Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Paul Salopek said from a Sudanese prison Friday night that the government would soon release him and two Chadian colleagues after a 34-day confinement on charges of espionage and producing "false news." President Omar Hassan al-Bashir agreed to release Salopek after meeting with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. The three men are expected to be freed Saturday, Richardson's office said in a statement.
Salopek, a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, was arrested Aug. 6 while working on a story for National Geographic magazine about the Sahel region that runs along the southern edge of the Sahara. Richardson traveled to Sudan with Salopek's wife, Linda Lynch, and Chicago Tribune editor Anne-Marie Lipinski. Salopek and his wife have a home in New Mexico. National Geographic Editor Chris Johns met the group in Khartoum.
Salopek, 44, will return to the United States with Richardson, though the details of their trip have not yet been worked out. Also being freed are Salopek's Chadian translator, Suleiman Abakar Moussa, and his driver, Idriss Abdulraham Anu. "All three of us, Mr. Idriss, Mr. Sulieman, are all gratified," Salopek said by phone from prison here in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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TOKYO (AP) - Shinzo Abe, the front-runner to become Japan's new prime minister, called Friday for his country to build a stronger military as a deterrent and to push ahead with economic reforms as candidates launched their campaigns to lead the governing party. The conservative Abe, who currently serves as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's chief Cabinet secretary, also criticized China and South Korea for a diplomatic standoff with Tokyo and touted Japan's close ties with Washington.
We need deterrence in order for Japan not to get embroiled in war and to prevent an invasion of Japan. It is a fact that we maintain world peace with deterrent force...
Abe reiterated his intention to re-examine the country's pacifist constitution, which was drafted by the U.S. occupation force after World War II and renounces the use of force in settling international disputes. "We need deterrence in order for Japan not to get embroiled in war and to prevent an invasion of Japan," Abe said in a separate interview with TBS television. "It is a fact that we maintain world peace with deterrent force."
The 51-year-old Abe, known for his assertive stance toward China and North Korea, said he backed improved relations with Japan's Asian neighbors, but pledged to also preserve Japan's long-standing alliance with the United States. "Our security alliance with the U.S. has brought us security, and has brought peace to the region," Abe said. "To improve relations with China and South Korea, I believe all sides must make efforts to take steps forward."
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Nice airborne soldier photo! A sunny day, a bit chilly, sleeves rolled down, typical Japanese parachutist weather. A little nip in the air. Hooah!
#6
Sorry, I typed 'policy' when I meant 'apology'.
Abe's comment that if he is elected he might rescind the Japanese government's official apology to China and Korea for acts by Japanese soldiers during that war. That's a pretty strong signal that he sees China and Korea as active threats to his country, as he ought to after China's aggression over disputed islands and North Korea's launching of missiles at/over Japan during the last few years.
The Japanese are not hobbled by Judeo-Christian ideals WRT military force.
#8
I think that's a mistake. Abe should say, " we apologize for the acts of our ancestors, and we pledge never again to commit atrocities as was done by our ancestors in China and Korea, but we live in the world today and will act accordingly."
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/09/2006 10:39 Comments ||
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#9
"...with more accurate, technologically evolved, and deadly, weapons"
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/09/2006 10:42 Comments ||
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#10
Japan's has negotiated in good faith with their neighbors for decades, even when they've been challenged directly by the Norks, China or the Russians they've acted as a mature state should do dealing with the each crisis exercising restraint.
The issue of their conduct in WWII is not lost on anyone who's family participated [sic fought] in WWII. So I agree with Doc White why retract an apology for horrendous conduct, that can only disgrace Japan itself, it would be as if they are denying their own past or were faking their apology to begin with.
It's about time for Japan to unlimber its defence and offensive [deterrent] potential, in fact I look forward for great things to be developed with our partner Japan.
#11
why retract an apology for horrendous conduct, that can only disgrace Japan itself, it would be as if they are denying their own past or were faking their apology to begin with.
I don't think it would play that way in Asia.
Japan is a shame culture, not a guilt culture like ours. No longer making public apologies is like making a deliberately shallow, perfunctory bow to someone you once gave a long, deep bow to. It means you are asserting a new status vis a vis the others.
I think Abe is saying that the post-WWII era is over and a new era is about to begin in Asia, one in which Japan will no longer seek to placate and pay off those who aggress against her.
Interestingly, there is now a young male heir to the emperor's throne in Japan. Most Japanese are pretty secular, but they are also very much shaped by traditions, with which they identify strongly. I'm not saying we'll see Bushido spring up everywhere in the land of the rising sun, but after 15 years or so of being in economic and other slumps, Japan may just be waking up again.
Be interesting to see if they slowly and subtly start turning around their birthrate in a couple years.
#14
I do believe RD means that if America, with its guilt driven culture and Japan with its shame driven culture, could only swap memes, they might just cancel each other out and unlimber us for the onerous tasks ahead. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
As to Japan, I'm prepared to believe that Japan has globalized sufficiently whereby they will not rekindle the sort of destructive nationalism we have witnessed in the past. For one thing, they know bloody well what awaits another demonstration of such foolishness.
Therefore, I support a militarization of Japan as an offset to Chinese hegemony and a further strengthening of Western interests in the Nipponese co-prosperity sphere the Northeast Asian quadrant.
#15
lotp, in the article I only see this indirect reference for the offending acts of WWII.
Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni war shrine, which honors war criminals along with Japan's war dead, have strained ties with China and South Korea, which suffered harsh occupations by the Japanese army. Both countries have held off holding summits with Koizumi in protest.
In #4 you added, Abe has also indicated he might rescind the official apology to China for WWII acts.
Although I hadn't heard this one before, I most certainly have witnessed the Japanese stupidly refusing to recognize their Nation's war crimes committed during WWII for years now.
One wonders why some of the Japanese elites today still deny them, even in their history books some have been scrubbed.
Korea, China, Nan-King, prisoner guinea pigs in Bio camps, millions forced into slave labor, the Philippine horrors, Korean slave prostitutes etc.
That said lotp, Visa Via Japan, In an otherwise very bright picture, the future holds great promise for the USA and Japan...
I believe in Japan and love it's people but I still don't think Japan's denial plays well here in America.
Mohammad Anas Noorani an extremist leader from Pakistan will pay a visit to Amsterdam this weekend. Noorani is considered one of the most extreme. Questions were asked in the government how he got a visa to visit The Netherlands. The Dutch minister of "justice" stated that Noorani will be followed closely. Noorani will host a conference in the Taibah mosque in Amsterdam. Noorani has visited the netherlands before in 2004.
#1
If they do not record every speech this maggot makes and, should he utter one word in support of violent jihad, detain him for inciting violence, then these people have no brains. Why he even received a visa in the first place is beyond me. I can only suppose they have itchy wrists.
BRUSSELS - Top European and US officials failed to reach agreement on Friday to replace an annulled deal on sharing air passenger data due to expire on Sept. 30, a European Commission spokesman said. We will continue talks next week. Both parties are committed to finalise the agreement by the end of this month, said Friso Roscam Abbing of discussions aimed at avoiding possible air travel disruption when the current deal expires.
Under post-9/11 anti-terrorism arrangements, European airlines supply US authorities with information on passengers entering the United States including their name, address, payment details and telephone numbers. But an EU court struck down the existing deal on a legal technicality in May and gave the European Union and the United States until Sept. 30 to replace it.
You'd think that if their heart was in it, the Euros could fix this quickly. You know, if their heart was in it.
US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has since called for greater access to EU passenger data, but the EUs justice chief stressed time was short and urged Washington to accept merely a change in how the deal is framed legally.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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Justice system, why does it want to kill us
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/09/2006 1:41 Comments ||
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#2
If the EU doesn't wanna work with us, then fine, such is life. Our security requirements exceed their EU Tranzi political game BS, half-hearted "there is no WoT" ambivalence, and limp-dick courts system. Keep State out of it and call their bluff. Somehow I get the feeling they need our free-spending deep pockets more than we need their over-priced goods. Hard to accept there is much produced there that isn't produced here... especially regards critical or strategic goods. I could be wrong, but I really don't think so.
#3
You'd think that if their heart was in it, the Euros could fix this quickly. You know, if their heart was in it.
Queen Mary II going back to the Atlantic service soon?
Time for State to issue a warning to get your air travel done by March 07 or reroute through another country cause direct flights die. You thought the Frenchies were whining about a drop in tourism before. Just wait.
#4
You know, I have a hard time seeing how this violates any meaningful right to privacy. Since when did anyone have a right to enter the U.S. incognito?
#6
EU has some draconian rules on data privacy. Honored in the breach within many countries, but they've long used it against US multinationals doing business there -- payroll data can't be exported to US for consolidation and analysis, for instance. So EU analysts and programmers have to be hired for that purpose.
(KUNA) -- Turkey's army chief of staff General Yasar Buyukanit said Friday that his country would not send troops to Afghanistan in response to North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) call for reinforcements there. General Buyukanit said "not a single soldier from the Turkish armed forces will go to Afghanistan for the fight against terrorism," adding that "there is no need for such a thing." However he added that Turkey had spent a lot of effort in bringing peace and stability in different parts of the world under the NATO command.
Turkey has already taken charge of peace troops in Afghanistan twice, and there are still Turkish forces stationed in Kabul, he indicated. Last Thursday NATO's military commander US General James Jones called on allied countries to increase the size of their military presence in the face of what he described as increased violence by the former ruling Taliban.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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So Turkey was willing to send troops to aid the American endeavor, but not NATO, even though they've participated in NATO projects elsewhere. Interesting.
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad voiced his contempt against Islamabad's announcement to send Pakistani troops to join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). He said that the United States international force would be used to provide security to Israel and to disarm Hezbollah. In his Friday sermon, he called it 'disgusting' to engage the Pakistan Army in this 'shameful act', since Hezbollah's resistance had rejuvenated Muslim spirit.
He said that failure to resolve long standing global and regional disputes had made oppressed nations and groups adopt violence to achieve their goals....
He said joining ranks with Kabul and NATO forces to crush the Taliban would be another shameful act, which President Pervez Musharraf had vowed to perform in his recent visit to Afghanistan. He said that Washington's misuse of power might bring the world to the verge of collapse and their disregard for peace through justice had given rise to a wave of terrorism. He said that failure to resolve long standing global and regional disputes had made oppressed nations and groups adopt violence to achieve their goals. The world media, he pointed out, was pitched against Islam and every effort was being made to malign and defame the religion. He said that despite the well-orchestrated media campaign against Muslims, more people were converting to Islam in the West, which spoke for itself.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Listen, O bearded one: the MMA received 10% of the votes in Pak's last general election. Only brain dead NWFP jihad-bots supported your fascist lunacy party. Get humble.
#3
Fark all. Another candidate for the glowing-red-dot-on-the-forehead photoshop treatment.
He said that the United States international force would be used to provide security to Israel and to disarm Hezbollah.
Well, at least he got that part right.
In his Friday sermon, he called it 'disgusting' to engage the Pakistan Army in this 'shameful act', since Hezbollah's resistance had rejuvenated Muslim spirit.
If by "rejuvenated" he means "getting a whole buncha Hezbollah terrorists deaded", I guess he's right. Now, what we really need is a world-wide "rejuvenation" of Muslim spirit.
The growing consensus among political observers is that the Waziristan peace deal, instead of showcasing President General Musharrafs commitment to eliminating the country of pro-Taliban elements, may, in fact, send the signal to Washington that his support of militants remains as strong as it did five years ago, when he was only one of three leaders to recognise Afghanistans Taliban regime.
It takes a highly convoluted logical process to escape that conclusion, doesn't it?
Although the deal was aimed at ending cross-border insurgent attacks from Pakistan into Afghanistan, many predict that it will have the contrary effect by creating Taliban and Qaeda refuges...
Although the deal was aimed at ending cross-border insurgent attacks from Pakistan into Afghanistan, many predict that it will have the contrary effect by creating Taliban and Qaeda refuges. Leading Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban, says that the deal has set up a safe haven for Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
No! Reeeeeally? Who'da ever thunk that?
This is a view shared by Samina Ahmed of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG), who describes the accord as having ceded North Waziristan to the Talibs.
Yeah, if the government doesn't control the area and the Talibs are the ones who are controlling the area, it's pretty easy to come to that conclusion, isn't it? Shaukat Sultan's slip of the tongue the other day merely serves to reinforce it.
Officially, Washington has so far rejected such claims, with President George W Bush saying in an interview on Thursday that he didnt see the deal as providing militant safe havens.
He's being polite. Very polite.
The American media, however, appears to have already begun sharpening its knives, ahead of General Musharrafs visit to the US later this month, by attacking Islamabads track record on dealing with the Taliban. The New York Times on Thursday quoted Seth G Jones, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, as saying that Pakistani agents had helped hide Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, and tipped off fighters as to the movements of US-led forces.
I'm sure no one here's ever suspected such a thing... Oh. Except for those occasions, I mean.
Critics point out that it was only after the assassination attempts on his life that General Musharraf in early 2004 ordered an offensive in South Waziristan which later moved north, taking the fight into two of the most recalcitrant of the countrys seven tribal agencies. While Al Qaeda nests were found, the army also came into conflict with pro-Taliban tribesmen. Moreover, the army offensive served to stiffen tribal resistance against the government.
Has anybody but me noticed that the Pak army has a much harder time with these goobers than does the fledgling Afghan army, barely out of its formational diapers? An old boy officers' corps and a cannon fodder enlisted base is bad enough, but motivating your military with daily doses of Olde Tyme Religion and then sending them to hunt down and kill holy men while backed by tribal lashkars is a sure recipe for disaster.
... the army became bogged down on two fronts: fighting what many regarded as an American war and coming under fire for brutally quelling a nationalist revolt in Balochistan...
Thus the army became bogged down on two fronts: fighting what many regarded as an American war and coming under fire for brutally quelling a nationalist revolt in Balochistan. The army paid the price for this dual offensive. During the Waziristan campaigns, it lost 220 men, while more than 700 were wounded. Its tribal paramilitary forces also suffered large-scale desertions.
Contrast casualty figures for Afghan army operations.
Thus Rashid firmly believes, given this context, that the Waziristan peace deal has been triggered most keenly by Musharraf in order to placate his constituency, which is the army.
Bingo. Fighting a real war is beyond their capacity, though they are good at scatching each other's backs.
Critics point out that the primary beneficiaries of the deal are the militants in North Waziristan. Prisoners have been released, troops sent back to the barracks, checkpoints removed, weapons returned and money paid out. In addition, the decision to let the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-e-Isam (JUIF) broker the accord has increased the partys power and influence, with one diplomat describing the move as akin to putting the fox in charge of the hen house.
Y'might say that, seeing as how the JUI's closely allied with them — to the extent that the Talibs raised the JUI's flag when they briefly took control of a couple Afghan towns.
But what has the government got from the deal? Not much, according to critics, who point out there is no guarantee that militants, not necessarily the ones who signed the accord, would refrain from carrying out cross-border attacks against either Pakistani troops or those from across the border. Moreover, if the US were to launch missile attacks on suspected Al Qaeda targets hiding there, as it has done in the past, the entire area could become destabilised.
As opposed to... what? What is it now? What has it ever been?
Indeed, the frontiers history is littered with broken peace deals. None of them have been honoured. Why should we assume this time round it is going to be honoured? said the ICGs Ahmed.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Anything that permits the Taliban continued oxygen consumption can only be construed as a "win" for them. We need to Arclight Western Pakistan, then post aerial drones to kill whatever crawls out of the rubble.
#2
I believe the only way to stop the nonsense in Pakistan is to do away with the nation entirely. Divide it along the Indus river - give the eastern part to India, and the western part to Afghanistan. Afghanistan gets oil and gas, a deep-water port, and expanded territory in which to live and prosper. India gets a nuclear test range, a solution to the "Kashmir problem", and an opportunity to allow its army to knock some heads together. "Pakistan" was created by the British. It's time for the Americans to end its existence, in cooperation with Afghanistan and India. A noble but failed experiment, time to move on.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/09/2006 4:19 Comments ||
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#3
If Saudi / Wahhabist funding dried up, I get the feeling that PakiLand would disintegrate into an even more desperate free-for-all between the gazillion factions... I'm thinking implosion.
I believe it ends in either implosion and disintegration, simply digesting itself, or someday being turned into a grid of smoking holes. But that's just me.
#8
Okay. Be cool. I've been thinking about this story and the grid thing for a few hours now, and like a lightening bolt (Lol, I was watching a MegaDisaster episode on The History Channel) it came to me. And I wanted to share it. Think of it as just a little thought experiment brought on by watching too much "documentary" TV...
First it was overpopulation and mass starvation. Then killer asteroids. Then super tsunamis. Now super volcanos. And, sooner or later, a pandemic that dwarfs the 1918 Spanish Flu. I'm sure I've left out some doozies that've been floated by the scammers, but this suffices, I'd say. MegaHumongoMonsterDisasters. Human extinction. It will happen. We can't stop it. Global warmingcooling climate change? Piffle. Petty kid stuff. I'm talking ELE here. We're waaay doomed. I saw it on TV.
I propose that we round some of our megasmart non-idiotarians and study the shit out of these phenomena and, wherever possible, we figure out where the "safest" places on the planet will be. We should go ahead and quarantine all of the shitheads who're directly assisting in our doom, such as China. We can play up how they've mishandled things and screwed over WHO and everyone else trying to protect themselves. Piece of cake to make the case. It's easy to show pricks to be, well, pricks. And then, when the Venn diagrams have been drawn, percentages calculated, mineshaft gaps plugged, plenty of hot Indian policewymyns and extra Buck Turgison purdy wymyns, and most excelent super-good cooks identified, important stocks prepositioned, fiber optics laid for the cool-folks intranet that will remain, our good guys have packed their gear, moonbats pinpointed (Hey, you didn't think you'd get off without individual assignments, did ya?) and the "inventories" are full, you can figure out the drill, well then: we go ahead and kill everyone we don't like - making sure we clear out the "safe zones", in particular. When we have the list of losers, the logical deserving recipients of our attention, we'll prove how smart we are - we'll mimic our betters and start a UN Fund to which they'll be required to donate to, heavily. We'll think up a good reason. Remember the 'B' Ark? Like that. The goat-star idea was pretty inventive. We can match it. We'll put some in ourselves to remove suspicion - and convince them they'll be the only ones who will be allowed to draw on it. Something like that. They'll go for it - it's what they live for. So we get their money and stuff then kill 'em. Kill 'em all off.
We'll prolly have to restart those neutron weapons production lines. I like Italian leather shoes and silk kimonos.
I figure we'll let John Howard in on the gig. He's smart and extra-cool. Ozzies are our natural brothers. real Mavericks and stuff, like us. They'll see the beauty of the plan and probably help us figure out how to scam the losers. Mebbe we'll have an internal poll to see if there's anyone else out there who won't fuck things up. I'm not too optimistic.
We don't know when we'll need these zones, but I don't believe in procrastination. So let's get on it today.
Yep. Shit's gonna fall on us, drown us, blow us up, destroy us from within. We're seriously screwed - if we don't act. If we're too wimpy to do this, then we deserve to get whacked. Sure it sucks a little, but we're tough, aren't we? We're forward-thinking and all that shit, right? Well hell then, let's get on the stick.
Be prepared. That's my motto.
Go ahead, X us up. I'm ready. I have a plan, baby.
#12
Heh, yeah, at least a little of me is back. I apologize if my posts don't measure up... I don't have much to say these days that isn't being well said already by someone else and my mental state is very mental, indeed, lol.
So, got some nominees for figuring out those wind patterns 'n stuff? I figure we're globally hated, are sooo doomed when the Yellowstone SuperVol goes off, and really have nothing to lose except our existence, so we should get on top of this thing. Night basketball just isn't cutting it, anymore. From a sterile POV it's the only purely rational response to the way things are headed. Pretty hard to swallow, I know, all those inconvenient feelings and such falderol, but ya gotta admit it's logical. Heh.
I blame The History Channel and NatGeo. Those MegaDisaster shows really get the juices flowing, y'know? It's all of the not if, but when variety. Unassailable logic boxes - reminiscent of my hero, Den Beste. Lol.
Surely, this'll be on the front page of the New York Times tomorrow, eh?
BAGHDAD, Sept. 8, 2006 Building an Iraqi health-care system based on outpatient clinics and primary care is a high priority of the government of Iraq. To that end, all contracts for the 142 primary health-care clinics in the country have been awarded, according to the Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The contracts the last of which was awarded on Aug. 31 total more than $185 million. Currently, three are operational and three more are scheduled to open shortly.
This positive relationship between the Corps of Engineers, the Ministry of Health and the capable Iraqi construction companies will result in most of the clinics being completed between December 2006 and February 2007. Each clinic is expected to serve between 40,000 and 100,000 patients a year, the GRD Facilities and Transportation Sector estimates.
The clinics adhere to the same basic design - six examination rooms, a pharmacy, two dental examination rooms and X-ray facilities - to ensure that the Iraqi people receive modern medical care close to home. The clinics are outfitted with medical and office equipment, furniture and three months worth of medical consumables. Currently, the medical equipment which cost $117 million for the 142 clinics is being stored in a warehouse until each clinic is completed and ready to be opened.
We are fulfilling our commitment to deliver modern health care to the Iraqi people using Iraqi contractors, said Col. Andrew Knapp, Facilities and Transportation sector lead.
Once completed, the clinics will relieve the overburdened outpatient care currently provided by older hospitals and reduce infant mortality by at least 20 percent nationwide.
Currently, the Facilities and Transportation sector has completed 834 of 847 planned schools; 20 of 32 planned hospitals; 11 of 17 planned airports; 86 of 99 planned railroad stations; and 31 of 34 planned postal facilities.
Overall as of Aug. 26, the Gulf Region Division has started construction on more than 3,800 projects at a cost of $6.51 billion. More than 3,000 projects have been completed at a cost of $4.11 billion.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/09/2006 15:45 ||
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I didn't think this post went thru from :81 earlier today, so I sent it agian. Sorry. Hope the DoS is over....
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/09/2006 22:07 Comments ||
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A year after Israeli pullout, Gaza dreams of renewal lie in tatters
GAZA - Just a year ago, Gazans were euphoric with dreams of a renaissance that would turn their squalid, overpopulated patch of land into a Singapore on the Mediterranean. Singapore? YJCMTSU.
Israel had uprooted its settlements and pulled out its army after 38 years of occupation, donors pledged US$9 billion (7.1 billion) for rebuilding, and American Jews spent US$14 million (11 million) to bequeath leftover greenhouses to the Palestinians to jump-start a farming revival. Classic. Throwing good money, Other People's Money, after bad.
Now, Gaza is facing disaster. Who'da thunk it?
The Palestinian Authority, now led by the Islamic radicals of Hamas, is on the brink of collapse, Gaza's crushing poverty has worsened and the threat of an explosion of internal violence is ever-present. Israeli forces are back in the strip fighting Palestinian militants, but that war has been all but eclipsed by the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon and its aftermath. Wait for it...
"We are in the worst situation since 1967," the year Israel took control of Gaza, economist Omar Shaban said. "It hits everything." Wait for it...
Palestinians and international officials say the blame lies everywhere. Wait for it...
International donors never came through with their pledges. Almost there...
The Palestinians never properly planned for their newfound freedom. They isolated themselves by electing Hamas, while militants continued to launch attacks on Israel from Gaza. Bingo! Give the twit a cupie doll! Almost like he gets Cause -> Effect! Wowzers!
Israel reneged on an agreement to allow Gaza free access to trade, halted the transfer of vital tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority and eventually sent the army back into Gaza after waves of rocket attacks and the capture of an Israeli soldier by Hamas-linked militants who had tunneled under the border. Hamas. End of story - the rest is fluffing, LOL.
Gazans have had little to celebrate in recent years. Hamas.
The 1.4 million people who live in the 360 square kilometers (140 square miles) of territory suffered some of the worst violence during fighting with Israel that began in September 2000. Hamas.
Then, last summer, four months before he was felled by a stroke, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pulled all Israel's settlers and soldiers out of Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said these were "historic days of joy," and he brimmed with plans for Gaza's rebirth. Handed a Golden Opportunity...
The abandoned settlements would be used for tourism, farming and industry, and for apartment blocks to relieve Gaza's housing crunch. Ka-ching!
"If we are successful in this endeavor then we will have accomplished something incredible, which is to pull the Palestinian people out of poverty and into prosperity," Abbas said at the time. Uh, hang on there, Abu Dildo, your 'people' are Paleos... They haven't learned a goddamned thing since '48, what made you think they'd figure this obvious bit out, eh?
International officials said Gaza could be a trial run for a future Palestinian state. Sure thing... Actually it serves as a perfect model for the imaginary Paleo "state"...
But minutes after the last Israeli soldier pulled out of Gaza early on Sept. 12, ominous signs emerged. Like they stayed Paleos, you mean? Didn't magically become busy-beehive Mormons or industrious Buddhists? Huh, go figure.
Security forces lost control as Palestinians ran through the settlements, looting and torching greenhouses and buildings, including synagogues. Thousands jumped over the border wall into Egypt as security officers stood by helplessly. Paleos. Doing what they do best.
Still, there was promising momentum. Free money from Idjits!
In November, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice brokered a deal that gave the Palestinians control of their border crossing into Egypt the first time they had ever run an international border and greater access to Israel for their exports. Another Golden Opportunity...
In those heady days, Yehia Mahani, 40, had grand plans for his Gaza City factory, which makes hangers, plastic cups and household goods. He forgot the Paleo thing, too. They all do, including the EUdoinkers.
Expecting a flood of orders from Israel and abroad, he got bank approval for a US$150,000 (118,000) loan to expand his factory of 25 workers. Big Plans. I'm gonna be rich!
"We had hopes that things would be better, but it was the opposite," he said. "All these dreams died." Uh oh... Paleos.
Everything changed Jan. 25 when Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction, won Palestinian parliamentary elections. Le bingo, part deux.
Foreign aid and Israeli tax transfers were cut off, leaving the new Hamas government unable to pay its 165,000 employees a major engine of the Palestinian economy. Bitten again by that damned Cause -> Effect thing. Some think they should learn, eventually. Heh.
Abbas, from the moderate Fatah Party, waged a power struggle with the new Hamas Cabinet over control of the security forces. When Abbas won, Hamas sent thousands of its own paramilitary troops into Gaza's streets, sparking gunfights and fears of a civil war. SOS. Paleos.
Things collapsed June 25, when Hamas-linked militants tunneled into Israel, attacked an army post and captured Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Paleo Logic. A full step down from Arab Logic.
Israel hit back by pounding Gaza with airstrikes, damaging its power plant, closing the Rafah crossing and sending soldiers back into the territory for the first time since the withdrawal. Shalit remains in captivity. Go figure, huh? Damned Jooos, caring about their people. Sheesh.
The hope for Gaza disintegrated. F**kin Duh. Paleos.
More than 200 Palestinians, most of them militants, have been killed and the remnants of Gaza's economy have been shredded. In the biggest sign of popular discontent, tens of thousands of teachers, health workers and other government employees went on strike on Sept. 2. But will they actually learn anything? LOL. They're Paleos!
Adel Sharar, 36, an unemployed father of five, has been suffering since Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's government was forced to cut its payments to laborers who used to work for Israeli companies. Aw gee... Cause -> Effect on a personal level. *sniff*
"I know that they are not magicians, I know Haniyeh does not have a magic wand, but in the end, as a Muslim, he must be responsible for his followers," he said as he waited for U.N. food aid. "In four months, we did not have any meal with meat." And all of this is whose fault?
Salim Taba, a 30-year-old engineer, has not been paid his monthly US$800 (630) salary from the Palestinian Authority in six months. He is considering selling his car and some of his wife's jewelry to pay back part of a US$12,000 (9,440) bank loan. Stella Salim!! You're tearing me apart!
"I am lucky. My wife is working and we have no children, but I am sorry that I didn't listen to the advice of some of my friends, and I voted for Hamas," he said. Yep, some voted for Fatah. Kinda like voting for Goebbels instead of Hitler. If you had only listened, Sali, a "moderate" bunch of Paleo killers could've remained in charge of your insane asylum. Damn!
A year after the government announced its big plans for the settlements, they remain covered in the rubble left over from the Israeli pullout. Instead of being used for development, many have become training camps for militant groups. Ooooh, now we know whose fault they think it is. Professional seething training and Guilt Projection 401.
"We cannot blame the occupation only ... we have to blame ourselves," said Shaban, the economist. "There was no master plan. There are no projects going on." Okay, who swung the feather! *gotta dust myself off*
The hope for the greenhouses, too, has ended in disappointment, with US$25 million (20 million) worth of tomatoes, strawberries and peppers stuck at the Karni border crossing into Israel and eventually dumped in landfills, according to the Palestine Development Company, which ran the greenhouses for the government. It had Jooo cooties! The always consistent Paleos.
Seeing no hope for improvement, the government didn't even bother to plant new crops. Of course not, cuz it was the Jooos fault for giving Gaza back! Ha, we're onto you sneaky bastards!
Businesses also have been devastated. Israel routinely closes the Karni crossing, citing security threats, and last month released footage of what it said was a tunnel militants had dug toward the crossing in preparation for an attack. I don't think they have a word for "security" or the absense of killing in Paleoese. Please rephrase.
The closures made it impossible for Mahani's factory to import the raw plastic, coloring and additives he needed, and he couldn't export what little he could produce, he said. Oh shit, more tears.
The factory, which used to run 24 hours a day, now works only 24 hours a week because of rolling blackouts due to the Israeli attack on the power plant, he said. His employees are lucky to work one 8-hour shift a week, and the business, which only sells its products in Gaza, is losing US$3,000 to US$5,000 (2,360 to 3,930) a month, he said. Damned Jooos!
"We are hoping that next year will be better, that next year will be better. We are living by hope," he said. And on Other People's Money. Don't forget that little detail...
To keep his business solvent, Mahani opened a new factory in Egypt, where 100 people work in round-the-clock shifts. Where they're Arabs, so life still sucks, but at least they're not Paleos.
According to Paltrade, a coalition of Palestinian exporters, more than 20 Gaza textile and furniture manufacturers moved their businesses to Egypt or Jordan, diverting millions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs from Gaza. Go figure, huh? Traitors!
Many others are looking to leave, creating fears of worse unemployment and even deeper poverty, said Hanan Taha, a Paltrade official in Gaza. Requiring even more Other People's Money. A proud Paleo tradition.
"The situation is very difficult. The crisis is continuous," she said. Cuz you're still Paleos and you will never live in peace, so you reap what you sew. Dipshits.
"There are no hopes and dreams." LOL... Stop it, you're killing me here.
#1
I'm a little more sympathetic than you. One group who were NOT blamed for Gaza's condition, but should be, are the Islamacist religious leaders who urged people to have 9, 10, 11 kids or more in order to outbreed the Jews.
Doing that in a densely populated tiny region with little indigenous industry or agriculture goes beyond irresponsible. It is the direct cause of the deep, grinding poverty in Gaza.
The EU's co-dependency relationship with the Palestinians allowed this sort of preaching to be heard and followed, since it meant Gazans never ever had to think about the consequences of their birthrate combined with poor education.
If I had been a Gazan in the last election I don't know who I would have voted for. The PLO is deeply, deeply corrupt and siphoned off most of the aid money. The aid projects that were started under them were seldom finished and usually given out as patronage.
OTOH Hamas was a clear recipe for international disaster. We photographed too many IRC ambulances used in terror attacks and documented too many efforts by Hamas to break the basic rules of agreements that were negotiated, so the Euros had to back off of outright support for Hamas and the results after that were inevitable.
#3
--"In four months, we did not have any meal with meat."
Get this man a contract w/PETA! See, it can be done!
Salim Taba, a 30-year-old engineer, has not been paid his monthly US$800 (630) salary from the Palestinian Authority in six months. He is considering selling his car and some of his wife's jewelry to pay back part of a US$12,000 (9,440) bank loan.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/09/2006 12:12 Comments ||
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#5
Gaza: sympathy meter LOCKED, BOLTED and WELDED on ZERO. You did it to yourselves, punks, just like the Hezb scum in S. Leb. You chose your actions, NOW YOU CAN LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE ACTIONS.
Posted by: mac ||
09/09/2006 12:14 Comments ||
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#6
It sounds like it may be a good idea to open a one man office in Gaza and divert some of that free money to those who could use it more productively (like me!)
#7
Frank, I know. I know. The Gazans at this point seem to be hopeless and worthless.
But I still maintain there is a special place in Hell for the sons of bitches who encouraged them in their downward spiral. Those who use kids as shields today were born and raised in that environment. It's the leaders in the 60s and 70s who I would condemn to the darkest, most painful places in the Pit.
#8
Lotp has some good points, I don't see what could really be added, except than the byline comments in this article are very good too. RB quality material.
#11
"Yep, some voted for Fatah. Kinda like voting for Goebbels instead of Hitler."
"...busy-beehive Mormons..."
Lol, indeed. Excellent in-line stuff. *applause*
I'd say that focusing on the breeding aspect is a little picky, lotp. That's true of all Islam, regardless of the territory involved. It's simply the result of Islamic misogyny. :-}
That the Paleos have perfected the blind and self-defeating Hate Machine is obvious, too, IMHO, so thumping 'em for it strikes me (lol) as apropos. The goofiness of this attempted symp piece just boggles - all of the facts prove their situation is self-inflicted and their logic delusional. Fluffing, indeed, lol.
#12
What I was trying to say is that they're using the term "moderate" quite loosely. As in, one bolt left half-on and the others removed kind of loose.
#14
Hey there, stranger. Good to see you around. Did you get a gander at Fjordman's article on "Moderate Muslims"? It confirms everything you've ever preached to us about these vermin in sheep's clothing, .com. I cannot thank you enough for opening my eyes to the unalloyed threat represented by all practicioners of Islam.
#15
Oooh, cool - nope, I hadn't seen that - some good reading ahead, thx!
To be honest, I know we all hate what's coming, but they've allowed us no choice in the matter. Sucks, in fact. I dread having to explain it to my grandkids... But I'll prolly start early - before the edumahduhcation system has filled their heads with the PC and pussification BS that has made us so vulnerable to such crude and banal threats as an ancient relic of barbarity and thoroughly failed idiocy such as socialism. Boggles. :-)
A new 9-11 occurs every single day. Another 3,000 people die whose lives might have been saved had we not been obliged to divert such tremendous amounts of wealth and manpower into thwarting the psychotic genocidal aspirations of a few ultra-violent Muslims. We need to clean Islam's collective clock and set about the more worthwhile tasks of fighting illiteracy, disease, famine and deprivation. All things which Islam seeks to install with its retrogressive barbaric cultism.
Enough is enough. As Fred mentioned in yesterday's article about the OIC's latest round of blaming "Islamophobia" (otherwise known as a 'healthy survival instinct') instead of taking responsibility for terrorism;
You want to quickly eliminate "Islamophobia"? Actively hunt down and ruthlessly kill every terrorist you get wind of. No explanations accepted, no dissimulation, just a bullet to the back of the head. Or maybe cut their heads off, we don't care. When Islam as an international force is something terrorists are afraid of, then we can talk.
I'm not finished with it, yet, but this is the definitive word. No stone is left unexamined and no trick or tenet left unexposed.
Wow. Fjordman is a steel trap - with sharp teeth and unfailing intellect.
He doesn't quite call Islam a human pathogen, heh, but he destroys the PC notions that we are dealing with people who think like us, but simply believe in different things - the typical fallacy of most Western attempts to analyze or explain Islam. They are nothing like us in any meaningful aspect - and Fjordman effortlessly annihilates the fools who fail to see it. We cannot "deal" with them for they are completely alien. We are faced, literally, with Us vs. Them and he proves it in spades.
An awesome effort and a truly brilliant result.
Thanks, Zen. Already bookmarked and saved on local disk.
#18
You are most welcome, .com. You have my deepest thanks for laying the groundwork so that I could appreciate the importance of Fjordman's message. Moderate Islam is a sham on the order of Moderate Nazism. I owe you bigtime, friend.
#19
I paid a first-hand price, lol. You are most welcome if I helped, but lawzy, lawzy, I'm a fluffy dandelion compared to Fjordman. Woohoo he's GREAT!
#21
When I first arrived at Rantburg, I did dread the impending Muslim Holocaust. That is no longer the case. After five long years of nothing but more Islamic atrocities and the Thundering Silence of tacitly supportive Muslims, I have reached the limits of my patience.
My patience has run out as well; but I still dread what we will in all likelihood end up having to do because it's gonna be REAL ugly.
But what I dread more is what we're going to have to endure before our society works up a head of steam sufficient to get us to that point. Not just the ever-rising tide of bullshit from the Left, but the near certainty that we're going to end up with one or more of our cities nuked before we get off our asses and act.
Welcome back, .com; you are REALLY missed around here.
Off to the gun shop; BBL...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
09/09/2006 15:57 Comments ||
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#22
Gasse, my man, I'm good - and happy to see you're still posting, lol. Shall we bore 'em with some Majik Kingdom stories? Lol.
I'm just a n00b, again, heh.
Here's as close as I ever came to Fjordman:
World History in 10 Easy Steps
by Mo
1) Ima have a Dream thingy: get even with Jooos, lenders, and wymyns!
2) I'll run around the desert taking over stuff, cutting off heads and clits and stuff.
3) Then: Global Dominion and death or slavery for the polytheists and infidels! w00t!
#23
Damn, Dave! You harshed my mellow! That is the crux of the biscuit: we'll have to get seriously plastered before the baggage half of us realize what Fjordman wrote is dead solid perfect Truth. MegaSigh.
I'm gonna hafta get me an NV license so's I can buy a gun here. I've been lazy about that... but it's only been 2.5 years and my TX license is still good so I kinda put it off... Lol.
#24
Even then I wonder ... on my worst days I worry that the "better in a burkha than in a uniform" mindset will delay and erode our capabilities until we have no options left.
On my better days I dread but also look forward to ending this shit.
#25
One small point, skipping back to the top of the thread: Gruth Hupeagum6409 (wonderful in-line comments, my dear, you nailed the essence of it all!) points to Hamas as the bad guys, and the Paleos as not getting it. lotp, too, wrote of the religious leaders that encouraged overproduction of offspring. However, the many babies thingy was originally a PLO (post-election loss known as Fatah, for some reason) program, based on Mahmoud Abbas' dissertation, in which he proposed using excess population to push the Jews off the land as an alternative to the open violence alternating with world pressure organized by Yasser Arafat.
In the West having large families tend to be a decision made by conservative, religious types. For the Palestinians, who are for the most part monogamous as far as I am aware (unlike those Gulf Arabs who can afford a multiplicity of wives) birthing maximum cannon fodder has always been a political decision.
I'd like to give this the sympathy it deserves - but I can't find my nano-violin.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/09/2006 17:51 Comments ||
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#29
Back from the gun shop. Christmas is in the bag.
"Damn, Dave! You harshed my mellow!"
Dang! I just HATE it when that happens...
"I'm gonna hafta get me an NV license so's I can buy a gun here."
Say what? I thought it was only the LLL coastal states that made you do that "license" shit??? Criminy...
Oh, well.
While wallowing through the no-man's-land of the WTFIDC* Days the last few months here on the 'Burg, I've been doing a lot of noodling along the lines of "Where is this 'GWoT' thingie gonna go from here?"
I don't see any big changes so long as GWB is in office barring a) a major, mass-casualty terrorist attack on one of our cities or b) an upset victory by the Democrats in November that puts them overwhelmingly in charge of the House and the Senate.
But the war we're waging right now will come to an abrupt end at exactly noon on January 20th, 2009 when Bush's successor is sworn in. That'll be it, full stop. Finito. And at that moment a new war will take its place, guided by someone else's sense (or lack of it) as to what should be done about the Islamic menace. And that new path may be VERY different from the one GWB and crew have laid out.
But what will it be? I don't have any answers I'm real confident about, but I do have a strong gut sense that if GWB is followed by a Democrat we are in deep, DEEP doo-doo.
Something to continue thinking about, anyway...
* WTFIDC = "Where The Fuck Is Dot-Com????"
Posted by: Dave D. ||
09/09/2006 18:53 Comments ||
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#30
Debates...we'll have debates and things will be a biy more obvious by then, so the debaters will be asked questions like;
How do you intend to stop Israel from burning Damascus ? or Will you commit American troops to the shia-sunni civil war ?
We will pick our winner when he bashes McCain in the face and declares war on the donkey 'moderates'.
We're looking for one man with two balls.
Israel's foreign minister said on Friday it was "about time" the Jewish state talked to the Palestinians, adding no conditions should be put on meeting President Mahmoud Abbas. But Tzipi Livni said Abbas should expect nothing from talks, such as a release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, unless militants in the Gaza Strip freed a soldier captured in a cross-border raid on June 25.
Her comments were a softening of remarks by Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who said this week a summit between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, would take place only if the soldier was released first. "In relation to a meeting with Abu Mazen, I do not think there need to be any conditions for such a meeting," Livni, told a news conference in Tel Aviv with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "It is about time we found a way to talk with the Palestinians and with Abu Mazen in order to find out whether there is a way to promote a process that can lead in the future to a two-state solution."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
The Israelis got a Tony coming to town, talking piece. There are some aspects of Blair I will not miss, this is one.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/09/2006 1:46 Comments ||
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#2
well, you know how Cherie loves her Paleos....
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/09/2006 10:11 Comments ||
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Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh declared on Friday that his embattled Hamas-led government had no intention of stepping down, despite a sweeping civil service strike and an economic crisis that a top UN official said has brought the Gaza Strip to a "point of near meltdown."
Hamas' takeover of the Palestinian Authority in March has provoked crushing international sanctions that have rendered the government unable to pay its 165,000 employees for the past six months.
In the widest sign of growing displeasure with Hamas, tens of thousands of teachers, health workers and other government employees launched an open-ended strike last Saturday. The work stoppage, organized in large part by the rival Fatah movement, has threatened to bring down the government. "The government is not going to resign," Haniyeh told 2,000 worshippers at a mosque in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. "We have no thoughts of resignation or dismantling the (Palestinian) Authority."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
What would this government be stepping down from?
Tackling the rising tide of Islamophobia in the West is one of the four main points to be taken up for discussion at the Seventh Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers that begins in Jeddah on Wednesday. The conference will be preceded by a two-day preparatory meeting of senior information officials from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states. It begins at the Jeddah Conference Palace today.
Addressing a joint press conference at Jeddah Crowne Plaza last night, Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said: "The conference aims to come up with a joint action to face up to the challenges of our time, especially with the rise of hate crimes and Islamophobia in the West and the confusion resulting from the unfortunate mixing up of Islam with terrorism."
You want to quickly eliminate "Islamophobia"? Actively hunt down and ruthlessly kill every terrorist you get wind of. No explanations accepted, no dissimulation, just a bullet to the back of the head. Or maybe cut their heads off, we don't care. When Islam as an international force is something terrorists are afraid of, then we can talk.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Yes OIC, we will show the hated infidel the strength of our jihad power from above. Allah is displeased with their bikinis and tight slacks. The All-Powerful one also hates The Simpsons, Acid Rock and Bubba the Love Sponge.
#2
Note to OIC: Instead of looking into how to combat misperceptions of Islam, please begin investigating how to avert the pending Muslim Holocaust. Time is running out.
#4
The values from OIC are from a blighted parallel universe ; time to seal that stargate to that scatological influence. Stop leting them into the progressing/democratic world! Let them ahareout and eat their black goo amid their grime.
#9
"Moderate Moslems" are never able to keep their house in order but implicitly supports this sort of piss : Indonesia: Angry Mob Attacks Church in Aceh
There's never the need to specify moderate Christians or Buddhists for the very reason that their (present day)teachings do not support violence.
The fact that moslems have to claim this title of "moderate" clearly shows that it's essential nature is certainly neither moderate nor peaceful when the rabble rousing mullahs appear.
#10
Misconception: A mistaken thought, idea, or notion; a misunderstanding.
Uh, excuse me, but we're NOT mistaken. We DON'T have the wrong idea. And we DO understand you very well. Take your filthy islamist propaganda elsewhere. We're not buying.
#11
OIC seeks to combat perceptions that are too close to reality for their liking. I have known some decent Muslims, but what little decency Islam has was borrowed from Christianity and Judaism.
#12
The fact that moslems have to claim this title of "moderate" clearly shows that it's essential nature is certainly neither moderate nor peaceful when the rabble rousing mullahs appear.
Indonesia urged Washington on Friday to provide access to a militant linked to the 2002 Bali bombings after US President George W. Bush said he had been transferred to Guantanamo Bay. The Indonesian-born militant, known as Hambali, was arrested in a 2003 US-led operation in Thailand. "Indonesia has repeatedly asked for the whereabouts of Hambali. This announcement has given us clarity. We welcome the certainty of his existence," Indonesian foreign affairs spokesman Desra Percaya told a news briefing. Indonesia has in the past asked for access to question Hambali, who is suspected of playing a key role in the Bali bombings and other attacks, but Washington has only given Indonesian investigators filtered information from him and barred direct contact.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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What? Did they misplace the Semtex recipe he gave them?
Hint: Hand over Bashir for interrogation and then we'll talk about Hambali.
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers told the government on Friday to immediately withdraw from a rebel stronghold it seized this week or face war.
I thought they had a pretty good war going already.
The army captured the territory on the southern edge of the strategic Trincomalee harbour in the northeast of the country on Monday after days of artillery battles. It was the first major capture of territory by either side since a 2002 ceasefire. "We perceive the Sri Lankan armed forces occupying our territory as tantamount to a declaration of war," S Puleedevan, head of the rebels' peace secretariat, told Reuters. He said the Tigers would launch a counter-attack and "evict" the army from Sampur if it did not withdraw immediately, adding that the ceasefire agreement was "in tatters".
"The conflict is already widening all over the northeast, the Tamil homeland," Puleedevan said by satellite phone. "So far, we have tried very hard to maintain restraint, not to launch offensive attacks, but there are limits."
Until now, and despite heavy fighting in recent weeks, the government and the rebels had been insisting that they continued to stand by the terms of a 2002 truce. But the foes blame each other for trying to force a full-scale return to a war that has killed more than 65,000 people since 1983.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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They've got to be kidding. Wasn't it the Tamils who compromised the peace treaty by recommencing the bomb attacks? Government intervention was clearly secondary to the resumption of LTT violence.
This report, posted on LGF, is the kind of thing we should be reading in the Times or Post, but seldom see.
LGF operative grayp attended the speech by Ayatollah Mohammad Khatami at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virginia; heres her citizen journalists report on the CAIR-sponsored event:
Last night CAIR hosted a reception and dinner for former Iranian President Khatami. I attended. I got there about 20 minutes early so I had some time to check things out.
Not surprisingly, security was significant. At the entrance to the hotel (Crystal City Marriott, Arlington, VA), there were two bomb dogs on duty checking every car. Inside and outside, I categorized the security as:
1. local - Arlington, Alexandria, and Wash. DC police, some of which were K-9 units.
2. The guys in suits with earpieces.
3. other plainclothes people in much more casual clothes - khakis & polo shirts
4. Men in Black. I dont know who these dudes were. They were definitely in uniform but I never saw anything like it before. They were cut like camis but completely black w/no insignia and they were packing some serious stuff. Two of them had dogs.
5. Dept. of State/Diplomatic Security Service. These were the people who got us thru the metal detectors, etc. after they opened the doors to the ballroom complex. I think State sends them to classes on how to be firmly polite.
All in all, there were literally hundreds of security people there.
Once they were ready to let everyone in, I went to the checkin table for my name tag. This table was manned entirely by American Muslim women. I did have to show ID.
Then thru the metal detectors and on into the ballroom complex. One ballroom was set for the dinner, the one next to it was being used by all the security services. The ballroom being used for the reception wasnt quite ready, so I just hung out and observed for awhile. I saw a few people I recognized - Ibrahim Hooper being one. For some reason he did a double-take when he saw me. But I did not meet him or speak to him. He seemed to like playing a bit of a clown w/people he knew - very jovial, cracking jokes, etc.
Then out of the blue one of the most magnificent German Shephards Ive ever seen trots by me w/his handler. Another bomb dog doing sweeps. (I managed to catch his handler during a pause and he was gracious enough to pose the dog so I could take a pic w/my cell phone. His name is Rambo.)
Ok, into the reception hall. There were about 60 people in all. I was greeted by the vice president of CAIR who was honestly astonished that I was a) apparently not Muslim (not covered) b) attending under my own sail, not representing any organization or media outlet. This apparently provoked some curiousity - two other CAIR people came over with WTF? looks on their faces but treated me with pleasant surprise.
There was a nice buffet, so I grabbed a plate and sat down. People were very friendly. I counted 5 women who appeared to be non-Muslim. Two were in their 20s and came together. One was a ringer for Valerie Plame and was with her husband. Another was there with some organization or other. Then there was me. About 20 Muslim women were there, not all American but Id say most were. The most startling was a girl who appeared to be about 16. She was American. She was the ONLY one wearing the full black chadoor bit. All the other women dressed to the nines. Yes, they were covered, but some of their scarves had crystal beading and not a few pairs of Manolo Blaniks peaked out from under those floor length ruby red satin dresses.
Eventually, we were told Khatimi had arrived and asked us to queue up into a reception line.
And in he came. There was no entourage per se. Two security guys (American - the guys in suits with earpieces), a translator and another man who turned out to be the head of some Iranian/American cultural organization.
Khatimi is slightly built and not tall - Id say about 5' 7". He wore a combination of brown and black robes w/a black turban.
My personal impression of the man is that there is a quietness about him. He moves slowly, speaks slowly. He uses his hands when he speaks but very deliberately. Hes very still.
When it was my turn to meet him, he also looked surprised! His eyes are a very pale blue/green - almost a grey. And they twinkle. He seemed to find this apparitional American woman most amusing. He asked my name, which I gave, then asked what I would like to talk about. I asked him what changes in American policy toward Iran he would like to see from the next U.S. administration. He broke into a great big smile and became almost animated. I can boil it down for you to one word.
Clinton.
If we just do what Clinton did, things would be much better. Color me surprised. Heh.
Well, there were more people to get thru the receiving line before the question and answer period started, so I went outside for a smoke break. When I got back the Q&A had begun. A gentleman was asking his view on how the sectarian strife in Iraq could be overcome and all of Islam could act as ummah. The translator had a very soft voice, (and an accent of his own) but this is what I caught.
The sectarian differences are really very minor and can be easily overcome. The people who are causing this strife do not understand Islam.
Hey, Im just reporting this ok?
The next question: You will be meeting w/President Carter during your visit. How do you think you and Carter can work towards peace between the West and the Middle East?
Answer: President Carters invitation reached me too late. My schedule was already in place and could not be changed, so I will not be meeting with him. But President Carter does many good works helping to relieve poverty, blah blah blah.
End of Q&A. Everybody off to the ballroom for dinner.
On either side of the entrance there were elevated platforms for the media. And there were tons of it. Lots of round tables for the guests and an elevated dias at the other end of the room. I took a seat at an empty table. All the chairs had headsets attached to radio thingys so we could listen to English translations. I was soon joined by another unattended woman Ill call SH. African-American Muslim, who is a Major in the Army reserves. She was down from Boston to attend the promotion ceremony of her former boss to Colonel at Ft. Belvoir. We were joined by 4 CAIR people. One American woman, one Iranian woman, one Egyptian man and one American man. And finally, the dinner companion that turned out to be the most interesting - an American/Iranian man down from NYC. Hes a law student at Fordham and knows more about the workings of Iranian politics and society than anyone Ive ever met. He was directly to my left. Heres his take on Khatami (briefly).
Hes not a politican, hes a theoretician/philosopher. He picked up a lot of this thinking from the rationalist German philosophers (he named a few - Ive never heard of them and I was a philosophy major). The major reform he wanted for Iran was to move it away from oppressive theocracy to what the West would describe as pluralism. He NEVER EXPECTED to win the election. He campaigned simply to get the national discussion moving about his ideas. But win he did. The cabinet he put in place was comprised of absolutely brilliant people. But they too were of the academic/theory bent, elitists vs. populists.
So why did his reformist agenda fail? My dinner companion was blunt. Theocratic thugs. There was an assasination attempt on a cabinet member that left him w/permanent brain damage and it went downhill from there. Many in his govt wanted to strike the mullahs and strike hard but Khatami was afraid it would tear the country apart he didnt trust the strength of the social fabric.
Also, I asked everyone what they thought Khatami wanted to accomplish during his visit. Unanimously, they all thought he wanted to show Americans that dialogue w/Iran was a real possibilty.
After dinner was cleared, CAIRs president introduced everyone on the dias. Including him and Khatami, there was the head of the Iranian/American cultural organization, the translator, the VP of CAIR, the mufti of Washington DC and - the real jaw dropper - the ambassador to the US from Sudan. (Also in the audience was the ambassador from Uzbekistan - go figure). There was a reading from the Koran and then Khatami spoke. It was sometimes difficult to catch when he spoke simultaneously w/the translator (who we listened to via the headset), and sometimes either he lost the translator or the translator decided no way am I sayin this because there were blocks of silence from him.
At any rate, the first part could have been a Sunday sermon. He spoke about the commonalites of the Abrahamic faiths. He spoke about how all human life - not just Muslim life - is eternal and not just of this world. I liked it.
Then it got political a bit. (And this is the part where there were blocks of silence from the translator.) He started talking about Islamophobia and democracy. And thats where I hit my limit. I said good night to my dinner companions and walked out.
But one thing above all stood out when Khatami was speaking (I dont know if it was Arabic or Persian). Apparently his language has no equivalent for the English word because he always said the word in English.
#1
And her last, if CAIR has any say. She's been outted, now, as it would be easy for anyone there to ID her from this piece and identifying herself as an "LGF operative" seals the deal. Sounds like she wants it to be her last, lol.
Thanks, "grayp" - and Glenmore. Very interesting stuff.
I consider Khatami, commonly called a "moderate", to be a lesser evil among incredible evils. He is beyond the pale, no matter how relatively benign he is compared to the Khomeini or Ahmadinejad types. He should have been barred from the US, period.
#3
Interesting that Khatami blew off a meeting with Carter. Maybe he does have hopes of meeting Bush Administration people, and doesn't want to antagonize them.
#4
Maybe he does have hopes of meeting Bush Administration people
The only "administration people" I want Khatami to meet is a wetwork team.
Bush must be brain dead to have this maggot on American soil while our nation mourns the 9-11 atrocity. Having Khatami in the national cathedral is like Israel inviting David Duke to Tel Aviv for an address during observance of the Shoah.
JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has signaled that Israel might cede the disputed Chebaa Farms area to Lebanon if the Lebanese carry out all provisions of their cease-fire with Israel, including the disarming of Hezbollah guerrillas, Israeli media reported on Friday.
In a meeting with Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, Olmert said if the U.N. decides the area is Lebanese, and if Lebanon implements U.N. resolutions ending the war, "we'll agree to discuss it," the Haaretz newspaper said.
When Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation, the U.N.-drawn international line did not put Chebaa Farms in Lebanese territory, but in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, and later annexed.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Why? Does this make any sense to anyone? Or is Olmert simply hellbent on giving away every bit of land he can before he's forced out of office?
#4
This is simply gamesmanship. The Leb army is incapable of disarming Hezbo, and Olmert knows this all too well.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/09/2006 1:50 Comments ||
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#5
It seems as though Israel is trying to tie up all the loose ends and be seen as doing everything possible to get rid of any excuse whatsoever the barbarians are using to continue to wage war against Israel. Then he'll blast 'em. Assuming the UN will go along with it. Which it won't.
#9
Besoeker, I hate to break this to you, but Roundup isn't the modernday equivalent of the old "salt their lands" cliche. It has almost no environmental persistency, and is pretty harmless as far as pesticides go. Unless you want to ruin a single season's crops by spraying it at the wrong time on the wrong variety, that'd be nothing more than stupid act of provocation.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
09/09/2006 12:47 Comments ||
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#10
or seed it with bermuda grass - they'll never get rid of it
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/09/2006 13:27 Comments ||
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#11
"Besoeker, I hate to break this to you, but Roundup isn't the modernday equivalent of the old "salt their lands" cliche. It has almost no environmental persistency, and is pretty harmless as far as pesticides go."
Mitch, I hate to break this to you, but Roundup is a herbicide, not a pesticide! Just sayin'!
#12
What is left of the hardcore Israeli's must be flippin out.
People the Olmert government is the epitamy of a LLL government. Get ready becuase dont think for a minute that our own LLL's will ever wake up but instead act just like Olmert with turning in on themselves in blame and selfhatred resulting in never ending apeasement for peace until thier is nothing left to give.
Olmert has been such a unbeleivable failure in this war it is really sad.
#13
Be interesting to see what our Israeli commenters think now. Giving any land to the Muslims now looks like the government is stuck on stupid.
The Phrench have announced that they will not stop arms shipments. Coffee Anus says the Syrians will stop arms smuggling, but they won't have to do much because the arms are being shipped openly.
Leb-Heb Round 2 starts soon. Hope the Israelis have a government with some brass by then.
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon said on Friday the United Nations had informed it that a joint French, Italian and Greek naval force has begun patrolling the Lebanese coastline, a move that is likely to help end the Israeli sea blockade of Lebanon. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the monitoring of the coastline six miles from Lebanese territorial waters began at 12:30 p.m. (0930 GMT) Friday.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
How's the fishing off the coast? Don't get too much sun.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/09/2006 1:52 Comments ||
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#3
This reminds me of an exchange between TGA and .com way back about a speculated blockade of Iran in which EU naval "forces" would "ally" with US forces. .com asked if German ships would shoot off the rudders of ships attempting to run the blockade. In the only instance I've ever read where TGA did not have a response, the question went unanswered.
I echo that here - will these EU naval "forces" actually interdict any ship attempting to pass their "patrols" (WTF does that actually mean, BTW?) without inspection of answering hails? Will they shoot out the rudder and board them for cargo inspection? Or will they merely "report" such incidents... or will they not, since that would expose this for the sham it is?
I think the answer is beyond obvious. Nothing will happen and this is merely another pointless (in terms of enforcing any resolutions) UN scam where big bucks, US and Japanese bucks, are to be paid to EU countries for providing worthless "observers" who keep no peace and provide no useful value whatsoever. The UN is nothing more than Scam Central.
#6
check the ships carrying "cement"...their ballast seems to consist of missiles
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/09/2006 10:08 Comments ||
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#7
I'm surprised the UNneedy didn't callup the Swiss Navy. Just as effective.
Posted by: Almost Anonymous5839 ||
09/09/2006 12:27 Comments ||
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#8
I'm sure that it will be just as effective as the Neutrality Patrol during the Spanish Civil War, snarf!
Posted by: Ernest Brown ||
09/09/2006 12:32 Comments ||
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#9
I sure miss TGA. As informed and honest and eloquent as we've ever seen. Besides simply being worried about him, I'd be interested in his take on so many things. Heavy Sigh.
The promised Italian, French and Greek rival presence, on the strength of which Israel lifted its air blockade, has been pushed by the Lebanese government out to sea and restricted to a 12-km radius from the coast. The European warships can keep an eye on big freighters approaching Lebanese ports, but cannot keep track of the small vessels reaching Lebanon ports from the northern Syrian ports of Tartus and Latakia. That is where Iranian cargo vessels have been unloading large quantities of arms for Hizballah outside the European fleets limits in the last two weeks. Furthermore, Friday, as soon as Israel was persuaded to lift its sea blockade, three Lebanese and Syrian ships crammed with arms for Hizballah departed the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli and after a short voyage hugging the Lebanese coast put into the southern Lebanese port of Sidon, where willing Hizballah hands unloaded their cargo.
Hizbullah reiterated that they would not release the two kidnapped IDF soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, unless Israel released Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar, Israel Radio reported Friday morning. In an interview with Nazareth-based Arab newspaper A-Sinara, Hizbullah official Mahmoud al-Khatami said that the purpose of the kidnapping nearly two months ago was to bring about Kuntar's release, and therefore Hizbullah would not relinquish this demand.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
The usual Islamic deal-breaker. Samir Kuntar (I'll let someone else truncate his name appropriately), the child-killer. Here's some background from The Australian:
Israel demands the unconditional release of sergeants Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were seized on Israeli territory. However, it is understood that they will not be released unless Israel also releases prisoners. Any deal reached will be between Israel and the Lebanese Government.
Hezbollah is particularly keen for the return of Samir Kuntar, who has been held by Israel for 28 years for clubbing to death a four-year-old girl and shooting her father in a raid. It is not clear whether Israel will agree to his release. It was primarily to obtain Kuntar's release that Hezbollah staged the raid to seize soldiers for an exchange.
Thank goodness hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists and Palestinians have already died because of Nasrallah's injudicious kidnapping of Regev and Goldwasser. If Kuntar is freed, his release will have cost these vermin a steep price from the outset.
Finnish President Tarja Halonen on Friday gave final approval for a 250-member Finnish contingent to be deployed in the expanded UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The soldiers will mainly clear mines and set up bases, officials said. A small intelligence unit will be deployed in early October and the full force a month later. Halonen's approval came after two days of debate in the 200-member Parliament over sending the troops.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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The United States expects Security Council agreement on UN sanctions against Iran within weeks unless Teheran does a last-minute turn and agrees to freeze uranium enrichment, a senior US State Department official said Friday. US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns additionally dismissed suggestions of cracks in the six-power coalition pushing Teheran to give up enrichment, in comments a day after those countries ended confidential discussion on Iran in the German capital. Burns said further talks were needed on how harshly to penalize Teheran for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment, as demanded by the Security Council, but a lot of progress was made at those discussions.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Sanctions include: no more coasters for drinks, no more wiping rears with left hand, no more booger tossing during UN meetings, and such.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/09/2006 1:57 Comments ||
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#2
Men's room seething and grunting still permitted I assume?
#4
Read my lips: sanctions never work. When Iraq was under UN sanctions, hundreds of oil transports were sent to Turkey each day. But that didn't stop the Muzzies from accusing President Bush of causing the death of half million babies. Remember that?
#5
Burns, huh? Why isn't this coming from Bolton? This is his turf. Probably the Bolton confirmation hearing thing - keeping him out of the spotlight while they X-ray Chaffee to see whether if he and the other Senate cowards have a spine, though I guess that's become pretty clear, of late.
This slow-motion dance is frustrating as hell, since it's obvious where this all will end, but it's just another box being checked off. Only a Diplo / State "professional" could maintain the pretense that it has any bearing upon reality.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has applied for a US visa to attend the UN General Assembly this month, the State Department said Friday. Spokesman Sean McCormack said a decision on the application is pending. He noted that as host country for the United Nations, the United States normally approves visa requests from foreign leaders to travel to UN headquarters.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Make an exception for this slimey rutbag. No entry.
#2
Would giving this guy a visa, and then arresting him at the airport on terrorism charges, make too much sense?
Posted by: Destro in Panama ||
09/09/2006 2:08 Comments ||
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#3
Would giving this guy a visa, and then arresting him at the airport on terrorism charges, make too much sense?
Sadly, yes. Ahmadinejad would have diplomatic immunity. Only direct involvement with the commission of a major felony (e.g., first degree murder), on American soil could alter that. His complicity in killing American troops in Iraq does not qualify him, no matter how badly he deserves it.
#6
Ahmadinejad applies for visa to America to travel to the UN
hummmmm
1) the very Old CBS apparatchik Mike Wallaces does a boot lick interview with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
then right after..
2) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls-out George W. Bush to participate in a direct television debate.
then
3) Ayatollah Khatami [terrorist] is granted a visa and is now free to roam about America and will speak at Columbia University, Harvard.
And if that weren't enough of an insult, the A$$atolla will speak again at the National Cathedral during the week of remembrance /9/11.
4) Cheer up the A$$atolla might link up during his junket with Peanut Carter...
hmmm, recalling Carter's love child spawned in a black spring with Kimmie in North Korea circa 1990s.
then
5) All the Clintonistas are squealing like stuck pigs about the ABCs bin Laden thingie. Remember the Thomlinsons and Mustachio Amanpour, the wife of Jamie Rubin, both are maximum Clintonista clones and are not only connected political bots but media savy as well.
#7
So, the hostage taking of our embassy personel in '79 by Mr. Dinnerjacket and the islamothugs didn't qualify for diplomatic immunity?
It qualifies the Dwarf for a test of the Single Bullet Theory. Sadly, our politicians simply do not have the spine to deal so directly with America's sworn enemies.
#8
Think of it. All of these terrorist wonks who arrive in America to attend the UN begin catching a dose of ASOLP (Acute Swift Onset Lead Poisoning).
No more nutjob "haloes". No more Kofi Klatches. No more IAEA dithering. Just dead terrorist sponsoring wankers and a marked tendency for these parasites to request relocation of the UN elsewhere. What's not to like?
#13
It all becomes clear: Khatami was in town to consult with Cheney on how best to get rid of Mahmoud. They'll now let Mahmoud have a 'visa', and while he's pounding his shoe on a lectern at the UN he'll be replaced at home ...
Plots. Dark plots. Sinister dark plots! Twisted, sinister dark plots! Wheels within wheels! Oh I feel faint, I'd best go lie down ....
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/09/2006 10:45 Comments ||
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#14
Steve! Don't go all leftist on us, now!
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/09/2006 10:58 Comments ||
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#15
Step away from the prescription pad, Dr.
Posted by: ed ||
09/09/2006 11:50 Comments ||
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#17
Not to worry. I'm sure the erstwhile and dedicated Norman Minetta, prior to his long overdue departure, has everyone in the Axis of Evil on the 'No Fly List' Thanks, Norm. (When does Kimmie show up for the photo-ops at Turtle Bay?)
While Zen is contemplative it is not at all necessarily pacifistic. I am being quite true to my own personal Zen by expressing the absolute rage I feel as the 9-11 atrocity's fifth anniversary draws near without substantial reductions in Islamic terrorism. While "Neutron Tom" definitely has a certain ring to it, I'll stick with my own monicker, thank you.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Friday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has decided to deploy a Syrian army battalion on the border with Lebanon in order to prevent arms smuggling, Israel Radio reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Good one, Coffee.
Best laugh I've had this week.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/09/2006 0:15 Comments ||
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#2
Annan then announced the pending sale of a certain bridge.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/09/2006 1:25 Comments ||
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#6
Please, please --- convince me, this man believes what he says? Is his world so removed from everyday life that he really believes his words? Even after all the revealing of his son and others of the Oil for Food program?
What kind of person is this? That can go before the world, state these words, and smile as he does so? There is some essence of this diplomatic world and it's words that I just can't grasp. What I do know, this guy is recording his words to be used as he desires to write the history of his legacy.
This legacy business is catching up with Clinton, and it will catch up with him.
There is something about Power that I just don't understand.
Pure slime (if there is such a thing as "pure" slime). Annan is the face of living evil in this world. Namely, a person of color who can disregard ongoing genocides (e.g., Rwanda and Darfur), as he simultaneously denounces them, yet facilitates those who would commit the exact same thing against Israel.
There is something about Power that I just don't understand.
It is highly addictive and tends to corrupt, just as absolute power can corrupt absolutely. It need not, but few can resist its temptations.
#13
I can't remember who said, "Power attracts the corruptible," but that fits Secretary General Annan as well. There are people who go into politics for noble reasons, and people who are able to stay in politics while remaining true to those noble reasons. But the process of politics at any level involves horsetrading as the only alternative to shooting one's opponents, and when one stands amongst the horses, sooner or later one ends up deep in a steaming pile of muck.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday denied reports that Russia would stop construction on the nuclear reactor in Busheir if Iran were to expel UN IAEA nuclear inspectors, Israel Radio reported. Head of Russia's atomic energy agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, said in Moscow that the Busheir reactor would be operational within a year, and that in another six or seven months Russia would begin shipping nuclear fuel to Iran.
Meanwhile, Lavrov also called on Friday for an investigation to determine whether Israel used cluster bombs in its offensive in Lebanon, Russian news agencies reported. Lavrov's call for a probe came on the heels of a visit to the Middle East, where he faced Israeli charges that Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas used Russian arms supplied by Syria in their war with Israel, and appeared aimed at least in part to counter criticism over the issue. "In the interests of everybody and in the interests of turning this page for good, it is necessary to conduct such an investigation, to establish the facts and not to leave any disagreements," ITAR-Tass quoted Lavrov as saying.
The reports indicated that Lavrov did not specify who Russia believes should carry out the investigation. He said a probe is being conducted at the request of the Lebanese leadership, adding, "I think that bringing clarity on this question from an independent source wouldn't hurt," ITAR-Tass reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Busheir reactor would be operational within a year, and that in another six or seven months
The conflict name envelope please.... and the winner is: The Pesach War!
Israel has confirmed it has ended its blockade of Lebanon. A spokeswoman said Israel had turned over control of monitoring the coastline to the UN. The air blockade on the country was lifted on Thursday. Israel imposed the embargo in July at the start of its conflict with Hezbollah fighters following the capture of two Israeli soldiers. The blockade hampered Lebanon's recovery from Israel's bombardment during the 34-day conflict. Relatives of the two Israeli soldiers still being held by Hezbollah had said the blockade should remain until they were released.
Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said: "The Italian-led taskforce will continue to enforce the international embargo against the supply of armaments to Hezbollah." An Israeli official said the delay in lifting the naval element was because it was not clear who was taking control of the UN force. A German naval force is expected to take over at a later stage. About 3,250 international troops are now in Lebanon under the UN banner, and UN officials say that figure could reach 5,000 troops next week.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah ended on 14 August after the UN passed Resolution 1701 which called for a ceasefire and security arrangements for Israel's northern border. But Israel kept up the blockade of Lebanese sea and air ports. Lebanon estimates the country has been losing $30m-50m a day in trade because of the blockade - money desperately needed to help the rebuilding.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
09/09/2006 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
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.
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Paul Salopek said from a Sudanese prison Friday night that the government would soon release him and two Chadian colleagues after a 34-day confinement on charges of espionage and producing "false news." President 
TOKYO (AP) - Shinzo Abe, the front-runner to become Japan's new prime minister, called Friday for his country to build a stronger military as a deterrent and to push ahead with economic reforms as candidates launched their campaigns to lead the governing party. The conservative Abe, who currently serves as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's chief Cabinet secretary, also criticized China and South Korea for a diplomatic standoff with Tokyo and touted Japan's close ties with Washington.
(KUNA) -- Turkey's army chief of staff General Yasar Buyukanit said Friday that his country would not send troops to Afghanistan in response to North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) call for reinforcements there. General Buyukanit said "not a single soldier from the Turkish armed forces will go to Afghanistan for the fight against terrorism," adding that "there is no need for such a thing." However he added that Turkey had spent a lot of effort in bringing peace and stability in different parts of the world under the NATO command.
The growing consensus among political observers is that the Waziristan peace deal, instead of showcasing President General Musharrafs commitment to eliminating the country of pro-Taliban elements, may, in fact, send the signal to Washington that his support of militants remains as strong as it did five years ago, when he was only one of three leaders to recognise Afghanistans Taliban regime. 
Israel's foreign minister said on Friday it was "about time" the Jewish state talked to the Palestinians, adding no conditions should be put on meeting President Mahmoud Abbas. But Tzipi Livni said Abbas should expect nothing from talks, such as a release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, unless militants in the Gaza Strip freed a soldier captured in a cross-border raid on June 25. 
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh declared on Friday that his embattled Hamas-led government had no intention of stepping down, despite a sweeping civil service strike and an economic crisis that a top UN official said has brought the Gaza Strip to a "point of near meltdown." 
Tackling the rising tide of Islamophobia in the West is one of the four main points to be taken up for discussion at the Seventh Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers that begins in Jeddah on Wednesday. The conference will be preceded by a two-day preparatory meeting of senior information officials from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states. It begins at the Jeddah Conference Palace today.
Indonesia urged Washington on Friday to provide access to a militant linked to the 2002 Bali bombings after US President George W. Bush said he had been transferred to Guantanamo Bay. The Indonesian-born militant, known as Hambali, was arrested in a 2003 US-led operation in Thailand. "Indonesia has repeatedly asked for the whereabouts of Hambali. This announcement has given us clarity. We welcome the certainty of his existence," Indonesian foreign affairs spokesman Desra Percaya told a news briefing. Indonesia has in the past asked for access to question Hambali, who is suspected of playing a key role in the Bali bombings and other attacks, but Washington has only given Indonesian investigators filtered information from him and barred direct contact.
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers told the government on Friday to immediately withdraw from a rebel stronghold it seized this week or face war. 
JERUSALEM (AP) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has signaled that Israel might cede the disputed Chebaa Farms area to Lebanon if the Lebanese carry out all provisions of their cease-fire with Israel, including the disarming of Hezbollah guerrillas, Israeli media reported on Friday.
The United States expects Security Council agreement on UN sanctions against Iran within weeks unless Teheran does a last-minute turn and agrees to freeze uranium enrichment, a senior US State Department official said Friday. US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns additionally dismissed suggestions of cracks in the six-power coalition pushing Teheran to give up enrichment, in comments a day after those countries ended confidential discussion on Iran in the German capital. Burns said further talks were needed on how harshly to penalize Teheran for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment, as demanded by the Security Council, but a lot of progress was made at those discussions.
