BUR GARBO, Somalia: Kenyan troops marched into this decaying Somali fishing village two months ago, but the Al-Qaeda-linked militants they came to hunt are nowhere to be seen.
The Kenyan military says its getting ready to push forward with its offensive against the Al-Shabab insurgents, who are blamed for attacks on Kenyan soil including tourist kidnappings. For now, though, the soldiers spend their days among ramshackle huts and along the sandy shoreline without cover or body armor.
The more they delay, the more time Al-Shabab has to prepare. They have already been making strong propaganda to make people afraid, Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman said. The confidence of people that Al-Shabab will be defeated is dying down.
The town of Bur Garbo is only 60 miles (100 kilometers) away from Kismayo, the insurgencys main stronghold. Residents report that Al-Shabab militants already are digging trenches and tunnels around another strategically located town in the area.
But the militants in Bur Garbo have retreated to heavily wooded banks across a creek, where they occasionally exchange potshots across the river with the Kenyan soldiers.
We havent really seen much of the enemy, said the soldier in charge of the village, Maj. Solomon Wandege. But we know they are there and we are on our guard.
Around him, mud and stick houses lean drunkenly over footpaths overgrown with weeds. On the beach, bleached fishing boats bake in the sun the Kenyans have forbidden them to go out too far for security reasons. Near the green patch cleared as a helicopter landing, soldiers have thrown camouflage mesh over artillery guns. So far, theres been no one to shoot them at.
In January, Somalias civil war will enter its 21st year. The Kenyans are just the latest in a long line of forces to arrive in Bur Garbo. They have Humvees, helicopters, and ration packs with sweet canned pineapple, Weetabix and powdered milk for tea. But there are no Kenyan civilians along to reach out to Somali civilians. Nation-building, the Kenyans insist, is not on the cards.
As any Somali will tell you, its easy to take ground in Somalia. Its holding it thats hard. Just ask the Americans. Their involvement, and that of a subsequent UN mission, ended in 1994 after Somali fighters shot down two US Black Hawk helicopters, killing 18 American servicemen. A generation later, nothing has changed.
We have never seen a government here, said 19-year-old Khadija Ali Ibrahim, folding her arms across her long black robes.
Shed like someone to set one up, she said, because she thinks it could help people. Right now the town is loosely governed by elders, but they dont have the power or resources to make any improvements. Ibrahim has never been further from her home in her life than Kismayo where the Kenyans say they now are heading.
We are here to defeat Al-Shabab. We are committed, said Kenyan Maj. Seif Rashid, who carries two magazines of ammunition velcroed across his chest. So far weve had a degree of acceptance because weve brought an element of security. But unless peoples lives improve, they will eventually turn against us.
The Kenyans have been counting on international aid groups to prop up their counterinsurgency campaign the phrase hearts and minds crops up repeatedly in conversations with the soldiers. But the humanitarians say they target the weakest, not the most strategically important, and that theyre not interested in following the Kenyan army around.
The Kenyans may find it hard to explain these distinctions to the Somalis, especially since they shut down the towns two main revenue sources fishing and the charcoal trade because they didnt want strange boats coming close to shore.
We want the rest of the world to assist us. There is insecurity here. There is no food, said Mohamed Farah Ali, the bearded commander of the local Somali forces in town.
The Kenyans describe the Somali fighters as government soldiers, but theyre really closer to a clan militia. The weak UN-backed government only holds onto the capital with the help of nearly 10,000 African Union peacekeepers. Government forces in the capital are paid for by Italy and the Somali government influence in Bur Garbo is nil.
The Somalis here say they are paid by the Kenyans. They have rifles from the Kenyans too, and uniforms, they say, motioning to the olive green trousers they wear above the plastic flip flops. Since the Kenyans are paying them for now they dont have to prey on the civilian population. Or so the families say, as the soldiers lean in to listen to the journalists questions.
But if the Kenyans leave, or theres a problem with payments, or not enough to eat, then the Somali fighters may start to extract the type of taxes that eventually made Al-Shabab so unpopular here. And the militia, or its heirs, will be waiting somewhere, ready to re-emerge. For now, they are just across the river.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"Was that gunfire, private?"
"Yes, sergeant. I thought I saw an al-Qaeda charging at us yelling 'Allahu Akbar', but it turns out to have just been a dead guy."
[An Nahar] La Belle France on Saturday denounced what it termed the excessive use of force against protesters by Egyptian authorities after festivities in Cairo left nine people dead and about 300 maimed.
"La Belle France is worried about the violent incidents that have taken place on Tahrir Square in Cairo," a foreign ministry statement said, adding that Gay Paree "denounces the violence and excessive use of force against protesters."
La Belle France "calls for calm, responsibility and respect for human rights ...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... , including the right to protest," the ministry said.
The violence is the most serious since 42 people were killed, mainly in Cairo, in November festivities between anti-army demonstrators and police ahead of Egypt's first parliamentary elections since Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's ouster.
The French foreign ministry restated its hopes for a peaceful transition to democracy "where violence has no place".
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Let me guess... they used the No. 5 Truncheons where they were supposed to use the No. 3's?
TRIPOLI: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Tripoli Saturday, taking advantage of the ouster of Muammar Qaddafi in an eight-month civil war to become the first Pentagon chief to set foot on Libyan soil. But Panetta has indicated that the US will give more time to gain control of the militias that overthrew Qaddafi before determining how to help the fledgling government.
The last thing you want to do is to try to impose something on a country that has just gone through what the Libyans have gone through, said Panetta on Friday before landing in Tripoli.
Theyve earned the right to try to determine their future. Theyve earned the right to try to work their way through the issues that theyre going to have to confront, he said.
Panetta will meet with members of the transitional government in Tripoli on Saturday, and make an emotional visit to what historians believe is the gravesite of 13 US sailors killed in 1804. Those deaths were caused by the explosion of the US ship Intrepid, which was slipping into the Tripoli harbor to destroy pirate ships that had captured an American frigate.
While eager to encourage a new democracy that emerged from Libyas Arab Spring revolution, the US is wary of appearing as trying to exert too much influence after an eight-month civil war. At the same time, however, leaders in the US and elsewhere worry about how well the newly formed National Transitional Council can resolve clashes between militia groups in the North African nation.
Ahead of Panettas visit, the Obama administration announced it had lifted sanctions the US imposed on Libya in February to choke off the Qaddafi regimes funds while it was violent suppressing peaceful protests. The US at the time blocked some $37 billion in Libyan assets, and a White House statement said Fridays action unfreezes all government and central bank funds within US jurisdiction, with limited exceptions.
Recovery of the assets will allow the Libyan government to access most of its worldwide holdings and will help the new government oversee the countrys transition and reconstruction in a responsible manner, the White House said.
Panetta told reporters Friday that his visit to the Libyan capital will give him a better sense of the situation and allow him to pay tribute to the people for bringing down Qaddafi and trying to establish a democratic government.
It seems to me they are working through some very difficult issues to try to bring that country together, said Panetta. Its not going to be easy. This is not a country that has a tradition of democratic institutions and representative government. This is going to take some work
But he said he has seen indications that the Libyans are making progress.
I think that any country like Libya that was able to do what they did and show the courage that they did in making the changes that took place there Im confident that ultimately theyre going to be able to succeed in putting a democracy together, he said.
Panetta said the US is prepared to provide Libya any assistance it needs.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2011 00:00 ||
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North Korea has agreed to suspend its enriched-uranium nuclear weapons programme, a key United States demand for the resumption of disarmament talks, news reports said Saturday. Kimmie's back on his meds?
Yonhap news agency and the Chosun Ilbo daily quoted an unidentified diplomatic source saying the Washington had also agreed to provide the North with up to 240,000 tonnes of food aid. Pyongyang pledged "to implement initial measures of denuclearisation that include a suspension of its uranium enrichment programme," Yonhap said.
The North apparently agreed to put stricter and clearer monitoring systems in place to ensure that the food aid reached those most in need, according to the source, Yonhap said.
The agreements came when Robert King, US special envoy for North Korean human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. , met with Ri Gun, head of North American affairs at North Korea's foreign ministry, on Thursday and Friday in Beijing, the source said. The reports could not be independently confirmed.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
When I saw the headline I thought "So how much are we giving them now for pretending to stop enrichment?".
#10
The pressure, direct or indirect, is on for US war agz Iran, be it in 2012 or after Jan 2013 iff the Bammer wins re-election as POTUS or a pro-Iran War GOP candidate wins.
E.g. DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > RON PAUL CLAIMS BACHMANN "HATES MUSLIMS - "SHE WANTS TO GO GET 'EM"!
versus
* SAME > [Russia Today] RUSSIAN MISSLE CHIEF: WE CAN NUKE YOUR AMD, [i.e. your] AIR MISSLE DEFENSE SHIELD.
Russian Strategic Rocket Forces EL HEFE' LTG SERGEY KARAKAEV tells EUROPE = NATO-EU.
ARTIC > LTG KARAKAEV = Mama Russia + RSRF have detrmined that small, solid-fueled BMS aren't good enough to defeat America's soon-to-be-deployed Space-based BMD-MDS, in case the wily Arrogant Fascist Male Brute Ungrateful Global Imperialist Americans decide one day to attack Russia, hence Russia's need to dev large, powerful, liquid-fueled BMS.
Also read, DEY BE MIRV'ed.
D *** NG IT, LTG KARAKAEV = GORBACHEV = ALL GOOD RUSSIANS MUST DEFEND + PROTECT THEIR MOTHER.
#12
TW: Shouldn't that be descent? I don't recall Hell being in the sky. And they are just announcing it, and already have the funeral set? I wonder if this agreement is because Kimmie died, and they delayed announcement.
Posted by: Charles ||
12/18/2011 23:56 Comments ||
Top||
NEW YORK -- In an historic hearing in the federal courthouse in Manhattan on Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge George Daniels said he planned to issue a ruling in the coming days declaring that Iran shares in the responsibility for the 9/11 terror attacks.
It was a group project, which is how jihad is supposed to be. The Saudis donated "widows 'n' orphans" money, Saddam Hussein provided hijacking and other technical training in the foreigners' section of Salman Pak, Pakistan's ISI provided basic training and a funnel for Saudi funding, and the Iranians seem to have provided something like command and control...as well as sanctuary for Al Qaeda leadership family members/hostages. Al Qaeda provided the men at the tip of the spear and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
"The extensive record submitted to this court, including fact witnesses and expert testimony, is satisfactory to this court," Judge Daniels said. The court "accepts as true" the various allegations of the plaintiffs and their experts, he declared, and "will issue an order" in the coming days that Iran bears legal responsibility for providing "material support" to the 9/11 plotters and hijackers.
Family members of 9/11 victims who attended the open-court hearing broke into tears. They had nervously sat through a four-hour presentation by attorneys Thomas E. Mellon, Jr., and Timothy B. Fleming, consisting of evidence backing up their claims that Iran had foreknowledge of the 9/11 attacks and actively assisted the hijackers in planning, preparing, and executing their plan.
In presenting evidence gathered by the attorneys and their outside investigator, Timothy Fleming revealed tantalizing details of still-sealed videotaped depositions provided by three defectors from Iranian intelligence organizations.
One of those defectors was "physically present" when al-Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri ... Second in command of al-Qaeda, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is... came to Iran in January 2001 for four days of intense closed-door meetings with the top leadership in Iran to discuss the impending attacks.
#2
So, do they seize all of Iran's assets in the US and pay down everyone's mortgage?
This attack did terrible damage to our economy, which was overworked with Wall Street BS machinations, and I think we should all SHARE in the boodle we get from the Mad Mullah welfare fund in Switzerland, Austria, Argentina, Grand Cayman's and Goldman Sachs.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
12/18/2011 23:08 Comments ||
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#3
I forgot to add, I wonder how Obamer is going to spin this to avoid doing anything about Iran?
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
12/18/2011 23:09 Comments ||
Top||
See here for the story posted when the gentleman was indicted. Lots of interesting details not included in this article.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) -- An Iraqi man who had claimed he was innocent of terrorism-related charges did an abrupt about-face Friday, pleading guilty to trying to funnel weapons and cash to al-Qaeda operatives in his home country.
Fascinating. What d'you suppose brought about that change of heart?
Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, appeared in federal court in this south-central Kentucky college town and pleaded guilty to conspiring to attack American soldiers in Iraq and to use a weapon of mass destruction and to attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
Alwan was set to sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock in May in Bowling Green and had previously pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." to charges in a 23-count indictment that also named fellow Iraqi Mohanad Shareef Hammadi.
Mr. Hammadi finds himself in the classic Prisoner's Dilemma. Will he share all he knows or nobly take the fall after his partner in crime betrayed him?
"Today in open court, Waad Alwan admitted to engaging in terrorist activities both here in the United States and in Iraq," U.S. Attorney David J. Hale said in a statement. "He acknowledged he had built and placed numerous improvised bombs (IEDs) aimed at killing and injuring American soldiers in Iraq, and he admitted that he tried to send numerous weapons from Kentucky to Iraq to be used against American soldiers."
Hale said the joint efforts of federal and local law enforcement had thwarted "the ongoing intentions of an experienced terrorist."
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's prime minister dismissed speculation of a rift between the government and the military over a secret memo sent to Washington seeking its help in averting a supposed military coup, saying the country was committed to democracy.
This might explain the sudden 'stroke'...
Political tensions have soared ahead of a hearing by Pakistan's Supreme Court into the circumstances surrounding the memo. The absence of President Asif Ali Zardari, recovering from a likely "mini stroke" in his Dubai home with no word on his return, has only added to rumors that the current civilian administration is in possible fatal trouble.
Usually when the Pak leaders try to separate from the ISI and the army, it's the leaders who get into 'fatal' trouble...
Zardari's critics are hoping the scandal will lead to his ouster, and delighted in portraying his trip to Dubai on Dec. 6 as a flight from the fallout from the memo. The president's aides have denied that, and most independent analysts believe the veteran politician, who has outlasted numerous predictions of his demise since taking office in 2008, will ride it out.
Tensions between the army and the government could complicate American attempts to rebuild ties with Pakistan, a country that many US officials see as key to shepherding peace in Afghanistan. Airstrikes by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan in late November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the border, hammering relations already strained by American suspicions
For a definition of suspicians that means certain knowledge with solid proof...
that Islamabad is playing both sides in the Afghan war and virulent anti-US sentiments inside Pakistan.
Late Friday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met with army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani to discuss the memo. Gilani said in a statement afterward that he rejected the notion of a "standoff" between the army and the civilian leadership.
"The government of Pakistan and its institutions remain committed to their constitutional roles and obligations to a democratic and prosperous future for Pakistan," he said.
"Please don't kill me!"
Pakistan's envoy to the United States, Husain Haqqani, resigned last month amid allegations that he masterminded what has been dubbed a "treasonous" memo. Then US military chief Adm. Mike Mullen has said he received the note, but ignored it.
With questions swirling over whether the president himself was aware of the letter, Zardari's main political rival petitioned the Supreme Court to hold an inquiry into the affair. Moving with rare speed, the court swiftly asked for statements from 10 people, including Haqqani, Gen. Kayani, Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha and American-Pakistani businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who allegedly arrange for the memo to be delivered and then went on to reveal its existence via the media.
Which makes one question Mr. Ijaz's intentions...
On Wednesday, the deadline for submissions, the Supreme Court -- widely considered to be hostile to the Zardari government -- said it had received statements from everyone except the president. The government said a parliamentary probe into the affair is enough, and it is unclear whether Zardari will cooperate.
In a new twist to the scandal, former US national security adviser Gen. James Jones, who acted as an intermediary between Ijaz and Mullen, said in a sworn affidavit delivered to the court that he had no reason to believe that Haqqani had anything to do with the memo. He also said that he didn't find the memo "credible" and questioned why Ijaz, a businessmen and part-time journalist, would deliver it. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the affidavit Saturday.
Officials have not revealed what is wrong with Zardari, though this week did release a statement by his doctor saying he had lost consciousness for several minutes and was suffering from pain in his arm. It didn't give a diagnosis, however. One associate has privately said Zardari suffered a "mini stroke" that had left no lasting damage.
The 56-year-old, with a history of heart troubles, left hospital on Wednesday. But aides have not said when he will travel to Pakistan. So long as he remains abroad, rumors will continue.
"Mr. Zardari needs to return to Pakistan to try and calm nerves and quell speculation that refuses to die down," Pakistan's daily Dawn newspaper said in an editorial. "Like it or not, the reality of Pakistan is that threats to the democratic process do lurk in the shadows."
Zardari, who was thrust to the presidency after his wife, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated by militants in 2007, has never been particularly popular.
Though he's been particularly wealthy...
...particularly and increasingly wealthy.
His party has a majority in parliament, and his lawmakers are expected to give it a majority in the Senate in elections in March. That prospect has allegedly prompted hard-line lawmakers to seek his ouster immediately.
"They are creating a lot of fuss, they want something to happen, either through the Supreme Court or the army or through street agitation," said political analyst Hasan-Askari Rizvi. "Still, I think he can manage it, and linger on for a while."
Many are questioning why the president doesn't announce when he will return.
One possible reason is the general incompetence of those close to him. Another is that he is too ill to communicate his wishes to those around him, and with the boss incapacitated, his aides aren't brave enough to say anything.
While Zardari is a skilled operator in the world of Pakistani politics, he has been known to ignore, or be unaware, of how his actions are playing in the street.
Nobody ever cares what the peasants think, even those who lead them to bloody revolution.
When the world was rushing to help Pakistan recover from devastating floods in 2010, he flew to his family chateaux in France, triggering disbelief and outrage.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2011 00:00 ||
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Hamas has confirmed that it will shift tactics away from violent attacks on Israel as part of a rapprochement with the Palestinian Authority. Too many operatives getting whacked? Battle fatigue?
A spokesman for the Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniya, told their good friends and comrades in arms the Guardian that the Islamic party, which has controlled Gaza for the past five years, was shifting its emphasis from armed struggle to non-violent resistance.
"Violence is no longer the primary option but if Israel pushes us, we reserve the right to defend ourselves with force," said the spokesman, Taher al-Nounu. On this understanding, he said, all Palestinian factions operating in the Gaza Strip have agreed to halt the firing of rockets and mortars into Israel.
The announcement on Sunday does not qualify as a full repudiation of violence, but marks a step away from violent extremism by the Hamas leadership towards the more progressive Islamism espoused by groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. 'Progressive Islamism'. You know, I see something similar here at home...
The second stage of the prisoner-exchange arranged with Hamas to release Gilad Schalit is set to proceed at 8 p.m. Sunday.
Other than two of the female prisoners, the 550 prisoners scheduled for release on Sunday do not include Hamas or Islamic Jihad members, and none of the prisoners to be released were directly involved in any attacks that resulted in death or injury. 400 of the prisoners on the list have served two-thirds of their sentences. Most belong to Fatah. They were held for offenses as minor as stone-throwing or as serious as attempts to kill Israelis.
Exactly two months ago, the Israel transferred 477 prisoners to Egypt and the West Bank during the first stage in the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange.
Iran's state TV has broadcast video of a man it claimed was a CIA spy who sought to infiltrate Iran's secret services. The TV identified the man as Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, and said he is an American-Iranian who received special training and served at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for his mission. It showed him allegedly confessing and describing his mission.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry says its agents identified Hekmati at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. Bagram is a main base for American and other international forces.
Iran periodically announces the capture or execution of alleged U.S. or Israeli spies, and often no further information is released.
There was no immediate comment from Washington. Nor should there be.
BAGHDAD: Iraq has sent a delegation to meet Syrian President Bashar Assads government and his opponents in an attempt to help end months of violence in its neighbor, a senior government official said on Saturday.
Pencilneck is going to listen to you guys because...
Iraqs government has resisted Arab League calls for sanctions against Assad, and Iraqi leaders are worried that unrest in Syria will spill across the frontier and upset Iraqs own delicate sectarian balance.
Earlier this month, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said he has asked the Iraqi government to help influence Syria to agree to an Arab League-proposed peace plan.
We are going to meet government officials. The approval is there from both parties, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Malikis media adviser Ali Al-Moussawi told Reuters.
The delegation will meet representatives of the Syrian opposition inside Syria. And we ready to meet members of the opposition outside Syria, he said of the visit headed by Iraqs national security adviser.
State-owned Iraqiya television said that the delegation would meet with Assad. But Moussawi did not confirm that. Iraq has said it would be willing to use its close ties to the Assad government to help negotiate an end to the turmoil.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
No Iraqi or Syrian love for Turkey???, espec given ...
* TOPIX > TURKEY BOASTS OF "BRING ISRAEL TO ITS KNEES, vee its new recent, anti-Oppression Regional Policies + Actions.
----------
ION looks like the Russians are preparing contingency plans ...
* TOPIX > A CIVIL WAR [Pan/Inter-Arab, Islamic] THATS BIGGER THAN JUST SYRIA.
'Tis an Islamo-Arab/Muslim Earthquake, not just any "Arab Spring" or "Awakening", etc.
* SAME > [Payvand News = Iran] RUSSIAN MANUEVERS IN THE CASPIAN SEA: WHO IS THE HYPOTHETICAL ENEMY?
Iranian sources tell Tehran that the Russian OPFORS weirdly + mysteriously, but of course only PDeniably coincidentally, appear to resemble Iran's armed forces.
* SAME > TROUBLE IN THE REGION: RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE IN ARMENIA [Gyumri] AS FACTOR IN POSSIBLE WAR ON IRAN.
ARTIC = SYRIA + IRAN troubles causing Russia to realign its armed forces in the South Caucasus, Caspian, Mediterranean, + BLack Sea Regions.
ALso in ARTIC, RUSS MEDIAS = indic or hint at ...
> NEW RUSSO-GEORGIA WAR over Russian military supply access to Gyumri.
> RUSSIAN ATTACK AGZ AZERBAIJAN to stop Azerbaijan from allowing Azeri ally Israel to use its territory as staging base to attack Iran.
> RUSSIAN MIL INTERVENTION = AIR, GROUND ATTACK [battles] AGZ BOTH AZERBAIJAN + AZERI ALLY TURKEY IFF ONE OR BOTH ATTACK RUSSIAN ALLY = PROTECTORATE ARMENIA
SIMILAR > Russian mil intervention scenario agz Turkey to stop the US-NATO andor Israel from using Turkey to attack Syria andor Iran.
* SAME > US NEGOTIATING FOR CONTRUCTION OF MILITARY BASE IN AZERBAIJAN.
But the Azeri Govt = Baku has given the US conditions to meet first, namely ...
> US must give dedicated support to Azerbaijan's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
> Provide protection agz the occurrence of any "Arab/Muslim Spring" in Azerbaijan.
> No US threat of any sort to Russia vee the Base - US must work diligently to cooper + coordinate wid Moscow on Regional issues.
versus
* BHARAT RAKSHAK > US WANTS TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN BEYOND 2014.
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.
North Korea
NEW YORK -- In an historic hearing in the federal courthouse in Manhattan on Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge George Daniels said he planned to issue a ruling in the coming days declaring that Iran shares in the responsibility for the 9/11 terror attacks.
Zawahiri
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's prime minister dismissed speculation of a rift between the government and the military over a secret memo sent to Washington seeking its help in averting a supposed military coup, saying the country was committed to democracy.
