Intelligence agencies have located Brahmdag Bugti, grandson of the late Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, in Kabul and have asked the Afghan government to hand him over to Pakistani authorities, sources said on Thursday. Sources said the intelligence agencies were informed that Brahmdag was in Kandahar, but he soon moved his hideout to Kabul. They said that Pakistani agencies had asked their Afghan counterparts to hand over Brahmdag to them because he was involved in several murder and terrorism cases in Pakistan. Sources said the Afghan government would soon hand over Brahmdag to the Pakistani authorities because the latter had provided evidence against the Baloch tribal leaders grandson.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Handling him? Whan Pakistan handles Mullah Omar and bin Laden.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Islamic extremists in Somalia are threatening to stage suicide bombings in parts of East Africa, the U.S. Embassy said Thursday in the latest warning that conflict in Somalia could spread in this volatile region.
Now are we convinced that these jokers are the Taliban of Africa?
The embassy, in a warning to Americans living or traveling in Kenya, said it had received reports of "extremist elements" targeting Kenya, Ethiopia and other "surrounding countries," which it did not identify. "These threats specifically mention the execution of suicide explosions in prominent landmarks within Kenya and Ethiopia. American citizens are advised to remain vigilant and to use extreme caution when frequenting prominent public places," the statement said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
OMG, what a concept? Threatening violence and kabooms? Nah, can't be so. This is the first I read of souch threats *snark*.
#2
The Islamofascists aren't wasting any time.
They only took control of Somalia this year adn already they are threatening their neighbours.
What are we to do about this? We have to take them out or it's not long before they threaten us directly. Islamofascism is popping up everywhere and the enemy within is muting our ability to respond.
We need a vaccine against this religious virus. Do we send in missionaries? Do we beam in anti-Muslim, pro-science documentaries on satellite TV? How can we break the ideological power of this cult?
(SomaliNet) After discovering two more cases of polio in a camp mainly for Somali refugees, Kenya said on Thursday it would vaccinate about 250,000 children against the killer disease,-Reuters.
Unless the Islamicist Courts rule otherwise, which they might.
According to the set programme, Kenya's vaccination campaign will target children under 5 years of age living along Kenya's long and porous border with Somalia, after the virus was brought in by a 3-year-old refugee girl from the Somali port of Kisamayo.
Kenya's Director of Medical Services James Nyikal said two other cases had been detected in the vast Dadaab refugee camp, home to about 160,000 refugees from Somalia. "The government also launched a vaccination programme for children under 5 years of age entering the country from Somalia," Nyikal said at a press conference while announcing measures to deal with the disease which has re-emerged in the east African country after 22 years.
Just reappeared out of the blue, it did.
In September, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the three Horn of Africa countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia would vaccinate nearly 3 million children in the region against the malady. WHO reported that polio returned to Somalia last year and 215 cases have so far been confirmed. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has reported 37 cases since polio reappeared there in 2004.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Saudis should fund this effort out of their oil revenues.
Text in french, but pictures suffice to themselves; the cemetary is now managed by the moroccan authorities, who allow about fifty retired workers to live in a few house inside the cemetary.
#1
Here's the Google translation with minor editing:
Operation witnesses visit Christian cemetery of Casablanca (gallery photographs. It would be wise to make a gesture to encourage the Muslim and Christian communities to show their mutual respect. It is about a business which it would be urgent to regulate: The scandal of the cemetery of Casablanca-- Caveaux tombs profaned, torn off crosses and statues. Here is the spectacle which awaits the visitors going in this place which respects neither dignity, nor the human heart. Several people (around fifty) live in small houses within the cemetery. Those were offered to pensioners as social housing. One of the guards explained to me that the embassy of France was no longer owner and that the Moroccan State was alone to manage this cemetery. The mediation of this business will make it possible to sensitize the two communities as to the importance of the respect for one another. It could consequently lead to a better agreement of the two cultures. Not having all the addresses of the media concerned, I authorize you to diseminate the contents of my email and the photographs which I am sending as enclosures. Convinced of the tolerance of the two communities I espérerais to intend their voices to express itself. Cordially. French of Morocco
Authorities in Nigeria named an army colonel Thursday as the country's top Muslim leader, replacing his brother, who died in a plane crash last weekend.
Local government authorities named 50-year-old Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III as the new sultan of the northern state of Sokoto, said Maigeri Dingyadi, a top official in the Sokoto state government. Abubakar is the younger brother of Muhammadu Maccido, who died in Sunday's crash in Abuja that killed 96 people.
Maccido was the spiritual leader of tens of millions of Nigerian Muslims and his successor is likely to inherit that influence. The sultan of Sokoto has traditionally held strong sway over the nation's Muslim population, approving dates for the start and end of Muslim fasts and speaking on issues of religious policy in Nigeria. Abubakar held various commands in the Nigerian army and in peacekeeping missions during a military career that began 31 years ago. Before his appointment as the 20th sultan, he was Nigeria's defense attache to Pakistan, with responsibility for Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. A sterling resume, indeed. I wonder if he was in charge of maintenance on his brother's plane?
Thousands of people poured into the streets of Sokoto city in jubilation on Thursday to celebrate the announcement of the new sultan. Dingyadi said Abubakar was the choice of the local sultanate council that traditionally selects the sultan. The decision was backed by Sokoto Gov. Attahiru Bafarawa, he said.
Abubakar promised in a statement "to hold office in the name of Allah ... and do justice to everybody, irrespective of religion, tribe or creed."
Maccido was an important voice of moderation in Africa's most-populous nation of 130 million people, which is roughly split between a predominantly Muslim north and a Christian and animist south. Thousands were killed as the imposition of strict Islamic law by 12 predominantly Islamic states in the north increased friction with Christians and other non-Muslims. Through the tensions, which flared with the end of strict military rule in 1999, Maccido urged peace among all religious groups.
Abubakar becomes the 20th sultan of Sokoto. He is a direct descendant of the Islamic scholar Uthman Dan Fodio, who founded the Sokoto Caliphate that became one of the largest pre-colonial states in Africa. Fodio launched a campaign from Sokoto in 1804 that spread Islam across much of the northern half of Nigeria and parts of neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Benin.
Prince Charles Tuesday said that the world problems could be resolve by following Islamic teachings, as Islam is a religion of peace and brotherhood. Prince Charles while addressing a ceremony during his visit to Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) stressed on better relations between Islam and other religions. He said that clash of civilizations could be averted by following the teaching of Islam and Quraan.
#8
Dear God, I haven't paid much attention to this fopper, but this may explain his weird behavior for some time. Maybe this is why he promotes open access to Britain by the hordes of Pak mules and other Muzzie scum. And, it may be key as to why his mother refuses to turn over succession. She knows it's the absolute end of the monarchy if he comes to the throne. The Brits now have an ideal opportunity to end the royal family and make it nothing but historical curiosity.
#10
I remember how he came unglued when he got wind of some chambermaid wanting to move up in her career. His issue was that "some people think they can do anything, but they should realize that they are limited." This a-hole would be a grade B plumber if he wasn't simply lucky. He's the poster child for "didn't earn it." Not sure he even knows the meaning of "earn"
#15
Reminds me of nothing so much as Edward VIII and his pro-Nazi sensibilities in the 1930's. England was lucky to be rid of him, but he abdicated as a result of an inappropriate affair not his treasonous leanings. Of course, Chuckie's had his own personal scandals as well.
If he does become king, he would also be head of the Church of England. That would be fun.
Posted by: Baba Tutu ||
11/03/2006 13:01 Comments ||
Top||
#16
If he does become king, he would also be head of the Church of England. That would be fun.
Chuckie has already announced he would then be "the defender of all faiths", not just "the defender of the church of England", this has caused a stir and was covered here in RB.
#20
Originally the title Defender of the Faith was conferred on Hank 8 by Leo X for writing an attack on Luther and his protest. It sort of quietly transitioned to Protestantism when Hank needed an heir.
The King of England is crowned by the Archdruid of Canterbury. What if he determined Chuck wasn't a Christian or a Druid and refused to put the hat on him or let him use any CoE church for the coronation?
#21
Ever notice the resemblence between Charles and John F***** sKerry? Twins separated at birth? Brothers of the Spirit? Pair of identical a$$holes?
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/03/2006 14:16 Comments ||
Top||
#22
NS, you have a lot more confidence in the basic integrity of the Archdruid of Canterbury than I do. It would not matter if Charles was a fullblown black magic hougan sacrificing babies, the Archdruid would still crown him King, and convert the altar in Westminster for Black Masses.
#24
They have a valid explanation for their level of intelligence - Charles, on the other hand, does not.
Other than being the obvious result of numerous generations of inbreeding, I suppose not. And we all know what centuries of marrying their cousins has done for the Arabs.
#27
He said that clash of civilizations could be averted by following the teaching of Islam and Quraan.
Is it possible that he meant for Muslims to actually follow the religion as intended, and not as cooked up by a bunch of [ insert insulting or derogatory term here, as long as it isn't 'retards' ]?
#28
The House of Windsor has been on the throne for less than two centuries, I think, although I'm not really up on recent British royalty. Before they were a minor German princely family, I think. And as I recall, Prince Philip was a minor member of the Greek royal famiy. Crown Prince Charles' bloodline hasn't been in play long enough for inbreeding to be the cause of his mental deficiencies.
#32
I think its fair to say that the reigns of the first two chucks resulted in substantial adjustment to their form of government. Though Tony has done his best to destroy the British government, I think Chuck Trey will do in the monarchy.
#33
gorb, Is it possible that he meant for Muslims to actually follow the religion as intended, and not as cooked up by a bunch of ...
Exactly. That means parasitism, looting and extinguishing other cultures, beheadings and slaughter, slavery and dhimmitude. That is what was intended by their profit.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall round off their whirlwind tour of Pakistan today. They are travelling to remote villages near the Karakoram mountain range in the most northern reaches of the country.
They will visit Nansoq, an organic village in Baltistan in the Skardu valley, and Altit, the site of a 900-year-old fort. Whilst there Charles will be presented with the traditional gift of a yak. Nearly home safe now, Charlie. That Yak's going to make one mf of a polo pony.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
11/03/2006 03:45 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
To be honest I was expecting a Lord Mountbatten scenario .. Either the chap is very brave or has some kind of death wish .. All in all , although Im not too keen on Charlie , acting as a 'good will ambassador' can only be a good thing , I s'pose
Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday that he had no regrets about the article he wrote on Muslim women's veils that triggered an emotionally charged debate around Britain and as far away as the Middle East.
Straw wrote in a newspaper column last month that he asks women who visit his district office wearing veils that cover almost their entire face to remove the garment when they meet with him. That set off a furious national debate on British multiculturalism and the identity and integration of minority groups, particularly Muslims. Prime Minister Tony Blair eventually jumped in, saying the full-face veil known as the niqab is "a mark of separation."
"I would write the same column again," Straw, who now serves as leader of the House of Commons, said at an interfaith forum in London.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
It is a historically proven fact that few men ever truly regret sprouting a set.
#2
Straw wrote in a newspaper column last month that he asks women who visit his district office wearing veils that cover almost their entire face to remove the garment when they meet with him.
#3
Well done for withstanding the handbagging from the crackpot left and the muslim community that believes their rights trump everyone else's. Good on you Jack. More, please..
Posted by: Howard UK ||
11/03/2006 4:32 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Yes, more and faster, please. I've begun to think that the faster we drive a stake into the heart of "diversity & multiculturalism", the faster we can win this war.
This is a "hearts & minds" thing. To cave now would give a "moral victory" to the jihadis among us. Stay strong, you 'burgers across the pond!
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 9:17 Comments ||
Top||
Sadly, I have to concur, gromgoru. Britain has been so thoroughly penetrated (to put it politely) by Muslims and jihadists, that all of this is perilously close to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Abu Hamza's son being given access to the Tube System shows just how far the dry rot has spread. Any mention of Charles' Islamic perigrinations would merely be superfluous.
(Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration claim that North Korea cheated or reneged on a 1994 agreement with the U.S. to freeze its nuclear program is ``completely false and ridiculous,'' former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said. Carter, a Democrat who helped broker the agreement with the North Koreans on behalf of then-President Bill Clinton, said the pact was ``observed pretty well by both sides'' for eight years.
``It lasted until 2002 when the United States in effect abandoned that agreement and branded North Korea as an axis of evil,'' Carter, 82, said.
``It lasted until 2002 when the United States in effect abandoned that agreement and branded North Korea as an axis of evil,'' Carter, 82, said in an interview to be broadcast this weekend on ``Conversations with Judy Woodruff'' on Bloomberg Television.
Carter also said the U.S. further undermined the agreement by condemning summit meetings that took place in 2000 between North Korea and South Korea. President George W. Bush said on Oct. 11, two days after North Korea tested a nuclear bomb, that the 1994 agreement ``just didn't work.'' Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Oct. 10 said the North Koreans ``cheated'' on that agreement. Bush and Rice also said such a history justified the administration's refusal to talk directly with North Korea and instead urged the Asian nation to return to six-nation disarmament talks.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 11:09 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Jimmah, I hate to say it, but why, in the name of mercy, can you not contract some dreaded disease and spare the rest of us your foolish pronouncements ?
#2
How could they have cheated when the entire purpose of the agreement was to give them time to make nukes? Carter knew what he was doing when he stuck his nose into the affair; he was working against the US (which he has never forgiven for rejecting him).
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/03/2006 11:24 Comments ||
Top||
#3
That head looks just like one in a noose on a postage stamp. Separated at birth or scion and forebearer?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/03/2006 11:38 Comments ||
Top||
#5
"That head looks just like one in a noose on a postage stamp. Separated at birth or scion and forebearer?"
Quisling reborn.
Posted by: Mark E. ||
11/03/2006 11:40 Comments ||
Top||
#6
He is derived from Mr Peanut!
We don't need to go deep into this sorid case of alien invasion but isn't it a conspircy being covered up that they grow most of the US peanuts and he looks like one?
Sort of return of the bodysnatchers?
#7
I don't want him dying of a disease. I'm a doc, I don't want that for any American. I just want him to sit down and shut up. He's a fool and he damn near wrecked the country in his four years.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2006 12:25 Comments ||
Top||
#8
I don't intend this to be mean but could Jimmah have some brain disease? No one could be this devoid of reality. Perhaps Alzeimers?
#10
What gets me is that he's not saying. "in my considered opinion the North Koreans abided by the treaty." He says its "ridiculous" even to suggest the possibility they may have been dishonest. It bespeaks a deeply and troublingly unserious approach to an important national security issue.
Can a former President really be so naive to believe that no one could lie to his face? It must be nice to live in a world of good intentions and pure hearts, but that's not the planet I'm from.
Posted by: Baba Tutu ||
11/03/2006 14:29 Comments ||
Top||
#11
Just think, if somehow jimmuh had managed to beat Reagan in 1980, would the USSR still be in business?
He would have bailed them out, wouldn't he?
#12
Actually, he would not have had to since they would have had operational control of most of Central America, the Panama Canal, Southern Africa, most of the Persian Gulf oil areas, and large zones of the Phillipines, and the Malaca Straits.
#13
Just remember who all we funded/armed/supported under Reagan, and would have betrayed/soldout/killed under Carter : the Mujis in Afghanistan, UNITA in Angola, the Contras, the Phillipines Governments, all the friendly governments in Central America, and all of the Eastern Europeans struggling for freedom against the Soviets.
#14
CS, ya' beat me to it. I'm becoming more and more convinced that ole' Jimmah is becoming more and more delusional as he advances in years and that can really only be attributed to 2 things - Alzheimer's and BDS.
#17
...Another thing to keep in mind is that Jimmah has it in for the SKors. When he was in office, the SKors were a moderately unpleasant military dictatorship, and my understanding is that when he started on his 'repent' kick with them, he was politely told where to put it. In addition, the guy who was commander of US forces there at the time (IIRC John Singlaub) had the stones to stand up to Carter when he wanted to basically pull all US forces out of SKor. Jimmah felt even then that all the Norks needed was a little love and understanding, and the JCS just kept sucking their thumbs and going along with what he wanted. Singlaub paid for it with his career, but Carter never forgot it. To a great extent, it was the attitude of the SKor Army generals and Singlaub's refusal to go along with things that kept SKor from going down as badly if not worse than Iran did. Put simply, Jimmah does'nt like the South or anything having to do with it.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
11/03/2006 16:41 Comments ||
Top||
#18
Carter, a Democrat who helped broker the agreement with the North Koreans on behalf of then-President Bill Clinton, said the pact was ``observed pretty well by both sides'' for eight years.
In other words, the Norks abided by the treaty until just after Bush took office.
"If there is a Hell, its fires await him, not us." - FZ
#21
Here's a quote from a PBS interview with dhimmi carter explaining why he went to Pyong Yong in '94 which led to that terrible agreement.
"I was convinced of this, because for almost three years, Kim Il Sung sent me a steady stream of invitations and personal entreaties to come to Pyongyang to let him explain the North Korean position, and to try to relay some communication back and forth with Washington, which at that time, seemed to be very difficult, if not impossible."
Can anybody guess why they wanted to negotiate with dhimmi carter so bad? I can't believe he didn't tear up the guantanamo bay lease. I bet that keeps him up at night.
The main U.S. envoy to South Korea said Washington will seek to resolve financial restrictions on North Korea that have hindered nuclear talks, after Pyongyang agreed to return to the negotiations following its nuclear test. "We want to resolve these issues because we do want to have a normal relationship with North Korea," U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said in a lecture to university students, referring to the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over U.S. moves to cut off the communist nation's access to foreign banks for alleged illicit activities like counterfeiting and money laundering. Pyongyang has said it will seek to have the financial restrictions lifted at the resumed talks, last held in November 2005. They involve the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the U.S.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I'm glad "W" wants to 'Cry Uncle' before the elections; the American people needs to mull this when they contemplate matters before the 'lever is pulled'! I thought sure I read that:
'...The main U.S. envoy to South Korea said Washington will seek to resolve (after the regime verifiable halt nuclear enrichment) the financial restrictions on North Korea...'!
The Indonesian father of the two Australian men facing terrorism charges in Yemen has distanced himself from his sons and his Australian ex-wife. Speaking through his brother, Abdul Rahim Ayub told The Australian newspaper over the phone that his arrested sons "no longer had anything to do with [him]".
The former leader of the Mantiqi Four Jemaah Islamiyah cell in Australia was contacted by Rabiah Hutchinson after their sons, 21-year-old Abdullah Ayub and 19-year-old Muhammed Ayub, were arrested in Yemen. However he told his ex-wife "this is no business of mine, I don't know and I don't want to know".
The Ayub brothers currently live in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta. Their exact location is unclear but is known to Indonesian authorities, who have no evidence the brothers are involved in any wrongdoing.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
Bulgaria's government decided on Thursday to ban arms and ammunition sales to Lebanon after similar measures were taken by the UN Security Council and the European Union, which the Balkan country will join in January.
Bulgaria exported to the Arab country arms worth about 120 million (US$152 million) in 2005, according to figures released by the Economy Ministry. In October, Bulgaria sent a frigate with 160 crew to join the international peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Bulgaria, which joined NATO in 2004, has sent troops to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
"Of course Americans should vote Democrat," Jihad Jaara, a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, told WND.
Muhammad Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, said the Democrats' talk of withdrawal from Iraq makes him feel "proud." "As Arabs and Muslims we feel proud of this talk," he told WND. "Very proud from the great successes of the Iraqi resistance. This success that brought the big superpower of the world to discuss a possible withdrawal."
Abu Abdullah, a leader of Hamas' military wing in the Gaza Strip, said the policy of withdrawal "proves the strategy of the resistance is the right strategy against the occupation."
"We warned the Americans that this will be their end in Iraq," said Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' declared "resistance" department. "They did not succeed in stealing Iraq's oil, at least not at a level that covers their huge expenses. They did not bring stability. Their agents in the [Iraqi] regime seem to have no chance to survive if the Americans withdraw." Note the latter - the repraisals will be a slaughter worse than that of Pol Pot in Cambodia. Pol Pot starved em in reeducation camps. These guys will chop heads and toss the bodies into piles.
#3
Well, I am a patriotic American. I have a son in Iraq right this minute. And I would trust Satan himself over George W. Bush. This is the most despicable excuse for a human being I have ever seen and to have him as our country's leader is simply embarrasing. Anyone, and I mean any one from either party, would be a better leader for this country than he or Cheney. This election, I just cast my ballot. I will voted a straigth Democratic ticket, my first time ever. I voted for a Democratic State Senator I detest and against a wonderful and decent man I respect, running against her, because the gentleman is a Republican and the incumbant is a Democrat. I want the Republican Party to suffer for inflicting Bush and Cheny on us. The media had a silly forum a while back about what super power you would have if you could choose. Mine would be to click my fingers and defeat every Republican running for every office national wide, right down to the local dog catcher. This not because I like Democrats, don't, nor becasue I believe them, becasue I don't, nor becasue I think they are better than Republican's, becasue I don't, but becasue the Republican inflicted upin us George Bush. For that, they deserve to rot in hell for a time, for the hell they put me and my wife through, worrying about the safety of our son in the miserable, worthless, and incompetently run war.
#6
This "bushburner" clown has the same IP as the dork who's posted as "BRING THEM HOME", "crasher", "fuck you scum", and "nukeizrael" over the last couple months.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
11/03/2006 13:19 Comments ||
Top||
#7
I thought so. About as "real" as Jesse MacBeth.
"Well, I am a patriotic American. I have a son in Iraq right this minute."
#8
Kissinger
military men "dumb, stupid animals to be used"
Sat Apr 24, 2004 19:55
67.1.155.175
Source of the Kissinger quote on military people
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/06/266114.shtml
Authors Woodward and Bernstein also note that "The Final Days" is "the
work of four people. Scott Armstrong, a former Senate Watergate
Committee investigator, and Al Kamen, a free-lance writer/researcher,
assisted us full time in the reporting, research and some of the
writing."
Kissinger's quote regarding miltary men comes from Chapter 14, which
extensively discusses Al Haig, Kissinger and other Nixon staff advisors'
negotiations and differences over national security issues during the
1969-1974 period.
The exact, direct quote marks begin with the word 'dumb' and terminate
after the word 'used'.
Here is the FULL KISSINGER QUOTE verbatim from the bottom two lines of
page 194 to line 14 of page 195:
In Haig's presence, Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as
"dumb, stupid animals to be used" as pawns for foreign policy. Kissinger
often took up a post outside the doorway to Haig's office and dressed
him down in front of the secretaries for alleged acts of incompetence
with which Haig was not even remotely involved. Once when the Air Force
was authorized to resume bombing of North Vietnam, the planes did not
fly on certain days because of bad weather. Kissinger assailed Haig. He
complained bitterly that the generals had been screamin for the limits
to be taken off but that now their pilots were afraid to go up in a
little fog. The country needed generals who could win battles, Kissinger
said, not good briefers like Haig.
On another occasion, when Haig was leaving for a trip to Cambodia to
meet with Premier Lon Nol, Kissinger escorted him to a staff car, where
reporters and a retinue of aides waited. As Haig bent to get into the
automobile, Kissinger stopped him and began polishing the single star on
his shoulder. "Al, if you're a good boy, I'll get you another one," he
said.
Posted by: military men as dumb, stupid animals ||
11/03/2006 13:36 Comments ||
Top||
#9
I'ma bettin' that bushburner is closely related to the idiot imbecile teen from Orange County who called Michael Medved yesterday. Claims to be an atheist and said he wanted all Christian TO DIE (at least those in America) because they voted Bush into office! Medved asked him why he thought they deserved to die (other than his personal bush-hatred), even gave him the commercial break to come up with a reason and he couldn't. BDS writ-large and coming out in (small) droves right before the election.
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 13:37 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in banning.
Posted by: military men as dumb, stupid animals ||
11/03/2006 13:49 Comments ||
Top||
#18
I love watchin' 'em crash-n-burn, especially if .com's behind the anti-aircraft gun, lol! What gets me is how little prodding it takes to make LLL trolls rip off their peaceful/diverse clothing and completely go ape-sh!t over stuff so asanine. It actually makes me fear a bloodbath if they get in charge, and we get hit again. Like a "peaceful" cornered tiger, I'ma bettin' that the LLL can be (quite possibly) even nastier than us Neanderthals can.
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 15:07 Comments ||
Top||
#19
It's really too bad that more of these lunatic postings and their like aren't seen by the majority of Americans - there'd be a lot fewer Dhimmi's around IMO if people could see the real faces behind the masks.
Went to Disney this past weekend and it made me think about that in your comment. Showing a 3-d movie there where they "puff out" the smell of apple pie in one scene, and in another, they spritz you with water, lol! Guess it's a lot like that, eh?
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 21:01 Comments ||
Top||
#23
Well, I am a patriotic American.
If you have to say it...
Did I mention I hate idiots? Did I mention I hate idiots who post with multiple nyms?
But I decided not to redact its comments. I figure it's like a PSA: 'This is your brain on...'
Canada is granting asylum to 54 Palestinians living in a Jordanian refugee camp who fled from their homes in Iraq two years ago, a UN representative said Thursday. The refugees were among 150 Palestinians living in the Ruweishid refugee camp, some 350 kilometers (217 miles) east of the Jordanian capital without valid identification documents, said Robert Breen, Jordan's representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "They are expected in their new home before the end of the year," Breen said on the telephone.
Breen said Canadian authorities had interviewed all 150 refugees, but accepted only 54, including some families and single men. He said the UNHCR hoped to find a solution for the remaining 96 Palestinians in the camp. UNHCR has found new homes in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand for some 1,200 refugees who fled the war-torn country, the bulk of them Iranian Kurds who had been living in Iraq.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Ummm ... aren't these Iraqi Palestinians the absolute scum of the earth? Weren't these the most murderous possible thugs that Saddam could find to serve as enforcers?
#3
Give us your pathological liars, your wretched dead-end gene pools, your arrogant masses yearning to subjugate us, please send them to North America and then our very own home-grown traitors the despicable back stabbers will enable them to destroy our own priceless home.
Zenster aren't these Iraqi Palestinians the absolute scum of the earth?
yes Zen they are,
the Jarrar family comes to mind...several of their spawn are presently living here in OUR country and up North in 0'Canada, credit due I must add to the Wonderful Washington Immigration Bureaucrats, Cindy Sheehan and her Pink Pukes.
#6
Ummm ... aren't these Iraqi Palestinians the absolute scum of the earth? Weren't these the most murderous possible thugs that Saddam could find to serve as enforcers?
Yes. Which is why Canada wants them.
Gotta have some enforcers on hand.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/03/2006 7:54 Comments ||
Top||
#7
So, any plans to put a fence on US-Canada border?
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Remains of a flight attendant and passenger on the first plane to hit the World Trade Center on September 11 have been identified in New York, as families of attack victims rallied for a thorough new Ground Zero search.
The New York medical examiner's office said in a statement that it had identified remains of Karen Ann Martin, the 40-year-old head flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, which slammed into the trade center's north tower.
Remains of Douglas Joel Stone, 54, who was a passenger on the same flight as Martin, were also identified. The remains of a third male victim were identified, but his family requested that his name be withheld and an official declined to say whether he was on one of the two planes that struck the Twin Towers.
More than 100 people, including some families of the 2,749 people killed in the attack, gathered at Ground Zero on Thursday to demand a search by forensic experts after workers clearing manholes found bones two weeks ago. Since then more than 200 body parts, ranging from 1 inch to 12 inches in length, have been found.
The newly identified remains of three people were not from any remains found in the latest search. "Enough of this haphazard discovery of human remains," said Diane Horning, president of WTC Families for Proper Burial, who lost her 26-year-old son Matthew on September 11. Only a small piece of him was recovered in the year after the attack. "How many more times should we wake up in the morning, open our newspaper and read that recognizable body parts and personal items have been literally right under our feet every September 11 since our loved ones have been massacred?"
The families want the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which is in charge of recovering Americans missing as a result of the country's past conflicts, to search the site.
Some 1,148 of the 2,749 victims of the Twin Towers attack are yet to be recovered or identified. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said more than 20,800 remains had been recovered and nearly 11,000 of those had been identified.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended the site cleanup, although he said he was at a loss to explain why the bones discovered during the past two weeks had not been recovered sooner.
The manholes where the bones were first discovered on October 19 had been covered by a temporary road built after the attacks to allow in cranes to start removing debris. On October 27 Bloomberg agreed to expand the search underground, on rooftops and in some of the buildings surrounding Ground Zero.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
why didn't they search rooftops in the first place around ground zero? and this is a serious question if anyone would answer.
#3
Everyone knows the passengers and crew from both flights were spirited away to live a life of hedonistic luxury on Fantasy Island. These two people happened to have died recently from too much rich food and champagne - so Bushchimphitlercheneyhalliburton had this evidence planted to strengthen the cover story. I'm sure David Icke will soon find "counter evidence" and "prove" it is just another lie.
VADODARA, INDIA: With the government pushing its polio campaign, pamphlets claiming that administering polio drops may lead to impotency and sterility distributed in some areas of Godhra recently have left both the people and the district administration in a tizzy. The Intensive Pulse Polio Immunisation programme is scheduled for November 12.
The four-page pamphlets clandestinely distributed in Muslim-dominated pockets of the town warn people not to let their children be administered polio drops. Sources said the printed pamphlets were in Arabic, a language that many in the town follow.
Sources also indicated that a large number of photocopies of a few original pamphlets were made for distribution. "The pamphlets mention that religious leaders were discussing the issue and would soon reach at a decision regarding the vaccine.
They also state that the vaccine was not manufactured in India and was imported from Israel. They claim that certain chemicals mixed in the vaccine ensured that those who consumed it would turn impotent or sterile.
"Sujat valli, a medical practitioner and an activist based in Godhra, said, "It has been distributed only in some select pockets. The arguments made in the pamphlet are false."
"It seems to be widespread and a series of meetings were held with community leaders to decide on strategies to counter the effect of the pamphlets," said a district administration official.
Posted by: john ||
11/03/2006 05:55 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I had a good chuckle when I noticed that my Alcon contact lens protein remover contains "highly purified porcine pancreatin enzymes."
#2
The only open question is whether the pamphlet comes from stupid Muslims or clever non-Muslims.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/03/2006 7:55 Comments ||
Top||
#3
My guess is clever muslims, who don't care for the well-being of their population... as long as this trick allows them to further the insularity and the paranoia/feeling of victimization of what they want to remain a separate community... so that this separate community within India (but could be an another kufr country) can keep its muslim identity, and eventually weaponized against its host society.
#5
Gromky,
Yeppers...and conidering the way the majority of muslims live in the world - less than perfect hygenic conditions and tightly packed into buildings and neighborhoods - all it will take is one good outbreak...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
11/03/2006 9:06 Comments ||
Top||
#6
So, what's the problem, then, exactly?
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 9:23 Comments ||
Top||
#9
I fail to see an identifiable problem if backward, medieval death-cult worshippers want to risk exposing themselves to a crippling and paralytic disease. But that's just me.
#10
Methinks Thoth may be onto something. Us neanderthal capitalists should invent a tinfoil burqua, sell it to the MME and donate all earnings to Fred's tipjar.
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 10:30 Comments ||
Top||
But we knew which side they were on, so it's no surprise.
Former NWFP minister and provincial chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq announced on Thursday that the seminary destroyed in Mondays attack in Bajaur would be rebuilt, and launched a fund for this purpose and to support families of the people killed in the incident, with an initial party contribution of Rs 1 million.
He made the announcement at a press conference at Markaz-e-Islami, after a meeting of the JIs provincial executive council that decided to make the destroyed mosque and madrassa functional within three months. Haq said the JI had taken up the responsibility for support to victims families. He appealed to people to donate generously to the new fund, and claimed that the majority of victims belonged to poor families. The JI chief appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo moto action against the Bajaur tragedy to prove that the judiciary does exist. He criticised the president and the prime minister for calling students terrorists.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
PESHAWAR: Amnesty International has expressed concern that those killed in this weeks air strike on a madrassa in Bajaur Agency, might have been executed extra-judicially. The British-based human rights organisation noted, in a statement issued in London on Wednesday and received here on Thursday via email, that
... no attempt had apparently been made to arrest those inside the madrassa before the strike...
no attempt had apparently been made to arrest those inside the madrassa before the strike, despite claims by the Pakistani government that militants were using the building as a terrorist training ground.
Local residents have argued that the 82 victims killed in Mondays aerial target were not militants but clerics and students, many of whom were under 18 years of age. And according to the Amnesty statement, children as young as six years old had been killed in the attack.
In its statement, Amnesty said: Local people have stated that the initial attack was carried out by drones. Villagers have reported hearing loud explosions and observing the destruction of the madrassa. This was followed some 20 minutes later by the appearance of two helicopter gunships, which also fired rockets into the area. The villagers reportedly said that they had observed drones in the days before the attack flying over the village.
... the killings are considered extra-judicial executions in violation of international human rights law.
The statement went on to issue a stark warning to Islamabad: Amnesty International would like to remind the Pakistani authorities that if these killings were deliberate and took place without first attempting to arrest suspected offenders, without warning, without the suspects offering armed resistance, and in circumstances in which suspects posed no immediate risk to security forces, the killings are considered extra-judicial executions in violation of international human rights law.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Its too bad they didn't get the Amnesty fuckwits.
#2
Does anyone else get a sense of intense irony over the fact that tranzi organizations like Amnesty International essentially depend upon the resolve of conservative elements to carry out whatever "summary executions" are necessary to prevent these extremists from killing off their avowed enemies, namely, tranzi liberals?
I'm getting a little sick of supporting liberal rights while having to watch these same individuals undermine the efforts required to protect their own safety. Such collective ingratitude strikes me as nothing short of profound.
LAHORE: Prince Charles and his wife Camilla worshipped at visited the Pakistani city of Lahore yesterday - and avoided the mistake of the late Princess Diana, whose short skirt outraged mullahs at a historic mosque. The heir to the British throne and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, spent three hours in the eastern city touring a Sikh Temple and an Anglican Church, as well as the red sandstone Badshahi Mosque.
They removed their shoes in keeping with custom at the giant 17th-century mosque, where they were received by the prayer leader. The prince put on soft black foot covers while Camilla went barefoot. Camilla kept her legs hidden underneath a grey and ivory shalwar kameez - a tunic and trouser set. She also wore a blue headscarf. Charles wore a grey suit and tie.
Check the picture at the link. Proper dhimmis. Barf.
Diana caused controversy in 1991, during her first solo visit to Pakistan, when she donned an above-the-knee dress to see the same mosque, one of the world's largest.
And she had great legs to show off.
Some angry Muslim leaders said she should have covered up.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Camilla kept her legs hidden underneath a grey and ivory shalwar kameez - a tunic and trouser set. She also wore a blue headscarf.
NB : AFAIK, this fits with the "alliance of civilizations" brokered by Spain, France and the UN, resulting on a covert assault on secularism by infusing "religious" (guess which religion) elements into the so called "international law", like anti-blasphemy laws, the surrendering of the right to change religion and thus apostize islam... this is an effort led by the EU, I'll try to find english material on it.
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 2) - AP
A group of Minnesota National Guard soldiers stationed in Iraq hold up a comically misspelled sign mocking Sen. John Kerry's comment that people who don't study could get "stuck in Iraq."
The Massachusetts Democrat told a group of college students this week that people who don't study and do their homework were likely to "get stuck in Iraq." Kerry has since apologized, saying he botched a joke meant to be about President Bush.
The photo shows eight soldiers holding a white sign with heavy blue letters spelling out, "Halp us Jon Carry - We R stuck hear n Irak."
The photo has appeared in newspapers and on television newscasts and Web sites. It was apparently first posted on the Web by radio host Charlie Sykes of WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee on Wednesday. It was provided by a listener, the station said.
Capt. J. Elaine Hunnicutt, a spokeswoman in the Joint Operations Center in Iraq, confirmed in an e-mail that the soldiers in the photo were from the Minnesota Guard and that commanders see it "as a humorous response."
Meanwhile, in Mississippi, Republican Sen. Trent Lott said he felt for Kerry. "I almost felt like calling John Kerry and saying, 'John, apologize and go home,"' Lott said.
In December 2002, Lott lost the chance to regain his position as majority leader after saying at Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party that the country "wouldn't have had all these problems over the years" if it had elected Thurmond president in 1948. Thurmond was a strong segregationist at the time.
This story does not make sense to me. If she had a problem, aren't there are better ways to protest than kill onself?
Flagstaff soldier who died in Iraq committed suicide after she refused to participate in interrogation techniques being practiced by her U.S. Army intelligence unit, according to a report about an Army investigation aired by a Flagstaff radio station.
U.S. Army Spc. Alyssa R. Peterson, 27, died Sept. 15, 2003, in Tel Afar, an Iraqi city of about 350,000 residents in the northern part of the country.
At the time, the U.S. Department of Defense listed her cause of death as a "noncombat weapons discharge."
I am from AZ so this is close to home. I am hoping some Rantburgers with expertise in Iraq or interrogation can shed some light on this. At minimum, it sounds like we need to screen people better who are going to be doing interrogations. I can see how some folks would not be a good psychological fit for that task. The story is poorly written, but the soldier sounds like a very capable, patriotic person.
Current practice is to treat psych problems related to combat stress as close to the soldier's unit as possible, and to get them back into the groove quickly. If her situation involved a discipline issue, that would also have been handled at the unit level. Very often, coaching by superiors and peer pressure work. Sometimes they don't.
#2
A good friend of mine took his life recently. It shocked everyone who knew him. The general question was why, what went through his mind? And the short answer was nobody knows. He obviously had his reasons and they probably accumulated over the many years of his life. Just like her. God rest her soul.
#3
I don't mean to be insensitive or anything, but right now I question the TIMING of all things reported. With the election just literally days away, why is something that happened over 3 years ago being reported? Unless, the suicide reasoning JUST came to light, it's pure politics in my mind.
Posted by: BA ||
11/03/2006 11:19 Comments ||
Top||
#4
BA nails it.
The lady killed herself over three years ago. The story underlying the reasons for the suicide is just now coming to light? BS. It's a hit piece on the Trunks.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
11/03/2006 11:34 Comments ||
Top||
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- (Nov. 1, 2006) -- Multi-National Forces West received an exponential boost in power when action films stars Chuck Norris and Marshall Teague visited Camp Fallujah Nov. 1. Marshall Teague often played a Narn in Babylon 5, and not doubt, other roles.
The visit was part of their United Service Organizations-sponsored tour of Al Anbar Province, Iraq, and Kuwait.
I came out here to see the morale of the troops and give them a morale boost, said the 66-year-old martial arts expert. If it helps them in any way positively, Im elated.
Brig. Gen Robert B. Neller, deputy commanding general for MNF-W, and Maj. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer, commanding general MNF-W, worked diligently to bring Norris and Teague here for their deployed warriors.
Norris explained he planned to visit Iraq three years ago, but because of an impending major operation he was unable to make the trip. He said he believes the operation was tied to the capture of Saddam Hussein, which was announced two days after the trip cancellation.
During their tour, they were able to observe an operations intelligence briefing, visit Fallujah Surgical, and were given a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program demonstration at the chapel. The service members who attended the assembly at the chapel looked ecstatic when Norris and Teague arrived there, chanting Chuck, Chuck, Chuck and the troops broke into an uproar when the living-legends entered the building.
Before the Marine Corps Martial Arts demonstration, Col. George H. Bristol, Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group commanding officer, spoke about the programs benefits to the user. Bristol mentioned that when he was putting together the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, Chuck Norris was one of the first people to take an interest in the development. The Marine Corps is a fighting organization, based on honor, courage, and commitment, and thats how Chuck Norris has lived his life. This is a match made in heaven, said Bristol.
Following the demonstration, Norris highlighted his career as a martial arts expert and movie star in a speech to more than 1,000 service members. He also talked about his Kick-Start program for teaching middle-school kids martial arts and keeping them away from drugs and gangs. The statement earned him an ovation from the crowd.
Norris also saluted all the military members who attended, and let them know how special the military is to him. The military is very close to me, because it turned my life around, Norris said about his four-year tenure in the Air Force, where he served in Korea in the early 60s. Joining the military helped me get on the right path.
Its cool to have someone of his stature out here, said Cpl. Michael E. Hamilton, a scout sniper with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. (The USO) could have sent somebody who had nothing to do with the military, but they sent Chuck Norris.
I think it was great he came out here to see us, said Sgt. Frank Ellin, staff secretary administration noncommissioned officer and information systems coordinator. I know hes busy, and it was awesome he came out here to see us troops and raise our morale.
Norris and Teague will see more than 10,000 troops in their four-day volunteer tour of Al Anbar Province and Kuwait, said Rachel M. Tischler, USO director of entertainment.
Norris also spoke about how he already had ties with troops deployed to Iraq. We communicate to a lot of troops out here through our Web site, the Walker Texas Ranger star said. Im a spiritual leader to 10 platoons here in Iraq.
The master of the roundhouse kick also mentioned what will stick out to him the most about his visit. Ill remember the smiles on the faces of the troops. Theyre great kids out here, he said. These troops are motivated to win this war.
Posted by: Bobby ||
11/03/2006 05:57 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
The chief export of Chuck Norris is Pain.
There is no chin under Chuck Norris' Beard. There is only another fist.
Chuck Norris has two speeds. Walk, and Kill.
The leading causes of death in the United States are: 1. Heart Disease 2. Chuck Norris 3. Cancer
Chuck Norris drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls.
Chuck Norris is my Homeboy.
Chuck Norris doesn't go hunting.... CHUCK NORRIS GOES KILLING
Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.
Crop circles are Chuck Norris' way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie down.
Chuck Norris is the only human being to display the Heisenberg uncertainty principle -- you can never know both exactly where and how quickly he will roundhouse-kick you in the face.
Chuck Norris can hit you so hard that he can actually alter your DNA. Decades from now your descendants will occasionally clutch their heads and yell "What The Hell was That?"
Chuck Norris was the fourth wise man, who gave baby Jesus the gift of beard, which he carried with him until he died. The other three wise men were enraged by the preference that Jesus showed to Chuck's gift, and arranged to have him written out of the bible. All three died soon after of mysterious roundhouse-kick related injuries.
The grass is always greener on the other side, unless Chuck Norris has been there. In that case the grass is most likely soaked in blood and tears.
When Steven Seagal kills a ninja, he only takes its hide. When Chuck Norris kills a ninja, he uses every part.
Chuck Norris invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.
There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma.
It takes 14 puppeteers to make Chuck Norris smile, but only 2 to make him destroy an orphanage.
When J. Robert Oppenheimer said "I am become death, the destroyer Of worlds", He was not referring to the atomic bomb. He was referring to the Chuck Norris halloween costume he was wearing.
If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris.
There is endless debate about the existence of the human soul. Well it does exist, and Chuck Norris finds it delicious.
Filming on location for Walker: Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris brought a stillborn baby lamb back to life by giving it a prolonged beard rub. Shortly after the farm animal sprang back to life and a crowd had gathered, Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked the animal, breaking its neck, to remind the crew once more that Chuck giveth, and the good Chuck, he taketh away.
#11
During the 15th century Chuck Norris became tired of sailors complaining about falling off the edge of the Earth. Chuck Norris then round house kicked the Earth and made it round. He then created Scientology so that one day he could have a reason to hate Tom Cruise.
Posted by: Dar ||
11/03/2006 12:36 Comments ||
Top||
#13
The 5 Commandments that Mel, er, Moses dropped coming down the mountain:
11. Thou shalt not Kill, not becauseth it's bad, but becauseth that's Chuck's job.
12. Thou shalt shave but once per week so that thou shalt look like Chuck.
13. Thou shalt buy the Home Gym® Chuck selleth on TV.
14. Thou shalt not covet Christie Brinkley for she is Chuck's bitch.
15. Thou shalt not put Don Wilson or Steven Seagal before Chuck. And that goes double for that Belgian fluffer.
"These kids might never recognize the kid Norris once was: scrawny, uncoordinated, raised by a single mom in Oklahoma.
He joined the Air Force in 1958, after high school, and discovered martial arts while stationed in Korea. He came home with a black belt. He began competing in order to drum up business for his karate studio and went on to win six world titles."
In an assessment for a military journal, a U.S. Army officer who advised Iraqi troops concludes the goal of having Iraq control its security "will exceed" the new army's capability "for some time to come." In an article for Military Review, Lt. Col. Carl D. Grunow wrote that "without steadfast American support, these officers and soldiers will likely give up and consider the entire effort a lost cause."
Grunow recounted his experience of 12 months as the senior adviser to an Iraqi army armored brigade in Taji, north of Baghdad. His stint ended in June. The article in the July-August issue of Military Review is titled "Advising Iraqis: Building the Iraqi Army." Grunow found and grappled with several problems during his experience.
One was what he called the Iraqi "death blossom," in which any enemy attack on the soldiers "provokes the average Iraqi soldier to empty his 30-round magazine and fire whatever belt of ammunition happens to be in his machine gun. Ninety percent of the time, there is no target, and the soldiers always agree that this is extremely dangerous, in addition to being a grievous waste of ammunition. But they continue to do it."
Grunow also found that Iraqi soldiers were using techniques and tactics from the Iran-Iraq war, when there were "clear battle lines fought with mass military formations, and one in which civilians on the battlefield were a nuisance, not the center of gravity." He contrasted the new Iraqi army with the one under ousted ruler Saddam Hussein. "Iron discipline was the norm under Saddam. The lowliest lieutenant could expect instant obedience and extreme deference from his soldiers," Grunow wrote. "Today's army is very different. Unlike Saddam's, the new army serves the cause of freedom, and officers and soldiers alike are a bit confused about what this means."
Iraqis, he said, are "horrendous at keeping track of their soldiers. There are no routine accountability formations, and units typically have to wait until payday to get a semi-accurate picture of who is assigned to the unit. Because Iraqi status reports are almost always wrong, American advisers have taken to counting soldiers at checkpoints to get a sense of where combat power is distributed." Key paragraph coming up:
Grunow praised the Iraqi skill in dealing with a tough environment. He said that "economic sanctions and austerity have made the Iraqis outstanding improvisers" and they "display great ingenuity with maintenance operations." ...and manufacturing IEDs. One trait of Iraqis is that they are "fatalistic, surrendering their future to the will of Allah. This explains how they can continue to function despite daily car bombings, atrocities and murders that have touched nearly every family." ...and why some of them are extremely hard to pacify.
He wrote the "most frustrating aspect" of this viewpoint is that "it translates into a lack of diligence and detailed planning. To their credit, the Iraqis almost always made mission, but it was typically not to the standard that Americans expect."
Cultural differences and friction are "inevitable," Grunow wrote, and command relationships involving U.S. and Iraqi forces presented some misunderstandings. "Another problem plaguing the strategy is that it's unnatural for U.S. soldiers to step back and allow their Iraqi partners to take the lead when the soldiers think they can do it more efficiently and quickly." Despite deep disparities, the 2nd Armored Brigade, the unit he assisted, now takes the lead on operations "within its AO [area of operations], suffering casualties and fighting the enemy alongside its American partners."
#1
There are negotiations going on in Amman, Jordan between the Iraq government and the opposition (terrorists and non-beligerents), which could end the conflict. Engagements suggest that US troops are attacked, not to end the occupation, but to get them out of the way so that sectarians can have a go at each other.
Apparently, the Sunnis are going to the wall against Shiite control while the Shiites want a free hand against their Islamic enemy. And Sunnis have Saudi funding (not necessarily from government sources)
Unfortunately, the Iranian government is smuggling sufficient cash to keep both anti-Sunnite and Occupation campaigns going. If they cannot bribe Iraq troops, they threaten their families.
So what can the US do? Play the Sunni Card, and attack Iran. Sometimes your only choice is between bad and worse. And that is tough luck for the Ayatollahs.
#2
He gave a good assessment. By far, everyone is in agreement that the Iraqi military is too informal, seen as "just a job", where you can take leave anytime you like.
This is a problem that can only be solved by gradualism, call it a "professionalism upgrade." This will be done once the army is up to full strength and in complete control of the country.
It will involve the creation of a major "elite" unit, held to much higher standards as an "honor" unit. It will be held up as an example to other units to emulate, whose new commanders will slowly integrate the elite units' policies until they are the norm, attriting out soldiers who don't adapt.
The changeover will also include the "up or out" policy that the US uses in its military, to continually hone its military professionalism, and, importantly, to create a very large inactive reserve.
#3
..I'm curious - has anyone tried doing an "I'm an Iraqi" ad campaign for the Iraqi army the way they do ad campaigns here for the US Army? It seems we are pretty good at that sort of thing and if we can create and reinforce an image of a tough, professional, NON-SCETARIAN Iraqi military, we might get some real benefits out of it.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
11/03/2006 9:00 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Any different than rebuilding the South Korean army after its near annihilation in the summer of 1950? I do detect that unlike then, we've actually spent the time to do some real training before throwing them into a grinder. The present method seems a lot less Darwinist and less costly in lives.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/03/2006 9:14 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Steve, no, I've heard that term repeatedly. It seems to be in common usage over there.
As for this business of the Iraqis "display[ing] great ingenuity with maintenance operations", if that's truly the case, then they're something new in the history of modern Arab militaries, since according to Ken Pollack, one of the most consistent characteristics of Arab militaries is their universal incompetence in maintenance and related technical fields, to the extent of most Arab militaries employing large cadres of foreign technical and maintenance support personnel to keep things operational. This explicitly included the Iraqi army up to the time Pollack was writing.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
11/03/2006 10:38 Comments ||
Top||
#7
The Iraqi Army has a strong incentive to be creative about maintenance of armoured vehicles : IEDs. Most of the Iraqi Army only has access to the leftovers of Saddam's Soviet equipment, which has been rusting away in depots since the end of the war, or unarmoured pickup trucks. When they get a good mechanic crew together, they cannibalize several of the downed vehicles to get a few runners, and then equip a unit. The Allies like Poland have been shipping spare parts to the Iraqis since most Polish equipment is still ex-Soviet, as well as full vehicles.
Naked self-interest fuels changes in approaches, also, several Iraqi Army units are filled with Kurdish Peshmerga which are noted for their ability to adapt and overcome.
Mahmoud Abbas is inclined to seek new elections if talks with Hamas militants on forming a moderate government do not produce results in about two weeks, a top aide to the PA chairman said. Abbas has been trying to end a punishing aid cutoff by setting up a government acceptable to the West, either in a power-sharing arrangement between Hamas and his Fatah movement, or by appointing independent technocrats. However, Hamas has balked at demands that it recognize Israel, and no solution to the deadlock has emerged.
Independent legislator Mustafa Barghouti, who has been shuttling between the two sides, said Thursday that an agreement on a new government is close, but he would not disclose details. "We have made good progress. We are almost there," Barghouti said after meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. Barghouti later met Abbas to brief him on his five hours of talks with Haniyeh and told reporters the two men had also spoken directly by phone. He said tentative agreement has been reached on a political program acceptable to the West. However, negotiations have broken down in the past, despite upbeat forecasts.
The head of Abbas' office, Rafiq Husseini, said the Palestinian leader still hopes to reach a solution. But if negotiations fail, Abbas "feels instinctively that the best thing for him to do is to go back to his people," meaning a new election, Husseini said in an interview at the presidential headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Under the Palestinians' Basic Law, Abbas cannot call an early election. However, he could try to get around that by holding a referendum on early elections. Hamas was elected in parliament elections in January, and the next vote is not due for another three years. Abbas was elected separately in 2005.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
November 3, 2006: For all the publicity they get, the U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator UAV doesn't get a lot of action. Only about 30 Predators are deployed overseas. Each Predator averages about 110 hours in the air each month. Each aircraft flies 6-7 sorties a month, each one lasting 17-18 hours on average. While the air force is working to create fifteen Predator squadrons, there are only four on active duty (one is for training and another belongs to SOCOM). Each Predator squadron has at least twelve UAVs, and sometimes as many as 24. Squadrons have 400-500 personnel. Only about two thirds of those troops go overseas with the UAVs. The rest stay behind in the United States, and fly the Predators via a satellite link.
However, most of the UAV work is done by over a thousand smaller (under ten pound) micro-UAVs like the Raven. The soldiers and marines work these little UAVs to death, because these tiny aircraft have become a matter of life-or-death. The troops control these micro-aircraft, and use them in combat operations daily. But the air force, and the manufacturers, have been successful at keeping the Predator in the news, even though Predator is not the major player in the UAV world.
The air force has bought about 250 Predators so far, and a quarter of those are not yet delivered. Most of the ones in use are Predator A's, which cost $4.5 and can stay in the air for up to 40 hours. Most of those still on order are $9 million MQ-9A Reaper (formerly called "Predator B"), which can carry two, or more, Hellfire missiles (or 500 pound smart bombs). The Reapers will serve in separate "attack squadrons." The Predators are in reconnaissance squadrons.
The initial buy of Reapers is for 36 aircraft, and nine sets of control equipment. Thus the Reaper will operate in sections of four aircraft, one of which can be in the air at a time. As with the Predator, Reaper flight crews (usually a pilot and one sensor operator) are based back in the United States, with only maintenance personnel going overseas.
#1
Most of those still on order are $9 million MQ-9A Reaper (formerly called "Predator B"), which can carry two, or more, Hellfire missiles (or 500 pound smart bombs).
Don't Fear the Reaper
Posted by: Mike ||
11/03/2006 12:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
...I'd give anything to know what names the crews are giving these beasts.:)
The last time I was at Red Flag in 1998, the first Predator units had just stood up and I had a chance to work with one of them for a day. The troops were set aside from the rest of the base, and there was a definite attitude problem on the part of the fighter drivers at Nellis, but a Lieutenant told me then that it wouldn't be long before somebody was on their knees calling for a Predator.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
11/03/2006 13:20 Comments ||
Top||
#3
The Air Force is really reliant on one thing only: mastery. But this is something most UAVs are currently lacking, they are too simple for mystique.
In the next few generations, this will change. AI and swarm AI will restore the sense of mastery to the Air Force.
In the individual case, a plane AI will "talk" to its ground "operator". For example, the plane will say to the ground operator, "I think I see something down there. I will check it out." And then it will show a picture of what it sees to its operator, while getting a closer look. That is, it will behave like a pilot talking to their co-pilot.
In turn, their co-pilot can watch other sensors to spot what hasn't been noticed by the AI. It sounds ridiculously complex, and it is, but it is not unrealistic.
With a swarm AI, the ground operator acts like the lead bee telling the swarm to attack a bear. He directs the swarm, but the individual UAVs determine their own part in it, and avoid getting in each others way.
The ground operator can be any one of the swarm, attacking and pulling back to see where to attack next, switching between UAVs for different perspectives.
But, in either of these cases, mastery is the key to operating effectively.
#6
What's even more galling to the "old hat" Air Force command structure is that the majority of the UAV operators are young ENLISTED troops...
I can't wait until the Air Force can reconfigure the A-10 as a UAV, and build them by the thousands. Cutting the extra weight of that titanium "bathtub" and other "survivability features" for the PILOT would greatly enhance the capability of that aircraft. I'd even be willing to give them to the Army... Flying TANKS!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
11/03/2006 14:46 Comments ||
Top||
#7
I good question would be who would make UAV A-10 Thunderbolts? Fairchild Aviation was bought out by M7 Aerospace, who probably still has their design patents.
In truth, the 35-year-old design of the A-10 could be seriously upgraded. It would gain half a ton of payload: weapons, ammunition and fuel. It would need a ceramic plate armored underbelly, since instant pilot reaction is critical to flying a damaged aircraft, so it would be something to be avoided.
Heaven knows how its engines would differ. Much of the plane would be modular for ease of repair.
A different configuration for reconnaisance might be similar to the intelligence gathering capabilities of the (bastard child) OV-1 Mohawk, which was even less respected than the Warthog for its extraordinary abilities. It was a prop aircraft!
If you can imagine a prop version of a Warthog, able to fly at a sluggish 70mph, or as fast as 450mph, depending on circumstances. At the slow speed, it might double the flight time of the Warthog.
Again, with modern designs, this would be an extraordinary hunter-killer team.
#8
'Moose,
Fairchild destroyed the jigs and tooling for the A-10 some years ago. They were getting ready to build a bird called the T-46, which was supposed to replace the old Cessna T-37 as the USAF's basic jet trainer. Trouble is, Fairchild had limited plant space no money to store the old A-10 tooling - so out it went...
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
11/03/2006 16:47 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Let teh Af grab headlines as long as they dont try to take over the in-theater and battalion controlled assets from the peopel actually doing the fighting.
The whole "remote control" bullshit where teh AF was runnign everythign from Qatar is what screwed specops badly in the begining of Afghanistan's talib hunt. USAF wants to still silo too much stuff, and maintain the flyboy poopy-suit club.
#10
OS, agreeed that that helps direct tactical ops. OTOH, there is great value as well in battalion level recon and surveillance -- wider AO awareness, much longer time on station etc.
A mix is probably called for. Heard the same stories re: Afghanistan, tho. I think part of the deal is that this is a new kind of asset and, apart from the political maneuvering to own mission, people are just beginning to realize how UAVs can/should change tactics and doctrine.
#11
FWIW, I had the insane good luck to work with (support) both the raven UAV (Think toy plane with camera, controlled by company/BN) and the shadow-A UAV ( Predator's baby sibling, controlled by Bde/Div HQs)
Flying them into the ground pretty well summarizes what happend during OIF III. We could have used twice as many airframes of both systems. we were out of usable airframes before our tour ended. Very frustrating. lots of other quibbles and complaints, edited here for OPSEC reasons. Very useful, I hope we see lots more such systems in the future.
Air force may have done good at the theater/national level, and they were extremely useful logisticly, but down at our BCT they were irrelevant tacticly.
The only reason we had any AF personell at all in our AO was that the AF was tasked with EOD (!!) in our AO. Go figure.
Posted by: N guard ||
11/03/2006 21:20 Comments ||
Top||
Jakarta, 3 Nov. (AKI) - An Iranian parlamentary delegation is expected in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Friday for a seven-day official visit to discuss bilateral relations. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of Tehran's nuclear programme, provided it is for civilian use. The international community fears Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons and the UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss sanctions against the country over sensitive atomic work it has refused to freeze.
Tehran has offered technological cooperation to Indonesia which has announced the construction of a number of nuclear power plants by 2015. Indeed an Indonesian delegation conducted a study on Iranian nuclear power plants in August.
Indonesia, the only OPEC country to be a net importer of petrol, needs energy to cover the needs of the 230 million people who live on the country's archipelago of 17,000 islands. The country's energy needs grow on average 10 percent a year.
#4
Did anyone actually believe that things would turn out remotley different from what they have with this asshole in charge? It's been all downhill from the moment this shithead sat behind his desk.
#3
Comparing Israel's construction of the wall to Hitler's death camps is so far wide of the mark as to be ridiculous. Only Muslims could fail to see the difference between criminal detention of noncombatant civilians and containment of some of the most violent thug terrorists on earth.
We need to have another round of Mohammed cartoons so that more of these idiots can trample each other to death.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Hezbollah is asking "a price" for information about whether two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by the militant group are still alive, Britain's U.N. ambassador said Thursday. Emyr Jones Parry's comment comes two days after Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah revealed that "serious negotiations" were taking place over the soldiers, whose capture provoked a 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel.
"They're asking a price for proof of life," Jones Parry said Thursday. He gave no details on what he meant by "price."
Olmert's weak enough he might go for this. I personally would ask Nasty what the price is for not dropping a cluster bomb on him.
Nasrallah said in an interview on his group's television channel Al-Manar that a negotiator appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan - who has not been publicly identified - had been mediating between Hezbollah and Israeli officials. Nasrallah would not provide details about the negotiations, but he said: "We have reached a stage of exchanging ideas, proposals or conditions."
In Jerusalem on Wednesday, Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin declined to confirm any indirect talks with Hezbollah, which Israel and the United States regard as a terrorist organization. "We don't comment about anything that has to do with the abducted soldiers," Eisin said. "Israel will do all it takes to get their release without hurting Israel's security."
In that case, no exchanges and no payments.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/03/2006 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
This is like demanding financial compenstion for medical tests to prove that hostages have not been raped prior to handover. Nasrallah needs to be offed just for this insult alone. Olmert needs to offer up the bombing of a few square miles in Beirut as reimbursement.
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.
Intelligence agencies have located Brahmdag Bugti, grandson of the late Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, in Kabul and have asked the Afghan government to hand him over to Pakistani authorities, sources said on Thursday. Sources said the intelligence agencies were informed that Brahmdag was in Kandahar, but he soon moved his hideout to Kabul. They said that Pakistani agencies had asked their Afghan counterparts to hand over Brahmdag to them because he was involved in several murder and terrorism cases in Pakistan. Sources said the Afghan government would soon hand over Brahmdag to the Pakistani authorities because the latter had provided evidence against the Baloch tribal leaders grandson.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Islamic extremists in Somalia are threatening to stage suicide bombings in parts of East Africa, the U.S. Embassy said Thursday in the latest warning that conflict in Somalia could spread in this volatile region.
Authorities in Nigeria named an army colonel Thursday as the country's top Muslim leader, replacing his brother, who died in a plane crash last weekend.
Prince Charles Tuesday said that the world problems could be resolve by following Islamic teachings, as Islam is a religion of peace and brotherhood. Prince Charles while addressing a ceremony during his visit to Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) stressed on better relations between Islam and other religions. He said that clash of civilizations could be averted by following the teaching of Islam and Quraan.
Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday that he had no regrets about the article he wrote on Muslim women's veils that triggered an emotionally charged debate around Britain and as far away as the Middle East. 
(Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration claim that North Korea cheated or reneged on a 1994 agreement with the U.S. to freeze its nuclear program is ``completely false and ridiculous,'' former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said. Carter, a Democrat who helped broker the agreement with the North Koreans on behalf of then-President Bill Clinton, said the pact was ``observed pretty well by both sides'' for eight years. 
The main U.S. envoy to South Korea said Washington will seek to resolve financial restrictions on North Korea that have hindered nuclear talks, after Pyongyang agreed to return to the negotiations following its nuclear test. "We want to resolve these issues because we do want to have a normal relationship with North Korea," U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said in a lecture to university students, referring to the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over U.S. moves to cut off the communist nation's access to foreign banks for alleged illicit activities like counterfeiting and money laundering. Pyongyang has said it will seek to have the financial restrictions lifted at the resumed talks, last held in November 2005. They involve the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the U.S.
"Of course Americans should vote Democrat," Jihad Jaara, a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, told WND.
Canada is granting asylum to 54 Palestinians living in a Jordanian refugee camp who fled from their homes in Iraq two years ago, a UN representative said Thursday. The refugees were among 150 Palestinians living in the Ruweishid refugee camp, some 350 kilometers (217 miles) east of the Jordanian capital without valid identification documents, said Robert Breen, Jordan's representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "They are expected in their new home before the end of the year," Breen said on the telephone. 
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Remains of a flight attendant and passenger on the first plane to hit the World Trade Center on September 11 have been identified in New York, as families of attack victims rallied for a thorough new Ground Zero search.
VADODARA, INDIA: With the government pushing its polio campaign, pamphlets claiming that administering polio drops may lead to impotency and sterility distributed in some areas of Godhra recently have left both the people and the district administration in a tizzy. The Intensive Pulse Polio Immunisation programme is scheduled for November 12.
Former NWFP minister and provincial chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq announced on Thursday that the seminary destroyed in Mondays attack in Bajaur would be rebuilt, and launched a fund for this purpose and to support families of the people killed in the incident, with an initial party contribution of Rs 1 million. 
London, Nov. 02 Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh will travel to Iran later this month to hold talks with senior Iranian officials.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Hezbollah is asking "a price" for information about whether two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by the militant group are still alive, Britain's U.N. ambassador said Thursday. Emyr Jones Parry's comment comes two days after Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah revealed that "serious negotiations" were taking place over the soldiers, whose capture provoked a 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel.
