Russia's parliament gave preliminary approval Friday to a law allowing authorities to tap phones and ban rallies across the entire country as part of its latest anti-terror campaign. The move would allow authorities to stop traffic and detain people in "anti-terror zones" for at least 60 days after receiving authority to do so from a secret service commission created under the prime minister.
Similar laws are already in place — including spying on Internet communications. However whereas previous legislation dealt primarily with national security issues related to spying from abroad, this new measure focuses specifically on counter-terrorism operations. The law says the anti-terror zones could be put in place in areas near war-torn Chechnya and "across the whole country," according to the RIA Novosti news agency. The law under consideration also makes it possible for journalists to be barred from conflict zones where an anti-terror operation is underway — specifically separatist Chechnya, where independent reporting on the decade old conflict is already complicated by federal restrictions.. The measure was passed in the first of three required readings by a 385 votes to 47, and provoked howls of outrage from human rights activists.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:17:28 AM ||
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Funny, Tsar Putty said all sorts of stuff he was gonna do about the terrorists a few weeks ago. He didn't seem to need no steenking laws then, so what's this about? Hell, even borders weren't a hindrance. It was impressive. It was daring. It was, I guess - if a dose of reality is added to the mix, a brain fart. The law shit, must be a hell of an inconvenience for a Tsar kind o' guy.
#2
After Beslan, we were behind the Russians, their govt and the US were partners in this war on Islamofascism. Not Jack Boo has happened since then. After 9-11, we were kicking butt in Afghanistan, denying santuary to terrorists. Pooty Poot is building a new Soviet Union of 1. Putin, you have been reining in power, talking a good game, but there is nothing to show for it. You have let the Russian people down, big time.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/18/2004 2:26 Comments ||
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North Korea could flight test at any time a ballistic missile potentially capable of reaching parts of the United States with a nuclear-weapon-sized payload, the State Department's top arms control official said on Friday. Making the case for President Bush's drive to build a missile shield days after a postponed failed test of the system, Stephen Rademaker, assistant secretary of state for arms control, said North Korea was pushing plans to develop its ocean-leaping, multiple-stage Taepo Dong 2 missile. "This missile could be flight tested at any time," he told a conference in a congressional office building sponsored by the American Foreign Policy Council, a private research group. A critic of the U.S. missile-defense plans, however, accused the Bush administration of playing up a North Korean threat "whether or not one exists" as a way to sell the shield program for which it plans to spend more than $50 billion over the next five years.
Mr. Critic doesn't spend a lot of time reading Rodong Sinmum, does he?
"They're not going to let technical problems or a less-severe threat prevent them from pursuing" missile defense, said Jon Wolfsthal, an expert on deadly weapons at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Wotta expert. Prolly thinks the NKors are just misguided and need a hug.
The Central Intelligence Agency has said that the Taepo-2 "may" be ready for testing. The report was in an unclassified report to Congress that covered developments to the end of last year. North Korea's Aug. 31, 1998, test over Japan of an earlier-generation Taepo Dong 1 helped set the stage for Bush's drive to field a missile shield as soon as technologically feasible. Pyongyang has stuck to a voluntary moratorium on flight tests since the launch. Bush ordered the Pentagon two years ago to have the basic elements of a missile defense system on alert by the end of this month. The Pentagon's prime contractor for the ground-based system is Boeing Co. However, technical problems -- including a flight test aborted this week when the interceptor shut itself off in its silo -- appear to have delayed a declaration that the system was ready to go on alert. If North Korea were to use a third stage on its Taepo Dong 2 booster rocket, as did in the 1998 Taepo Dong 1 test, "such a three-stage missile could deliver a several hundred kilogram payload up to 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles)," enough to hit parts of the United States, Rademaker said. Such a missile also had sufficient range to hit all of Europe, he said.
"And you don't see the sensible Europeans doing anything about this, so where's the threat?" said Wolfsthal, the noted expert.
ASYLUM seeker Roqia Bakhtiyari and her six children should leave Australia, the Federal Government said today, after the family was moved from Adelaide to immigration housing in South Australia's north. Bon Voyage !!! Toot TooT
The Bakhtiyaris were given no time to pack belongings when immigration officers removed them early today from the suburban Adelaide house where they were living to Port Augusta.
"We'll send 'em after yez Fedex, okay?"
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone would not say whether the move was a step towards deportation, instead saying the family had been asked to voluntarily leave the country. The Federal Opposition said today's operation was hasty but did not oppose the family's removal from its existing accommodation. And a prominent refugee advocate said it was likely the Bakhtiyaris would be forcibly deported from Australia, and the family should choose to leave voluntarily. Mrs Bakhtiyari's husband Ali, remains at the Baxter detention centre on Port Augusta's outskirts, where more than 20 Iranians have been on a hunger strike for about two weeks.
Anybody want some of this barbecue? I can't eat it all...
The family says it is from Afghanistan, but the Government maintains it is from Pakistan and can safely return. All family members have been refused refugee status. Senator Vanstone said the living arrangements of the family had become "untenable" but refused to elaborate.
Posted by: God Save The World ||
12/18/2004 6:05:00 AM ||
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#1
very entertaining, now GTFO! BTW, Laurie Ferguson is MR. Ferguson?
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:14 Comments ||
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#2
"Laurie Ferguson is MR. Ferguson?"
Could be. They do that with "Kim" down under, also.
It's sort of a "Dominique" Gender Ambiguous Name thing.
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
12/18/2004 10:27 Comments ||
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#3
yeah, but that's Kimball vs Kimberly.... Dominique is...uh...just pathetic
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:31 Comments ||
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#4
I don't get it. Are we supposed to be pretending Iran ISN'T the sort of regime that will be producing refugees claiming asylum from persecution?
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
12/18/2004 10:54 Comments ||
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#5
Refugee advocate Marion Le said the family had been made into "pariahs" by the Government. "The real issue here is the family and what long-term damage has been done to them," she said.
If you asked me, I'd say the real issue here is how come the Aussie government has spent a half million taxpayer bucks on these friggin leeches.
Would that make me "mean spirited"?
Australia defended a controversial maritime anti-terror plan on Friday after harsh words from neighbouring Indonesia that it breached international law and Jakarta's sovereignty over its own waters. The spat over the planned zone came in the wake of warnings by Australia of a possible terror attack on an international hotel in Indonesia, with Hilton hotels specifically referred to. The warnings prompted criticism from Indonesian security services, which have said they had no such intelligence in the lead-up to the Christmas and New Year period. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said travel warnings were a victory for terrorists because they made people afraid to travel. Indonesia also slammed the plan by Australia to create a 1,000 nautical mile (1,850 km) maritime surveillance zone that reaches the waters of the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:33:57 AM ||
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A Syrian chauffeur and translator kidnapped in August in Iraq with two French journalists intends to sue his American liberators for maltreatment, the French daily Le Parisien reported yesterday.
That problem's easy enough to solve. Put him back where they found him...
Mohammad Al Jundi was held and interrogated by US Marines for eight days following his liberation on November 11 in the city of Fallujah. During that time, he claimed, he was maltreated and threatened with death. He was also not allowed to contact his family, his attorney or his consulate, nor was he permitted to be examined by a doctor after being held by radical Muslims for three months.
Maybe because he didn't need one? I seem to recall he had a sleek and healthy glow about him when released.
Following his interrogation, the Marines dropped him in the streets of the war-ravaged city without shoes or papers, Al Jundi said.
I'm sure his Muslim buddies came to the rescue.
Al Jundi has entrusted the lawsuit to an attorney in Paris, where he now lives with his family. His brother-in-law, Ali Merhebi, said the legal action would target US President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, and future Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The suit is to be filed early next week, Le Parisien breathlessly reported. Al Jundi was kidnapped with French journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot on August 20 by a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq. US Marines found Al Jundi when they took Fallujah, but the two French journalists chose to remain in the hands of their abductors.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2004 12:27:36 AM ||
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#1
Tell him to go phuhque himself. Or better yet, give him back to his captors, along with a sharpening stone for their sword.
Wotta loser.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/18/2004 0:57 Comments ||
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#2
So where is this loser gonna sue the US? in France, the Fallujah superior court, the Hague, Pitcairn's Island? We need to know so we can put the Dream Team together.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/18/2004 1:12 Comments ||
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#3
No papers but already in Paris? Did he walk there without his shoes?
#4
And how much was he paid for this fairy tale? Anyone who isn't automatically prone to believe this type of crap will know immediately that none of this rings true. No doctor exam? No way. Tossed out on the street without shoes and "papers"? Again, no way. Top to bottom, start to finish, this is so obviously bullshit that it reeks.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense that it appeared in Le Parisien. I just hope they paid a shitload for it.
#7
Whatsamatta, Mo? Don't think suing the Islamic Army in Iraq will pay off that great?
Here's twenty bucks. Buy yourself a pair of new shoes and take a hike in them.
Q Thank you. I was wondering if we should be thinking about the difference between soldiers who are going to be headed into Iraq and Soldiers who are already there. A lot of the concerns about who did and didn't have were from soldiers who were going in, and I didn't -- I personally didn't get a sense of what the people who are already there are using and what their needs and gaps are.
           GEN. SPEAKES: Very, very good question. The first point is that you'll recollect that one of the questions was the status of the 278 ACR; in other words, the date that we had the visit by the secretary of Defense, we had a question about their up-armoring status. When the question was asked, 20 vehicles remained to be up-armored at that point. We completed those 20 vehicles in the next day. And so over 800 vehicles from the 278 ACR were up-armored, and they are a part now of their total force that is operating up in Iraq.
Q Are there soldiers who are in the sector right now who are scrounging around looking for extra things who aren't comfortable with what's been provided?
           GEN. SPEAKES: Ma'am, I don't know the answer to that question. What I think that ought to be clear to every Soldier, is the Army's commitment to make sure that we provide them everything we can.
Q On the 278th, can you repeat this? At the time the question was asked, the planted question, the unit had 784 of its 804 vehicles armored?
:Clearly a Fox reporter.
           GEN. SPEAKES: Here is the overall solution that you see. And what we've had to do is -- the theater had to take care of 830 total vehicles. So this shows you the calculus that was used. Up north in Iraq, they drew 119 up-armored humvees from what we call stay-behind equipment. That is equipment from a force that was already up there. We went ahead and applied 38 add-on armor kits to piece of equipment they deployed over on a ship. They also had down in Kuwait 214 stay- behind equipment pieces that were add-on armor kits. And then over here they had 459 pieces of equipment that were given level-three protection. And so when you put all this together, that comes up with 830.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 8:43:07 AM ||
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#1
My son is nearing the end of his tour of duty in Iraq, and so far the only shortages he's complained about so far are 1) a shortage of steadfastness amongst the people back home, and 2) a shortage of honesty in the mainstream media and among Democratic Party politicians.
Once again, the anti-American media have tried to manufacture a "scandal" where none exists.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/18/2004 9:24 Comments ||
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#2
God bless your son and return him home safe, Dave
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 9:36 Comments ||
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"I have some news for you: Our commander posted a schedule for what's going to happen in the next two months. It includes everything except for the actual date we are flying home. We're moving into tents on December 28th. Our replacements are getting here on January 1st. They start working on January 8th. Although it doesn't say, I think we will probably leave for Kuwait about two weeks after that, and leave for Ft. Dix a week after that. That means we'll probably get to Ft. Dix around the first couple days of February. I can't wait."
I probably won't see much of him when he gets back: he really, REALLY misses his GF.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/18/2004 9:56 Comments ||
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#5
Take him to the O Club. I'm sure it'll be drinks on the house. Thanks to him from a grateful nation.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 10:15 Comments ||
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#6
Thanks; I'll pass along the messages-- and encourage him to join the RB gang.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/18/2004 10:23 Comments ||
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#7
he can have your beer. You get the virgin mary's :-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:28 Comments ||
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#1
Great article, tipper. I discuss this at my website
Money quote:
If the genesis of all this danger -- to our troops abroad and civilians at home -- lies simply in our refusal to leave bin Ladenâs âneighborhood,â doesnât it make sense to negotiate with al-Qaeda and accommodate the terroristsâ desire for U.S. non-interference in the Middle East?
The answer is no. Al-Qaedaâs objective is not limited to U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East. Rather, the network views this pull-out as a necessary prerequisite to the attainment of its ultimate goal: the establishment of an Islamist super-state ruled by the harshest version of Islamic law, primed to re-conquer formerly Muslim lands and pursue an aggressive expansionist agenda.
This broad agenda will not change if the West chooses to negotiate with terrorists and give ground on some issues. Those who favor negotiation and appeasement generally overlook the theological dimension of al-Qaedaâs thought. The group has articulated political grievances and stated some goals, to be sure. Ultimately, though, these aims are rooted in an overall theology that is unlikely to waver. Al-Qaeda leadership and affiliated theologians influencing believe in a return to a pristine form of Islam that they think existed in Muhammadâs time, stripped of all the alleged bida, or âinnovations,â that have crept into the practice of their religion in the intervening 1400 years. This commitment to weeding out bida runs so deep that al-Qaeda members often brand as infidels those Muslims whose practice of the faith allegedly includes too much bida. The worldview of al-Qaeda is fixed; this is not a theology given to adaptation.
#2
History is judged by people who do not waiver in the face of sheer evil .
We will not bow to terrorism in the UK , just as we didnt bow to nazi's in 1940's when every other Eurotrash country rolled over .. The Islamo fruitcakes must know we are strong and do not negotiate with scum .
If boths sides dont waiver then we square up ...and we like a challenge ..End of story IMHO ..
#3
"just as we didnt bow to nazi's in 1940's when every other Eurotrash country rolled over"
It's convenient having a sea separate you from your enemies: It allows you to insult nations not as geographically lucky as you. I'm sure that Poland for example appreciates being called a Eurotrash country that "rolled over".
#10
Ms Skolaut. I'm with you. France was my first thought, Belgium my second and Greece my third. Britain sent troops to both France and Greece to assist to no avail. The Greek efforts to repay the British have been as memorable as the French. The Polish effort is simply not in the same class.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 10:14 Comments ||
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#11
not to mention Il Duce...
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:16 Comments ||
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Barbara> Interesting that you first thought of Poland; that would have never occurred to me.
When someone says "every other", you must think of "every other". And see where it doesn't apply.
I thought he meant that Euro Trash were the ones that did roll over
On my part I thought he meant Eurotrash as your common substitute-for-continental-European insult.
#13
The ROLLING OVER that matters took place prior to September 1, 1939. (though yes, the Frogs surrendered as quickly as they could when it came to it). But it's the pre-September '39 period that is analogous to today.
THAT period, as Japan, Germany, Russia and Italy grew ever more oppressive and conquest-hungry was when the world AND AMERICA went into deep-denial. A lot of the world and a lot of AMERICANS are in such denial today!
Bin Laden issued his "letter to the world" a couple years ago. He's real clear about what he wants/needs us to do: "KNEEL or DIE". The Jews don't even get the "KNEEL" option...they just get to die. I keep wondering what part of Bin Laden's diatribe people have trouble understanding?!?
#14
Bin Laden issued his "letter to the world" a couple years ago. He's real clear about what he wants/needs us to do: "KNEEL or DIE".
That, more or less, was one of my first thoughts as I watched the WTC come down: "Oh, great, another asshole wants us to worship his fucking deity."
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/18/2004 10:27 Comments ||
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#15
I think they understand, they just don't wanna let that "kneel or die" thing disrupt the worldview and lifestyle they've built up so precipitously. After all, somebody else will sacrifice to protect them and their right to criticize....
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:27 Comments ||
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#16
France was my first thought, Belgium my second and Greece my third.
Half a million dead Greeks appreciate your always selective memory.
JFM> "The Wehrmact suffered a mere 150 dead in the invasion of Yugoslavia."
The Yugoslavian resistance may have played a great part in Hitler's crucial delay in launching his attack on Soviet Union. For nations that supposedly "rolled over", they did their part in winning us the war.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:34 Comments ||
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#18
Belgium didn't foll over, they got rolled over. They got complacent, true, but those that could fight did.
The French could have invaded Germany from day 1, yet chose to hope that it would all pass by without violence. They layed there with their bellys showing and got gutted for it. Then they decided it was worth resisting (some of them).
Austria was too close to Germany from the get-go.
Czechoslovakia got sold for empty promises, but did not resist when appropriate (better to die with a pile of enemies around than to stand the firing squad).
Romania, Hungary come to mind for rolling over.
Greece did not roll over, put up a good fight and delayed the Wermacht (but Italy is to blame here as well . . . for getting their butts kicked).
Oddly enough, Italy (active Axis) is now working with us. Germany is reluctant to be involved (understandable with their track record in the last century). Switzerland is taking its usual stand (not our problem). France is also taking its usual stand . . . there is no problem big enough that it requires action until there are enemy troops menacing Paris.
Spain is actually the biggest dissappointment. They got hit by the terrorists and think that rolling over will do anything to save them in the end. They claim to have stood up to terrorism for many years . . . but they have never done much to discourage ETA, either. Content to let the problem stew as long as things never get too bad. This is the country that really betrayed themselves.
Posted by: Jame Retief ||
12/18/2004 10:52 Comments ||
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#19
Frank G> Still haven't learned anything have you? Poor googling results I'm afraid. "When you had collaborators and willing communists"?
Dude! When we "had" collaborators? You can't even see the ludicrousness of this phrase, do you? Yes, I'm sure we also "had" child molestors, wife beaters, rapists, lepers, and all other kinds of people that every other nation in the world has also had. But googling a piece about communists being willing to take in slav-Macedonian collaborators and seeing this as a condemnation of Greece rather than a condemnation of the communists -- that's really a poor show.
Atleast you could have tried to find a page about Greek collaborators -- it's not as if I ever claimed none of them ever existed.
#20
The ROLLING OVER that matters took place prior to September 1, 1939. (though yes, the Frogs surrendered as quickly as they could when it came to it). But it's the pre-September '39 period that is analogous to today.
Justrand nailed it. Nazi Germany's neighbors rolled over or did nothing when they saw the threat. When they finally reacted they were weak and unprepared to meet the challenge of Nazi Blitzkreig.
Now we face a similar challenge in the ME. Two religious fanatic regimes with unprecidented wealth to buy any weapon of mass destruction that they wish or to finance any mischief are doing it right now. The world has financed its own destruction with petro dollars or euros or whatever.
Negotiation with True Believers of Islam that have been given the green light by their book to lie to infidels is madness. This is 30's Europe all over again.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/18/2004 12:13 Comments ||
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#21
Arisâ goals are deconstructionist in nature. If he can influence toward an anti-American ideology, heâs done his bit. Heâs said so himself. Thatâs it on Aris.
About the article:
I believe the drive to compensate for sexual abuse is quite prevalent in the sociopolitical constructs of the Islamofascists.
Example: âYou must choose between two ways of dealing with Muslims -- either on the basis of respect and mutual interests, or treating them as if they were legitimate spoils, pillaged lands, and permissible sacrilege. This is your problem, and you have to make your own choice.âÂ
Reflected here is the dire need for ârespectâ and a vague cry for a repair of grievances that are outside the bounds of the political--their references to âspoils, âpillaged landsâ and âpermissible sacrilegeâ are other clues as to what they are really talking about. There is also an interesting and rather underdeveloped attempt to place blame and assign responsibility for the âabuseâ in the statement âThis is your problem, and you have to make your own choice.â
âThe obvious way to redress the perceived harms that were inflicted by the collapse of the old caliphate (the Ottoman Empire) is to establish a new one . . .
bin Laden âurged Muslims to find a leader to unite them and establish a âpious caliphateâ that would be governed by Islamic law and follow Islamic principles of finance and social conductâ . . . Al-Zawahiriâs treatise explained that the goal of al-Qaedaâs jihad was to establish a religious state throughout the Muslim world and âreinstate its fallen caliphate and regain its lost glory.â
The desire to establish a new kingdom to correct the damages done by the âcollapse of the old caliphateâ and the proposed âreinstatementâ of a âfallen caliphateâ can only refer to their need to correct their own abused sexuality and sexual identity, and their desire to âregain lost gloryâ and to reinstate their the âfallen caliphateâ amounts to the very same desire to âundoâ the effects of sexual abuse.
I donât think the psychological and emotional drive toward personal recovery, coupled with a religion/political authoritarian structure that promises to deliver on that need, should be taken lightly. The most dangerous âpoliticiansâ are the ones who are using the world stage in an attempt to compensate for personal grievances. The Islamofascists cannot realize that a supposed political solution will not come close to solving their actual problems. We should realize that they cannot, and will not, stop. The damage done to the psyche through sexual abuse creates unrelenting constructs that demand redress. They will continue this, and it will help if we realize that they will continue.
Unfortunately, we will have to defend ourselves (unwaveringly) in the face of their pathetic and doomed attempt to right personal wrongs emanating from their collective childhoods.
#22
Re #18 (Jame Retief) The French could have invaded Germany from day 1, yet chose to hope that it would all pass by without violence. They layed there with their bellys showing and got gutted for it.
The UK and France warned Germany that they would declare war if Germany attacked Poland. Immediately after Germany attacked Poland, the UK and France declared war on Germany.
At the time that the UK and France declared war, they had endured almost a decade of a major economic depression. During that decade, government revenues fell deeply, and government budgets were greatly redirected from military to social-support programs.
In response to Germany's growing threat, the UK and France began to significantly increase their military expenditures and war planning in about 1937. The rebuilding of military capability had made significant progress by the time they declared war, but they were not yet ready to attack into Germany. Such an invasion required the assembly of an overwhelming force that the UK and France simply did not have at that time.
Eventually, yes, Germany did attack France and defeat the UK and French military forces there. I am not aware, though, that any serious historians have explained that defeat along the lines that "they layed there with their bellys showing and got gutted for it."
I'm not sure where Jame Retief gets his explanations for historical events. He seems to have strong emotions about the events, and his explanations seem to manifest themselves out of those emotions. His historical knowledge seems to be very scant.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 13:43 Comments ||
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#23
I, too, wonder why they call it the Phoney War.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 13:56 Comments ||
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#24
actually Aris, I would expect a statist EUnik like you to appreciate the rigid social order brought by the Nazis. No dissent, no exceptions....sounds positively EUnish
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 14:07 Comments ||
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#25
Everything you write in an attempt to excuse the lameness of the Allies' military powers can equally be applied to Germany, Mike. Do you think we're all idiots, or what? And as for:
Such an invasion required the assembly of an overwhelming force that the UK and France simply did not have at that time.
Germany didn't wait for that. The Allies had more men and more and many better tanks. The armour advantage was to be wasted due to tactical inadequacies, but that wasn't known to Allied commanders at the time. The Germans only had a numerical advantage in the air. Arguably that made the sides roughly even, but the threat of German air strength ought to have made the Allies more inclined to make the first strike rather than less. So assembly of an overwhelming force is a meaningless red herring on your part, and doesn't excuse the effectively supine behaviour of the Allied forces, the French in particular. Are you trying to deceive, or is your historical knowledge just scant?
#27
"Thank God for Chamberlain, it gave the UK the breathing room it needed for France to be overrun."
LOL. It also ensured that the Allies could begin killing Nazis the very moment they landed in Normandy, instead of having to wait til they'd crossed the Rhine...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
12/18/2004 14:20 Comments ||
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#28
of course, the above was meant with all due respect
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 14:20 Comments ||
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#29
The Poles fought bravely, but had an enemy on both borders - Germany to the west, Russia to the east. They also had absolutely antique military equipment. The French hid behind the Maginot line, thinking they were safe. The Germans simply ran through Belgium, as they had in 1914. The French collapse on all fronts resulted in the debacle at Dunkirk. The British saved their troops, but lost several divisions' worth of equipment. As for the Germans invading Yugoslavia and only losing 150 people, that may be true. The resistance AFTER invasion cost them several thousands, and tied down at least three divisions the Germans desperately needed elsewhere. The Danes and Norweigans rolled over. The Danes had no choice, the Norweigans were betrayed by members of their own nation. Greece was crushed by overwhelming force. The biggest mistake the Germans made was to act like conquerors in Russia, instead of liberators. None of this, however, has anything to do with the Middle East, or Islam. The overriding factors in the current war is the insistance by one group of wild-eyed fanatics that they have the RIGHT to conquer and do as they please, and everybody's just supposed to roll over and let them get away with it. The "second caliphate" to them is some kind of sacred right. That's BULLSHIT. It's time to show these people that the only way to get respect is to earn it by acting like civilized human beings. Anything less will result in their being totally destroyed. There is no middle ground, no compromise. Either the nations of Islam learn to live in peace with their neighbors, or they cease to exist.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/18/2004 15:23 Comments ||
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#30
OP - Door #2 is beginning to look good....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/18/2004 15:42 Comments ||
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#31
Re #25 (Bulldog): Everything you write in an attempt to excuse the lameness of the Allies' military powers can equally be applied to Germany ... and doesn't excuse the effectively supine behaviour of the Allied forces, the French in particular.
The UK and French should have and could have fought more effectively, but that does not mean that they didn't resist Germany's aggression at all. They declared war on Germany and went to war against Germany and eventually participated in the defeat of Germany. All that shouldn't be forgotten.
After World War One, Germany remained angry about the outcome while the UK and France were basically satisfied. Germany was much more resolved and determined to fight again. Germany was more aggressive with regard to borders and territory within Europe.
Germany did not have colonies abroad that it had to militarily defend, as the UK and France had.
Also, by 1930 Germany had become a one-man dictatorship, while the UK and France were democracies.
For those reasons, Germany was eventually able to attack with greater surprise, resolution, and effectiveness. At that point of the war, Germany simply outfought the UK and France. That does not mean, though, that the UK and France did not fight against Germany -- that the UK and France were "supine".
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 16:07 Comments ||
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#32
Re #29 (Old Patriot): The French hid behind the Maginot line, thinking they were safe.
France, along with only the UK, declared war on Germany immediately after Germany invaded Poland. France's determination to go to war against Germany had built up during the previous two or three years. Given France's overall situation and available resources during that period, the decision to invest heavily in the Maginot Line was reasonable. France's intention was use the Maginot Line as a fortress from which it could strike out at Germany at times and places of its own choice.
France initially intended to extend the Maginot Line north along Belgium's east border. Belgium initially agreed to that arrangement, which included military plans whereby Belgium would allow France to concentrate French forces along that sector in case of war between Germany and France. In the months before the war broke out, however, Belgium wavered in its resolve. France therefore had to belatedly establish a second fortified line along Belgium's west border too.
France did not foresee Germany's new ability to concentrate modern mobile, armored forces, to punch through one part of the Line, and to rapidly destroy France's rear areas. At various points in the war, each country that participated was variously surprised and sometimes overwhelmed by opponents' abilities and tactics.
In that regard, France was not unique, and the USA was not an exception.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 16:25 Comments ||
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#33
Re #29 (Old Patriot): It's time to show these people that the only way to get respect is to earn it by acting like civilized human beings. Anything less will result in their being totally destroyed. There is no middle ground, no compromise. Either the nations of Islam learn to live in peace with their neighbors, or they cease to exist.
That's just blow-hard tough-talk. "These people" are many, many millions of people. They are not completely uncivilized. They all are not to blame for the actions of their most radical individuals and groups.
They are not going to be totally destroyed. They are not going to cease to exist.
There is middle ground. There is compromise.
It does feel good to rant, though, doesn't it?
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 16:40 Comments ||
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#34
Re #27 (Dave D): It [Chamberlain's performance] also ensured that the Allies could begin killing Nazis the very moment they landed in Normandy, instead of having to wait til they'd crossed the Rhine...
Don't be so sure that if the UK had declared war against Germany when Germany moved troops into the Rhineland in 1936 that Germany would have been defeated. The UK [and France too] wasn't ready to fight such a war then. A premature war against Germany well might have ended in a fiasco that might have decisively discouraged the UK and France and encouraged Germany.
After Germany moved its troops into the Rhineland in 1936, the UK and France began major efforts to improve their military capabilities and their military cooperation for a future war against Germany. Because of those efforts, the UK and France eventually felt much more ready to fight against Germany in late 1939.
It's just a fantasy that if the UK and France had simply resisted the Rhineland occupation, then Hitler would have been discredite, the German generals would have removed him from power, and then World War Two would have been easily prevented. Sure, it might have happened that way. It also might have happened that the the hawks in the UK and France would have been decisively discredited and would have lost practically all influence.
If you're not ready to fight now, then it might be better to wait and spend your time and resources getting ready to fight later. That's what Chamberlain did.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 17:04 Comments ||
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#35
actually Aris, I would expect a statist EUnik like you to appreciate the rigid social order brought by the Nazis. No dissent, no exceptions....sounds positively EUnish
When I call you an enemy, Frank, that's exactly the kind of moral depravity in you I'm referring to. If you'd met me and slashed me with a knife I don't think I could be much more angry with you than I am right now.
"Statist"? I'm afraid that I'm probably much more liberal than you. And by liberal I mean the actual meaning of the word.
But keep on calling me a Nazi when you've been defeated in any argument of wits or logic or factual information. *That* will shut down discussion in a hurry, you coward and moral midget.
ex-lib> "Arisâ goals are deconstructionist in nature. If he can influence toward an anti-American ideology, heâs done his bit. Heâs said so himself."
I "have said so myself"? Quote with link and reference, or immediately recant you vile and slanderous bastard.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 17:57 Comments ||
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#43
Napoleon was Corsican
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 18:04 Comments ||
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#44
Web Wide Blogging presents the tag team of Aris & Mike. Can they hit triple digits on a Saturday night? Keep reading tonight's featured postto find out.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 18:06 Comments ||
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#45
I hope someday you marry a girl just like yourself, Aris
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 18:08 Comments ||
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#46
Re # 43 (Frank G): Napoleon was Corsican.
That was a long time ago. Now the entire family is based in New Jersey.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
12/18/2004 18:13 Comments ||
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Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 18:19 Comments ||
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#48
Oh ho! Frank detects a triple team as the evil Murat makes an unannounced appearance.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 18:25 Comments ||
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#49
Mrs Davis, when you opt for a laugh, you keep on having the nasty habit of not caring about truth or falsehood instead. Blame *me* and Mike, instead of Frank's continuing trollery?
#50
Frank, I'd love to team up with you, but I've got to make a pickup at the airport.
Aris, Easy on the Ouzo, baby.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 18:53 Comments ||
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#51
advice: leave Mrs. D alone - she's too much for you, Aris
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 19:00 Comments ||
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#52
Why don't you kill yourself, Frank? I *would* like to know what keeps on motivating the life of a miserable specimen of humanity such as yourself.
Does trollery and the cheap amusement you get out of it become a worthy substitude for warm blood in your veins, or any shred of decency in your conscience?
And ex-lib!! I keep on expecting proof on the blatant slander you just uttered. I'm gonna also be asking it in other threads you may frequent, until you come forth with your evidence or you apologize for the lie. Slander is not forgotten or forgiven without an apology.
#55
just a helpful hint, knucklehead. May 2004? Jeebus
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 19:18 Comments ||
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#56
Just a helpful hint, asshole boy -- my site's a static page, not a journal or a blog. It's a collection of fannish pursuits and info I've cared to gather over the years or of stories I've written.
As such it's updated whenever I have the mood and time to update, and until then its kept up, serving its purpose as is.
#65
Being a half-breed Amerikkkan, and having spent some of my finest hours in life with other half-bred mongrels (God I love America!), I feel uniquely qualified to spot an embittered self-selected outside loser in a nanosecond : Areee.
I recall a 1985 journey to the "cradle of Western Civilization," where about 40% of my encounters dealt with how Saudi concubines were far preferable to my mongrel Yanqui presence. All the while P3's and the dollars they dropped were safely mocked, and accepted, by the 40%.
Think Ottoman Greece, useless whiner.
Live what you wish.
Pursuit of happiness, Areeee.
Posted by: Red Lief ||
12/19/2004 0:38 Comments ||
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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has maintained a secret detention facility, which has never been made public, for valuable Al Qaeda captives at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, The Washington Post reported on Friday. Citing unnamed military officials and intelligence officers, the newspaper said that the buildings used by the CIA were shrouded by high fences covered with thick green mesh plastic and ringed with floodlights. The facility, built within the Camp Echo complex, has housed detainees from Pakistan, West Africa, Yemen and other countries under the strictest secrecy, the report said.
"People are constantly leaving and coming," the paper quotes one US official as saying. But it was unclear whether the facility was still in operation today, The Post pointed out. Most international terrorism suspects held by the US Defence Department are guaranteed access to the International Committee of the Red Cross and now have the right to challenge their imprisonment in courts. However, CIA detainees are held under separate rules and far greater secrecy, according to The Post.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:07:50 AM ||
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Lol, right, TGA - not much of a secret if the PakiWaki Daily Times is writing about it. Then, of course, they're about as reliable for news as, say, Susie Estrogen on election night telling Fox, in comspiratorial hushed tones, how Skeery would pull out Ohio. She had the inside scoop, doncha know, heh. Methinks there is more than a passing similarity here...
The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) unanimously adopted a reference on enlightened moderation in the resolution and decisions of the 4th OIC Ministerial meeting on Friday.
Yep. That should take care of the problem...
Muhammad Ali Durrani, Pakistan's state culture minister, said that any resolution on challenges to Islam and Muslim countries would not be complete without taking into account the methodology outlined in President General Pervez Musharraf's strategy which was adopted with consensus at the 10th OIC Summit in October 2003. The OIC meeting urged the international community to respond positively to the initiative of the Islamic world on initiation of a dialogue among cultures, civilisations and religions in order to promote mutual understanding and just solutions of disputes involving Muslims and Islamic countries. The meeting asked for expeditious implementation of the Pakistani president's strategy of enlightened moderation. The meeting also adopted a series of important resolutions outlining the implementation of the cultural strategy for the Islamic world, programme of Islamic culture capitals, the project of the Islamic satellite channel and refuting the smear campaign in the media against Islam and Islamic civilisation. The meeting also adopted the Algiers Declaration on Cultural Diversity and Preservation of the People Identities and Heritages.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:14:40 AM ||
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From Geostrategy-Direct, subscription req'd.
Iran and Russia have sought to draft an agreement that would ensure the launch of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in 2006. And maybe the launch of Israeli or US strike aircraft or missiles.
The Islamic republic has expressed dismay over the failure to reach an agreement with Moscow over Bushehr. Officials have raised the prospect that Russia was delaying an accord upon request of the United States, which regards Bushehr as part of Teheran's nuclear weapons program. Wonder how much we had to pay Russia for that little favor.
Iranian officials said Moscow and Teheran have resolved the issue of the return of spent nuclear fuel. But they said the cost of transporting the fuel has blocked an agreement that would ensure the completion of Bushehr. The Iranians spent billions on the Bushehr reactors and now they are arguing about freight????? Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/18/2004 11:44:22 AM ||
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Whatever we paid Russia, it is the low cost alternative.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 12:31 Comments ||
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#2
The infidel city of Moscow will be within Iranian missile range before any US city.
Posted by: ed ||
12/18/2004 14:56 Comments ||
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#3
be nice if the Beslan crew or the Chechens had an Iranian or two snagged
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 15:02 Comments ||
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#4
If they did have an Iranian, Frank, d'ya think that Pooty Poot would have an epiphany or would you think that PP would keep it under wraps to not jeopardize the Bushehr and other future nuclear reactor jobs in Iran?
I know I sound cynical, but it is socialist realism cynical.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/18/2004 15:24 Comments ||
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#5
90% complete,with 60% of the equipment install.Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.How can it be 90% complete with 40% of the equipment missing?
FEARS that Islamic hardliners could exacerbate Iran's nuclear standoff with the West, scare foreign investors and worsen social tensions may pave the way for a comeback by former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Humiliated by reformists in parliamentary polls in 2000 when he failed to gain a seat, the mid-ranking cleric has set his sights on presidential elections in mid-2005.
But Rafsanjani, 70, who has yet to declare he will run, must overcome stern opposition from reformists and hardliners alike, as well as deep public scepticism if he is to return to the job he held from 1989 to 1997. "The worse things go internationally and domestically for Iran over the next few months, the more that plays into Rafsanjani's hands,"said a senior political analyst in Tehran. "What he and his backers are saying is that he is the man for a crisis," said the analyst, who declined to be named. Conservatives are poised to take back the presidency in elections set for May or June as President Mohammad Khatami's eight-year reform experiment peters out amid public disillusionment with his failure to deliver promised improvements in political, economic and social freedoms.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:45:55 AM ||
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"Conservatives are poised to take back the presidency in elections..." This raises a very interesting question. Is nobody in Iran able, or allowed to challenge a conservative running for President? Have those who boycotted the vote last time realized the error of their ways?
A group of former senior Iraqi Baathists, including one-time general Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, direct and finance rebels in Iraq out of Syria "with impunity," the top US commander in Iraq said Thursday. "That needs to stop," General George Casey said here.
Does that mean that if it doesn't, we'll stop it ourselves?
"We have fairly good information that there are senior former Baathists, members of what they call the 'New Regional Command,' operating out of Syria with impunity, and providing direction and financing to the insurgency in Iraq," Casey said. Ibrahim was moving "back and forth" between Syria and Iraq, he said. Casey's comments at a Pentagon press conference echoed charges earlier Thursday by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and came a day after President George W. Bush warned Syria and Iran that meddling in Iraq's internal affairs was "not in their interest." The general also repeated longstanding charges that the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq was facilitated through Syria, although he stopped short of accusing the Syrian government of being directly involved. "I've not seen direct Syrian government involvement in that facilitation but it is coming through Syria. And I do believe they have the capability to stop it if they had the will to," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:31:00 AM ||
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#1
Man, they need to open a can whoop-ass on carrot top and baby assad
#2
If he wants to be helpful, Assad could maybe use his 20,000 occupation troops from Lebanon to secure the border with Iraq? or is he, you know, on the other side?
I'd be surprised if we teach Syria a lesson before Iran is taken care of. But maybe it's necessary in the coming weeks -- before the Iraqi elections. Hitting Fallujah markedly reduced the number of car bombings and beheadings. Maybe hitting Syria will have a similarly rapid salutary effect.
#3
It seems to me that Syria could be a whole lot more helpful to Iran if we went there than vice versa. Thus, Baby Assad is running out of time to pull his Khadaffi.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 12:37 Comments ||
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#4
If we didnt have certain laws passed by Carter and some of his mindset, we could solve this particular problem with a good operator and a.338 Lapua. Start with al-Durhi and the Iraqi Baathists there, then work your way up the Baath party in Syria, and start onn the military chain of command of the Syrian Army & Intelligence service - this will coincidentally kill off a lot of male Assad family members.
Start quietly. The .338 round would be signature enough for them to know who was coming for them in the dark. A few of those woudl probably produce a "Khadafy moment" in both the military and political structures there in Syria.
That would drive the message home to Tehran as well.
But, as I have been told, we don't operate that way anymore. So forget it.
#5
a "Khadafy moment" . . . --lol Old Spook! It would indeed. Too bad Carter and his ilk were successful in their deconstruction of such needful operations. There are many ways to fight a war, and the Dems certainly derailed our options--options which would save lives.
#6
thought W revoked that restriction. I'm thinking GPS coords and a cruise missile
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 14:01 Comments ||
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#7
We need to do something far more destructive and definitive. I think wiping Damascus off the map would be the appropriate thing. Bomb the place until the biggest piece of rubble is smaller than a dime. Take out all the military command and control, weapons systems, and other capabilities at the same time.
I've heard rumors that about 700 of those killed and captured in Fallujah were Syrian, and quite a few of them exhibited military training. That by itself would be sufficient to make an exit from Iraq through the ports of Haifa and Lataqia reasonable. It would also send a very definitive message to Tehran and Riyadh that we're tired of putting up with the bs from the rest of the moose-limb world. They either learn to play by our rules, or they learn to play dead. For real.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/18/2004 16:24 Comments ||
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#8
If we didnt have certain laws passed by Carter and some of his mindset, we could solve this particular problem with a good operator and a.338 Lapua. Start with al-Durhi and the Iraqi Baathists there, then work your way up the Baath party in Syria, and start onn the military chain of command of the Syrian Army & Intelligence service - this will coincidentally kill off a lot of male Assad family members.
Start quietly. The .338 round would be signature enough for them to know who was coming for them in the dark. A few of those woudl probably produce a "Khadafy moment" in both the military and political structures there in Syria.
That would drive the message home to Tehran as well.
But, as I have been told, we don't operate that way anymore. So forget it.
#9
If we didnt have certain laws passed by Carter and some of his mindset, we could solve this particular problem with a good operator and a.338 Lapua. Start with al-Durhi and the Iraqi Baathists there, then work your way up the Baath party in Syria, and start onn the military chain of command of the Syrian Army & Intelligence service - this will coincidentally kill off a lot of male Assad family members.
Start quietly. The .338 round would be signature enough for them to know who was coming for them in the dark. A few of those woudl probably produce a "Khadafy moment" in both the military and political structures there in Syria.
That would drive the message home to Tehran as well.
But, as I have been told, we don't operate that way anymore. So forget it.
BEIRUT - A UN resolution that calls on Syria to end its military presence in Lebanon has placed its smaller neighbour in a difficult position.
Yes, let's all pity Lebanon. Where's my femtoviolin?
How's that?
Lebanon rejected the resolution as "illegal interference". So too did Syria, which has around 20,000 occupying troops in Lebanon who tell the Lebanese what to do and exerts considerable influence over its political and economic affairs. The situation was exacerbated a day after the UN Security Council adopted the resolution on September 2. The Lebanese parliament amended the constitution to allow President Emile Lahoud, a Syrian protege, to stay in office for an extra three years. This prompted a call from some deputies to limit Syria's role in Lebanon, while pleading not to be killed maintaining strategic ties.
Following the extension of Lahoud's term, four government ministers resigned. One of them, Economy and Trade Minister Marwan Hamadeh, later escaped a car bomb attack that recalled the ugly scenes from the 1975-1990 civil war. The president's arch-foe, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, also quit. He said he was not a candidate to form another government, opening up a period of uncertainty until legislative elections are held, probably next spring. "But more than these elections, it is Syria's standoff with the international community that remains the main problem faced by Lebanon," a well-informed political source said. "The question is how Syria, which is known for its belligerence intransigence, will deal with the situation," he added. He also expressed fear that the departure of Hariri, a canny politician with close ties to western leaders and financial creditors, would harm the economic health of the country, which is 32 billion dollars in debt.
Just ask doc Assad for some of Sammy's money.
The International Monetary Fund warned Lebanon during the year about its economic "vulnerability," given its gigantic debt, and stressed the need for long overdue reforms. IMF chief Rodrigo de Rato recently said Lebanon's economic weaknesses stemmed from its huge public debt. "Efforts have to continue on the path of reforms," mainly with respect to long-awaited privatization projects, he said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2004 12:17:09 AM ||
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"If Syria pulls out, we'll be left with this gaping orifice..."
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 9:43 Comments ||
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Iraqi judges interrogated the notorious general known as "Chemical Ali" and Saddam's former defense minister Saturday, opening the first phase in trials for the ousted dictator's top deputies. Ali Hassan al-Majid — who earned his nickname for his alleged use of chemical weapons against Kurds and others — appeared haggard in a video released after the interrogation, from which the press was barred. He leaned on a walking stick before sitting in front of a judge behind a desk. Sultan Hashim Ahmad, Saddam's last defense chief, satred blankly at the ground as police officers stood to either side of him holding his arms.
The two were the the first to go before an investigative hearing from among the 11 jailed top figures who, along with Saddam, are facing trial for crimes during the regime's three decades in power. Both were questioned by a panel of investigative judges in a hearing attended by their lawyers, said Raad al-Juhyi, the head of the panel. The videos were the first images of the men since they were initially arraigned in July along with Saddam and the other detainees. Both wore gray-colored suits and white shirts without ties and arrived at the tribunal flanked by blue uniformed police.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 2:35:24 PM ||
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Wow David Kay — a former U.S. adviser in Iraq — spent months questioning Tariq Aziz and others. He says Aziz quickly turned on Saddam and could testify at any trial. "He talks about direct orders to murder, to assassinate, to kill," says Kay.
NBC News has learned U.N. investigators probing corruption in the U.N. oil for food program were scheduled to question Aziz last week. That session was delayed for security reasons. The U.N. investigation — led by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker — is looking into Saddam's alleged diversion of oil money that was supposed to go for food to U.N. officials and politicians in key countries. U.S. officials say Aziz already has implicated the French and others, claiming payoffs were made with the understanding that recipients would support Iraq on key matters before the U.N. "He pointed to specific individuals in Russia and France, in the United States — that received favorable treatment," says David Kay. Now, sources tell NBC News that Aziz has indicated he's finally ready to talk about alleged bribes to U.N. officials. U.N. investigators refuse to comment.
Posted by: Sludj ||
12/18/2004 10:43:39 AM ||
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Bet the cables to Paris are getting warm.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 12:52 Comments ||
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#2
I was beginning to think we'd got all our Christmas presents back in November. Aziz deserves turkey with trimmings for this, at least.
#3
He deserves to be the turkey with trimmings. He's just doing whatever he can to save his useless hide. The fact that his info will be useful against Saddam is a separate issue.
#9
Glad to see the intel being systematically squeezed from these guys. Patient, painstaking work will eventually connect most of the dots. I want to see the French govt and the UN up to their eyeballs in exposed corruption. Another brick knocked off the wall of the LLL and other's complicity in mass enabling of human misery.
If the UN continues to stonewall Volker's investigation, then Volker and Co will just have to get info through AZIZ and Co. Wonder how long Volker will be allowed to continue before Kofi and Co fire him.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/18/2004 15:20 Comments ||
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#10
I'll wait until he acutally testifies in public before I celebrate .....
#11
I wouldn't hold my breath, rkb. In whose interest is it to see the French and UN dirty linen washed in public when it can be used for blackmail to equal if not greater effect? And if what he says is true, it will ultimately be confirmed by documentary evidence obviating the need for his testimony.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 15:58 Comments ||
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#12
If anyone has the goods on Chirac's and Putin's circle, it's the worldly ex-Foreign Minister with the extensive collection of bespoke suits, Cuban cigars and Hollywood and Tom Clancy fare.
#13
Hope the are recording everything.As right as you are Mrs.D,it would be oh-so satisfing to to hold thier dirty drawers in the breeze for the whole world to see and smell.(If I find that thought erotic,would that make me sick?)
Gotta check my pumpkin bread(with nuts and rasins)anyone want some,fresh out of the oven?
#14
We've been waiting for a long time for this. Turn him inside out.
As for what to do with the intel, well, satisfying as it might be to crown all of the asshat collaborationist regimes with thorns, I'll let (lol!) the "Professionals" decide where our interests are best served - though where that involves State and CIA I feel like I just ate a shit sandwich... wonder why that is...
Common sense doesn't always reside where you expect it to - or where it's needed.
I guess I'd be a LOT happier if someone like OldSpook was the one making those decisions - and I'm hoping there are a few sane people like him in the loop.
#17
Mrs. D is right on this one. That info is blackmail material and will be used as such. IMO the French are so arrogant that they will dare us to use it thinking they can plausibly deny. Idiots.
Posted by: Remote Man ||
12/18/2004 19:24 Comments ||
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#18
all the more reason to see to Mr. Aziz's health. Til we're done with him
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 19:30 Comments ||
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#20
Problem with French deniability is that Spitzer has jurisdiction re. Banque Paribas' role in funds transfers. Another stepping stone to national office for the ambitious Albany prosecutor
#21
"He pointed to specific individuals in Russia and France, in the United States â that received favorable treatment," says David Kay.
Jim McDermott, Dan Rather and Chrissy Matthews. For starters. Please, please, PLEASE!
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
12/18/2004 23:18 Comments ||
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#22
Re US miscreants, it would be enormously helpful to remind the no-blood-fer-oil! cretins that keeping Saddam in power was the oilmen's preferred policy. They urged Congress to lift sanctions and let them do business with Saddam. It would be extremely surprising if a few of the oil traders in NY and Houston were not up to their eyeballs in OFF
THE international face of Saddam Hussein's Iraq has grown thinner and greyer, prison images of Tareq Aziz in US custody show. The photographs of Iraq's urbane former deputy prime minister, wearing an orange jacket and close-fitting white cap, were posted on a website today by US television channel NBC. It did not say precisely when the photographs were taken. The station, which accompanied the photographs with a story saying the 68-year-old was ready to give evidence against former colleagues, did not say how it obtained the images. Both show Aziz wearing his familiar thick glasses but looking thinner and older, very different from the slightly jowly but dapper diplomat who defended Saddam around the world.
In February 2003, it was Aziz, a Christian, who engaged in a bout of shuttle diplomacy to try to offset the threat of war, travelling to Europe and meeting with Pope John Paul at the Vatican, as well as other leaders. In two shots, Aziz is sitting with men in blue clothes, their faces blurred out, who may be jailers or interrogators. A third features two US soldiers and Aziz in plastic handcuffs. They are not the first images of Aziz to emerge since he was seized by US forces on April 25, 2003, shortly after the fall of the regime. In July this year, he and 11 other senior members of the former regime, including Saddam, briefly appeared in a court on the outskirts of Baghdad to be informed of general charges against them including war crimes and crimes against humanity. At least two of those 12 are expected to appear before a judge as early as next week, in the next stage of what is expected to be a lengthy process of bringing them to justice.
Aziz, who enjoyed smoking Cuban cigars and was considered by many foreign diplomats to be a wily, skilled negotiator, is not expected to appear before judges again for some time. He was among eight of the 12 top detainees to briefly refuse food at his detention facility near Baghdad airport last week in a short-lived protest against the legality of their detentions and their lack of access to legal counsel. Aziz, who studied English literature and briefly worked as a journalist, was born in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. He was 25th on the US military's 55 most-wanted list.
Posted by: God Save The World ||
12/18/2004 6:11:45 AM ||
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Christian, huh? How about them pieces of silver, Tariq? Burning a hole?
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 10:11 Comments ||
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#2
Currently, we are using this guy to get evidence regarding the Useless Nations Oil for Food debacle. I have stored up plenty of popcorn for when he starts spilling evidence against Annan, France, Germany, and Russia. That reminds me, I need to pick up some caramel.
#3
Aziz, who ... was considered by many foreign diplomats to be a wily, skilled negotiator
Never so wily and skilled as when he was dealing out oil vouchers like a Vegas blackjack operator. Ol' Tariq knows which skeletons are in whose closets.
Posted by: Darth VAda ||
12/18/2004 22:13 Comments ||
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The African Union (AU) has issued a 24 hour deadline to the Sudanese Government and Darfur rebels to end fighting, after a massive military build-up in the region over the past two weeks. The AU says huge quantities of arms have poured into Sudan's vast desert region of Darfur and that the Government is poised for a major military offensive. The AU is brokering peace talks to end a conflict that has displaced 1.6 million people and killed tens of thousands. It says it will report any further cease-fire violations to the United Nations (UN) Security Council for action. But the Sudanese government delegation says the decision was not binding on Khartoum.
Then why'd they bother making it?
The AU commander in Darfur, Nigerian General Festus Okonkwo, says his efforts to mediate between government troops and rebels have yielded minimal results and the region is now a "timed bomb that could explode at any moment".
I thought it exploded last year, and we're dodging the shrapnel now?
"The quantity of arms and ammunition brought into Darfur to meet [the needs of] the present build-up of troops in the region is [so] astronomical that the issue is no longer whether there will be fighting or not, but when fighting will start," he said. General Okonkwo heads an AU team of 834 cease-fire monitors in Darfur. He says a Sudanese brigade, which normally numbers 600 to 700 troops, advanced towards Labado in southern Darfur on Thursday, backed by about 200 militiamen. "From a military point of view, this indicates an offensive which if launched would be prejudicial to the peace process," he said.
Offensives usually are.
General Okonwo's assessment was delivered to AU-sponsored peace talks in Abuja. The talks were suspended last Monday by the rebels, who accused the Government of launching an offensive. UN secretary-general Kofi Annan says that if Mr Okonwo's assessment is true, "it is a major violation of the cease-fire".
Brilliant.
"I hope the Government will refrain from any action of that kind," Mr Annan told a news conference in Brussels.
I hope I wake up tomorrow slender and with a full head of hair, too...
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "We have been very, very concerned about the violence recently, the violence from both sides. "We have re-emphasised the need for the parties to engage in peace talks." In London, a British Foreign Office spokeswoman said British officials had told the Sudanese Foreign Ministry that "Sudan is in breach of three UN Security Council resolutions and that the fighting must stop". After years of tribal skirmishes over scarce resources in arid Darfur, the rebels took up arms last year. They accuse Khartoum of neglect and of using 'Janjaweed' Arab militias to loot and burn non-Arab villages. Khartoum denies arming the Janjaweed and calls them outlaws. The United Nations has said Darfur is suffering from one of the world's worst humanitarian crises with 2.3 million people in need of aid.
But they're determined not to do anything of substance...
Posted by: God Save The World ||
12/18/2004 6:16:01 AM ||
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HERE is an overview of the Iraq scenario today. Over 11,000 candidates have entered the fray for the January elections and campaigning has begun in right earnest; insurgency has been considerably subdued though explosions and the fire-fights continue; resistance is on the wane; Saddam Hussein has met his defence lawyer for the first time after his arrest, preparatory to the trial of the cases against him; infamous 'Chemical Ali' is being brought before the court this week.
Dear readers, we cannot close our eyes to realities. There is a positive turn-around in the situation in a country where people were at the mercy of a dictator and his men for close to three decades. Under Saddam, politics and elections meant Baathists, and none else. Today politics and elections mean over 200 registered political parties vying for their slots in the National Assembly and other representative bodies. It is not only the Iraqis within the country who will vote, but also overseas Iraqis spread over 15 countries, including UAE, will have the opportunity to vote, under UN-supervised polls.
Those who thought violence was the way to settle scores with the Americans, or to disrupt life in Iraq and fish out of troubled waters, have not succeeded; they could not hinder the election process so far. Violence has subsided in Najaf; and in Fallujah.
Have a look at the election scene: Some 85 per cent of the voter registration centres are operational — the only exception being of Anbar (Fallujah, Ramadi) and Mosul. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has announced his candidature and would be leading his Iraqi National Accord Movement at the polls, fielding 240 candidates for the 275-member interim National Assembly and 18 provincial councils. Influential leaders like Adnan Pachachi are also participating, with a list of 70 candidates from his Independent Democratic Gathering. An opportunity has opened up for all to try their luck at the elections, and lead the government if they are the people's choice. This is a long way away from the uncertainties that dogged the Iraq scenario after the overthrow of the dictatorial Saddam Hussein regime. Much water has flown down Iraq's great rivers, and a mood of optimism is slowly setting in. Whoever thought, in the aftermath of the US occupation there that things would come to this pass?
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Posted by: Anonymoose ||
12/18/2004 9:43:58 AM ||
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#1
I don't know who Mohammed A.R. Galadari is, but it certainly is interesting that the Khaleej Times chose to print this. Perhaps they are figuring out that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
12/18/2004 9:53 Comments ||
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#4
Actually, the catalyst might be arms sales to China and other American rivals ... there was a thread on this a few days ago where the universal agreement was "Israel's only our friend as long as it is 100%" ...
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
12/18/2004 16:08 Comments ||
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#5
Methinks it's a hint, a nudge, a tap on the shoulder in the dark...
Whom, pray tell Sharon, do you think are your friends?
Perhaps if we deduct the value of the sales (+300% for "damages") from our annual aid package, develop a sudden kink in the transfer of any "new technology" in the pipeline (Can you say "bunker buster"?), our erstwhile friends will "get it"...
#6
Woudn't be a first time a POTUS made a fool of himself (desperatly) seeking Arabs allies. That's why you have Senate --- to keep White House from running wild with briliant ideas.
Israel is, and will be for foreseeable future, US's ONLY ally in Middle East
The survey showed that 27 percent of respondents supported requiring all Muslim Americans to register where they lived with the federal government. Twenty-two percent favored racial profiling to identify potential terrorist threats. And 29 percent thought undercover agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations to keep tabs on their activities and fund-raising.
IMHO, none of these things are too onerous. Muslim-Americans (why oh why do people insist on hyphenating their backgrounds - it's almost a qualifying statement; "I'm an American, but first, I'm a Muslim, African, Italian, Jedi-Knight") should recognise that *all* the 9/11 hijackers were Muslim, virtually all the terrorism in the world today is perpetrated by Muslims and certainly all the beheadings are being done by Muslims.
I'm particularly surprised by the low figure for racial profiling - whenever I'm asked to remove my shoes or am given a pat-down in an airport line, I feel like saying "look, I'm not a Muslim, like life, and I'm not about to blow up the friggin' plane" - which brings to mind a thought I had, have some phrase like "Mohammed was a paedophile" or a few verses from the Koran imprinted on the carpet before you go through security - it acts as a self-selecting mechanism...
I guess what this article says is that Americans, who love freedom and liberty, are starting to get fed up waiting for the 'moderate Muslim' to appear, and are looking for some other way forward, this is a wakup call to said 'moderate Muslims'...
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
12/18/2004 4:56 Comments ||
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#2
Alternate headline
"In US 56% need to increase their intake of phosporus."
#3
Simply put, while others swear allegiance to the Flag, Mossies have their Book which they regard as absolutely supreme at others' expense. So they should decide where they stand. The Brotherhood or the US. Until then they have a problem others don't seem to present and this problem is potentially detrimental to others who should have the right to ensure their own security. Words of denial are cheap to generate. They are known to own d'Nile. We know exactly what's in the Book and where their pursuant of "greater holiness" always leads to.
Posted by: Wo ||
12/18/2004 8:19 Comments ||
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#4
When a Moslem swears allegiance he/she could be simply engaged in Taqiyya
#5
Lol - talk about dissembling! Wikipedia, since it is publicly-contributed and has been under fire repeatedly by Muslims to "fix" shit to suit themselves, spends far more time explaining taqiyya to death than it took to define it.
My take:
It means they lie like fucking dogs if it suits them and/or their religion. Therefore, never, never, trust the word of a Muslim even if you think you know him and you think you are friends... unless you're a Muslim, too - then there's no issue cuz you're a fucking liar, too.
An Army officer was arraigned Friday on charges of dereliction of duty and assault with intent to commit murder in the killing of a critically wounded Iraqi, a military spokesman said. Capt. Rogelio Maynulet, whose fellow officers say he shot the man to end his suffering, did not enter a plea at the hearing in Wiesbaden, Germany. The charges carry a maximum combined sentence of 20 1/2 years, said Maj. Michael Indovina.
The 29-year-old from Chicago told The Associated Press that he's been overwhelmed with support, including a Web site petition that has more than 400 signatures. "I probably can't say the same for family and friends, I feel bad that they have had to go through this all, but I'm doing fine," Maynulet said in a telephone interview following his arraignment. "The support I'm getting from other members of the military is incredible."
The charges stem from a May 21 incident when Maynulet was leading his tank company on a patrol near the city of Kufa, south of Baghdad, where heavy fighting had been reported. They encountered a sedan thought to be carrying a driver for al-Sadr and another militiaman loyal to the cleric, whose supporters rose up against U.S. forces twice this year. U.S. soldiers chased the vehicle and fired at it, wounding both the driver and passenger.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/18/2004 12:57:07 AM ||
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no good deed goes unpunished. Shoulda let him die slowly, I guess
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 14:29 Comments ||
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That's the conclusion soldiers in the field received. Take a smoke break and watch the dogs and rats eat their leaking brains.
Posted by: ed ||
12/18/2004 14:32 Comments ||
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I'm still trying to figure out why the chain of command was even bothered with this one. It really isn't anything outstanding, for a combat zone.
#4
I know guys from GW-1 who killed critically wounded enemy soldiers. It was an unwritten rule, no one took pleasure in it. I wish this guy well. However, he whacked a para-military tater-tot - so who gives a flying fuck. This is really stupid & a waste of time imho. Give the guy a medal and put him back in a tank.
#5
yep. PC virus invades Pentagon? Rumsfeld should stop this shit
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 22:10 Comments ||
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#6
Frank, we got a new saying - anytime something lame is implemented for the sake of sensitivity we say the changes just came down from "PC&A" - "political correctness & appeasement." Some Marines call it "gay rights". Like when they told us we couldn't swear in front of recruits at boot camp. That was called the new "gay rights" rule on swearing. I know someone's gonna get pissed about that phrase.
#8
too bad. The Corps has done an admirable job refusing to kowtow to the PC (esp. during Clinton's era). I've got Miramar MCAS Marines as next door neighbors. Love 'em!
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2004 22:31 Comments ||
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#9
Not to worry lads, they were supposed to tell us we couldn't swear, didn't actually do much to curtail the poor language so many drill instructors work so hard to attain. No Marine worth his salt would try to enforce that lame ass rule anyways.
#10
anytime something lame is implemented for the sake of sensitivity we say the changes just came down from "PC&A" - "political correctness & appeasement." Some Marines call it "gay rights".
This latest idiocy goes above and beyond. Sounds like "gay marriage" to me. Shotgun style, and without a pre-nup.
#11
My DI in Basic was 23 yrs old and had served 3 tours in 'Nam. He used to tell me I could not possibly be as innocent as I looked - I was carded at bars til I was about 24. He taught us everything he could - and when he ripped us, it was for cause. I loved the SOB!
And he was bumped off by a Zionist death ray. And he was very tall, with a full head of hair. And he looked like Clint Eastwood, only when he was young...
Palestinian finance minister Salam Fayad categorically denied Thursday reports that former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat hid hundreds of millions of dollars away in secret bank accounts.
"No, no! Certainly not!"
"Everything that has been said on that subject has been false," Fayad said at in news conference in Doha, where he is visiting with PLO leader Mahmud Abbas and Plastinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei. The International Monetary Fund claimed in a report last year that 900 million dollars (675 million euros) had been diverted during 1995 to 2000 from the Palestinian Authority's budget to a special bank account controlled by Arafat.
Guess they found the account numbers...
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:34:53 AM ||
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#1
Fred or anyone else,
Is it possible to edit this Jew killer's (worst since Hitler) pic with PhotoShop to have worms coming out of his face. Don't get me wrong, his face already looks like he has been rotting for while. But, I am just looking for an extra and a more current, effect.
Presidential frontrunner Mahmoud Abbas appeared on Thursday to reject coordinating with Israel on a plan that means quitting occupied Gaza while keeping large chunks of the West Bank. But Abbas later said Palestinians could coordinate on a Gaza pullout if was part of a US-backed peace "road map" meant to lead to a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had earlier offered to talk to the Palestinians over coordination of his "Disengagement Plan", which he had initially designed as a unilateral initiative, but also reiterated that Israel intended to keep major West Bank settlements. "The terms mentioned by Sharon were not new. They prejudge the final-status negotiations and are unacceptable," Abbas said. Abbas later qualified his comments, saying: "The Palestinians will coordinate with Israel on the Gaza withdrawal only if it is part of the road map." The internationally sponsored road map is a plan for a Palestinian state alongside Israel that has been stymied by violence and the failure of both sides to meet promised commitments.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:32:49 AM ||
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I didn't know that there was an actual picture of "the roadmap".
Is that Yasshole?
Posted by: tipper ||
12/18/2004 12:33:11 AM ||
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Two choices. Either make this a foot-stomping, rah-rah, flag-waving, patriotic apocalypse of good vs evil, and make a gazillion dollars; or have it produced by the same people who gave us "Alexander", "The Alamo", and "King Arthur", and lose a gazillion dollars but win a prize at Cannes.
China and Pakistan on Friday vowed to step up cooperation in the war on terrorism, state media reported on Friday. The People's Daily quoted President Hu Jintao as saying to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz that terrorism posed a grave threat to regional and world peace and both China and Pakistan had been deeply harmed by it. "The Chinese government is in firm opposition to terrorism in all forms and appreciates Pakistan's preventive measures in safeguarding the security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan,' the Chinese president said.
The agreement to enhance cooperation follows the killing of a Chinese engineer in Pakistan in October. He had been taken hostage by an Al Qaeda-linked militant group. Mr Aziz described bilateral ties as "all-weather" and "time-tested" and said Islamabad would do all it could to keep them that way. "Pakistan will never allow anyone to conduct terrorist activities against foreign countries on its territory and will spare no efforts in safeguarding the security of Chinese companies and their personnel in Pakistan," said Mr Aziz.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:18:53 AM ||
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At least 400 were murdered this year in the district — 100 people up from the last yearr's figure in which 300 were killed, sources said on Friday. It has been reported that 7,655 cases were put up in police stations in the district this year — up 491 from the last year's figure when 7,164 cases were recorded. "The figures paint a bleak picture of law and order," sources said.The number of the injured in scuffles and murder attempts stands at 850 and 150 people, including women, were kidnapped.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/18/2004 12:16:16 AM ||
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Find a spot in the world with muslims in it , and you are guarenteed trouble . They cant live in harmony with anyone , anything , anywhere , no wonder Sikh's and Hindu's get a tad fooked off .
Tbh , when I retire , India is a place where I would like to live , but perhaps not in Gujrat..
#4
That last time the Mooselimbs in "Gujarat" killed about 50 Hindus on a train, the Hindus burn alive about 1500-2000 Mooselimbs. I saw pictures of the burned up Mooselimbs. They were line up in the middle of the street, for every Mooselimb to see and adjust. I bet they won't try that crap again.
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.
ASYLUM seeker Roqia Bakhtiyari and her six children should leave Australia, the Federal Government said today, after the family was moved from Adelaide to immigration housing in South Australia's north.
A group of former senior Iraqi Baathists, including one-time general 
The African Union (AU) has issued a 24 hour deadline to the Sudanese Government and Darfur rebels to end fighting, after a massive military build-up in the region over the past two weeks. The AU says huge quantities of arms have poured into Sudan's vast desert region of Darfur and that the Government is poised for a major military offensive. The AU is brokering peace talks to end a conflict that has displaced 1.6 million people and killed tens of thousands. It says it will report any further cease-fire violations to the United Nations (UN) Security Council for action. But the Sudanese government delegation says the decision was not binding on Khartoum.
Presidential frontrunner 
At least 400 were murdered this year in the district — 100 people up from the last yearr's figure in which 300 were killed, sources said on Friday. It has been reported that 7,655 cases were put up in police stations in the district this year — up 491 from the last year's figure when 7,164 cases were recorded. "The figures paint a bleak picture of law and order," sources said.The number of the injured in scuffles and murder attempts stands at 850 and 150 people, including women, were kidnapped.
