KABUL/SEOUL - The purported terrorist spokesman for Afghanistans Taleban insurgents said on Thursday that their members had the first direct talk by telephone with South Korean delegates aimed at securing the release of 21 remaining hostages held by the rebels for the past two weeks.
The spokesman said that the phone conversation was held between the South Korean ambassador to Kabul and a representative of the Taleban rebels after the South Korean government announced its readiness for direct negotiations. Today there was a contact via telephone, Taleban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yusif Ahmadi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa by phone from an undisclosed location. Actually they have not asked us for face-to-face talk yet, and if they ask us for a meeting and specify the place and time, our representatives are in Ghazni, they are ready to meet them.
Exactly where in Ghazni?
Ahmadi, however, said the group had not resumed negotiations with Afghan mediators on Thursday. No, we had no contact with the Afghan government mediation side, because they have said that they dont have any authority to handle this.
He said the South Korean side had promised them to try to convince the Afghan and US governments to accept their demands of a prisoner exchange.
Ahmadi emphasized that they would not offer any substitute demand other than eight of their jailed comrades. There will be no change in our demands. Now they (the Koreans) should ask the international community for assistance. They should pressure the Americans and ask (United Nations Secretary-General) Ban Ki-Moon for help.
Anything to prolong the problem and make the Talibunnies look tough.
At a conference in the Philippines, South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min Soon and US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte agreed that they will continue to work for the safe release of the hostages, adding that the United States is not preparing any military operations in the case, Song was quoted as saying by the South Koreas Yonhap news agency in Manila.
South Korea and the United States agreed to rule out any military operations, Song told reporters after the meeting, according to Yonhap. I think the cooperation between South Korea and the United States in sharing information is going very well. The countries will continue to work to solve the hostage crisis at an early date and safely, he said.
Keep saying that no military operation is in the cards, and keep planning one.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
OK, SKor. Talk all you want with them. Just don't forget to bring your checkbook, OK? And perhaps it is the US who should be upset because it is that $20M or so that will be used to finance attacks on US and other coalition soldiers' lives. These folks went there knowing the score, now they are whining. I don't get it.
Posted by: Kelly ||
08/03/2007 1:29 Comments ||
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#3
If they do decide to pay ransom, can they at least soak the bills in LSD first or something - what kind of 'nasty' would be most effectively transmitted from money to terrorist?
#4
Glenmore, IIRC, you can use DMSO as a carrier and add poison of your choice. Ricin works well. So the bills will be little greasy, who'll notice?
Posted by: sofia ||
08/03/2007 9:12 Comments ||
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#5
The talibunnies are against immunizations, so include polio, smallpox, cholera, AIDS, diptheria, hemmoragic fever, diarrhea, and whatever else you can scrape together quickly. Make sure it's applied to crisp, brand-new bills, so there will be lots of paper cuts. That way, we wipe out both the talibunnies and their supporters. May take a couple of weeks for symptoms to show, but after that, it's all downhill - literally.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/03/2007 15:21 Comments ||
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#6
If they do decide to pay ransom, can they at least soak the bills in LSD first or something
Ahmedzai Wazir tribes on Wednesday announced that they would not participate in the joint Pak-Afghan jirga in Kabul next week to protest against what they called the US occupation of that country. Around 700 delegates 350 each from Pakistan and Afghanistan will attend the August 9-11 jirga to devise strategies against insurgency in Afghanistan. The Ahmedzai Wazir tribes announce a boycott of the jirga, and in the presence of the US occupation we cannot negotiate with (Hamid) Karzai, the major tribes jirga decided unanimously in Wana, a tribal elder who attended the meeting told Daily Times by phone.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
We now know who to target!!!!
Posted by: Paul ||
08/03/2007 6:40 Comments ||
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#2
"We got you boys some SPECIAL shirts to wear."
"Why do they have these red rings on the front and back?"
#3
Man, what a difference 5 years makes. I remember right after 9/11 when the Afghans had their grand jirga I thought it was a quaint tribal custom steeped in rich history. Now I think: target-rich environment.
(SomaliNet) Hundreds of families began on Thursday to flee their houses in parts of Hodan district in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia after mortar attacks between the insurgents and the Ethiopian forces which killed ten civilians and dozens wounded.
The fleeing people fear of new flare up of fighting between the backup Ethiopian forces and the local militants linked with the ousted Islamic Courts Union. We have been in nightmares, because of the constant skirmishes between the Ethiopians and the insurgents, we have no other choice than to evacuate here, this is becoming too dangerous to live longer and it is turning into battle area, said Elmi Haji, 56, a father of nine children.
"That does it! Me and the brats are off to Yemen!"
On Wednesday night, ten people lost their lives and dozens more wounded in mortar shells exchanged between Ethiopian forces stationed at football stadium building and the supporters of the defeated Islamists.
More than 160 people mostly civilians were killed and hundreds were injured in Mogadishu alone since the violence renewed a month ago when the interim government posed tough security measures including dusk to dawn curfew.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic Courts
#1
While Christian chapels remain on the property of most secular colleges, they are supported by the denomination. Muslims insist on using public facilities as mosques. In fact, Muslim Student Association operatives are allowed to enforce dar-Islam exclusions at the doors of classrooms that they use with the permission of dhimmi authorities. I know that first hand, because an MSA storm trooper once barred me from entry.
#2
"It is well known that the Islamic Foundation is an Islamist institute founded by high ranking members of the Pakistani Islamist party, Jama'at-I Islami," the group said. "However, in answer to questions in the House of Commons about possible links between Ataullah Siddiqui and Jama'at-i-Islami, Rammell stated that 'Dr Siddiqui has assured me categorically that he has no links to the Jamaat-e-Islami Party.' This reveals that Rammell does not understand how Islamists use dissimulation (taqiyya) to hide their real goals while claiming to be moderate and liberal," the analysis said.
While the article's subject is an utter outrage, it is nonetheless satisfying to see the word "taqiyya" appearing in mainstream print. As the general public begins to learn more about how Islam operates, it will become ever more resistant to its spread.
The Barnabas Fund said it's simply a demand for a "privileged position for Islam in the universities."
End of story. SSDD.
Reports said the government already has pledged several million dollars to universities in order to boost Islamic studies.
A terrorist suspect who was being treated for severe burns following the failed car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport has died in hospital.
Ahmed, 27, was being cared for at a specialist unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary after the incident on June 30. After being doused with a fire extinguisher by an off-duty policeman, Ahmed was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley.
Ahmed, who is also known as Khalid, suffered 90% burns and spent 33 days in hospital before succumbing to his injuries.
A spokesman for the Scottish Executive defended Ahmed's treatment.He said: "There has been some comment about the treatment provided for him by the NHS.
"It was perfectly right that he should have received the appropriate treatment our health service could offer as this reflects the value our society places on human life.
"The focus now should be on the criminal investigation that is under way."
The Glasgow Airport attack followed two suspected car bomb attempts in central London when police discovered two vehicles allegedly laden with gas canisters and fuel.
Ahmed's alleged accomplice Bilal Abdullah, 27, an Iraqi doctor, was arrested and charged with conspiring to cause explosions. Mohammed Asha, 26, from Newcastle-Under-Lyme, who was arrested on the M6 motorway near Sandbach in Cheshire on the day of the airport attack, is also accused of conspiring to cause explosions.
And Liverpool man Sabeel Ahmed, 26, has been charged with not disclosing information that could have helped police arrest a suspected terrorist. The NHS succeeds where a jeep full of gas cannisters and petrol failed.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
08/03/2007 05:10 ||
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[2 views]
Top|| File under: Takfir wal-Hijra
#2
Point of trivia. Quite fitting he finally expired in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The GRI was built upon the ruins of the Bishop's Castle of the old Glasgow Cathedral. If the GRI's superb burns unit couldn't save the bugger, he was meant to die. Bury the others with him, call it a day and retire for sundowners.
#3
33 days of the most delicious torment that there is in this world. That has to be the most painful death possible. I have a friend that got badly burnt and he tells me there is no drug that can quell out that pain, only take a little of the edge off it. And I don't think it could have happened to a nicer murderer.
#5
Burns over more than 60% of the human body are difficult to treat, and usually unsuccessful - in the range of 10-25% success rate. There's just not enough area left for skin to renew itself, and the threats of secondary infection go through the roof. Deep burns, the kind that not only roast the skin but the flesh under it, are the worst. I'm surprised he lived 33 days, myself.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/03/2007 15:26 Comments ||
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The British High Commission in Pakistan has said that it has been denied access to a British citizen imprisoned on suspicion of being a threat to national security. Rengzeib Ahmed, from Manchester, has been detained since April 2006 in northern Pakistan without being charged for any offence, said the high commission. He is being held under the Security of Pakistan Act, which permits indefinite detention of suspects deemed to be a threat to national security.
We have tried everything we can to see him in Adiala prison and to get confirmation of his nationality, a British High Commission spokesman told the BBC. The Pakistani authorities have not commented on the high commissions allegations.
Rengzeib Ahmed has been confined in the prison in Rawalpindi since his official arrest in April this year. His brother recently wrote a letter to the BBC saying British police had only told the family about Rengzeibs arrest in 2006. I am very concerned about my brother, his health and how he is being kept in Adiala prison, the brother, Mohammad Pervez, said. His letter says that Rengzeib Ahmed was taken by the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence and the American Central Intelligence Agency to an unknown place somewhere in Pakistan. He was kept for eight months and tortured.
Pervez says his brother was then handed over to Pakistani police, who sent him to Adiala prison where he is currently being held. Rengzeib Ahmed was finally produced in a high court in June 2006. He was remanded in custody for another two months after prosecutors pleaded for more time to frame charges.
While granting the remand, the judges also ordered that Mr Ahmed be allowed legal counsel. Human rights organisations accuse the authorities of abusing discretionary powers under the Security of Pakistan Act. We are concerned about the persistent abuse of the Security of Pakistan Act, which is used to detain suspects and hold them incommunicado for extended or indefinite periods, a spokesman for the Pakistani branch of Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. Human Rights Watch believes this contravenes the most basic principles of justice.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[3 views]
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#1
The ISI looking after their own.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
08/03/2007 5:09 Comments ||
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KABUL_ Despite telephonic talks between the Taliban and the Korean delegation, no progress was made in talks to release the 21 Korean hostages and there was no indication that some breakthrough was in sight Friday.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahamdi told The Korea Times that the Taliban and Korean negotiators are seeking to find a suitable place for a face-to-face talks.
Asked for how long they intended keeping the women if the negotiations did not work, the spokesman said they could keep them for months and years in their custody. He said the Korean side did not ask for direct talks. It was the Taliban who offered direct negotiations. `` If they are ready for direct talks, our representatives are there and we have no problem in that,'' he added. The Barbary Coast racket - hostages, slavery, ransom, brutal incarceration ... it's worked like a charm for 1400 years.
The Taliban continued threatening to kill the hostages unless their demands in the exchange deal are met. Standard MO
``Medical assistance and treatment will be of no use if we later kill them,'' Ahamdi said when asked about the health condition of the hostages. ``Killing even the women is not a problem with us.'' How ... Eichman-like. Mohammed Atta and his crew sat in their first-class seats as mothers, infants, and grandparents walked past them during boarding. I bet Ahamdi does a killer Reinhard Heydrich.
We knew this already. Of course killing women and children isn't a problem for the Lions of Islam.
The foreigners, both men and women, are targeting our men, women, children and elderly from the air (referring to the NATO and Coalition forces' bombing), so we have the justification and valid grounds to kill those women, he said. After awhile, even the SKors will figure this one out, and then Ahamdi is will be whistling a different tune.
Ahmadi also denied some reports that some female Korean hostages had been shifted to bordering areas of Pakistan. ``Why should we need to shift them to Pakistan when we have a vast area under our control,'' he said.
Some newspapers and wire services, quoting sources from Kabul, reported that three female hostages have been shifted to the border areas of Pakistan, located close to the province of Paktika, which borders Ghazni. Ahamdi scoffed at such reports. However, he said that they were distributed in groups of twos and threes and were under the control of different commanders in areas, which are under Taliban, control. He spent a lot of time on the phone, didn't he?.
Asked if some hostages had been moved to Paktika province, the spokesman replied that they were in Afghanistan and would not be moved to any other area which is out of their control.
Regarding he health condition of the hostages, he said 16 of them were sick, mostly suffering from dehydration and intestinal disorders. He said at least two of the women were seriously ill. A day earlier, a team of Afghan doctors offered to provide medical assistance to the Koreans. Asked about the offer, the spokesman said those who want to see the Koreans alive must press the Afghan government for the release of prisoners.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government said that it does not rule out use of force to free the Korean hostages. Richard Boucher, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for South and Central Asia, directly mentioned ``military action'' as one of options to pressure the Taliban militants. ``All pressures need to be applied to the Taliban to get them to release these hostages,'' Boucher said. ``There are things that we say, things that others say, things that are done and said within Afghan society, as well as potential military pressures.''
Boucher's remarks run counter to Foreign Minister Song Min-soon's agreement with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte Thursday that Seoul and Washington agreed to rule out any military operation to rescue the hostages. Song reconfirmed the non-use of force with Negroponte on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila.
Concerns were raised when Afghan army units handed out leaflets Wednesday, warning civilians to move to safer areas in preparation of operation in Ghazni Province where the Taliban kidnapped the Koreans. But no military operation has been confirmed yet.
A group of Korean lawmakers met with political leaders in Washington to urge the United States to help end the hostage crisis. But the United States showed again its firm position that they will not accept any demands by the terrorists because acceptances could encouraged them to kidnap more innocent people.
The Afghan government reiterated that it cannot accept the swap deal for fear of international criticism.
Regarding the U.S. role, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said the United States is actively cooperating with Korea for the release of the hostages.
The Taliban have already killed two male hostages, the leader of the Christian aid group Rev. Bae Hyung-kyu, 42, on July 25 and Shim Sung-min, 29, on July 30. It's what the Taliban do: murder unarmed, innocent people while threatening to kill more.
#1
Go right ahead. Any prolongation of this evil crapfest stands just that much better a chance to polarize South Korean opinion against America's enemies. No matter how well they can manipulate the media, Muslims remain permanently stuck on stupid.
#3
Start cooking the Pashtuns in the NWFP with napalm until the Koreans are released. Broadcast to the Pashtuns that they will be punished for anything the Taliban do in Afghanistan, since they provide logistic support and safe haven for the talibunnies. Keep it up until one of two things happen: the Koreans are released, or the Pashtun in the NWFP turn against the talibunnies. I believe the initial response will be seething and gnashing of teeth, followed by panic, followed by the dismemberment of the taliban. The problem is that the United States is trying to fight a humane, sanitary war. There ain't no such thing. The purpose of war is to impose your will in such a way the enemy surrenders. We're not even CLOSE to doing that. Until we are, we're wasting our time and resources.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/03/2007 16:20 Comments ||
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#4
The problem is that the United States is trying to fight a humane, sanitary war. There ain't no such thing. The purpose of war is to impose your will in such a way the enemy surrenders. We're not even CLOSE to doing that. Until we are, we're wasting our time and resources.
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's frustration over the plight of Christian volunteers seized by the Taliban is starting to focus on the United States, a frequent target of resentment here. Politicians and citizens of all persuasions are increasingly calling on Washington to help resolve the 15-day-old standoff, believing the United States to be the only country capable of pushing Afghanistan to meet the captors' demands that Taliban prisoners be freed.
The United States has so far simply said it remains in contact with the South Korean and Afghan governments on the issue. As the hostage crisis drags on, South Koreans are increasingly questioning what they have received from the U.S. in exchange for sending soldiers to support the U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The course of the crisis could affect a presidential election this year in this key U.S. ally on China's doorstep. An anti-American backlash could boost liberals who have increasingly pushed for Seoul to assert its independence from Washington at the expense of the conservative pro-U.S. opposition that now holds a commanding lead.
Which in turn could cause us to wash our hands of the Korean peninsula.
A delegation of top South Korean lawmakers left Thursday for Washington to press their case for an exception to the U.S. policy of refusing to make concessions to terrorists.
Richard Boucher, a senior State Department official, said the United States is not ruling out military force to free the hostages. But a South Korean official said Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte had agreed during a meeting Thursday in the Philippines to rule out a military attempt to end the standoff.
Afghan officials said the volunteers' captors have agreed to meet with South Korea's ambassador, though they had not yet agreed on a venue.
In South Korea, a nightly candlelight vigil calling for the South Korean hostages to return home safely has recently moved to a new site in central Seoul next to the U.S. Embassy. Some protesters have carried signs with a U.S. flag being smashed by a fist and appealed to the White House: "Bush: Don't kill, negotiate."
So the Talibunnies will execute the hostages and Bush will be labeled a 'killer'. Haven't we seen this movie before?
Candidates in South Korea's December presidential elections have been happy to play the populist, anti-American card, which finds resonance in a country often torn between greater powers. "I want to ask what kind of judgment the U.S. government would have made if the 23 hostages were Americans," Chung Dong-young, a well-known liberal presidential hopeful, told reporters this week.
That's different. We look after our own. You're welcome to send the SKor Marines to Afghanistan and look for your people.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
How many people did the US lose defending that state? How many are there now defending SKOR?
#3
Good Lord, what the hell has happened to the South Koreans? They used to have balls...
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
08/03/2007 1:47 Comments ||
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#4
WORLDTRIBUNE/EAST-ASIA INTEL > US CDR Tom Keating > China proposed it + USA formally split the Pacific Region/Ocean into bi-lateral spheres of influence, wid China controlling WESTPAC whilst the USA controls EASTPAC. *RADICAL ISLAMISTS COMPLAIN WHERE'S THEIR BETEL NUT; RUSSIANS P *** OFF AT MACKENZIE BROS., CLAIMING ARCTIC - News at 11. D *** ng it, WHOOPI GOLDBERG IS NOW ON "THE VIEW"!
#5
Keep in mind, too, that just because the Washington Post writes something, it doesn't make it true. Sometimes the media likes to attempt to create a general reality by taking a position held by only a few and portraying it as being a more popular position than it really is. That tradition goes all the way back to Ben Franklin.
The article does not quote a single ROK official and only reports on one candlelight vigil. And they use language like "An anti-American backlash could boost liberals" which basically translates into "if we can inflate this big enough and CREATE a backlash ..."
This is just words that someone sitting at a keyboard pecked into a computer. They are attempting to create a reality here, not reporting on a reality that exists.
#6
This is just words that someone sitting at a keyboard pecked into a computer. They are attempting to create a reality here, not reporting on a reality that exists.
Thank you for the reality check, crosspatch. Sometimes connecting previous behavior over to exaggerated crap the MSM spins up is a little too easy.
So which "idealistic morons" shall we blame? Those in the Oval Office? The Liberal Left? The Fair Weather Allies?
Despite all previous convictions, I no longer am so inclined to vent my wrath upon the Oval Office. There are far too many recipients of the USA's largess who simply refuse to admit that American culture is superior, whereby I'm happy to see all of them steamrolled into so much glassphalt.
#11
Told you. A bunch of idealistic morons goes dancing around a combat zone, and all the sudden it's our fault.
This may well force the Afghan government to forbid all missionaries and other NGOs -- or even all foreign civilians -- entry into the country, just because a foolish Korean pastor chose to bring a group of ignorantly well-intentioned, grandmotherly, church ladies with him when he returned this year. The Taliban and the tradition of banditry continue to cost Afghanis dearly.
#12
If everybody would just surrender to those with the meanest, nastiest disposition, everybody'd be happy!
Who was it that said, "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute"? Some old guy, I think.
Thomas Jefferson, I believe.
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/03/2007 6:26 Comments ||
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#13
Bobby,
"Millions for defense..." was said in response to demands by Muslim pirates of North Africa; the response was the deployment of 'Old Ironsides', among others. A most appropriate quotation for this article.
#14
South Koreans are increasingly questioning what they have received from the U.S. in exchange for sending soldiers to support the U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan
#15
Despite what the reality checker says (and I do appreciate you!), anti-americanism is ramped in SKOR. Especially among the young. The people who can remember the war still are very strong supporters of the US, but the North's propaganda for the rest of the population has worked wonders. Almost every soldier I know that has been over there wonders what the hell we are still doing there. SKOR is more than capable nowdays of defending itself from the North's temper tantrums (with a little help from our air power) and I fully believe we should pull all of our forces out, as it is only going to get worse. Americans are being treated like the Jew in Europe.
#17
As the hostage crisis drags on, South Koreans are increasingly questioning what they have received from the U.S. in exchange for sending soldiers to support the U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For starters:
1. About 35,000 dead Americans from 1950-1953 enabling you to have the right to act like the ungrateful bunch of assholes that you are.
2. The fourth largest economy in Asia and the twelfth largest in the world.
I suppose I could add stuff like "a diet not based on tree bark and pond scum", "electricity"... but why get picky.
It'll make it easier for everybody if from now on you tell your religious quacks to stay out of a place where there's a war going on with people who would like nothing better then to have them for dinner. Literally.
The old man landed at Inchon, fought his way into Seoul and froze his ass off at Chosin Resevoir. These people piss me off.
#18
Almost every soldier I know that has been over there wonders what the hell we are still doing there
Because of politicians who live in the beltway never never land. It's the State Department playing games with our troops for their ego edification. "See, we're important." Allied with the organization empire builders at the Pentagon who should have learned from the Philippine experience, that the troops should have been home before 2000. If the SKors can't defend themselves by now - tough. Its military welfare for the, relatively, rich.
#19
Actually it was Rep. Robert Goodloe Harper, chair of House Ways & Means, 6/18/1798, when the French under Napoleon had seized some US ships and wanted a substantial bribe to release them. He told 'em to get stuffed. Same idea, different asshats.
As for SORKS, they can get stuffed too. Our deployment of 30K+ US armed forces there is based on a 50+ year old UN agreement and an outdated political theory (anti-Communism and "domino theory").
As to what they got - what sinse & TU said. At the cost of: 36574 US dead, 103284 US wounded, 7224 US POW, 8176 US MIA, and 21 former US citizens as new SORKS absolutely free.
Posted by: sofia ||
08/03/2007 9:26 Comments ||
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#20
Agreed Darth,
You only have to go there to know that Anti-Americanism is like Starbucks to Korea - everywhere. Sorry to burst the it is the MSM bubble.
#22
Taking another angle at it...note that while they *loathe/despise* us, they also claim that the U.S. is the only one who can "do something about it" (which, in reality, is true).
But also, just the thought of us agreeing to help release 8-10 Talibunnies (who will go back to the battlefield to face our soldiers) for 23 or so Korean naive missionaries is absurd. The only part of this equation that I agree with is the ratio of lives (1 Korean worth 3 Talibunnies) is a good start. Complete opposite from the Paleo demands of the Joos, in terms of lives-ratios.
Posted by: BA ||
08/03/2007 14:21 Comments ||
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#23
Re: #9, N Guard "Maybe Vlad Dracul had the right idea after all."
Word. And afterwards, the smaller pikes could be used for a pigroast.....
#24
"just because a foolish Korean pastor chose to bring a group of ignorantly well-intentioned, grandmotherly, church ladies with him when he returned this year."
That is absolutely true. At what point do the people who engage in nonsense like this have to be held personally respnsible for their actions? I sure as hell wouldn't take a busload of folks from MY church traipsing around the Afghan countryside.
What the hell did they expect? And now it is OUR fault because THEY are idiots? Hell, I wouldn't take a busload of church folks riding around parts of Oakland, let alone Afghanistan.
#25
No doubt the usual SK suspects are trying to stir up anti-US sentiment, but a perusal of the English-language South Korean media leads me to believe that the WP-AP is exaggerating the SK-US divide in regards to this matter.
A US plan to have all shipping containers scanned for security reasons would disrupt trade without diminishing the terrorist threat, the European Union said on Thursday.
Careful what you wish for, Dhimmicrats. The Dhimmi blogs have been hammering the Bush administration for a couple of years demanding that each and every container be inspected (by hand by a unionized 'port authority inspector', but we digress), and now it's going to happen. Guess what -- our trading partners aren't too happy about it.
In a strongly worded statement, ...
yoikes!
... László Kovács, the European customs commissioner, said the unilateral action would force Europes taxpayers to foot the bill for US security. Mr Kovács said: Experts on both sides of the Atlantic have already considered this measure to be of no real benefit when it comes to improving security, while it would disrupt trade and cost legitimate EU and US businesses a lot of time and money.
The US Congress passed the bill last week. US cargo importers have attacked the measure, warning that it threatens cargo systems with chaos.
While EU ports would suffer, Asia would be worse off. Giant hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong deal with tens of thousands of containers daily. While 1.8m 20ft-equivalent containers were sent from Europe to the US in 2006, according to London-based Drewry Shipping Consultants, there were 13.7m from Asia.
Mr Kovács said the US had acted unilaterally before co-operation between the two blocs had been tried.
Mr Kovács said the US had acted unilaterally before co-operation between the two blocs had been tried. I also regret that the USA did not await the results of the pilot actions that the EU and US customs are about to launch before pressing ahead with this piece of legislation.
"Our pilot actions could have put this off for twenty years, at least!"
The European Commission said the law, which would take effect within five years, would place a very heavy financial burden on EU business and ultimately its taxpayers and require huge restructuring by ports. Many are already cramped for space and would find it hard to establish extra sheds and storage areas for scanning.
Brussels is examining whether the law breaches World Trade Organisation and World Customs Organisation rules.
I'll bet they find a purported violation. Don't you?
Mr Kovács said: Instead of 100 per cent scanning, I advocate applying risk analysis for the selection of cargo containers to be checked prior to leaving the EU for the US. This would find a balance between legitimate trade facilitation and customs security, an approach that the European Union has always supported.
The US already has customs officials sampling containers in countries considered to be a risk, such as Dubai.
It would be hard to quantify the price of scanning, though each container movement cost about $30-$50, said Drewry Shipping Consultants.
Doesn't sound like a lot, but with millions of containers on the move every day it adds up.
Posted by: lotp ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#2
F**k these ignorant, whining EU bastards. If they had even one functioning brain cell, they'd be eager to do this to protect themselves also. Do the fools not believe the Islamos would not like to take out a port in the EU as well as the US? Just one container with a nuke aboard could cause a very bad day. So much worse than a bridge going down. Can you imagine the city of Seattle, San Francisco, Long Beach or Miami just disappearing because one can't be troubled to check each and every container? The damn delay and cost to the importers is quite justified for our protection. Either do it or drop out of the game. We don't give a flying f**k about your opinions.
#4
László Kovács obviously benefits directly from the EU Accent Marks Subsidy
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/03/2007 6:54 Comments ||
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#5
The European Commission said the law, which would take effect within five years, would place a very heavy financial burden on EU business and ultimately its taxpayers
Perhaps lowering othertaxes 'financial burdens' is an option, László?
#8
László Kovács obviously benefits directly from the EU Accent Marks Subsidy
LOL, Frank! Seriously, I do NOT think 100% is honestly "do-able," without significantly driving up the cost of doing bid-ness with China, Europe et. al. Of course, I see that as a feature, not a bug. I'm sick of poisoined dog food, lead-painted toys, etc. making their way to our markets. If I were a true cynic, I would almost wonder if China were trying to give us the financial version of "death by a thousand cuts" with all their export snafu's lately.
Posted by: BA ||
08/03/2007 14:11 Comments ||
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#9
risk analysis
Sounds too much like [gasp] profiling. We'd better abandon it!
László Kovács obviously benefits directly from the EU Accent Marks Subsidy
And coming into the third turn it's Fraaank, Frank G. heading towards a neck and neck photofinish for Snark O' the Day!
Now you know how we've felt for the last sixty years.
"I guess the foot's on the other hand now, isn't it Kramer?" [/Airplane!]
without significantly driving up the cost of doing bid-ness with China
#5
Thank goodness my boggle is still in the shop otherwise reading this article would have stripped out another main sprocket for sure. Where to start in this gold mine of threats, innuendo and intimidation?
Spencer is scheduled to speak Thursday afternoon at George Washington University as part of YAF's 29th National Conservative Student Conference. His topic is entitled "The Truth About the Council on American Islamic Relations." This same organization, CAIR, is demanding that YAF either withdraw its invitation to Spencer or take alternative steps to prevent any false remarks from being made.
Spencer should make direct reference to the claims made by Anti-CAIR in their defense brief. Since CAIR has already refused to pursue court action against the allegations levied in that case, Spencer should be able to cite them with impunity.
A letter from Joseph Sandler, an attorney representing CAIR, addressed to YAF President Ron Robinson, calls upon YAF officials to make a decision before "close of business" Wednesday, Aug. 1. Jason Mattera, a YAF spokesman, told Cybercast News Service the decision was made to defy CAIR and its demand that Spencer's talk be cancelled.
Muslims muzzling free speech. Isn't that one of the things they do best? It's time that a major smackdown happens for Islam in America.
"We will not be intimidated by radical Islamic thugs," Mattera said. "Not only will we let Robert Spencer speak, but we will invite even more people to hear him. We are not going to fluctuate the conference just to suit their demands."
Kewl, he said "thugs". Heh heh, thugs. That ought to get their turbans in a tizzy.
The letter from the CAIR attorney describes Spencer as a "well-known purveyor of hatred and bigotry against Muslims" who "has a history of false and defamatory statements."
Spencer is so meticulously fact-based in his disquisitions about Islam that the above statement should represent actionable grounds for libel and defamation of character. I hope Spencer countersues and wins a huge settlement against these wankers.
Attorney Sandler vigorously defends CAIR in his letter and claims the organization has "taken a principled position against terrorism and extremism." He also claims Spencer has in the past "falsely accused CAIR of activity that would constitute a federal criminal offense."
Someone needs to mail Sandler a copy of the Anti-CAIR lawsuit transcript for his edification. Then he needs to be served a tall cool refreshing foamy glass of STFU.
I hope that this makes it to court and, as USN, Ret. notes, they get their clock cleaned during discovery. All the better if they back out again at the last moment. Eventually CAIR will get a reputation for "lawfare" suits intended only to silence opposition and finally begin to find their filings dismissed as frivolous legal actions. Judicially neutering CAIR would be one of the most significant steps towards discharging their propaganda batteries.
That this terrorist supporting organization is even allowed to operate on US soil represents a basic betrayal of the American people. They are the self-avowed enemy that our judicial and law enforcement systems were designed to protect us from.
Senator Barack Obamas broadside against Pakistan and his threat to strike terrorist targets in the tribal areas if President Pervez Musharraf does not, has been criticised by several leading figures, including some of his rivals for the Democratic party presidential nomination. However, the Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton did not respond. Phil Singer, a spokesman, said the campaign had no response to Obamas speech.
White House spokesman Tony Snow told newsmen, Our approach to Pakistan is one that not only respects the sovereignty of Pakistan as a sovereign government, but is also designed to work in a way where we are working in cooperation with the local government.
Sen Joseph Biden, who is also running for president, said Obamas proposal clearly shows his inexperience. Its not something you talk about, he said. The last thing you want to do is telegraph to the folks in Pakistan plans that threaten their sovereignty.
Sen Christopher Dodd, Connecticut Democrat, used stronger words. Frankly, I am not sure what Barack is calling for in his speech this morning. But it is dangerous and irresponsible to leave even the impression the United States would needlessly and publicly provoke a nuclear power, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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#7
#6 Y'aknow, listen to Baba's everything to everybody drivel reminds me of a bowl of M&M's: dig deep enough and you will find a color you like. Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-08-03 14:40
Yeah, but the taste is the same, regardless of color. Just as the dhimmicritters are all the same, regardless of what they do or say. Their only plan is to get elected - screw everything else. Power is the only thing that's important to a donkey.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/03/2007 17:55 Comments ||
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I like this setup, but it brings up a religious question. Is a metal robot an infidel, and subsequently, if a jihadi gets off'd by one of these, will they get their 72 Virginians? I figured one of our resident imams could make a call about these questions *snicker*
Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time, the first time in any warzone, the machines are carrying guns.
After years of development, three "special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system" (SWORDS) robots have deployed to Iraq, armed with M249 machine guns. The 'bots "haven't fired their weapons yet," Michael Zecca, the SWORDS program manager, tells DANGER ROOM. "But that'll be happening soon."
The SWORDS, modified versions of bomb-disposal robots used throughout Iraq, were first declared ready for duty back in 2004. But concerns about safety kept the robots from being sent over the the battlefield. The machines had a tendency to spin out of control from time to time. That was an annoyance during ordnance-handling missions; no one wanted to contemplate the consequences during a firefight. More at linky. The YouTube video of the SWORD (from "Future Weapons" show) at the link is especially interesting, claiming it can climb stairs, go underwater (up to 100') and even become a sniper (in addition to carrying heavy machineguns, 40 mm grenade launchers and/or anti-tank missiles).
Just don't connect them to Skynet; nothing good comes from that.
Posted by: BA ||
08/03/2007 14:24 ||
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Adjourning the hearing of a number of cases against Lal Masjid Imam Maulana Abdul Aziz till August 16, Special Anti Terrorism Court No 2 Judge Sakhi Muhammad Kahot on Thursday extended his judicial remand for an additional 14 days.
The judge told the police to produce Azizs wife Umme Hassan and 20 students arrested by security forces during the Lal Masjid operation in court on August 16. Aziz, who is being tried for involvement in eight cases registered between 2005 and 2007, was brought before the court in handcuffs. Azizs counsel Hashmat Habib protested, telling the judge that this was done in violation of the courts orders.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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Jamaatud Dawa (JD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said on Thursday that Pakistani rulers had invited divine wrath by scrapping the Hudood Ordinance and introducing the un-Islamic Womens Protection Act in its place.
Hafiz Saeed told a JD meeting that ever since the new act was implemented every step the government took generated trouble for it. He said rulers should not expect any improvement in the crises faced by Pakistan till they asked for forgiveness for ridiculing Islamic laws. The meeting held between the JD central leadership discussed the current situation in the country. Hafiz Abdur Rahman Makki, Maulana Ameer Hamza, Saifullah Mansoor, Saifullah Khalid, Muhammad Yahya Mujahid and Hafiz Khalid Waleed were in attendance.
Hafiz Saeed said JD had collection 11.5 million signatures against the Womens Protection Bill during its public signature collection campaign. However, the rulers ignored the solid verdict by the people of Pakistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Why have we not taken out the likes of him and Gul.They cause so much trouble not just to the West but their neighbours India and Afghanistan!!!!
Posted by: Paul ||
08/03/2007 5:00 Comments ||
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#2
Somebody should at least shove that cane up Henna Boy's ass...
The government has so far deported 554 foreign students from seminaries across Pakistan, while cases of another 717 such students are under consideration for deportation, the Ministry of Interior told the National Assembly (NA) in a written reply to a question on Thursday.
It said that all the foreign students failing to submit no objection certificate (NOC) from their respective governments would be deported and no foreign student allowed admission in Pakistani seminaries in future.
The ministry said that 12,395 of the total 13,500 madrassas across Pakistan had been registered during the governments drive to regulate seminaries and no religious school could be opened without the governments NOC under the new rules. It informed the House that the government had paid Rs 469.54 million compensation to the families, who lost their members in terrorism incidents during 2006-07.
In reply to another question, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said that the provincial governments had been directed to maintain biometric record (database) of all prisoners in different jails with the assistance of NADRA. He said that biometric equipment would be installed at all prisons, which would help improve the overall law and order situation. Sherpao said the government had also decided to update red book on quarterly basis and develop information-sharing mechanism at the district level. He said the provinces had been asked to collect information about seminaries fanning extremism or militancy and media campaigns should be arranged to discourage suicide attacks. He said that Fatwas (edits) of reputed religious clerics denouncing extremism should be given space and time in print and electronic media respectively.
Sherpao said that the provinces had been ordered to re-arrest all terrorists released from jails under the Anti-Terrorism Act and check mushroom growth of seminaries. The provinces had also been asked to propagate rational interpretation of Quranic verses on Jihad by religious scholars. He said that since July last year the government had launched a campaign against extremism and militancy, hate literature and Khateebs fanning sectarian hatred.
He said a modern immigration control system PISCES was being installed at 18 entry/exit points to check the entry of terrorists in the country. The system is functional Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan and Faisalabad airports, KPT and Ghass Bandar seaports in addition to Wagah Railway Station and Wagah land route. Sherpao said the government had also launched Rs 1.1 billion fingerprints identification project, under which the FIA had so far taken 240,000 fingerprints.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Mushroom/madrassa education method: keep them in the dark & feed them BS the Koran.
Actor Sanjay Dutt, who has swapped the glamour of the silver screen for the harsh reality of prison, will soon have to choose between cooking, carpentry, farming or weaving for just a dollar a day.
Dutt was jailed for six years "rigorous imprisonment" on Tuesday for acquiring guns from gangsters linked to India's worst bombings in Mumbai in 1993 - less 16 months he served while awaiting trial.
"Rigorous imprisonment means doing labour like cooking, carpentry, farming, working on handlooms, etcetera," a jail official said, on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
"Sanjay Dutt will be treated like any other convict and he will have to work as well."
Dutt has been temporarily lodged in a jail in his hometown Mumbai meant for prisoners under trial, where he is reportedly sharing a cell with two other men, but officials said he would probably be moved to a more permanent home soon.
Indian jails are overcrowded, with some holding almost five times their capacity. The one Dutt is lodged in now officially has room for 800 people, but houses about 3,000.
Jail sources said that Dutt would be given the prison uniform - a striped white shirt with white pyjamas and a white cap once it is decided where he will serve his term.
The actor, one of the highest paid in Bollywood, will have to eat the prison meals that prisoners themselves cook. Breakfast would typically be puffed rice, or vegetable curry with a loaf of bread, while lunch and dinner is curry, lentils and Indian bread.
There is chicken or eggs on weekends.
A jail cell, which usually houses three convicts, has a bulb but no fans. The lights are switched off after 8 p.m. Each convict is given two sheets. The living conditions are far from decent with stinking common toilets and bathrooms.
In India, where political clout and money often bend the rules, many celebrities and politicians have received special treatment while under trial, some being lodged in guest houses with air-conditioners and allowed to eat home-cooked food.
In some of the lawless states in eastern and northern India, convicts with the right connections receive special treatment and access to a television, refrigerators and mobile phones.
The judge who sentenced Dutt told prison officials to take all necessary steps to ensure the star's security, but jail officials stress Dutt will not get star treatment.
Dutt also requested the court that he be put in the same barracks as a friend who helped him destroy the automatic rifle which was to land them in trouble.
On Tuesday, his relatives met him and handed him some toiletries, medicines and clothes.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Hiiiii, Sanjay. I'm Mahmoud's brother. You really do have a mouth that would do Allah proud...
#2
Actor Sanjay Dutt will undergo an "aptitude test" for authorities to ascertain his preferences before he is allotted work at Yerawada prison where he is serving the six-year jail term given to him in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
The 48-year-old star, who was brought to the jail here from Mumbai on Thursday night, will be asked about his choices and preferences before he is allotted manual work as part of the rigorous imprisonment.
The choices for prison work include textiles, laundry, baking, paper printing, carpentry and painting, jail sources said on Friday.
"Normally we ask for the preferences of prisoners and try to know their aptitude before assigning them daily work," a source said.
Among the reasons cited for shifting Dutt from Arthur Road jail to Yerawada jail was that the former is only meant for holding people facing trial and that the actor could not be given compulsory manual work in the prison in Mumbai.
Another reason was the security concern for Dutt, who is now being held in an egg-shaped cell meant for high-security prisoners.
Dutt was given the six-year term on Tuesday by a TADA court in Mumbai.
The Yerawada jail, which has a vast sprawling campus, generates a good amount of revenue through the sale of products made by the prisoners, including chairs, cotton chaddars and leather chappals.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/03/2007 12:02 Comments ||
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#1
Hopefully fairness, honesty, and respect for other beliefs, NOT Totalitarian Atheism or Atheism-based Intellectualism-Govtism. * SPACE/STELLAR EXPLSOIONS > all together now, wid Lefty feeling, "Purple Rain, Purple Rain ....".
To be situated 20 km south of Nablus and 35 km north of Ramallah on the road linking them, the town is planned for 30-40,000 Palestinian inhabitants in the first stage, expanding in the second to 70,000 ten years hence. It will be located in Area B under Israeli security control.
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has kept the project, which represents a major strategic restructure of West Bank geography, under his hat. He did not submit the American plan to the cabinet, or even the security-political ministerial forum, before giving the go-ahead to the visiting US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, Wednesday night, Aug. 1.
DEBKA-Net-Weeklys sources report that the new town site will encompass the Palestinian villages of Qabalan, Oseria and Qudela and straddle Trans-Samaria Highway 505 opposite Tapuach junction. The US planners intend the new town to provide territorial contiguity between Nablus and Ramallah. At the same time, it will cut off Israeli villages in the Jordan Valley from the settlement blocs in Samaria.
The new Palestinian urban entity, which our sources reveal Olmert first learned about in his talks with President Bush on June 19, will be the first Arab town to go up in the region in 1,500 years, since the foundation of Ramleh.
During his White House visit, Olmert learned that the Americans regard the Palestinian town as a primary project for consolidating Mahmoud Abbas government. It is designed to provide tens of thousands of jobs for West Bankers, whose unemployment rate has soared to 70 percent since the Palestinian uprising was launched against Israel in 2000.
American town planners and architects hired by the US government have prepared initial diagrams after secret visits to the site. During her current tour, Rice showed the plans to the Israeli prime minister, Abbas and Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad.
The problem still outstanding is financing. It was hoped that the Saudis would put up part of the initial investment for the foundations. When he brokered the Mecca accord for a Palestinian unity government earlier this year, the monarch pledged $250 million in aid to the Palestinians. However, this hope was dashed, when King Abdullah flatly refused to hear of aid to the Abbas regime in his talks with the US secretary in Jeddah Tuesday.
#1
Maybe not as insane as it sounds. First, it obviously shored up Abbas and makes him the source of wealth to many Paleos. However, it also takes a lot of population pressure off the West Bank.
Unless the Israelis have made a deal with Egypt to allow Paleos into the West Bank in exchange for them taking over management of Gaza. Or some kind of deal with Jordan to take some of their Paleos.
Building a city could have all sorts of possibilities.
#2
Something similar should have done this long ago but in a different location. They should have built a town or two on the West end of the Sinai to promote business with Egypt, provide jobs, empty out the refugee camps.
Then, they should have given the area home-rule and eventually cut it lose.
It's not every day that you get to take a heavy armor panel into the family backyard and blast away at it with a shotgun. But on this occasion, I was doing my brother-in-law David Warren a favor. We were testing a new kind of armor he developed that he hoped would protect American soldiers. That day three years ago was among the first of many tests--bringing him from a workshop in his garage to the Pentagon and eventually to the front lines in Iraq.
Something of an American success story, David arrived in this country in 1975, an 8-year-old refugee from Vietnam. His father, a U.S. soldier, disappeared and was likely killed in action during the war. His mother couldn't manage to fend for her family when the communists took control of the country; so David lived on the streets in Saigon for a while before, thanks to a little divine intervention, he ended up on a flight that eventually took him to New York. He was adopted by an American family and grew up on a farm in the Hudson Valley. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Marines. And during his four-year stint, he served very briefly in the Persian Gulf just before the liberation of Kuwait.
David always liked to tinker. He used to make a good living at a security company that designed surveillance systems, and he held nearly a half-dozen patents. But none for armor.
After reading a story I had published on this Web site and a later one in The Wall Street Journal about U.S. soldiers in Iraq not receiving all the armor they needed to shield themselves from insurgent attacks, he changed course. Why, he asked me, was the U.S. military unable to move armor to the front lines fast enough? I explained that it wasn't just the bureaucratic snafus in Washington that held up the armor plating. It was also the manufacturing bottlenecks that made it difficult to quickly fabricate and ship hardened steel and other materials used for armor.
And so David decided to design a new kind of armor that would be lighter than steel and easier to produce. Part of him, he tells me, was drawn to the difficulty of it. "You challenged me to stop a bullet," he'd say on several occasions over the next few years.
But there was another reason as well. As a refugee and a former Marine, he empathized with both the American soldiers and the Iraqi civilians caught in the crossfire. He saw the fight in Iraq as more than toppling a dictator. He saw it as a return of the U.S. to the kind of war that it had abandoned in Southeast Asia. And this was his opportunity to turn his talents to the aid of a country that had taken him in. . . .
Another "American born in the wrong place."
Posted by: Mike ||
08/03/2007 07:21 ||
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#2
Damn fine man that David Warren, glad he made it to our shores!
DanNY
Posted by: DanNY ||
08/03/2007 10:05 Comments ||
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#3
Anyone who opposes *legal* immigration should take this to heart. There is a reason why people like this so often choose to come to American, and we benefit greatly from having them.
European governments are warning Congress that US legislation aimed at Iran could hit European energy groups, undermine transatlantic unity on Tehrans nuclear programme and provoke a dispute at the World Trade Organisation.
"Youse guys are going to cut into our boodle!"
Diplomats from France, Germany and the UK, among other countries, have stepped up a lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill against moves that would mandate sanctions on energy companies that invested more than $20m (14.6m, £9.9m) in Iran.
Among such companies already marked out by a US campaign to disinvest in energy companies that trade with Iran are Royal Dutch Shell, Total of France and Repsol of Spain. Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol are involved in a project worth up to $10bn to produce Irans first liquefied natural gas. The companies are due to take a final decision about their investment in 2008.
Its paradoxical that the targets of this effort are companies from countries that are making an effort to strengthen sanctions against Iran, said one European diplomat, referring to the European Unions support for a new wave of United Nations sanctions on Iran. The House of Representatives will decide on this bill some time this autumn so you have to try to talk to everybody [in Congress], said another EU diplomat. We are telling them that if it became a law as it stands now, it would be a breach in WTO rules and we would not accept that.
Everything's a breach of the WTO rules if you ask the Euros.
President George W Bush has the power to waive sanctions on third parties doing business with Iran, but a bill introduced by Tom Lantos, chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, would remove his ability to do so. The bill has 322 co-sponsors, enough to overcome a presidential veto.
Bush should sigh, shrug his shoulders at the Euros and give in on this one. Make the Dhimmis happy (for a moment) and continue to stick it to Iran. Whacking delicate Euro interests as a side-effect is an extra, happy added bonus.
Diplomats stress that a parallel bill being considered by the Senate would leave Mr Bushs waiver intact while seeking to introduce other measures against Iran. But European officials say they are unsure what would emerge from efforts to hammer out a deal between the House of Representatives and the Senate and are worried that it could make some sanctions mandatory.
Which do we fear more? asked Jon Kyl, Republican senator from Arizona, last week. A trade dispute with Europe or China or what Tehran will do with the revenues of a fully reconstituted energy sector?
Good point.
In principle the Iran Sanctions Act, a successor to a 1990s measure, requires the president to impose at least two out of six possible sanctions on foreign companies investing more than $20m in Iran, although in practice both Mr Bush and former President Bill Clinton have always exercised the waiver. These sanctions include denial of Export Import Bank loans, denial of US bank loans exceeding $10m, prohibition of US government procurement and restrictions on imports from the company concerned.
This week, the House of Representatives backed a separate piece of legislation, that would oblige the federal government to keep a record of energy companies violating the $20m threshold and make it easier for state pension funds to disinvest in them. Some states have passed or are considering legislation to move towards disinvestment in such companies.
Public sector pension funds such as Calpers and Calstrs, the giant California pension plans, are opposed to any forced divestments of companies involved in Iran. They have argued the move would be counterproductive as it would hurt their returns and restrict their ability to provide for billions of dollars in pension liabilities.
Caution has been urged from unexpected quarters. If we go forward and we begin to sanction foreign companies through more stringent sanctions in the Iran Sanctions Act, I think there will be serious repercussions for our multilateral effort, said Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute, the conservative Washington think-tank.
Posted by: lotp ||
08/03/2007 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
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#1
EU only cares about profits as they cannot support their own programmes.
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.
KABUL/SEOUL - The purported 
(SomaliNet) Hundreds of families began on Thursday to flee their houses in parts of Hodan district in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia after mortar attacks between the insurgents and the Ethiopian forces which killed ten civilians and dozens wounded. 
The British High Commission in Pakistan has said that it has been denied access to a British citizen imprisoned on suspicion of being a threat to national security. Rengzeib Ahmed, from Manchester, has been detained since April 2006 in northern Pakistan without being charged for any offence, said the high commission. He is being held under the Security of Pakistan Act, which permits indefinite detention of suspects deemed to be a threat to national security. 
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's frustration over the plight of Christian volunteers seized by the Taliban is starting to focus on the United States, a frequent target of resentment here. Politicians and citizens of all persuasions are increasingly calling on Washington to help resolve the 15-day-old standoff, believing the United States to be the only country capable of pushing Afghanistan to meet the captors' demands that Taliban prisoners be freed.
Senator Barack Obamas broadside against Pakistan and his threat to strike terrorist targets in the tribal areas if President Pervez Musharraf does not, has been criticised by several leading figures, including some of his rivals for the Democratic party presidential nomination. However, the Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton did not respond. Phil Singer, a spokesman, said the campaign had no response to Obamas speech.
Jamaatud Dawa (JD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said on Thursday that Pakistani rulers had invited divine wrath by scrapping the Hudood Ordinance and introducing the un-Islamic Womens Protection Act in its place.
The government has so far deported 554 foreign students from seminaries across Pakistan, while cases of another 717 such students are under consideration for deportation, the Ministry of Interior told the National Assembly (NA) in a written reply to a question on Thursday.
