KABUL, Afghanistan - Bribery and corruption are pervasive in Afghanistans current government, according to a survey released Monday that said most Afghans believe their leaders are more corrupt than the Soviet-backed government in the 1980s or the Taleban-run government in the 1990s.
About 60 percent of respondents said the current administration is more corrupt than any other in the past two decades, said the report by Integrity Watch Afghanistan, an independent group. 'Over the last five years, corruption has soared to levels not seen in previous administrations, it said. Money can buy government appointments, bypass justice or evade police, while the government is unable or unwilling to seriously tackle corruption, it said. The group said it interviewed 1,258 Afghans for the study.
The courts and the Interior Ministry were highlighted as the most corrupt institutions. The groups executive director, Lorenzo Delesgues, pointed to weak law enforcement as a main reason for corruption and bribery. Corruption has undermined the legitimacy of the state, Delesgues told a news conference.
The group, which conducted the survey in 13 provinces, said 93 percent of the respondents believed that bribes had to be paid for more than half of public services and administrative work. The report said impunity and unaccountability of civil servants underpinned corruption. Despite the reports of widespread bribery and corruption, 45 percent of respondents said corruption had little or no effect on their households.
Corruption in Afghanistan is fueled by low-paid government workers who pad their salaries by demanding bribes to process simple paperwork. Many Afghans pay bribes to avoid trouble with police, who make about US$70 (Ð52.53) a month. The countrys booming heroin trade also leads to corruption, with police and other government officials looking the other way after payoffs by farmers and drug-runners.
Even Afghanistans anti-corruption chief, Izzatullah Wasifi, has a troubling past. A recent Associated Press investigation found he was convicted two decades ago for selling heroin in the United States. Wasifi is adamant his drug conviction should not affect his ability to serve in government, and compares his situation to US President George W. Bush, who was once arrested in 1976 for drunk driving.
Bad comparison.
He points to his record as governor of western Farah province, where opium production dropped 25 percent during his 14-month tenure before he took his current position. Officials who worked with Wasifi in Farah mostly commended his work after he paid them to do so.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Sounds like a pretty big improvement to me. Talibunnies - destroy priceless cultural artifacts, beat you for shaving, kill girls for getting an education .... control everything you think and do.
Afghan Government - take bribes like the rest of the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, most of Asia and half of Europe.
Gotta remember, it's a tribal society. The sheik used to get his take, now it's the new power in town.
I wonder how they stack up in the global bribery competition(in purchasing power parity terms as well as % of GDP. That would make a good dissertation, assuming you survived the research).
#2
Wasifi is adamant his drug conviction should not affect his ability to serve in government, and compares his situation to US President George W. Bush, who was once arrested in 1976 for drunk driving.
These guys just don't get it. DUI is bad enough, but it won't lead to large scale suffering like contributing to the drug trade. Sad thing is he wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't accepted by those who share his culture. Minimization and denial reign supreme. Unless they get the short end of the stick, then it's blood feud for the next 10 generations that it will take for the incident to be forgotten.
Out of 159 countries, with Bangladesh and Chad at the very bottom and Iceland, Finland, New Zealand and Denmark in descending order from the top, Afghanistan is at #117:
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe [Hard to believe Mugabe is doing a better job than Karzai]
Afghanistan - #117
Bolivia
Ecuador
#3
The brilliant solution to this is when such a child is found, whoever comes to rescue them brings pork fat and pours it over the child and themselves!
Then yell to the Muslims that you are covered in pork fat and if one of them touches you he will be forever unclean, while making good your escape.
London, 20 March (AKI) - In what is expected to be a controversial move, Britain's education minister Alan Johnson will on Tuesday tell head teachers they may ban schoolchildren from wearing the full Muslim veil or niqab on "safety, security and teaching" grounds. A new uniform policy to be distributed to schools gives head teachers the right to stop pupils covering their faces. The guideline, which will be put out to consultation among headteachers and parents, does not appear to stop girls wearing a headscarf, the Guardian newspaper said, quoting information leaked by Johnson to the Sun tabloid.
Johnson, who is eyeing the deputy Labour leadership, argues safety, security and effective teaching must take priority over tolerance of children's religious and cultural beliefs and that it is for teachers to judge whether the if it is necessary to see a pupil's face to teach them effectively and safely.
#2
A good first step -- 'til now the government were afraid to address the subject at all. Next they need to make that mandatory for teachers as well as students, coupled with mandatory schooling -- the parents being jailed for not complying. Oh, and hold Muslim private schools to national education standards or summarily shut them down.
#3
I dunno, TW. I suspect the "mandatory schooling" would be used to hit Christian or other home schoolers. If a transi government can misuse a law, it will misuse a law.
Eighteen training officials from the German military are in court Monday charged with the abuse of recruits. They could each face jail sentences of up to 10 years if found guilty of mistreating over 80 soldiers in 2004.
"What happened was that a night operation was set up," Wolfgang Schweer, the senior prosecutor for the court case, explained. "The drill sergeants of the company ambushed, overwhelmed and chained up the cadets -- and took them into the barracks. There, some of the manacled soldiers were made to kneel down. Then, boot bags were put on their heads, so that they couldn't see a thing. Apparently they were also sprayed with water, and as I understand it, a field radio was used to subject one soldier to electric shocks."
According to the prosecutor's office, other soldiers had to carry tree trunks, or walk after their feet had been rubbed raw, until they could take no more. That's it.
The Bundeswehr prides itself as an army based on democratic principles. What this means in practice is that military orders are not to be obeyed without question. Unlike in other armies, German soldiers should not carry out an order from a senior officer if it represents a violation of human rights. And one day, every German soldier will carry a 3 kg copy of the EU constitution into battle. "Just a second there, Herr Obergefreiter ... [flip flip flip]
"We need to make all soldiers -- at every level -- strong enough, so that they are prepared to resist when their dignity or rights are attacked without good reason," said Rolf Pappen from the internal affairs office of the Bundeswehr. "I expect that from any German citizen. But I expect that most of all from our citizens in uniform -- who are meant to put their own lives on the line when necessary, so as to protect the fundamental rights of other people."
The 18 training officers now facing charges have all been suspended from service. But it is far from certain that the trial will lead to convictions, even though the prosecutor's office is threatening the men with up to 10 years behind bars.
The men have already been tried in a local court, and two details led to that trial's collapse: the accused claimed that their cadets could have stopped the exercise at any time by saying a particular code word, and apparently most of the cadets described the experience as the "high-point of their training." But the officers now have to defend themselves for a further 45 days in court. It reads like the training cadres are doing the best they can under the circumstances; but it's still too much for the politicians.
#1
I think the US Army does that...they call it "training". But I suppose the Bundeswehr isn't a real army, just some sort of civil service brigade, sort of like the post office.
#2
Been hearing reports of the German troops in Afghanistan: "quality of their soldiers is shit" according to friends.
Germany now has its teeth completely pulled.
Compare that to the Poles. Toughest sumbitches you ever met. If they wanted payback, they could probably roll Germany in a couple of days anymore with the Bundswehr being officered and run by bureacrats and manned by wimps.
#5
After a couple hundred years of militarism and two world wars last century, I for one have no problem with their army now as wussies. Now if we can do the same for the "Lions of Islam"[tm], this world will be a nicer happier place.
The Danish newspaper editor who chose to publish controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (may his drip clear up peace be upon him) in 2005 was on Monday awarded a free press prize for his determination and courage. The Danish-based Free Press Society awarded Flemming Rose the inaugural international Sappho Prize, which comes with 20,000 kroner ($3,568).
Lars Hedegaard of the Free Press Society said the prize honoured a journalist who combines excellence in his work with courage and a refusal to compromise.
The publication of the 12 cartoons in the daily Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 prompted an international storm. Lars Hedegaard of the Free Press Society said the prize honoured a journalist who combines excellence in his work with courage and a refusal to compromise. Hedegaard compared the pressure placed on Rose and his newspaper to apologise for publishing the cartoons to those voices calling for the appeasement of Nazi Germany at the dawn of World War II. Decisive to our decision was Roses courage to print the cartoons and to stand his ground under the worst storm any journalist has ever endured, Hedegaard said. Rose declined to comment on the award but told AFP he was thankful for the recognition of his work.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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Police have arrested more than 100 Iraq war protesters in San Francisco and New York City on the fourth anniversary of the US invasion. Officers outnumbered the fewer than 100 protesters outside the stock exchange building in New York's financial district on Monday. "Stop the money, stop the war," they chanted as police hauled them away.
Demonstrators said they were protesting against defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Halliburton and General Electric. Fabian Bouthillette, 26, a teacher who served for two years in the US navy, said US soldiers and Iraqi civilians "are dying so that an elite few can profit".
A police spokesman said 44 people were arrested. The protest had no impact on the stock exchange's trading.
In San Francisco, dozens of demonstrators, many of them old enough to have once protested against the Vietnam war in the 60s and early 70s, conducted a "die in" by lying on the sidewalk and pretending to be dead. Some wore fake blood to recall the more than 3,200 US soldiers killed in the Iraq war. Many later moved to obstruct Market Street, running through the city's central business district. Neville Gittens, a police spokesman, said: "As soon as they went out there we started making arrests. They were warned."
Another spokesman said police arrested 57 people in two separate San Francisco locations. Polls show most Americans now oppose the war in Iraq, and thousands have rallied against the war in recent days nationwide.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Ship 'em off to the more lawless areas of Afghanistan and see how they like it.
#3
Fabian Bouthillette, 26, a teacher who served for two years in the US navy,
Got kicked out, did you.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/20/2007 5:42 Comments ||
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Polls show most Americans now oppose the war in Iraq, and thousands have rallied against the war in recent days nationwide.
I figgered AP, but it was Al Jizz. Somebody want to tell them there were more Anti-Anti-War protestors than there were anti-war protestors? At least in DC.
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/20/2007 6:30 Comments ||
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#5
Fabian Bouthillette, 26, a teacher who served for two years in the US navy,
Got kicked out, did you.
With a name like that, I'm surprised he lasted that long.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Vandals upset over the Iraq war defaced U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers' office overnight, a spokesman said Tuesday. The unknown individuals splattered red paint on the Lansing building and put up a sign saying the Republican has "blood" on his hands. They also spray painted the sidewalk with the words "no more deaths," glued shut the front door of the building and destroyed security cameras, said Andy Keiser, Rogers' chief of staff.
Sheriff's deputies were providing extra security at the Brighton home where Rogers lives with his wife and two children, Keiser said. "The aggressive destruction of federal property and vandalism was a callous attempt to intimidate Congressman Rogers and his staff," he said in a statement. "We all are entitled to our own opinion on the situation in Iraq, but we are not entitled to destruction of taxpayer property and intimidation of federal officials."
The FBI, U.S. Capitol police and Lansing police were investigating.
#1
These were some of the guys who couldn't make it to the (not quite) big protest in DC Saturday, so they had to express themselves some other way.
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/20/2007 15:59 Comments ||
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but they support the troops...and don't question their patriotism.
I'd shoot em on sight
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/20/2007 16:25 Comments ||
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#3
Racist pure and simple. To the current batch of anti-war protestors non-whites killing non-whites is just fine as long as no whites are anywhere near or tries to do anything about it except give money and feel bad (see North Korea, or Darfur).
If whites try to stop the conflict they are cast as villians.
The fact that Bush and Company haven't managed to frame the arguement in this way shows they are inept at the media side of the conflict.
The fact that Bush and Company haven't pushed forth the Stalinist character of those sponsering the anti-war protests shows the same thing.
#4
See my post in operations
"More From the Religion of Pieces (of Children)"
for yet one more piece of evidence against the position of these vandals.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Iraq war lumbered into its fifth year Monday with President Bush pleading for patience to let his revised battle plan work and Congress' new Democratic leaders retorting that no patience remains.
"The new strategy will need more time to take effect," Bush said in remarks televised from the White House to mark the four years since he ordered the invasion. He challenged Congress to send him a war funding bill "without strings and without delay."
He got a swift response from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"The American people have lost confidence in President Bush's plan for a war without end in Iraq," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "That failed approach has been rejected by the voters in our nation and it will be rejected by the Congress."
Four years in, the war has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 members of the U.S. military. Check. Predictions about the cost and length of the war have been far surpassed. Check. The public overwhelmingly opposes the war, Check. and Bush's approval rating stands near his all-time low. Check. Trying to halt spiraling sectarian bloodshed, Check. Bush has ordered nearly 30,000 more combat and support troops to Iraq, mostly to stabilize Baghdad. AP. Check.
"Until Baghdad's citizens feel secure in their own homes and neighborhoods," Bush said, "it will be difficult for Iraqis to make further progress toward political reconciliation or economic rebuilding, steps necessary for Iraq to build a democratic society."
From Capitol Hill, House Democratic Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina said Democrats were intent on "ending the blank check for the president's war and setting a timeline for the phased redeployment of our U.S. military." The House will vote this week on legislation that would effectively require the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by next year, while providing funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the year. "By August 2008 at the latest, U.S. combat troops will be redeployed from Iraq," said Clyburn.
A new poll reflected the stress and hopelessness Check. that are the result of the unrelenting violence Check. and uncertain political situation. The poll, by ABC News, USA Today, the BBC and ARD German TV, found only 18 percent of Iraqis have confidence in U.S. and coalition troops, 86 percent are concerned that someone in their household will be a victim of violence and 51 percent say violence against American forces is acceptable.
There were modest anti-war demonstrations in cities from coast to coast to mark the anniversary Monday. Protesters tried to block the New York Stock Exchange and several were detained. In Trenton, N.J., Bruce Tonari, a Vietnam veteran, said, "We lost our moral authority and we have to get it back."
Democrats challenged Bush's strategy. Without having one of their own.
"By diverting attention from al-Qaida Check. and stretching our troops to the breaking point, Check. the Iraq war has made America less safe, Check. not more," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "The war can only be won politically and by forcing Iraq's political factions to resolve their differences."
The House proposal received a political boost Monday, when a large anti-war group said it supports the legislation and would lobby members to vote for it. MoveOn.org Check. said it found 85 percent of its members back the bill even though it would not bring home troops immediately. The endorsement is likely to put substantial pressure on liberal members who have threatened to oppose the bill because it would not end the war by December.
A joint security crackdown by U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad and the troubled Anbar Province began Feb. 14. Bush said "success will take months, not days or weeks" _ in part because less than half of the U.S. troop reinforcements have arrived in the capital. "There will be good days, and there will be bad days ahead as the security plan unfolds," the president said.
Still, he reported positive news, some delivered during a briefing on the war with his National Security Council and a later secure videoconference call with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from Baghdad.
Bush credited Iraqis with deploying 10 army brigades and nine national police brigades to the capital, and al-Maliki's Shiite-led government for allowing U.S. troops to go after Shiite militias as well as Sunni insurgents. He said the security push had already uncovered large caches of weapons and destroyed two major car bomb factories on the outskirts of Baghdad.
He also praised al-Maliki's government for making progress on a law establishing how oil revenue would be shared among the Iraqi people and on a promise of $10 billion in Iraqi money spent on reconstruction.
What he didn't say was that Iraq missed by less than 75 days the Dec. 31 target dates to enact the oil law, as well as laws establishing provincial elections and reversing measures that have excluded many Sunnis from jobs and government positions because they belonged to Saddam's Baath party. The U.S. is also pushing for constitutional amendments to remove articles that the Sunnis believe discriminate in favor of the Shiites and Kurds. Yeah. Not your kind of democracy, our kind!
The spending bill has little chance of getting to Bush's desk, where he has promised a veto, because Democrats have a much-slimmer majority in the Senate. But the White House has worked aggressively anyway leading up to the House vote, fearing it could create momentum in the Senate and send an unwanted message globally.
"They have a responsibility to ensure that this bill provides the funds and the flexibility that our troops need to accomplish their mission," Bush said. "They have a responsibility to pass a clean bill that does not use funding for our troops as leverage to get special interest spending for their districts. And they have a responsibility to get this bill to my desk without strings and without delay."
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/20/2007 06:52 ||
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Freshman Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) has ignited a controversy after agreeing to be the keynote speaker at an April 7 banquet and fundraiser hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Philadelphia chapter. CAIR is the largest Muslim civil rights group in the country, with 30 chapters nationwide. Jewish organizations and conservative groups have criticized CAIR for not labeling Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, and for not speaking out specifically against suicide bombings against Israelis.
Sestaks acceptance of the invitation has particularly enraged members of the Philadelphia Jewish community, who bombarded him with critical questions at a forum last week. Most of the questions during the two-hour meeting dealt with the CAIR fundraiser.
The brouhaha began two weeks ago when Sestaks outreach coordinator, Adeeba Al-Zaman, booked the congressman for an event his aides presented as a banquet. But CAIRs Philadelphia chapter put out fliers billing the congressman as the featured speaker at a fundraiser. Al-Zaman is the former director of communications for CAIRs Philadelphia chapter.
Sestak said he will reiterate his strong support for Israel and criticize the terrorist groups in his speech. He added that he hasnt seen any instance where CAIR has specifically singled out Hamas and Hezbollah for criticism. I cant find where its ever condemned Hamas and Hezbollah by name, Sestak said.
We'll be waiting to see what you say in your speech. If CAIR lets reporters in , that is.
At the same time, Sestak also said CAIR was a legitimate organization and singled out their good work in fighting racial profiling.
In 2006 Sestak handily defeated GOP Rep. Curt Weldon, aided in part by a pre-election Department of Justice investigation into the Republicans lobbying ties. Damn poor trade the voters of my district made...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Sestak is apparently positioning himself to be the local Quisling.
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/20/2007 6:32 Comments ||
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#2
Sestaks acceptance of the invitation has particularly enraged members of the Philadelphia Jewish community
But they'll still vote for him because he has a D behind his name. Jewish voting patterns are simply irrational.
If he's as pissed as he should be from the fraud they perpetrated, he should go there and tear 'em a new one. He should talk about how Israel is the only democracy in the region. He should ask CAIR bluntly to condemn Hamas and Hezbollah by name. He should ask them if they consider Israeli citizens to be legitimate targets of suicide bombings. He should ask them if suicide bombers are "shaheeds" or simply sons of bitches. He should ask them why they don't mention, let alone condemn muslim on muslim massacres by the hundreds, but scream bloody murder when Israel kills one.
C'mon Joe. Use this as an opportunity to grow a pair.
#5
pressure him not to appear if the press isn't allowed in to cover it. Embarrass him with the audience's response to his "support for Israel and denouncement of terrorists" - if he actually has the guts to say it
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/20/2007 10:04 Comments ||
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#6
A speech by a politician at a fundraiser without the press? Inconceivable!
I don't know Sestak or his politics except for the (D-Pa) part, but this seems like a not-to-be-missed opportunity to step up and do the right thing. Lots of Rantburgers would leap at the chance to make a keynote speech at a CAIR banquet.
#8
CAIR frequently refuses to allow press into the room. See: Ellison, Keith, & the Flying Imams Convention. Afraid that what's said will reflect badly, for some strange reason
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/20/2007 14:00 Comments ||
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#9
Oops. Sorry for the bad link. It's fixed now...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
03/20/2007 17:25 Comments ||
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Today's Interservices Public Relations release... Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan and is committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, said Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Monday. Talking to US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C Crocker who called on him at his office, he said that the US and Pakistan were allies in the war against terrorism and would continue to play a proactive role in the war until terrorism is eliminated from the world.
Sherpao said that the government attached the highest priority to its relations with the US and appreciated its role in capacity building of various government institutions, especially the Frontier Corps. Pakistan, under the leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, is rapidly moving forward on the path of economic growth and development, he said. Referring to the Pak-Afghan joint jirga commission constituted to strengthen relations between both countries, he said that the next meeting of the jirga would be held in Kabul.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein's former deputy was hanged before dawn Tuesday, the fourth man to be executed in the killings of 148 Shiites following a 1982 assassination attempt against the former leader in the town of Dujail. Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was Saddam's vice president when the regime was ousted, went to the gallows on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq.
Bassam al-Hassani, an adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said the execution went smoothly, although Ramadan appeared frightened and recited the two shahadahs a declaration of faith repeated by Muslims "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet." And Satan is his doorman.
Al-Hassani said precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of what happened to Saddam's half brother and co-defendant Barzan Ibrahim, who was inadvertently decapitated on the gallows during his January execution. Ramadan, who was nearly 70, was weighed before the hanging and the rope was chosen accordingly, al-Hassani said. Practice makes perfect.
The execution took place at 3:05 a.m. at a prison at an Iraqi army and police base, which had been the headquarters of Saddam's military intelligence, in a predominantly Shiite district in northern Baghdad. Ramadan had been in U.S. custody but was handed over to the Iraqis about an hour before the hanging, according to al-Hassani, who witnessed the hanging.
Yahya Ibrahim, a member of the Association of Muslim Scholars, said Ramadan's body will be received by members of Saddam's tribe later Tuesday and will be buried near co-defendants Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar in Ouja, on the outskirts of Tikrit. The graves, along with those of Saddam's sons Odai and Qusai and a grandson Mustafa, are in the courtyard of the building in which the former leader is buried. Ibrahim also said three days of mourning would be held for Ramadan. Now the ___th holiest site in Islam.
His sister, Khadija Ramadan, a professor at San'a University, was reached by The Associated Press in Yemen and said their 85-year-old mother was in deep mourning for her son. Yemen seems host to quite a few vipers and their kin.
Ramadan was convicted in November of murder, forced deportation and torture and sentenced to life in prison, but an appeals court ruled that was too lenient and he was sentenced to death. Besides the four executed, three other defendants were sentenced to 15 years in jail in the case, while one was acquitted.
Ramadan, who became vice president in March 1991 and was a Revolutionary Command Council member Iraq's highest political body under Saddam maintained his innocence, saying his duties were limited to economic affairs, not security issues. Hey, it worked for Speer.
Ramadan was No. 20 on the U.S. most-wanted list issued shortly after the invasion began. He was captured on Aug. 20, 2003. During the 1980s, he was deputy prime minister and was for a time considered the second-most powerful man in Iraq after Saddam. And now he's promoted to 'just as powerful.'
He was said to have presided over many purges carried out by Saddam to eliminate rivals and strengthen his political control. At the height of the standoff leading up to the war, Ramadan also suggested in 2002 that Saddam and President Bush fight a duel to settle their differences and spare their people the ravages of war.
#1
i thought they weren' going too telkl where saddam was buried so it would not become another pilgrimmage site or another muslim holy place what happened too that when you are telling the whole world that the rest are buried right next too him.
TOKYO - Japans Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma, who caused a stir when he criticised the US invasion of Iraq, plans a visit to the war-torn country, a report said Monday. Kyuma will visit in late April or early May, making him only the second Japanese cabinet member to visit Iraq since the invasion, Jiji Press said.
Japan last year ended its historic deployment of 600 troops on a reconstruction mission to Iraq -- the first time since World War II that Tokyo had sent soldiers to a country where fighting was underway. But Japan continues to station some 210 air force personnel in Kuwait to fly people and supplies into Iraq on behalf of the US-led coalition and the United Nations.
Tokyo is expected to extend the air mission by two years when it expires at the end of July, but Kyuma wants to inspect the conditions himself, Jiji Press said. Immediate confirmation was not available.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
I remember riding on a bus leaving the Kuwaiti airbase in question on a break back in '05. At the guard post there were Japanese soldiers, meatball flag patches on their shoulders - cool. Beyond cool, ultra-weird, as they were paired up with Kuwaiti soldiers.
"first time since World War II that Tokyo had sent soldiers to a country where fighting was underway"
Well, first time since Tokyo's soldiers WERE THE ONES DOING/CAUSING THE FIGHTING, to be more precise. Funny, but accurate.
Iraqis are feeling increasingly pessimistic and insecure about their future, four years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, according to a poll. Only 26 per cent of 2,000 people questioned across all 18 Iraqi provinces said they felt safe in their own neighbourhoods, the survey by pollsters D3 Systems indicates. Forty per cent said they thought the general situation in the country will improve.
The poll, commissioned by the BBC and US broadcaster ABC News, said 39 per cent of Iraqis questioned believed their lives were going well, while 35 per cent said their lives will improve over the next year. About 78 per cent of Iraqis opposed the presence of coalition forces, and 69 per cent said their presence worsened the security situation.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
The "internals" show that 35% of the respondents were Sunni Arabs, which constituted 20% of the population 4 years ago and probably 15% today, given the massive out-migration to Syria, Jordan, etc.
#2
One hilarious scientific experiment would be to identify a district with a very high % of respondents saying Coalition presence "worsened" the situation - then arrange to have this presence ended. As the change begins, re-interview the respondents (if they're still there), see, uh, if their views had changed.
#3
Saw a lot of it on CNN last nite. Many ordinary Iraqis are now caught up in the geopol face-off between Dubya + Moud. This is yet another reason why Dubya has to do his best to induce 'regime change" in Iran ASAP. Part of it is that mainstream America wants victory in the WOT, at the same time they don't want their soldiers fighting in Iraq-Afghanistan for ever and ever. AMERS WANT RESULTS, RESULTS LEADING TO VICTORY AND PEACE AND SOLDIER BOYZ COMING HOME, NOT TO HEAR "WAR FOR WAR'S SAKE". DITTO FOR IRAQIS - EVERY DAY OR WEEK THAT THE INSURGENCY GOES ON IS ANOTHER DAY OR WEEK PROVING = ALLUDING THAT AMERICA = DEMOCRACY HAS FAILED OR IS FAILING TO WIN. Amer must show that its way or the democratic way is better than Saddam's way + better for the Iraqi People-Nation. Is why the USA-CENTCOM must engage in "National Reconstruction", + why pro-democratic "regime change" must take place in Radical Iran. IFF THIS WAS THE COLD WAR AND THE USA WAS THE USSR, MOUD + MULLAHCRACY WOULD BE OVERTHROWN, EXILED IFF NOT EXECUTED EN MASSE ALREADY, AS DEPENDENT ON COMMIE INTERESTS IN KEEPING THEM ALIVE vv USA-NATO. Iraq needs "National Improvement", not merely "National Reconstruction", to entrench democracy.
#5
In other words, two-thirds felt safe, while only one-third felt not safe. How's that compare to say, Los Angeles? (City, not Beverly Hills)
"The Soviet team finished second, while the American team finished next-to-last." What if there were only two in the race?
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/20/2007 5:52 Comments ||
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#6
Actually, Strategy Page estimates the Sunni share of the population is only 10% of the population. If you adjust accordingly, public opinion looks pretty good in Iraq.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
03/20/2007 14:24 Comments ||
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The European Union European Union will wait until a Palestinian unity government finalizes its policy toward Israel Israel before deciding whether to restore financing to the Palestinian Authority Palestinian Authority.
Traditionally pro-Arab nations such as France have been keen to resume direct assistance to the Palestinians after a yearlong boycott of the Hamas-led government that economically devastated the Palestinian territories. The blocs position has been to insist that Hamas recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept past agreements before ties can be re-established. "We simply cannot decide yet when, or even if, we will be able to re-engage with the new Palestinian government of national unity because we will need to see its program and we will need to see its actions," said the EUs external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
An accord reached last month in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, laid out the framework of a power-sharing deal bringing the moderate Fatah Fatah party into partnership with the militant Hamas group. The EU meeting opened just hours after the failure of the latest round of coalition talks, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas not making any progress at a meeting in Gaza. Two weeks remain in the period allotted to form a government.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department said it would move forward with a proposed $86 million in security assistance to help train forces under Abbas control. Spokesman Sean McCormack spoke after four House Foreign Affairs Committee members, including Chairman Tom Lantos (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice to reconsider the plan in light of the recent power-sharing agreement between Fatah and Hamas. Abbas Fatah party is eager to restart peace efforts with Israel, but Hamas has refused to abandon its commitment to Israels destruction.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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On Monday, the U.S. State Department said it would move forward with a proposed $86 million in security assistance to help train forces under Abbas control.
How is it possible for anyone in Washington DC to even consider something so insane? Their deluded notion of there being any moderate terrorist faction is on a par with how Political Correctness continues to labor under the delusion that it is possible to pick up a turd by its clean end.
#3
More money down the toilet. That $86 million will either end up siphoned off in that cesspool of corruption or it will assist in the Paleo aim of regaining control over all of Israel.
#7
The main news here is that the the Mecca agreement is NOT enough for the EU to restore ties to the PA. Good news. Note, France as usual, is first in line to want to recognize them. Whos stopping it = probably UK and Germany mainly.
$86 mill is money for Fatah to use to be independent of Hamas. Of course it doesnt make sense to give it to them NOW. It wouldnt be a bad thing to TALK to Abbas about it, though.
#10
LH, I trust that when you say "policing stuff", you actually mean "killing Jews". Who here has the even the slightest doubt that weapons sent to Abbas by both Israel and America have already been turned against the Jews? We've already seen Abbas himself divert Fatah's financial aid into the coffers of Hamas. Only a fool would hope to draw some sort of distinction between Fatah and Hamas.
The political leader of Hamas has told Al Jazeera that foreign powers must deal with the whole Palestinian national unity government rather than individual officials. Khaled Meshaal's remarks came as the US said it would decide whether to have contacts with non-Hamas officials on a "case-by-case" basis. "There is a Palestinian consensus that everyone will have to deal with us as a unified national unity government without discriminating between ministers," Meshaal told Al Jazeera's Sami Zeidan.
A coalition government of ministers from Hamas and their main rivals, Fatah, took power on Saturday. The new government has received a mixed response from the international community.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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Ok, in that case how about we don't deal with any of you.
#1
I'm sure we'll hear the condemnation of Arab women's conditions and lack of freedoms from our Feminist organization and pillars of Feminist academia...right?....
*crickets*
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03/20/2007 16:22 Comments ||
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The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have stolen Norwegian passports and sold them to the al-Qaeda organisation to earn money, Norwegians Against Terrorism Organisation chief spokesman Falk Rovik said. Addressing as the main guest speaker at the Sri Lanka United National Association's special general meeting at the North York Civic Centre Auditorium in Toronto recently, he said an LTTE member called Mike Daniel Jeya is already in prison for this passport racket. "The LTTE has sold these passports to the highest bidders including an Algerian al-Qaeda group," Rovik said.
He said the LTTE in Norway has made use of weak members of the society to carry out their illegal rackets. "In this case it was a police officer who was made use of. Police officer Herman Olav Nyhusmoen was a habitual gambler and was always wanting money to pay his debts. So, LTTE cadre Mike Daniel Jeya was easily able to steal the passports using him," Rovik said.
He said both the Norwegian and the LTTE cadre are in jail for the crimes. Rovik said the passport fraud was detected when a LTTEer was caught with 700 passports in Thailand. He said according to Interpol figures 130,000 Norwegian passports have been stolen. Rovik pointed out that the LTTE has used some of the stolen passports and the balance had been sold to the highest bidders including the al-Qaeda group in Algeria.
A large gathering including representatives from Amnesty International, Mackenzie Institute, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, CSIS, Toronto Police, several GTA Riding Association officials, Sri Lanka's High Commissioner, Deputy High Commissioner, Consul General and other Sri Lankan community leaders were present at the lecture. Rovik who is also a member of the board of Oslo Chapter of the Amnesty International, said almost 90 per cent of LTTE revenues are raised from criminal activities outside Sri Lanka, including the smuggling of narcotics and humans, extortion of Diaspora members, credit card fraud etc.
He charged that the Norwegian Government had funded the LTTE through two ways, by giving money to the bogus humanitarian front organisation called the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) and sending money to secret bank accounts. He said the TRO is directly controlled by the LTTE and is being used to funnel money into the LTTE's arms procurements. Rovik said the money supplied by Norway to the TRO ran into millions of dollars. He said his organisation extracted these lists from public records and published. "As a cover up, the government is grouping those figures to hide certain names the monies received," Rovik said. Norway is also using secret accounts to fund the LTTE, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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I can't see why they bothered. I would have thought AQ could just apply for a Norwegian passport like any other of their co-religionists. No reason AQ "activists" shouldn't get the welfare benefits and free rape license the rest of the deen has helped itself to in Scandinavia.
VIENNA, Austria - Russia is pulling out its experts from the Iranian nuclear reactor site they were helping build, U.S. and European officials said Tuesday. The move reflected a growing rift between Iran and Russia that could lead to harsher U.N. sanctions on the Islamic republic for its refusal to stop uranium enrichment.
The representatives a European diplomat and a U.S. official said a large number of Russian technicians, engineers and other specialists have returned to Moscow in the past week, at about the same time senior Russian and Iranian officials tried unsuccessfully to resolve financial differences over the Bushehr nuclear reactor. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because their information was confidential.
"A good number of them have left recently," said the U.S. official, of the approximately 2,000 Russian workers on site of the nearly completed reactor outside the southern city of Bushehr. The European diplomat, who is accredited to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said a large number had left as recently as last week.
Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for Rosatom, Russia's Federal Nuclear Power Agency, confirmed that the number of Russian workers at the Bushehr plant had dwindled because of what he said were Iranian payment delays. He would not say how many had left.
In a commentary, Iranian state television criticized Russia for what it described as a policy of procrastination in constructing Bushehr. "Double standard stances by Russian officials regarding Iran's nuclear issue shows that Russians are not a reliable partner in the field of nuclear cooperation," the commentary said.
The nuclear reactor outside the southern city of Bushehr is not part of Iran's dispute with the U.N. Security Council and the reactor itself has no potential military use.
The Russian departures are formally linked to a financial dispute with Iran but have a strong political component, linked to international efforts to persuade the Islamic republic to freeze activities linked to uranium enrichment, which can produce both nuclear fuel and the fissile material for nuclear warheads.
Although the reactor is 95 percent completed, Russia announced this month that further work would be delayed because Iran had failed to make monthly payments since January. It said the delay could cause "irreversible" damage to the project. Because of the delay, Russia also indefinitely postponed delivery of enriched uranium fuel it had promised to provide Iran by this month.
Iran, which denies falling behind in payments, was furious, convinced Russia which has long blunted a U.S.-led push for the U.N. Security Council sanctions was now using the claim of financial arrears as a pretext to increase pressure for it to heed the council.
#7
Russia is pulling out its experts from the Iranian nuclear reactor site they were helping build, U.S. and European officials said Tuesday. The move reflected the quiet distribution of USAF targeting instructions a growing rift between Iran and Russia.
Hmmmm..... Turkish Columnist: Another Two Iranian Military Commanders Missing; Fingers Pointing at U.S., Israel
Ibrahim Karagul, a columnist with strong anti-U.S. views who writes for the Islamic Turkish daily Yeni Safak, which is the unofficial mouthpiece of Turkey's AKP government, has stated that since the disappearance of former Iranian deputy defense minister Ali Reza Asghari, two more Iranian commanders have been "kidnapped." He added that the espionage games being played by the U.S. and Israel, with Istanbul as their playground, are making Turkey look suspicious.
In his column, Karagul wrote that while the mystery of Asghari's disappearance is still unsolved, Iranian Col. Amir Muhammad Shirazi and Gen. Muhammad Sultani are missing.
He added that fingers in Iran are pointing at U.S. and Israeli intelligence services, and wrote, "It is said that five Iranians left Iran on Friday, March 16, and entered Turkey at midnight on March 17, and that they were handed over to CIA and Mossad agents on March 18. Whether Col. Shirazi and Gen. Sultani were among these five is not clear."
He warned, "If the U.S. keeps kidnapping Iranian officials, a big storm will erupt, because Iranian circles are warning that they have the capability and manpower to kidnap or strike at any U.S. or Israeli target, any time and anywhere in the world."
The very moment an American is confirmed as abducted by the Iranians, an Iranian submarine should be made to disappear, if one can be found at sea. If not, then some dreadful accident should befall a ship in port or a vital oil facility. Unlike , say, the Taliban or the Anbar insurgents, the Iranians have a lot of valuable assets that might as well have big targets painted on them. They also have a lot of assets in Europe and other parts of the world that are not beyond the reach of even private citizens, if the latter are sufficiently well informed and financed. Finally, their propaganda agents are also vulnerable and these vermin should not be off the table if the Persians really want to start a war of assassins. Bush isn't Jimmy Carter.
#1
So, exactly why were these Iranian commanders entering Turkey in the first place?
Posted by: Steve ||
03/20/2007 11:20 Comments ||
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Ah, here we go, from FoxNews Mar 18: The Sunday Times of London reported that the Mideast nation may be planning to seize American, U.S., and Israeli personnel to strike back at western forces for possible clandestine operations to seize top tier commanders of the Iranian military structure for information on its activities in Iraq. Ali Reza Asgari, a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force and a deputy defense minister, was the first high-ranking Iranian known to have mysteriously vanished during a trip to Istanbul earlier this month.
Last week, Colonel Amir Muhammed Shirazi, another Revolutionary Guard official was reported missing, possibly in Iraq. Also, the head of the Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf believed to be Brigadier General Muhammed Soltani is also reported missing, according to the Times.
Spelling is close enough, these are our two missing guys.
Other members of the Quds Force, which handles military operations outside Iran, are believed to have been captured in the Kurdish area of northern Iraq, by U.S. special forces, the Times reported.
Well, the Turks do consider Kurdistan to be part of Greater Turkey
Israeil sources suspect a U.S. task force known as the Iran Syria Policy and Operations Group (ISOG) is spearheading the abductions of Revolution Guard commanders.
SOG Lives!
Posted by: Steve ||
03/20/2007 11:33 Comments ||
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Guys this is how you win WARs.
I especially like this part=
"ranian circles are warning that they have the capability and manpower to kidnap or strike at any U.S. or Israeli target"
This is a threat? bwahahaha I guess they haven't figured out yet that causi belli or capitulation is our objectives. That above threat would mean the Iranian's chose Causi Belli.
Bush maybe absolutley incapable of rallying the people but the guy has the sack to do what has to be done and hold his word. I believe in 40some odd years when the black starts fading on the WOT we in our old Grandaddy Lazy boy's will be wathching those discovery History specials talkin about things we did to win just Sunshined, sippin a Crown & Coke laughing.
"...Iranian circles are warning that they have the capability and manpower to kidnap or strike at any U.S. or Israeli target, any time and anywhere in the world."
Wouldn't Iranians be able to keep their top generals from being kidnapped.
Cool to hear the Islamist brag and whine simultaneously.
Is like they couldn't decide whether to conquer the world or go on Oprah.
#5
Should the Iranians actually start kidnapping stray Americans/Israelis around the world, they'd get ignorant civilians or low-level military. A tragedy for the individuals, but as information sources no comparison to high level Iranians clearly defecting to our side. I mean, they crossed into Turkey at midnight and went directly into US hands? What sane person crosses a third world border at midnight when they could instead deal with the petty bureaucrats during business hours, when they're a good deal less cranky?
#10
I wonder about areas of information among the defectors. That is, will we get anyone with detailed knowledge of their ballistic missile forces, their attack and defense strategies, etc.
We have pretty much covered their out of country operations, which are compromised as hell.
I hope to heck this is what it might be - we're finally, finally, hitting the Persian idiots hard, and daring them to react, as that reaction will merely help us.
Note: I use "Persian idiots" to refer to certain Persians who have dragged one of the world's great civilizations into the ditch, and who aren't technically idiots as they're sometimes quite clever, but who are "idiots" in the sense they they're people who could be productive and happy but insist on being criminal, uh, idiots!
Love the future History Channel image.
Wish Dubya would reach his full potential - he's shown he's got the most serious sense of responsibility since Truman. He's capable of stuff almost none of our pathetic political class (both parties) would imagine doing (I mean risky but neccessary overseas initiatives, not bone-headed domestic fiascos, of which all of them seem quite capable).
The leader of the Lebanese Islamic Front Fathi Yakan, here Friday called for formation of a joint defense pact among Iran and Arab as well as Islamic states to defend the Islamic world.
Yakan, paid a visit to Iran last week at the head of a delegation to attend a conference on Islamic unity. He said that in his talks with senior Iranian officials, they discussed the ongoing crisis in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq as well as moves of intelligence and security organizations of the US, Britain and Israel to foment strife among the various sects of Islam. Muslims of the world are united in efforts to strengthen unity among the Ummah and to counter the US and Zionist regime's threats, aggressions and plots, he added.
The Lebanese official said that the sides also exchanged views on the need to hold conferences to encourage proximity among the various Islamic sects, establish an international Islamic resistance front composed mainly of Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims and strengthen support for the Islamic resistance in Iraq as well as bridge ethnic divisions encouraged by certain Iraqi leaders and groups. Yakan was also the General Secretary of the Lebanese Al-Jamaa Al-Islamia or the Islamic Association until he won his seat in the Lebanese parliament. He subsequently lost the parliament seat in 2005 elections.
Iran funds Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which is trying to unseat the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. But Siniora , who is supported by the parliament majority is standing his ground and refuses to step down.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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"Lebanese Islamic Front"
IE a fundie group not associated the Harriri clan, then?
Recent MSM meme of the month - "its not moderates vs radicals, its Shia vs Sunni" seems to be falling apart at the seams, no?
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called in remarks published on Monday for a unity government in Lebanon, saying early elections was Lebanon's only other choice to resolve its political crisis. Assad also reiterated that any Syrian citizen implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri would be tried in Syria before any international court.
Syria's Lebanese ally Hezbollah has led street protests to bring down the Western-backed government of Fouad Siniora and called for early elections if the government refuses to accede to its demand for a greater share of cabinet posts. "There are at least two scenarios: one is early elections, which is what countries do when there is a political crisis, and the other is a national unity government," Assad told the Saudi daily al-Jazirah. "We believe a national unity government can express agreement between the political forces and the people ... I believe this is the logical and constitutional solution that can be applied," he added in an interview.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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This sounds like Assad is threatening Lebanon again.
After he had closely reviewed the last fifteen months of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's life and the political atmosphere that surrounded him, head of UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) Hercule Poirot Serge Brammertz indicated in his latest report that political motives were behind the assassination. This means that he drew the same conclusion reached by former UNIIIC chief Mehlis, but without mentioning certain names. This conclusion is that those who ordered the assassination did so either to demolish the results of Hariri's political stances or forestall fresh ones, regardless of whether their conclusions or the link between these circumstances and his positions were right or not.
It is well-known that there were two main mottos for the phase that preceded the assassination. The first was the Security Council Resolution 1559, which called on Syria to abide by the Taif Agreement, pull out its troops from Lebanon, and conducting fair presidential elections. The second was the legislative elections, in which Hariri was expected to make a landslide victory. So, the report concludes, pushes one to conclude, that those who ordered and implemented the assassination were those affected by those two points.
It may seem axiomatic that the assassination of Hariri has had political motives, because of the man's position, role and relations, but when this was said at the beginning of the UNIIIC mission, many in Lebanon and neighboring countries were opposed to the politicization, arguing positively that those who were accusing Syria wanted to retaliate against, and settle scores with, Damascus without evidence. The Lebanese opposition, along with political leadership in Syria, is still raising the slogan 'no to the politicization of the tribunal and trial' and rejects a particular clause stipulating the ruler's relationship with the masses. This in itself is a jump to conclusions in a way that turns the Hariri's assassination into a pure 'criminal' case that indicts an intelligence officer or a low-ranking politician, although those parties suppose a role by another regional power in the assassination.
In his report, Brammertz says Hariri took steps in the few weeks that preceded his assassination to ease the tension that broke out between him and the other political parties in Lebanon and Syria. He added that Hariri had made many initiatives in that respect. But in parallel to these steps, some were plotting against Hariri, in an obvious indication that the assassination decision was associated with the presence of the man himself, and his role and ability to provide even limited protection to Lebanon that could keep it as far as possible from the 'policy of axes', and the decisions to affiliate him to this camp or that.
The Belgian prosecutor managed to avoid any suspicion of politicizing the trial by not making any statements that reflect the atmosphere of investigation. But his professionalism arrived at logical deductions to the effect that the one who was concerned with removing Hariri was the party that was concerned with the details of politics in Lebanon, holding its security and personal clues, and adhering to his dominant role undisputedly.
The slogan 'no to the politicization of the trial' is like defending a wolf that has just preyed on a lamp after accusing it of troubling the waters of a brook that does not even flow in the wolf's direction. Hariri was held responsible for resolution 1559, something which reflects ignorance of internal political trends and the desire of the US and Europe to cancel the regional roles played by the "rogue countries" and put an end to their negative interference in the affairs of their neighbors. This trend is still active, despite the assassination.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2007 00:00 ||
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The slogan 'no to the politicization of the trial' is like defending a wolf that has just preyed on a lamp after accusing it of troubling the waters of a brook that does not even flow in the wolf's direction.
My nomination for 'Most Tortured Metaphor of the Month.'
#5
Gee, I AM still amiss at who killed that good man in Lebanon. I just wish I could put my finger on it. It seems the UN knows but just keeps making sure the report filters through their septic tank.
Let's call this a new episode of CSI!
CSI-LW. (Lebanon wondermentZ) Like Baby assad way over his head assination stuff.
France strongly denied on Monday press reports that President Jacques Chirac had encouraged Israel to attack and destabilize Syria during the Israeli-Lebanese war last July and August. Asked to confirm information that was published regarding the above assertions in the Israeli newspaper "Maariv," the French Foreign Ministry dismissed the reports out of hand. "We categorically deny this information which is devoid of all foundation," Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Denis Simmoneau said at a briefing.
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Danish newspaper editor who chose to publish controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (
Police have arrested more than 100 Iraq war protesters in San Francisco and New York City on the fourth anniversary of the US invasion. Officers outnumbered the fewer than 100 protesters outside the stock exchange building in New York's financial district on Monday. "Stop the money, stop the war," they chanted as police hauled them away. 
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Vandals upset over the Iraq war defaced U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers' office overnight, a spokesman said Tuesday. The unknown individuals splattered red paint on the Lansing building and put up a sign saying the Republican has "blood" on his hands. They also spray painted the sidewalk with the words "no more deaths," glued shut the front door of the building and destroyed security cameras, said Andy Keiser, Rogers' chief of staff.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Iraq war lumbered into its fifth year Monday with President Bush pleading for patience to let his revised battle plan work and Congress' new Democratic leaders retorting that no patience remains.
Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan and is committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, said Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Monday. Talking to US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C Crocker who called on him at his office, he said that the US and Pakistan were allies in the war against terrorism and would continue to play a proactive role in the war until terrorism is eliminated from the world.
The European Union European Union will wait until a Palestinian unity government finalizes its policy toward Israel Israel before deciding whether to restore financing to the Palestinian Authority Palestinian Authority. 
The political leader of Hamas has told Al Jazeera that foreign powers must deal with the whole Palestinian national unity government rather than individual officials. Khaled Meshaal's remarks came as the US said it would decide whether to have contacts with non-Hamas officials on a "case-by-case" basis. "There is a Palestinian consensus that everyone will have to deal with us as a unified national unity government without discriminating between ministers," Meshaal told Al Jazeera's Sami Zeidan. 
Turkish Columnist: Another Two Iranian Military Commanders Missing; Fingers Pointing at U.S., Israel
The leader of the Lebanese Islamic Front Fathi Yakan, here Friday called for formation of a joint defense pact among Iran and Arab as well as Islamic states to defend the Islamic world.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called in remarks published on Monday for a unity government in Lebanon, saying early elections was Lebanon's only other choice to resolve its political crisis. Assad also reiterated that any Syrian citizen implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri would be tried in Syria before any international court.
After he had closely reviewed the last fifteen months of late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's life and the political atmosphere that surrounded him, head of UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) 
