A peace deal between Pakistan and pro-Taliban militants could serve as a model for neighbouring Afghanistan where the government and foreign forces are battling a resurgent Taliban, British minister Dr Kim Howells on Saturday.
You mean the Afghans should cede Paktika and Kunar to the Talibs and let them do as they please?
President Pervez Musharrafs government signed the deal on Tuesday in which militants in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border agreed to stop launching attacks on Pakistani forces and over the border in Afghanistan. In exchange, militant prisoners were released, weapons were returned, and the army withdrew to barracks.
And the Afghan army should do that, too?
However, critics fear the treaty could create a refuge for the Taliban and al Qaeda militants.
... since that's what it's designed to do.
Some analysts saw the deal as ceding control of the region to the militants.
... since that's what it's done.
But British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Kim Howells said on Saturday the deal, under which tribal elders would take responsibility for security, could prove hopeful. Well have to see how it turns out. Its very much an experiment... but its got some interesting prospects, Howells told a news conference in Islamabad.
I heard about a fellow once who "experimented" with a nail gun. He ended up with three of them lodged in what passed for his brain. "Experimenting" when the likely results include your own departure from the gene pool isn't a recommended activity.
Howells said the pact was not made with the Taliban but with tribal elders. According to a copy of the document obtained by Reuters, it was struck with elders as well as local mujahideen and Taliban.
So Dr. Brilliance doesn't even know the terms of the treaty, but still feels entitled to an opinion...
One wonders if it could be applied to the other side of the Afghan border, Howells said.
Sure it could. And I'll bet the results would be equally disastrous.
Howells, who also visited Afghanistan on his trip, said the Afghan government, and British forces, wanted to bring peace to Afghanistan by winning over the people. The sort of agreement reached in Pakistan could help to do that. Its certainly worth looking at. There has to be consent among the local population if there is to be any progress made. There cant be only a military victory, its impossible, Howells added.
Actually, we've been relying on elections and military victory. Y'see, if you have elections without controlling the bad guyz, then the bad guyz will simply kill all the people you elected and declare themselves in charge. If you have a military victory with no elections, then you're reinventing the Congo.
On the issue of the recent deal between the authorities and the Waziristan tribesmen, Howells said the deal was in line with traditions where the elders took responsibility of checking illegal activities. He added that the Afghan government was looking closely at the agreement and could emulate it, but added that the situations in Afghanistan and Waziristan were different.
Afghanistan's not looking for "strategic depth" in Pakistan, for one thing...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
An un-enforceable deal is a non-starter. A large minority of Pashtos live for jihad terror. They have no real economy, other than selling heroin to Euro-morons.
#2
Anything that removes possible Pak military from interfereing or inadvertingly taking one aimed at the gun handlers is good by me. Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way. Me thinks choice number three many be in operation.
#3
You know about a hundred and thirty years ago the Apache used to raid into the US from across the border. Cause all sorts of problems. One of the solutions was to use the tribes north of the Rio Grande, the Apache Scouts. If the Talibans keep killing Afghans even if they use Pak manpower, this thing can quickly degenerate into the classical 'tribal blood feud'. Nothing to stop Afghans as they did during British colonial times, to also cross the border, only south to exact some payback and pick up some trinkets. And if the Pak army isnt around, so much the better.
SIRTE: Somali Islamist leaders expect to lobby African Union (AU) member states at an AU ceremony in Libya on Saturday to abandon a plan to send peacekeepers to Somalia, one of the leaders said. In an interview with Reuters and the BBC, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed suggested his delegation would also seek Libyan help in bringing about a rapprochement between the Islamists and the fragile Somali interim government.
"We might talk to them (African leaders) about participating in the prevention of IGAD forces intervening in Somali affairs," Sheikh Sharif said, referring to the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, a peace mediation body made up of several east African nations. "We might demand from IGAD states not to have international forces intervene in Somalia," Sheikh Sharif said. "There is no need for international forces in Somalia. The problem has ended. The Somali people are living in safety and (peace) talks are under way. But humanitarian help is needed because the country is affected by war," he said.
Sheikh Sharif is a senior official in an Islamist movement which captured a swathe of south-central Somalia earlier this year in direct challenge to the government of interim President Abdullahi Yusuf. The rise of the Islamists has damaged Yusuf's dream of establishing central rule in Somalia for the first time in 15 years.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Sudan said on Saturday that it remains open to talks with the international community after UN chief Kofi Annan warned its leaders could be held accountable over the rejection of UN peacekeepers for Darfur. "Sudan did not close the door on dialogue with the international community" concerning the situation in Darfur, the spokesman of the Sudanese foreign affairs ministry, Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim, told AFP.
The Sudanese official described as unjustified comments by the UN secretary general in New York on Friday about a possible deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Darfur. Warning that the situation in strife-torn Darfur was "serious and desperate," Annan said the Sudanese leadership "may be held collectively and individually responsible for what happened to the population of Darfur".
"The message I have tried to get to the Sudanese government is that the international community is not coming in as an invading force, but basically to help them protect the people," Annan said.
Sudan said Annan's remarks were based on an assumption that Khartoum wanted to remove African Union peacekeepers, leaving a lack of security for Darfur's people. "Sudan did not ask the AU to withdraw its forces and even if the African organisation decides to leave Darfur, there will be no security vacuum because the Sudanese government has its own plan to ensure safety in the area," said the foreign ministry's Ibrahim.
On Monday, the Sudanese government said it would ask the AU forces to leave by the end of the month if it could no longer continue its mission.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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KUWAIT CITY - Two Kuwaitis held at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay will be released in about two weeks, the head of a private group that campaigns for their freedom said on Saturday. I was informed by (Foreign Minister) Sheik Mohammed Al Sabah that they would be back in Kuwait before (the Muslim holy month of) Ramadan, said Khaled al-Odah, who leads the Kuwaiti Family Committee for the Detainees in Guantanamo, a private group comprised of detainees relatives.
Al-Odah, whose group works separately but closely with the government, identified the men as Omar Rajab Amin, 39, and Abdullah Kamel al-Kandari, 33.
Here's hoping they waddle off the plane.
There are six Kuwaitis currently held at Guantanamo, and six others have been freed in recent years. Negotiations are still ongoing for the others, said al-Odah, whose son Fawzi is among those still detained.
Al-Kandari was arrested in Afghanistan in December 2001, and Amin was arrested in Pakistan around the same time, al-Odah said. The mens families have said they were in the two countries to do charity work, not to fight for Al Qaeda or the Taleban.
Just pious men collecting for the Widows Ammunition Fund.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Controversial MP George Galloway has sent a letter of support to Iraq's detained former deputy premier Tariq Aziz, saying he is proud of his friendship despite the enmities those ties have caused. In the two-page, handwritten letter dated 29 August, obtained by Associated Press from Mr Aziz's lawyer, the MP begins: "Your excellency, dear brother, friend".
An official from Mr Galloway's office in London confirmed on Saturday that the letter had been sent. Mr Aziz was allegedly involved in several party purges in the 1970s and 80s during which an unspecified number of people died.
In his letter, Mr Galloway describes his friend's incarceration as "cruel and unjustified". He writes: "I have thought of you and of the long days and nights we spent in each other's company ... I write in the hope that you know of the many battles we fight, here on the outside, for Iraq, for Palestine, for justice everywhere." Mr Galloway also said: "I have made many enemies in this struggle. They are your enemies also. They are my enemies because I am your friend." The letter concluded, "Long live Iraq. Long live Palestine. Free, Arab, dignified."
Mr Aziz's lawyer, Badee Izzat Aref, said that Mr Galloway gave him the letter when the two met recently in Damascus. Mr Galloway promised to help find 69-year-old Mr Aziz, who suffers from heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure, "the finest European lawyers" to defend him, Mr Aref said.
#1
Mr Galloway promised to help find 69-year-old Mr Aziz, who suffers from heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure, "the finest European lawyers" to defend him, Mr Aref said.
provided, of course, that the funds necessary be made available to Mr Galloway....and it will be a long interview/contract negotiation process with said lawyers....
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/10/2006 0:51 Comments ||
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#2
This rectal cavity needs to be dispatched according to his name, the Galloway.
HELSINKI: The European Union on Saturday called on North Korea to return to the negotiating table with other global powers over its nuclear programme and to refrain from firing more missiles. In a joint statement after a summit in the Finnish capital, the EU and South Korea said "they strongly called on North Korea to reinstate its moratorium on missile testing, return to six-party talks without delay" and honour previous agreements.
In other words, stop being North Koreans ...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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JOHN Howard has called on moderate Muslims to speak out more often against terrorism and declared it is no good "pussyfooting around" about Islamic terrorists. The Prime Minister believes Australians have a sensible, uncowed view of terrorism and that everyone, including Muslims, knows Islamic extremists are responsible for the threat and the tougher security laws that entails. "People in Australia are in no doubt that extreme Islam is responsible for terrorism," Mr Howard said in an interview with The Australian to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the US that killed nearly 3000 people, including 10 Australians.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 11:14 ||
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#1
Don'tcha just love plain-spoken people?
Agree with them or not (and I do agree with Mr. Howard), you always know where they stand.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 11:26 Comments ||
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#2
"People in Australia are in no doubt that extreme Islam is responsible for terrorism,"
One problem, "extreme Islam is responsible"? So the rest of the Muslims that follow the teaching of a Pedohile for Profit who preached terrorism, rape, murder and theft are OK?
One more Dhimmitude leader who is ether stupid or a liar.
#4
GS9144 - Bush has no balls and Howard's a Dhimmi?
Wow. Can you tell me, please, just how many of you fucking idjits are out there?
This rampant "If you're not a clone of me and my agenda, you're a loser!" brain-fart BS, or worse - much much worse, is logically asinine, completely pointless, and a waste of bandwidth. God how tiresome you ankle-biting bugfuckers are.
No one knew how brilliant and brave and courageous and insightful you were until you posted that anonymous bit of toejam.
#5
Geez, #4 .com (may I call you dot, us being such friends and all?) - don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel. ;-p
Gluper Sneting9144 - My, my, Fred's name generator must be magical; it named you perfectly. I just hope there aren't 9143 more of you out there, though I fear that may be the case.
May I cordially suggest you "Snet" someplace more to your liking? DU seems an accurate fit.
Nothin' but love for ya', baby. Now FOAD.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 13:13 Comments ||
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#6
And don't you hold back either, Barbara. [snigger]
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 17:12 Comments ||
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Girl, you are da bomb! Don't you ever even dream of going all PC on us. The shock would probably kill half of Rantburg's population on the spot and any survivors would envy the dead.
French President Jacques Chirac sent the White House a message of solidarity before commemorations marking the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and he vowed continuing support for the fight against terrorism. In Sunday's message to President Bush, Chirac wrote: "During these days of sad commemoration, I want to express the friendship and solidarity of the French people with the American people."
"Together, we pay homage to all the victims of terrorism in the world," Chirac wrote. "Together, we pursue our determined struggle against this blight that nothing can ever justify."
The letter in French was addressed "Monsieur le President." Next to that formal opening, Chirac hand-wrote another address: "Dear George."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 11:06 ||
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Danish exports to Muslim countries have been hit hard by a row over cartoons depicting Muhammad, officials in Denmark say. A Muslim boycott of Danish goods led to a 15.5 percent drop in total exports between February and June, Denmark's National Statistics Institute reports. Trade to the Middle East fell by half. Exports to Saudi Arabia fell by 40 percent, with similar declines in exports to Iran, Libya, Sudan and Yemen.
The boycott's cost to Danish businesses was around $170 million, when compared with the same period last year, statistics showed. Food companies, particularly those selling dairy products, were among the hardest hit, the BBC reported Saturday.
#2
The problem is that I can't buy anything Danish at local Walmart in an Okie small town, except danishes which does not count and a can of Danish cookies. I'd buy a Tuborg case without a second thought on a regular basis and cheese too. I am almost sure there would be no loss if Danes figured out how to supply US market.
#3
I am almost sure there would be no loss if Danes figured out how to supply US market.
Look for Carlsberg beer, including their "Elephant" malt liquor. It is more widely distributed than Tuborg. Aalborg aquavit should be carried at any well-stocked liquor store. Many of the Haribo gummi candies are made in Denmark but check the label because they are also manufactured in Germany. The Rosenborg label of blue cheese is pretty well distributed as are Plumrose canned hams and other meat products. Many stores also stock Danish feta cheese but you'll probably have to ask in order to make sure.
Below is a list of major Danish products I snagged from an Arab boycott site: [evil grin]
Clothing:
H2O
Hummel
Per Reumert
Munthe plus Simonsen
Bruuns Bazaar
IC Companies
In Wear
Matinique
Noa Noa
Sand
Shoes:
Ecco (USA Site)
Jaco
Dansko
Software:
EarMaster (for musicians)
Toys:
Lego (toys)
Furniture:
Fritz Hansen
Danish Design:
B & G Porcelain
Georg Jensen
HTH- kitchen
Morsoe (Fireplaces)
Lindberg (Glasses)
PH-lamps
Pipes
Raadvad (knives etc.)
Royal Copenhagen
Royal Danish Porcelain
Skagen (Watches)
Stelton
Trip Trap
Vesta (Windmills)
Other:
Danish Yarn
Nexo Fireplaces
Nilfisk Vacuum Cleaner
Watco Danish Furniture Oil
Leitech (USA Site) Special "thread gage" used in quality control in the following areas of manufacturing; automotive, aerospace, medical, hydraulics, small and large engine manufacture.
Leitech (Danish Site)
Grund Foss ( Pump solution maker)
Dan Foss ( Valve manufacture )
GN ( Hearing aid, headsets and mobil headsets )
X-Yachts
Support our Viking allies in the War on Terrorism!
#6
Heck yeah a pound of Danish butter costs $8.00. Taxes are high in Denmark. How else could the Danes afford to pay fifth column muzzies their welfare benefits (aka jizya)?
Posted by: Mark Z ||
09/10/2006 5:09 Comments ||
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X-Yachts
Lovey - where's your the checkbook?
Posted by: John F. Kerry ||
09/10/2006 8:08 Comments ||
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I can personally recommend ECCO shoes. I switched to them in 2001 after the Chinese rammed our airplane.
#13
My weakness is the butter cookies, followed by a couple of Carlsbergs to wash it down. Thanks for the list. Danes are brave, proud allies willing to squash the Muzzies whenever necessary. We need more like them.
#14
What we need are Lego Mindstorms IED defusers. Get to work, hackers!
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
09/10/2006 12:35 Comments ||
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#15
Zenster, you'd drink Elephant?
I've had it and it's an all right representative of what malt liquor is supposed to be. I'm more of a Tuborg man myself, dry lagers and Pilseners are the ticket for me. Sadly, here in American you cannot get the black and gold label special Carlsberg Master Brew at a whopping 10.60% alcohol content. A few of those will put your pud in the mud. Fortunately, American microbrewers have come online with some truly superb beers.
By the way I have no idea why but Danish butter tastes better.
Three words: Grass Fed Cows. Denmark's pastures are legendary. If you have a Nordic Delicatessen near you, please try such rare cheeses as Tybo (like a tangy Monterey Jack), Elbo or a fantastic Ambassadeur grade (high butterfat) Esrom. For those of you who love stinky cheeses, Gammal Ost (literally "old cheese") will cure your jones.
I've also left out Peter Heering's "Cherry Herring" a delightful cherry liqueur that is the perfect aperitif or post-prandial toss-off.
There is also the classic Gamal Dansk (literally "Old Danish") herbal liqueur that probably predates the German mouthwash Jagermeister bitters by several centuries.
The real pity is that you cannot get the famous skinny long Danish hot dog called, "rød pølse" (red sausage), over here in America. The high red dye content is not allowed. At Copenhagen airport, people literally run out of the terminal and straight to the nearest street stand (there's one on almost every corner in Copenhagen), to snarf a few of these puppies. I'm salivating as I type about them.
The Alpha Senap mustard served with them is highly addictive in and of itself. Blend equal parts of brown Morehouse and Colman's English mustards for a close idea. Add sugar if your a fan of the sweet version. The above mustard on a Casper's hot dog is as close as you can get to the real thing. A fine German-style veal frankfurter can be substituted, the bottled Meica brand from Germany is a close second.
Finally, for the real hard core types, there is Danish licorice. Unlike American or British licorices, the Danes add a dose of ammonium chloride to their ebon confections. This gives it a salty flavor that is highly addictive. Some German and Dutch licorices follow this tradition as well. Haribo Super Piratos are a fine example of this style. Lagerman also makes many fine types as well. If you want to sample what these taste like, buy the more widely distributed red box of Swedish made Läkerol Salmiak Pastilles. "Salmiak" is Nordic for "sal ammoniac" or ammonium chloride. The Danes achieve endless taste variations through the skillful addition of other flavorings like menthol, eucalyptus oil, molasses, even hot peppers plus various alternative sugars or syrups. Unlike American licorice, they use gelatin or cornstarch as binders instead of the coarse wheat flour that is so common over here. The result is superb candies unrivaled anywhere on earth.
Don't like licorice? Take heart in what Ralph Waldo Emerson said;
"Licorice is the liver of candies."
You love it or you hate it. There's usually no middle ground.
In metropolitan Copenhagen there are Lakrids Boutiques (Licorice Boutiques) that stock almot 200 different types of black licorice (Remember, there is no such thing as "red" licorice.). A measure of how popular licorice is with Danes is that Denmark consumes more licorice than chocolate. Of course, the EU, in its infinite stupidity wisdom has told Denmark that they cannot manufacture so much licorice because no other European countries match their consumption rates. Idiots!
OTTAWA - The latest wave of deaths and injuries among Canada's troops battling Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan has not translated into a loss of support at home for the mission, a new Ipsos Reid poll says. The survey, conducted exclusively for CanWest News Service and Global National, says support for the mission stood at 51%, up slightly from the 47% registered in late July.
The survey was released as news surfaced Afghan President Hamid Karzai will visit Ottawa this month to meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper and address Parliament.
Pollster John Wright said the survey's findings defy the notion that support for the Afghan operation would drop as the pace of the body-bag count picked up. Since 2002, 32 soldiers and a diplomat have died in Afghanistan. Half of the soldiers were killed in the past three months. "There is a conventional wisdom in this country that says that the more caskets that arrive in Trenton, the more people are against this action. It's a hypothesis that is not playing out yet," Mr. Wright said.
Perhaps because the Canadian people are made of stern stuff, and perhaps because they understand the stakes and the issues.
The survey of 887 adult Canadians was conducted by telephone on Wednesday and Thursday against the fresh sight of flag-draped caskets of five soldiers killed in Operation Medusa over the Labour Day weekend arriving in Trenton, where they were greeted by grieving families, friends and colleagues at a sombre televised ceremony.
Mr. Wright said the findings, combined with earlier polls on the subject, suggest the country has settled into a 50/50 divide over the merits of the mission. "There is a very simple story here. The country is virtually split," said Mr. Wright, Ipsos Reid's vice-president of public affairs.
The timing of Mr. Karzai's Ottawa visit, expected around Sept. 21-22, is considered good for the beleaguered Afghan leader and also Mr. Harper, who is facing stepped-up pressure from some political quarters to more clearly define Canada's role and ambitions in Afghanistan. Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale told reporters yesterday there is an all-party agreement for Mr. Karzai to address Parliament within days of it resuming on Sept. 18. Mr. Karzai is expected to use the speech to thank Canada and make a passionate case for Canada to stay the course on grounds his country is benefiting from the NATO-led offensive operations against Taliban insurgents.
Meanwhile, less than three weeks after denying it was sending Leopard tanks to Afghanistan, the Canadian military is set to ship as many as 20 of the heavy-tracked armoured vehicles to Kandahar. Although the tanks have been used once overseas on a peace support mission in Kosovo in the 1990s, this is the first time they will be sent into combat.
A warning order was issued this week to the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in Edmonton to prepare for the deployment. Twenty tanks are being readied for the operation and about 300 personnel will be heading to Afghanistan. The Leopards will be used for escort duty for Canadian convoys, which have come under attack by the Taliban.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
The survey, conducted exclusively for CanWest News Service and Global National, says support for the mission stood at 51%, up slightly from the 47% registered in late July.
Back when I was involved in analyzing consumer research for a large consumer products manufacturer, we thought that such a change was highly significant. Of course that was some years ago, so perhaps standards are different nowadays.
Those cartoons are awesome. Thanks for the link. The sad part is everyone of those cartoons are REALITY of the situation we the west find ourselves in.
#3
I found the "Suicide of the West" some time ago, posted on a french forum, and thought it hit the mark so accurately that I actually sent it to a few correspondents; nice to discover its author, along with some others works.
#4
And I had his Mohamed(Tm) portrait too, though mine is cropped and hasn't his signature. Kewl! And the google content warning is a nice touch, especially from the 95%-of-donations-to-the-dems-and-we're-collaborating-with-the-chicoms company.
#6
Its not the liberalism of Roosevelt, Truman, [John F.] Kennedy or Humphrey. It is socialism, pure and simple. The stole the name and with their faithful in MSM continue the lie.
#7
and remember that when you complain about the usual suspects unwilling to call terrorists muzzies and their sympathizers traitors [and you can look at the sitting Administration for that defect too], just remember the refusal to call a socialist a socialist.
A story about Tom Burnett, one of the heroes of Flight 93, and his daughter.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/10/2006 10:49 ||
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#1
Damn it's a small world at times. Very nice story, Doc. Fits the mood... It's got TV Movie written all over it, though I have no doubt the Hollyweird types would mangle it.
#2
"No, you don't," she answered. "You don't have a pill for this kind of sadness."
Deena Burnett
And there isn't a pill made that can stop my anger when reading about 9-11. Just the tower impact pictures are enough to set me off all over again. Islam will be brought to account for this heinous atrocity. Those who gloated over this monstrous abomination will drink from the most bitter of all cups.
#3
Aw Jesus this stuff tears at me. I get so friggin angry, want to send nukes and turn afghan, Pak, and Iran into glass, let alone beat the crap out of M Moore, and the rest of the Lib idiots. Gotta go to the club for a J & K to settle down.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/10/2006 16:37 Comments ||
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Just in time for 9/10, as if we needed any more confirmation of Fred's article.
(CBS News) WASHINGTON When the Senate Intelligence Committee released a declassified version of its findings this past week, the Republican chairman of the committee, Pat Roberts, left town without doing interviews, calling the report a rehash of unfounded partisan allegations.
He should have stayed and countered this nonsense.
Its statements like this one, made Feb. 5, 2003, by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell that have become so controversial, implying Iraq was linked to terror attacks. "Iraq today harbors a deadly terrorist network headed by abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an associated collaborator of Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda lieutenants," Powell said.
But after 2 1/2 years of reviewing pre-war intelligence behind closed doors, the lead Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.V.), who voted for the Iraq War, says the Bush administration pulled the wool over everyone's eyes. "The absolute cynical manipulation, deliberately cynical manipulation, to shape American public opinion and 69 percent of the people, at that time, it worked, they said 'we want to go to war,'" Rockefeller told CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. "Including me. The difference is after I began to learn about some of that intelligence I went down to the Senate floor and I said 'my vote was wrong.'"
Rockefeller went a step further. He says the world would be better off today if the United States had never invaded Iraq even if it means Saddam Hussein would still be running Iraq. He said he sees that as a better scenario, and a safer scenario, "because it is called the 'war on terror.'"
Part of the WoT has always gone through Iraq. It's difficult to imagine how we were going to persue the WoT after Afghanistan without dealing with Saddam first.
Does Rockefeller stands by his view, even if it means that Saddam Hussein could still be in power if the United States didn't invade? "Yes. [Saddam] wasn't going to attack us. He would've been isolated there," Rockefeller said. "He would have been in control of that country but we wouldn't have depleted our resources preventing us from prosecuting a war on terror which is what this is all about."
And he would have been working daily to get the sanctions removed, bribing every French, Russian and German politician he could. And he would have been bribing the UN. And he would have been shooting at our pilots in the No-Fly Zones. And, most of all, he would have continued grinding down the Iraqi people. Other than that, Senator ...
Republicans say there was flawed intelligence to be sure, but they insist there was no attempt to mislead the public. "In 2002 and 2003, members of both parties got a good look at the intelligence we had and they came to the very same conclusions about what was going on," White House Spokesman Tony Snow said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
So, on Monday I will be looking for Rockefeller and the the Dems to put forth a Bill/Resolution that says that the US should release Saddam and be put back and in power.
#11
Gee Senator, I'm sure the German people in the summer of 1940 thought their leadership had provided for them a better world than the one they'd seen since 1914. Of course if you were jewish, gypsy, or of any group that the state thought was a threat to their power, that was another matter.
Like the usual suspects, praise Cuba, but live in the US; praise the public school system and teachers union but send your own kids to private schools. There's a pattern here.
#12
This probably play well with his disgruntled base when you consider their mindset is: if I give you my lunch money, and don't call attention to myself - you might beat up someone else instead of me.
#13
Any bets Rockefeller has never met with any Iraqi? Well, maybe he met with some of Saddam's guys back in the day, but I'm talking about the ones who have visited the US since.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
09/10/2006 11:26 Comments ||
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#14
This reminds me of the press conference in which the capture of Saddam was announced ("We got him!"). All the Iraqi reporters jumped up and cheered. All the western reporters sat there quietly (can't take sides, ya know, except when we can.)
Posted by: Matt ||
09/10/2006 11:46 Comments ||
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#15
The Fords and Rockefellers are two families of idiots who, unfortunately, amassed giant fortunes due to the free democracy which allowed capitalism to fluorish. They have repaid the republic for its largesse by creating and funding foundations in their names which act directly against the best interests of the same republic. This is another big name gasbag, like the Cape Cod Orca, who the voters should send to pasture before any further damage can be done.
#16
This is one place which I can identify with the Donk concept of hammering big inheritances. If the old man is unwilling to give it over while alive, why should they get any afterward?
#19
When your hatred for the opposition, and Bush in particular, is stronger than any other consideration--- including love of country, decency, morality and even common sense, you can say some pretty unbelievable things. Case in point. I used to be shocked, until I came to the conclusion, some 4 years ago, that the dems are the enemy. I take what they say with the same gravitas that I would take a statement from binny or his pals.
A solemn marker outside the Pentagon conveys a simple message: "We will never forget."
True words, judging by the lines of people - from all corners of the country, even the globe - who took time on a sun-splashed weekend to honor the 184 people who perished when a hijacked jetliner slammed into this symbol of American military. "We are here for a happy occasion. But we have to remember the sad occasions in our country's history also," said Pam Gambacorta of Buffalo, N.Y., who was in town for a wedding. She was one of the first in line for the walk-in tours, only the second available to the general public since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Another piece of American pride the traitors in the MSM will not cover.
Bless the fallen and hang the traitors. It's that simple.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad said on Saturday that General Pervez Musharraf was using political turncoats to further his so called enlightened moderation agenda in the country through amendments in the Hudood laws, which were based on Quranic revelations. "The people of Pakistan will not allow army generals to change Pakistan's Islamic culture as there is no room for legislation on a secular basis in a country which came into being in the name of Islam," Qazi added while addressing a central training workshop for the JI women office bearers here at Mansoorah. The workshop was organised by the JI women's wing and attended by a large number of JI office bearers from across the country.
Qazi also mentioned a government ploy seeking to enable a Karachi-based parochial group to make inroads in the Punjab political arena under official patronage. He said that Islamabad was using an American think tank, the International Republican Institute (IRI), to affect its agenda. Qazi said that a recent public opinion poll conducted by the IRI showed an upward trend in the mass support for the MQM but was incorrect and enough to prove the government's pre-poll rigging plans under official patronage. He said the MMA would thwart the plan by boycotting the elections held under General Musharraf.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Qazi: your MMA only received 10% of the last vote, and near zero in Sindh. You are already a has-been. Die already.
PESHAWAR: A local court on Saturday ordered the release of four salesmen who were arrested under terrorism charges for spreading 'hate-material', in a raid reportedly conducted on the directives of President General Prevez Musharraf.
Maulana Hafizur Rehman, Qari Munawar Hassan, Ihsanullah and Iftikhar were arrested in a raid on August 21 for selling cassettes, CDs and literature that contained religious hate material, some of which was allegedly recorded and written by members of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba. Terrorism charges were filed against the four. The raid was apparently conducted without taking the NWFP government into confidence. Subsequently, NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani expressed ignorance about the raid and directed the withdrawal of the terrorism charges. Following that, the men appealed for bail. Public prosecutor Raiz Khan charged the accused under section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code for selling anti-Shia and anti-government literature, which he said, was a serious crime.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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We need a graphic of a jail cell with a revolving door. Badly.
QUETTA: Late tribal chief Nawab Akbar Bugti's sons Talal Bugti and Jamil Bugti believe that "the government is planning to kill them to eliminate anti-government Bugtis forever", Wadera Alam Khan, a spokesman for the Bugti tribe, said via satellite phone from an undisclosed location on Saturday.
Alam said that this task was likely to be accomplished by intelligence agencies with the help of Kalpar and Masuri Bugti tribesmen, who had been against Nawab Akbar Bugti for the last several years. "The government has entrusted the responsibility of killing the late nawab's sons and nephews to Kalpar tribesmen." Alam claimed that military helicopters were still bombing Dera Bugti. He said that the body buried in Dera Bugti was not that of Akbar Bugti's and rejected the government offer to allow a DNA test of Bugti's body without an international medical board.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Aren't these two the ones who were vowing dire revenge a couple of days ago?
Nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was successfully operated on for prostate cancer at Aga Khan University Hospital on Saturday. "A malignant tumour that began growing in his prostate gland was successfully removed," said a medical source requesting anonymity. Dr Khan is to undergo a bone scanning and Magnitude Resonance Image (MRI) test on Sunday to confirm that the malignancy has not spread to other parts of the body, Daily Times has learnt.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#7
I hope they made a eunuch out of this sniveling, stealing f**kturd. I,too, believes he needs follow-up radiation. But I would be more benevolent and share with all Pakland...an extremely high flux of highly energetic neutrons to sanitize the entire landscape. Nothing but an infected cesspool there which could benefit greatly from extended radiation treatment.
#8
Fear not, SOP35/RAT, after Pakistan's latest stunt of establishing a national wildlife refuge for bin Laden, they are on a top-speed heading for a glow-in-the-dark future.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced on Saturday that Pakistan is sending troops to Lebanon, for the purpose of clearing the country of landmines, cluster bombs and other explosive devices. "After consultations we have decided to send a contingent of Pakistan Army personnel. The number of troops is not yet decided, but I think they will be in the hundreds," Mr Aziz told a press conference at Prime Minister's House.
He said the Lebanese president, prime minister, parliament speaker and other officials had asked for troops for humanitarian and de-mining assistance during his recent trip to Beirut. The Organisation of Islamic Conference secretary general had also asked Pakistan to send troops, when the prime minister visited him in Istanbul before travelling on to Beirut.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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I'm sure the ISI can be as helpful to Hizbollah as they were to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
They've been yapping for five years and finally come up with a definition of terrorism.
UNITED NATIONS: Israeli and Arab diplomats feuded bitterly on the UN General Assembly floor on Friday after the United Nations approved a largely symbolic global plan to combat terrorism. The counter-terrorism "plan of action," approved by the 192-nation assembly without a formal vote, laid out eight pages of broad goals and measures to prevent terrorist acts, addressed the conditions that may foster terrorism and helps nations build up their capabilities while respecting human rights.
But nine countires, mostly Arab nations, took the floor after its adoption to complain that it did not target Israeli military actions in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. Nor did it shield groups such as the Palestinians from being tagged as terrorists for pursuing "national liberation movements," the envoys said. That prompted Israeli criticism of Iran and Syria for failing to crack down on attacks against the Jewish state.
Adoption of the counter-terrorism strategy followed a year of wrangling over the plan's details after a world summit in New York directed the United Nations to prepare a plan. UN members thought they had figured out a way around one impasse when Secretary-General Kofi Annan suggested, in place of a formal definition of terrorism, a simple statement branding any intentional maiming or killing of civilians as terrorism, regardless of its motives.
While members agreed to the plan's adoption, the barbs began flying when delegates were given the chance to comment. "It is an extremely sensitive subject, a very emotional issue and rightly so," Eliasson told reporters following the bitter exchanges. Annan, for his part, called it a "historic achievement" and urged nations to honour "the victims of terrorism everywhere by taking swift action to implement all aspects of the strategy."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president on Saturday called on insurgents and militant groups to join the political process and take part in the Shiite-led government's national reconciliation plan before it's too late. In a meeting with community leaders from Baghdad's predominantly Sunni Arab Azamiyah district, Tariq al-Hashimi said Iraqis still have time to avoid sectarian conflict "as the rules of the game have been changed and problems can't be solved only by weapons."
"This is a call for the Iraqi resistance to think thoughtfully and sit around the negotiating table before it's too late," al-Hashimi told about 100 people at the Islamic University in Azamiyah. "Differences will devastate Iraq and this division is not to our benefit," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I thought that is the political process in Dir el Sociopath
KARBALA: Pilgrims left the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Saturday after the peaceful end of a major festival where their leaders reaffirmed controversial calls for an autonomous region like that of the Kurds in northern Iraq. Prominent Shiite leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim used the celebration of the birth of the Mahdi, a 9th century Shiite imam, to renew his call for an autonomous Shiite region in central and southern Iraq - something the nation's once dominant Sunni Arab minority fears.
"Federalism will lead to stability and security in Iraq," Hakim told worshippers during the main weekly prayers in Karbala. Hakim leads the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, one of the most powerful parties in the ruling coalition. "We support it strongly because it would keep dictatorship from happening again - all are entitled to enjoy federalism," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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And the deal would split Sunni regions. Sunnis will never go for it. American military should be concerned about the geographical position of Karbala, which attracts thousands of fanatic Iranian visitors each day. Few are properly searched.
#5
Its interesting about the sponsorship of this - Hakim/Badr and Dawa.
Note that, besides leaving out the Sunnis, this will also isolate Sadr's power base in Baghdad, getting rid of the chief rivals of the principal Shiite establishment, leaving southern Iraq clear for Badr/Dawa consolidation.
BAGHDAD - Iraqs Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki will make his first official visit to Iran on Monday, a trip that will bring into focus key security and political issues at a time when Baghdad is battling to avert a civil war.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said on Saturday Maliki, a Shia, would discuss with fellow Islamist leaders in Iran, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the principle of no interference in internal affairs during his two-day visit. The purpose of the visit is to discuss political and security issues, Dabbagh told Reuters.
The announcement of Malikis visit follows a dispute between the two countries in which Iranian border guards this week detained Iraqi guards after accusing them of crossing into Iran. Iraqs Defence Ministry spokesman Ibrahim Shaker said the Iraqi patrol, consisting of five soldiers, an officer and a translator, had simply been doing their duty.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Payday!
Seriously, it has to be a tad discombobulating to be a Shia in the Iraqi Government. On the one hand, they probably all don't care for the civilian massacre in progress. Sure, there's Tater and such, but some might actually know some of the victims and secretly wish it would end. On the other, their Mad Mullah Masters get stingy and grumpy when they don't think their minions are doing their part to propagate civil war.
BEIRUT - Hezbollah's ability to repel the Israel Defense Forces during the recent conflict was largely due to its use of intelligence techniques gleaned from allies Iran and Syria that allowed it to monitor encoded Israeli communications relating to battlefield actions, according to Israeli officials, whose claims have been independently corroborated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
"Israeli EW [electronic warfare] systems were unable to jam the systems at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, they proved unable to jam Hezbollah's command and control links from Lebanon to Iranian facilities in Syria, they blocked the Barak ship anti-missile systems, and they hacked into Israeli operations communications in the field," Richard Sale, the longtime intelligence editor for United Press International, who was alerted to this intelligence failure by current and former CIA officials, told Asia Times Online.
The ability to hack into Israel's military communications gave Hezbollah a decisive battlefield advantage, aside from allowing it to dominate the media war by repeatedly intercepting reports of the casualties it had inflicted and announcing them through its television station, Al-Manar. Al-Manar's general director, Abdallah Kassir, would not comment on the information-gathering methods that had allowed it to preempt Israel's casualty announcements, but he admitted he was in constant contact with Hezbollah's military wing.
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#3
You can bet your ass that our good friend Putie is lurking in the shadows here. And, if he does step down in Russia, he will be active and dominant behind the scenes for years to come. We, in the west, simply did not realize the extent of technology transfer and training which has been proceeding at breakneck pace, thanks to the mountains of cash being transferred due to oil. Remember, we told the Russians to be capitalists. They are. They're selling every weapons system they have. And, they are creating the Arabic nuclear capability. They have probably provided working weapons that we know nothing about. It could be that this ongoing nuclear program is simply subterfuge to obscure Russian involvement once they start setting off nukes in the Western world. Got to make it appear that they have a native capacity so that we don't go after the Russkies immediately.
#4
Article: Ultimately, Israel decided that the only way to neutralize them was to carpet-bomb the village, reducing it to rubble in the process.
My feeling is that this account is fiction. I find it amusing that it quotes Gary Sick, a left wing nutjob hired by Jimmy Carter. This is the team that advised Carter to abandon the Shah. Amazing how these morons continue to have careers after screwing up in spectacular fashion.
Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh leveled harsh criticism at British premier Tony Blair for what he called one-sided policies that favor Israel. In a column published in The Guardian Saturday, Haniyeh said the Blair government sees the Middle East "through Israeli eyes" and supports a "policy of punishment" toward the Palestinians. Palestinian officials called on Blair to cancel his scheduled visit to the Palestinian Authority Sunday.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Who gives a fuck what a nobody like Haniyeh thinks?
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Saturday he would meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and work closely with him to advance peace efforts. Olmert, who spoke after meeting with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, did not say when the meeting would take place or indicate if it was conditional on the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit.
Posted by: Fred ||
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"When you pull the trigger, you've got to keep steady," the instructor sternly told the elementary school teachers. "If your hand is shaking you can't shoot." Teachers have one of the deadliest jobs in southern Thailand, with 44 killed by the bombs and bullets of an Islamic insurgency since 2004. So the teachers are learning how to shoot back.
The Chulabhorn naval base, on the Gulf of Thailand in Narathiwat province, opened its heavily guarded gates on a recent Sunday to a training course for 100 public school teachers, mostly Buddhist men and women who say bringing a gun to school has become essential. "You'd never see a teacher anywhere else in Thailand carrying a gun," said Sanguan Jintarat, head of the Teachers' Association that oversees the 15,000 teachers in the villages and towns of the restive south. "But, we need them, or we'll die."
That teachers -- not to mention Buddhist monks, bank tellers and motorcycle mechanics -- have become targets in the insurgency illustrates how badly law and order has degenerated in southern Thailand since the violence flared in January 2004.
At first insurgents targeted mainly civil servants, soldiers and police officers. Attacks then spread to businesses that serve soldiers: restaurants, outdoor markets, garages. And now come attacks that seem to have no rationale at all, such as the murder last month of an elephant trainer who was shot seven times by gunmen who had lined up with children to buy tickets for a show.
More than 1,700 people have been killed across Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat -- the only Muslim-majority provinces in this otherwise peaceful, tourist-friendly Buddhist country. Among them was a teacher gunned down at his blackboard in July as his 4th graders watched in shock, and a Buddhist art teacher clubbed by a village mob in May until her skull shattered.
Teachers may be targets, officials say, because they are symbols of the central government's authority, or be taken hostage to be traded for captured insurgents, or because the militants want to do away with secular schools, sending the message that only Islamic schools -- which have been spared violence -- are safe.
But almost everything about this insurgency is a mystery. It isn't clear whether the militants want a separate Islamic state in what was a Malay sultanate where insurgent violence has waxed and waned over the past century. No goals are stated, no responsibility is claimed for attacks, and no allegiance to foreign Islamic groups is declared. Authorities insist the uprising is purely domestic, but have been unable to arrest any leaders. They have flooded the area with 20,000 troops, but some local officials compare the predicament to that of the U.S. military in Iraq.
Lately militants have unleashed a wave of coordinated bombings every few weeks that kill sparingly but suggest a new level of sophistication and determination. Less than two weeks ago 22 banks were bombed simultaneously, dealing a potentially devastating blow to the local economy.
"Of course teachers should not be carrying guns, but they need to protect themselves," said Srisompob Jitipirmosri, a political science professor at Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani province who tracks the violence. His studies show that nearly 300 schools and teachers have been targeted -- mostly arson, bomb attacks and shooting at guarded teacher convoys going to and from school.
Aree Aatomphrasangsa, a 50-year-old elementary school principal, says she owns two shotguns but has a problem -- they don't fit in her purse. "I want a smaller gun -- a revolver," said Aree, pulling out earplugs as she walked off the military shooting range with a tray of blanks. Her school is in the Sisakorn district of Narathiwat province, in an area dubbed the "Red Zone" -- a classification reserved for the most dangerous districts. "A revolver is easy to carry and shoot," explained Aree, a slight, bespectacled woman with a ponytail. "When I drive, I can hold the steering wheel with one hand and use the other hand to shoot."
Nearby, Supat Sunanthakantharot, the shooting instructor, offered beginners a "short cut" -- hold the gun in two hands, don't shoot and blink at the same time, don't be afraid of the bang. "Focus. And remember, a gun can only protect you if you use it when you need it," said Supat, as he passed around a crate of pistols for the teachers to try.
At least one teacher in Yala province is known to have escaped by shooting back after an attacker fired at him as he was driving to school in March, said Thawach Saehum, a teachers' association official. Strict gun laws have been relaxed for teachers, who are eligible for a special permit to carry weapons in the three provinces. But bureaucracy and high demand delay the processing of applications by months. Thousands of teachers and school principals now carry guns -- many without permits -- and hundreds are wait-listed for gun training, said Sanguan, the teachers' association head.
The armed forces offer teachers .9mm Steyr pistols for 18,000 baht ($480), about a quarter of the street price. While some worry that a teacher's gun could make him or her more of a target, or end up in a student's hands, the crisis is so acute that there is little debate about arming teachers. Shooting courses started in late 2004 but have taken on new urgency since the shocking murder of the 4th-grade teacher July 24 at the Ban Bue Reng primary school in a Narathiwat village.
Prasarn Martchu, a 46-year-old Buddhist, was standing at his blackboard teaching a morning Thai-language class when a gunman walked in disguised as a student, fired twice and escaped while the two armed guards on duty were scared off by the gunfire, according to school officials. At the dilapidated school, principal Adul Jehyeng now has a guard with a shotgun at his office door, but he isn't reassured. "We're terrified," he said. "We need soldiers not security guards here. We need a new fence, one that nobody can climb over. We need better protection."
mostly Buddhist men and women who say bringing a gun to school has become essential. ... "we need them, or we'll die."
Has anybody told Richard Gere? *spit*
Aree Aatomphrasangsa, a 50-year-old elementary school principal, says she owns two shotguns but has a problem -- they don't fit in her purse. "I want a smaller gun -- a revolver," said Aree.... "A revolver is easy to carry and shoot," explained Aree, a slight, bespectacled woman with a ponytail. "When I drive, I can hold the steering wheel with one hand and use the other hand to shoot."
Get that lady an NRA membership!
now come attacks that seem to have no rationale at all
You mean like in D.C.?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 2:46 Comments ||
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#2
They are Muslims spreading the word of Allan. Whomever they target deserves it - they're all cattle, anyway. Hmmm, how does the UN "define" missionary work such as this, I wonder?
Shoot straight and keep low, folks. I admit it's hard to picture armed Buddhist monks - that's as close to pure cognitive dissonance as I can conjur, without my head exploding.
#3
Why is that, flyover? Lots of the Viet Cong were Buddhists; as a matter of fact, the VC went out of their way to recruit members in Buddhist monasteries so that they could operate as remote observation posts. And those monasteries were on a "no-target" list throughout the VietNam war.
#4
" I admit it's hard to picture armed Buddhist monks..."
Yeah, me too, but if their forebears started the Shaolin school of martial arts in yonder days it might be innovative and necessary to adapt to modern technology. Deep down there's no Buddhist teachings that actually denies self-defense.
#5
SW - the combination of "armed" and "monk" is what got me. Sure, some Buddhists, not very good Buddhists, will fight. And sure, some Buddhist monks, not very good Buddhist monks, will aid a side in a conflict by being observers or in other non-combat ways.
But the combo - LOL - that's pretty hard to fathom. I've been to Thailand several times - love the place and people - and just have a hard time wrapping my head around armed monks, heh.
Duh - Now all Buddhists are not Shaolin, LOL. The Thai variety is chock full of animism. They have their share of really bizarre bogeymen, too, LOL. Thai horror movies are hysterical, at least to me / us. And that seems to be about all they make, besides soaps and the occasional historical drama. Of course our movies can look pretty silly to them, too. Nothing like buying a recent US movie ripoff for a buck on CD and, when you watch it, you hear audience laughter at "inappropriate" times, LOL.
#6
Well, if one has to put up with the nuthouse Dalai Lama calling islam a religion of peace, one should be prepared to see armed monks as well!! Sure enough, not every (thus plentiful) saffron robe has any real depth for the wearer as much as it is traditionall/culturally promoted....a statistically unlikely thing. A fun loving ppl is being pushed to the brink.
#9
the combination of "armed" and "monk" is what got me. Sure, some Buddhists, not very good Buddhists, will fight.
You need to get away from the MSM and culturally sensitive crap that tries to paint Buddhism with one big broad stroke of 'pacifism'. There's a difference between using a religion to go out and pick a fight and another which says don't seek it out, but if it comes to you, fight the best fight you can.
#10
And sure, some Buddhist monks, not very good Buddhist monks, will aid a side in a conflict by being observers or in other non-combat ways.
Actually, AFAIK, in S. Korea and in Thailand, there have been/is some very violent mob fights between various buddhist monks factions, often for the control of charity and/or "territories"; sometimes, this makes to the MSM, I remember even seeing one of thoses fights in a cheesy "the most spectacular videos" type program, and boy, did those monks put all their heart into it!... Fighting with rocks, clubs and chains like the best of them... the meat of this segment was IIRC when a telescoping cabin used by the riot police to reach the monks holed up in their temple overturned. Ouch.
Of course, this is mostly a spectacular anomaly, but I can't see buddhism as a "true ROP" (even if one judge by the much weaker resistance to islam compared to hindouism during the conquest of India, which led to buddhism being almost eradicated from its birthplace).
IMHO, asian buddhists are as likely to go to war and use violence than the regular christians (who also should be non-violent, from Jesus' teaching)
I mean, just look at thai kickboxing, that would convince anyone they can take names and kick asses as good as anybody else.
#12
I mean, just look at thai kickboxing, that would convince anyone they can take names and kick asses as good as anybody else.
In college I knew a 5' tall kick-boxing champion woman.
Not Thai, though. Indian extraction. Jain.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
09/10/2006 18:55 Comments ||
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#13
They are going about this all wrong. The solution does not depend upon arming the school teachers or any other civilians for that matter.
Resolving this requires killing all of the Muslims involved and deporting the rest. There is no such thing as peaceful coexistence with Islam. This has been proven over and over again. The only argument against this comes from Muslims who, as usual, might claim to be moderate but, somehow, never turn out to actually be so.
#14
flyover: I admit it's hard to picture armed Buddhist monks - that's as close to pure cognitive dissonance as I can conjur, without my head exploding.
I think there's this Richard Gere-ish view of Buddhism as a religion of peace. I'm afraid that's wrong. The very existence of Thailand is proof that Thai Buddhism isn't a religion of peace. Whatever a nation's religion, its borders have always been under pressure from foreign countries and internal threats of secession. Thailand has held up until now because it has always been ready and willing to defend itself, and indeed extend its territory if necessary. Laos, Cambodia and modern-day Malaysia were all Thai vassal states before European imperialists replaced the regional ones like Thailand. They weren't vassals by choice.
The Philippine separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejected on Saturday an appeal for "Jihad (Holy War)" made five years ago by a suspect of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, reported the Philippine News Agency. "Mind your own business. We have our own plans and programs. No one can dictate us what to do," the news agency quoted MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu as saying in an interview in Cotabato City, southern Philippines.
Kabalu was referring to the "Jihad" call by Wael al-Shihr who was called "one of the martyrs of Manhattan Raid" by the Al Qaeda terror group for his participation in the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. "Shihr's call is an individual opinion, but as I said we have our own plans ... we set our own guidelines without influence from other people," he added.
A video shown by al-Jazeera television on Thursday to mark the 5th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks showed al-Shihr reading his "will" along with a fellow suspect. The local daily the Philippines Star said the video bolstered intelligence reports of al Qaeda's links with the Abu Sayyaf rebel group in the Philippines.
The MILF spokesman said the MILF Central Committee itself is not entertaining the call as the MILF rejects terror activities. "The MILF, as a rebel group, has its cause for rebellion and that is for the self determination of the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao," he said. Bangsamoro people are referred to the Muslim population in Mindanao.
MILF political affairs chief Ghadzali Jaafar echoed the same view, saying the Al Qaida's call "is not binding upon us," according to the Philippine News Agency. "The MILF can declare what kind of war we are waging here in Mindanao. But as far as the leadership of the front is concerned, our struggle is focused only for the good of the Bangsamoro people, " he said.
The European Union's foreign policy chief and Iran's top nuclear negotiator said their talks Saturday on Teheran's nuclear program had been constructive and that they would meet again on Sunday. The discussions between the EU's Javier Solana and Iran's Ali Larijani could decide whether Teheran is punished with sanctions over its rejection of the UN Security Council's demand that it freeze uranium enrichment.
The talks at the Austrian chancellor's office were meant to see if there is common ground for negotiations between six world powers and Iran over its nuclear defiance. While the five permanent Security Council members and Germany have demanded that Iran fully freeze enrichment as a condition for the talks, Teheran has steadfastly refused to do so. Three hours after the talks began, Solana and Larijana emerged and said they would continue Sunday.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Syria's official news agency denied on Saturday night a report that President Bashar Assad has agreed to the deployment of European troops on the Syria-Lebanon border.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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There are two sides to a border - and Asshat only controls one of them. So I'm thinking a hearty "Fuck Off" is in order here.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Saturday that the international standoff over Iran's disputed nuclear program must be resolved peacefully and he cautioned against the imposition of sanctions. Wen stressed his country doesn't want Iran to develop nuclear weapons and would "make tireless efforts" for a negotiated solution.
"That said, diplomatic efforts will be a long process," he told reporters on the sidelines of a summit with the European Union. "To mount pressure or impose sanctions will not necessarily bring about a peaceful solution." His comments came as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana met with Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Vienna, Austria, about Tehran's defiance of international demands that it give up uranium enrichment.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Let China identify specific measures that will reach a successful conclusion before Iran acquires nuclear weapons (i.e., six months or less) or else they can go piss up a rope.
. . . there's a fascinating interview with Tom Burnett's wife in the latest National Catholic Register. He was the guy on Flight 93 who more or less lead the passenger revolt against the hijackers. The really amazing thing about the interview is that Burnett's wife says that about a year before 9/11 he started feeling the strong sense that he needed to go to daily Mass because God was trying to tell him something. He told her it that whatever it was, it was going to affect a lot of people and it was going to involve the White House.
Tales of the Unexplained indeed.
Well done, thou good and faithful. Enter into the Joy.
Posted by: Mike ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Rest in peace, Mister Burnett. Your valor will not soon be forgotten. All America is in your debt.
#4
Christian Adams. Germany
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Todd Beamer. Cranbury, NJ
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Colleen Fraser. Elizabeth, NJ
Andrew "Sonny" Garcia. Portola Valley, CA
Jeremy Glick. West Milford, NJ
Lauren Grandcolas. San Rafael, CA
Wanda A. Green. Linden, NJ
Donald F. Greene. Greenwich, CT
Linda Gronlund. Warwick, NY
Richard Guadagno. Eureka, CA
Leroy Homer. Marlton, NJ
Toshiya Kuge. Japan
Hilda Marcin. Budd Lake, NJ
Waleska Martinez. Jersey City, NJ
Nicole Miller. San Jose, CA
Louis J. Nacke. New Hope, PA
CeeCee Ross-Lyles. Fort Myers, FL
Donald A. Peterson. Spring Lake, NJ
Jean Hoadley Peterson. Spring Lake, NJ
Mark Rothenberg. Scotch Plains, NJ
Christine Snyder. Hawaii
John Talignani. Staten Island, NY
Honor Wainio. Watchung, NJ
Deborah A. Welsh. New York, NY
Kristin Gould White. New York, NY
Posted by: J. D. Lux ||
09/10/2006 13:56 Comments ||
Top||
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.
A peace deal between Pakistan and pro-Taliban militants could serve as a model for neighbouring Afghanistan where the government and foreign forces are battling a resurgent Taliban, British minister Dr 
SIRTE: Somali Islamist leaders expect to lobby African Union (AU) member states at an AU ceremony in Libya on Saturday to abandon a plan to send peacekeepers to Somalia, one of the leaders said. In an interview with Reuters and the BBC, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed suggested his delegation would also seek Libyan help in bringing about a rapprochement between the Islamists and the fragile Somali interim government. 
Sudan said on Saturday that it remains open to talks with the international community after UN chief Kofi Annan warned its leaders could be held accountable over the rejection of UN peacekeepers for Darfur. "Sudan did not close the door on dialogue with the international community" concerning the situation in Darfur, the spokesman of the Sudanese foreign affairs ministry, Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim, told AFP.
KUWAIT CITY - Two Kuwaitis held at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay will be released in about two weeks, the head of a private group that campaigns for their freedom said on Saturday. I was informed by (Foreign Minister) Sheik Mohammed Al Sabah that they would be back in Kuwait before (the Muslim holy month of) Ramadan, said 
HELSINKI: The European Union on Saturday called on North Korea to return to the negotiating table with other global powers over its nuclear programme and to refrain from firing more missiles. In a joint statement after a summit in the Finnish capital, the EU and South Korea said "they strongly called on North Korea to reinstate its moratorium on missile testing, return to six-party talks without delay" and honour previous agreements. 
JOHN Howard has called on moderate Muslims to speak out more often against terrorism and declared it is no good "pussyfooting around" about Islamic terrorists. The Prime Minister believes Australians have a sensible, uncowed view of terrorism and that everyone, including Muslims, knows Islamic extremists are responsible for the threat and the tougher security laws that entails. "People in Australia are in no doubt that extreme Islam is responsible for terrorism," Mr Howard said in an interview with The Australian to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the US that killed nearly 3000 people, including 10 Australians.
French President Jacques Chirac sent the White House a message of solidarity before commemorations marking the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and he vowed continuing support for the fight against terrorism. In Sunday's message to President Bush, Chirac wrote: "During these days of sad commemoration, I want to express the friendship and solidarity of the French people with the American people."
OTTAWA - The latest wave of deaths and injuries among Canada's troops battling Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan has not translated into a loss of support at home for the mission, a new Ipsos Reid poll says. The survey, conducted exclusively for CanWest News Service and Global National, says support for the mission stood at 51%, up slightly from the 47% registered in late July.
The survey of 887 adult Canadians was conducted by telephone on Wednesday and Thursday against the fresh sight of flag-draped caskets of five soldiers killed in 
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad said on Saturday that General Pervez Musharraf was using political turncoats to further his so called enlightened moderation agenda in the country through amendments in the Hudood laws, which were based on Quranic revelations. "The people of Pakistan will not allow army generals to change Pakistan's Islamic culture as there is no room for legislation on a secular basis in a country which came into being in the name of Islam," Qazi added while addressing a central training workshop for the JI women office bearers here at Mansoorah. The workshop was organised by the JI women's wing and attended by a large number of JI office bearers from across the country.
PESHAWAR: A local court on Saturday ordered the release of four salesmen who were arrested under terrorism charges for spreading 'hate-material', in a raid reportedly conducted on the directives of President General Prevez Musharraf.
QUETTA: Late tribal chief Nawab Akbar Bugti's sons Talal Bugti and Jamil Bugti believe that "the government is planning to kill them to eliminate anti-government Bugtis forever", Wadera Alam Khan, a spokesman for the Bugti tribe, said via satellite phone from an undisclosed location on Saturday. 
Nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was successfully operated on for prostate cancer at Aga Khan University Hospital on Saturday. "A malignant tumour that began growing in his prostate gland was successfully removed," said a medical source requesting anonymity. Dr Khan is to undergo a bone scanning and Magnitude Resonance Image (MRI) test on Sunday to confirm that the malignancy has not spread to other parts of the body, Daily Times has learnt.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced on Saturday that Pakistan is sending troops to Lebanon, for the purpose of clearing the country of landmines, cluster bombs and other explosive devices. "After consultations we have decided to send a contingent of Pakistan Army personnel. The number of troops is not yet decided, but I think they will be in the hundreds," Mr Aziz told a press conference at Prime Minister's House.
UNITED NATIONS: Israeli and Arab diplomats feuded bitterly on the UN General Assembly floor on Friday after the United Nations approved a largely symbolic global plan to combat terrorism. The counter-terrorism "plan of action," approved by the 192-nation assembly without a formal vote, laid out eight pages of broad goals and measures to prevent terrorist acts, addressed the conditions that may foster terrorism and helps nations build up their capabilities while respecting human rights. 
KARBALA: Pilgrims left the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Saturday after the peaceful end of a major festival where their leaders reaffirmed controversial calls for an autonomous region like that of the Kurds in northern Iraq. Prominent Shiite leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim used the celebration of the birth of the Mahdi, a 9th century Shiite imam, to renew his call for an autonomous Shiite region in central and southern Iraq - something the nation's once dominant Sunni Arab minority fears. 
Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh leveled harsh criticism at British premier Tony Blair for what he called one-sided policies that favor Israel. In a column published in The Guardian Saturday, Haniyeh said the Blair government sees the Middle East "through Israeli eyes" and supports a "policy of punishment" toward the Palestinians. Palestinian officials called on Blair to cancel his scheduled visit to the Palestinian Authority Sunday.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Saturday he would meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and work closely with him to advance peace efforts. Olmert, who spoke after meeting with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, did not say when the meeting would take place or indicate if it was conditional on the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit.
The European Union's foreign policy chief and Iran's top nuclear negotiator said their talks Saturday on Teheran's nuclear program had been constructive and that they would meet again on Sunday. The discussions between the EU's Javier Solana and Iran's Ali Larijani could decide whether Teheran is punished with sanctions over its rejection of the UN Security Council's demand that it freeze uranium enrichment. 
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Saturday that the international standoff over Iran's disputed nuclear program must be resolved peacefully and he cautioned against the imposition of sanctions. Wen stressed his country doesn't want Iran to develop nuclear weapons and would "make tireless efforts" for a negotiated solution.
