (Etc)
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 06/01/2013 18:13 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
Central Africa Issues Warrant against Ousted Leader Bozize
[An Nahar] The Central African Republic has issued an international arrest warrant for former president Francois Bozize, who was ousted by rebels in a March coup, on charges including crimes against humanity, the chief Bangui prosecutor said Friday.

"Since May 29, 2013, an international arrest warrant has been out against... Francois Bozize," Alain Tolmo said, adding that some of the charges fell under the scope of the International Criminal Court
... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ...
(ICC) and included "crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide".

Bozize -- who fled the country after the Seleka rebel coalition seized power in the latest coup in the chronically unstable country -- also stands accused of 22 murders and 119 "summary executions", the prosecutor said.

Bozize is also accused of a string of arrests, abductions and arbitrary detentions as well as the destruction of nearly 4,000 homes.

Tolmo, who described the crimes blamed on Bozize as "appallingly egregious", said the warrant had been sent through Interpol but no notice against Bozize was visible on the international police organization's website.

The ICC for its part said it had not issued a warrant against Bozize.

"The ICC has not issued an arrest warrant and has not made any new demand regarding the situation in the Central African Republic. The ICC however continues to monitor developments there," front man Fadi el-Abdallah told Agence La Belle France Presse.

The impoverished country's interim government announced earlier this month it was opening a probe into "grave human rights
...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions...
violations" by Bozize and his allies during his 10 years in power.

"Other international arrest warrants are being issued," Tolmo said, without elaborating.

Justice Minister Arsene Sende had said earlier this month that the summary executions were believed to have been carried out by Bozize's personal guard, led by Eugene Ngaikosset, a captain nicknamed "the butcher of Paoua" after a northwestern town that saw brutal government repression in 2005-07.
Posted by: Fred || 06/01/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Surprise! Russia Pushes Border 300 meters Into Georgian Territory
Posted by: jefe101 || 06/01/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gaaawgia, Gaaawg-i-a ...

Clearly the Border moved itself.

Yup - you betcha!

[MIGHTY "WAYNE'S WORLD" THUMBS-UP here].
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 06/01/2013 0:41 Comments || Top||

#2  To the victor, etc....
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 06/01/2013 9:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Grabbing low hanging fruit.
Try it on the Poles today and you might get your finger badly burned. Failure has severe political costs. Cheaper and safer to nibble at the edges.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 06/01/2013 10:48 Comments || Top||

#4  To what end? If I was Russian I be happy to be shed of them. Let them kill each other slowly.
Posted by: Shipman || 06/01/2013 11:13 Comments || Top||

#5  1. Georgia is the closest land route to the Middle East with an exisiting plug & play natural reources infra-structure. I dare ask what the strategic importance of the Poles is with an impotent Germany vs total control of all land routes to deliver ME Gas and Oil?

2. Georgia is the LARGEST non-NATO cotributor to Afghanistan and also contributed a batallion level force to the joint fronts of Afganistan and Iraq.

3. One of their batallions was fighting our WoT in Iraq while their own country was being invaded.

Conclusion: They qualify as a strategically importatnt ALLY of the U.S. and the West and should be recognized, treated and defended as such.
Posted by: jefe101 || 06/01/2013 12:34 Comments || Top||

#6  No question jefe. However, given how Bumbles treats 'allies' can anyone be surprised?

BTW google fracking and Poland.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 06/01/2013 13:47 Comments || Top||


The Grand Turk
Turkey police clash with Istanbul Gezi Park protesters
[BBC.CO.UK] Dozens of people have been nabbed
Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un!
after Turkish police used tear gas and water cannon against protesters occupying a park in central Istanbul.

Demonstrators had held a four-day sit-in at Gezi Park, angry at plans to redevelop that part of Taksim Square.

An Istanbul court later ordered the temporary suspension of the project to uproot trees in the park.

But there is wider anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the unrest has spread to Ankara.

Protests have also been reported in other cities, including Bodrum, Konya and Izmir.

Earlier this month, riot police clashed with tens of thousands of people attempting to hold a May Day march in Istanbul.
Posted by: Fred || 06/01/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Try a real cannon, and machine guns next time, bet there won't be a third.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 06/01/2013 2:26 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
The Marines Are Reissuing The 1911 Colt .45 Pistol - Old Story 2012 but Interesting
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 06/01/2013 01:38 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Can't find any 9mm ammo.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 06/01/2013 2:28 Comments || Top||

#2  "standard issue 9 mm Beretta. It's a glorified pellet gun, as far as I'm concerned, it has no balls, no stopping power. If you're shooting at a motivated target, and you don't hit vitals, that target will just keep coming". Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about the Fuzzy Wuzzies. I believe they were the Hadendoa warriors. I do recall they needed more stopping power. I thought it was in the Pacific not the Sudan where they encountered the drug crazed, pain crazed warriors. More stopping power was required. What an experience to hit a target and it keeps coming at you. I wounder how much drug use is part of conflicts now. You don't see much written about that. Drug use must be a problem everywhere for a variety of reasons. Random drug tests only way to keep tabs on use.


Posted by: Dale || 06/01/2013 3:25 Comments || Top||

#3  It is my understanding that they would come in wielding a big machete-style knife, with their arms sometimes already tied with some kind of tourniquet in case they got one shot off while attacking. To me, that fits the definition of a determined attacker.
Posted by: gorb || 06/01/2013 4:15 Comments || Top||

#4  The only thing you accomplish with a 9 mm is pissing off your assailant. Unless you get a head shot, they will keep coming. The 9 mm is just a glorified .38 special which the majority of police forces in the US found to be little more than a "pellet gun"

I have anecdotal information of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan buying .45's between deployments and carrying those into combat.

I am a bit biased toward the old gal, I shot my way out of a hooch during a sapper attack in 1968 with one and I saved my bacon with one in a country that must not be named in Central Africa in the 70's.

When I went to Iraq in 2004 to get some work from the CPA the first thing I did was go down on a street corner and buy a .45 from Mahmoud the friendly neighborhood arms dealer.

Right now, I don't see the need for a sidearm but trust me if I get a sniff of a change in the safety here in Tripoli, Libya, I will be down on the street looking for a .45.

The biggest single advantage of a .45 is that you do not have to be a good shot to be effective with one. You hit a bad guy ANYWHERE with a round and they go down and are discouraged from further malicious behavior. The stopping power of a .45 is awesome.
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 06/01/2013 4:23 Comments || Top||

#5  I have anecdotal information of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan buying .45's between deployments and carrying those into combat.

Not say'n it ain't so, but I never saw it and don't think either theater would have approved of it. Of course I never saw anyone with a bayonet or entrenching tool, things have sure changed. I like the 1911 for all the reasons listed and one other, it is a Colt and Made in America.
Posted by: Besoeker || 06/01/2013 7:34 Comments || Top||

#6  I found this info a few years back.

http://handloads.com/misc/stoppingpower.asp?caliber=0

FWIW - high capacity and keep shooting till they stop would be my choice.
Posted by: BrerRabbit || 06/01/2013 7:50 Comments || Top||

#7  As our family Marine told us, combat handgun calibers have to start with a '4'. The guys sort of hid them in Iraq, except on patrol. Some Force Recon and 'Special Procedures' folks got issued .40s, though.

9mm may be a bit more accurate on the range, but with the larger bores "you can hit them in the big toe and they'll go down". That seems to be a bit more effective.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 06/01/2013 8:18 Comments || Top||

#8  In Manila in WWII my father, 1st Cavalry, thought he effectively cleared a Japanese machine gun nest a few yards away, on the other side of a road with a grenade. When he tried to advance across the road to thier side the nest came alive again grazing his leg, seperating him from his tummy gun as he went down on the road. He took his colt 45 and finished of the remnants of the machine gun nest that was fortunately still daized enough by his grenade to be not so effective as machine gunners.

When you are only seconds away from death a Colt can get you out of there.
Posted by: Winky Sproing5899 || 06/01/2013 10:31 Comments || Top||

#9  For those who do not know what it looks like a picture. = (1000 words)

Posted by: Jiggs Snavitch1005 || 06/01/2013 11:07 Comments || Top||

#10  Your father sonded KickAss Winky, be thankful for the likes of him.
Posted by: Shipman || 06/01/2013 11:15 Comments || Top||

#11  Apocryphal story:
Sneering Lawyer:"Why do you carry a .45, Detective?"
Detective(without blinking):"Because they don't make a .46!"
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 06/01/2013 11:20 Comments || Top||

#12  Of course, by the logic in the apocryphal story, everyone should carry a Desert Eagle with a .50 cal express cartridge
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 06/01/2013 13:28 Comments || Top||

#13  One of these Rambler,

Posted by: Slereter Crereper7674 || 06/01/2013 13:32 Comments || Top||

#14  "...and a Desert Eagle, that's one great big old pistol,
I mean fifty caliber, made by badass Hebrews..."

Larry McMurtry, Choctaw Bingo.
Posted by: Grunter || 06/01/2013 15:43 Comments || Top||

#15  A single stack 45 can be handled by most any size individual. Double stack or something like the Desert Eagle not so much.
Posted by: tipover || 06/01/2013 17:53 Comments || Top||

#16  I agree that the Desert Eagle will have serious knockdown power. Of course, for a small shooter, the shooter might be one of the knockdownees.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 06/01/2013 21:08 Comments || Top||

#17  Your father sonded KickAss Winky, be thankful for the likes of him.
Posted by Shipman


Americans like him are still around in "The Land of the Free and the Brave." In WWII it was very common in the First Cavalry for individual/solo missions just ahead of the front lines. Very effective and hard to detect operations if done right. He went on several, going behind enemy lines where the only battle field source of water was with a string of canteens, to quitely taking out guards at a POW camp front gate, to pouring 10 gallons of gasoline and then dropping a bag of granades down the vent of a bunker with a 100 Japanese troops down below that a large group of Americans could not get close to without getting cut to pieces. Solo they would go. Out front the tommy gun and the Colt were his best companions.
Posted by: Winky Sproing5899 || 06/01/2013 22:16 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Home-Made Alcohol Kills Four, Poisons 298 in Iran
[An Nahar] Four people have died after drinking home-made alcohol in southern Iran and 298 others were poisoned, the ISNA news agency quoted a local health official as saying on Friday.

"Nine of the victims are in a coma and have lost their vision," said Hamid Najmeddin, adding that 100 of the victims were on dialysis after drinking the alcohol on Wednesday.

He said the victims were admitted to local hospitals in and near the city of Rafsanjan in the southern province of Kerman.

According to the report, all the victims were male and under 27 years old.

The consumption of alcohol has been forbidden in Iran since the 1979 revolution under sharia (Islamic) law, and violations are punishable by jail or lashing.

Only recognized Christian minorities in Iran, such as the country's Armenian community, are allowed to produce and consume alcohol, but discreetly and behind closed doors, in order not to offend Islamic sensibilities.

But despite severe penalties under the Islamic penal law, 60 to 80 million liters of alcohol are smuggled into the country each year, according to officials, while police manage to seize only about 20 million liters.
Posted by: Fred || 06/01/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  Musli's don't (Shouldn't) Drink Alcohol, seems a self-curing edict.
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 06/01/2013 2:24 Comments || Top||

#2  I figured this was about NJ TGIF's
Posted by: Frank G || 06/01/2013 10:44 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Two Men Say Cabbie Ejected Them For Kissing
Prolly one o' them Chicago Amish taxi drivers, eh...?

The Lib "see no evil, etc..." façade is, occly, violated....

HT: Drudge



Posted by: Uncle Phester || 06/01/2013 11:29 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Had a troopie who was a former Chicago cabbie. Enlightening stories about what people tried to do or did in the back seat and the clean ups afterward.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 06/01/2013 22:45 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
22[untagged]
3Boko Haram
3al-Nusra
3Hamas
3Arab Spring
2Govt of Iran
2al-Qaeda
2Salafists
1Govt of Syria
1al-Shabaab
1Hezbollah
1TTP
1Taliban
1Commies

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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.
Click here for more information

Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
3dc
Skidmark

Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2013-06-01
  Turkey Finds Sarin Gas In Homes Of Suspected Syrian Islamists
Fri 2013-05-31
  Michigan Woman Dies In Syria, Fighting For Rebels
Thu 2013-05-30
  Pakistan: Wali ur-Rehman killed by US drone strike
Wed 2013-05-29
  French Police Arrest Suspect in Stabbing Attack on Soldier
Tue 2013-05-28
  NGO: At least 79 Hizbullah Fighters Killed in Qusayr
Mon 2013-05-27
  Rockets hit Hezbollah Beirut heartland
Sun 2013-05-26
  Female Suicide Bomber Injures 12 in Russia's Dagestan
Sat 2013-05-25
  French soldier stabbed with Stanley knife in Paris
Fri 2013-05-24
  Two Stockholm schools attacked as Sweden riots continue
Thu 2013-05-23
  Niger suicide bombers target Areva mine and barracks
Wed 2013-05-22
  'Soldier beheaded' in 'Islamist terror attack' oustide barracks in Woolwich
Tue 2013-05-21
  Nigeria Says It Has Retaken Five Islamist Strongholds
Mon 2013-05-20
  Syria: 20 Hezbollah Fighters Killed In Qusair
Sun 2013-05-19
  Syria army 'storms' rebel town Qusair
Sat 2013-05-18
  Moroccan Jailed For Milan Synagogue Bomb Plot


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