Afghanistan said on Sunday it backed a senior US officials assertion that Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar were operating from neighbouring Pakistan.
The US official said Bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri and other network members were operating out of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan.
Mullah Omar and other ousted Afghan Taliban leaders, meanwhile, were directing insurgent operations in Afghanistan from Quetta, said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan has rejected the charge, but a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed it. We are glad that finally a high-ranking American official confirmed this matter, said spokesman Humayun Hamidzada. The government of Afghanistan has said for years the administration centres, havens and regrouping bases of the enemies of Afghanistan and Taliban are outside Afghanistan. Certainly, the war in Afghanistan should continue, but the war should be taken to the source of terrorism where it is. We are not naming any country.
A Taliban spokesman said Mullah Omar was leading the insurgency from within Afghanistan and said the US official was preparing the ground for a military operation in Pakistan. This is false. Mullah Omar is not in Quetta at 604 Street of the Brazen Hussy, Apartment B but present in Afghanistan and commanding the Taliban, Qari Muhammad Yousuf told the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press. The claims that Mullah Omar is in Quetta or any other place are aimed at finding a pretext for conducting an operation in the concerned area.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
Johnson! Stop the presses!!
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations has wasted tens of millions of dollars in its peacekeeping operations in Sudan over the past three years, according to the findings of U.N. auditors examining the financial practices of the global body's overseas missions. U.N. officers in Sudan have squandered millions by renting warehouses that were never used, booking blocks of hotel rooms that were never filled, and losing thousands of food rations to theft and spoilage, according to several internal audits by the U.N. Office for International Oversight Services. One U.N. purchasing agent has been accused of steering a $589,000 contract for airport runway lights to a company that helped his wife obtain a student visa, while two senior procurement officials from the United States and New Zealand have been charged by a U.N. panel with misconduct for not complying with rules designed to prevent corruption.
The U.N. procurement division "did not have the necessary capacity and expertise to handle the large magnitude of procurement actions" in Sudan, particularly during the early phases of the mission, according to a confidential October 2006 audit obtained by The Washington Post. Investigators also detected "a number of potential fraud indicators and cases of mismanagement and waste."
The internal United Nations audits provide a rare glimpse into the messy business of assembling a massive multinational expeditionary force in a war-torn nation. They also highlight the Bush administration's struggles to make progress on its top Africa initiative: ending a decades-long civil war between Sudan's Islamic government and southern rebels, and halting the mass killing of civilians in the country's southern region of Darfur.
U.N. peacekeeping officials maintain that the auditors' allegations are overblown, and that they neglect the difficulties of launching a major operation in a nation with few roads and a government hostile to foreigners. "This is seen as a witch hunt that is not warranted given the fluidity and complexity of that mission," said one U.N. official who served in Sudan, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigations.
A U.N. task force is examining the United Nations' handling of nearly $300 million in contracts for food, transportation and fuel for Sudan, including a $200 million contract with Eurest Support Services, a Cyprus-based subsidiary of the Compass Group, a British catering company. ESS also has been charged with rigging bids in Liberia, Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
There is no excuse for having poor internal control mechanisms and for tolerating mismanagement," Inga-Britt Ahlenius, the undersecretary general of the oversight office, told reporters last month. "We are handling public money and considerable funds and should care about that as if it were our own money."
The Security Council established the U.N. mission in Sudan in March 2005, sending more than 10,000 peacekeepers to oversee a settlement ending a bloody, 22-year civil war that left more then 2 million dead in southern Sudan. The council has since authorized an African Union-United Nations mission to halt the killing of civilians in Darfur, a force that is expected to reach 26,000 troops by the end of 2008.
U.N. auditors have identified dozens of irregularities, including an "exorbitant" rate on a contract to supply gravel for peacekeeping barracks and $1.2 million in "unnecessary expenditures" for block bookings of hotel rooms that the United Nations was unable to fill, according to the audits.
U.N. officials also spent more than $9 million in unnecessary fees to a Canadian company, Skylink Aviation, by releasing it from its obligation to renew a nine-month contract to supply fuel for the mission, the auditors allege. Skylink then renegotiated a second nine-month contract at a much higher cost. "They clearly made it easier for us to negotiate," said Jan Ottens, a senior executive at Skylink. Ottens said the terms of the initial contract were unfair because the slow deployment of troops reduced the amount of fuel that was needed. "We were losing money big time."
U.N. peacekeeping officials acknowledge problems in Sudan. But they contend that the two procurement officials were perhaps in over their heads, but not corrupt. Understaffing, a shifting troop-deployment schedule, and Sudanese obstruction often upended U.N. plans and led to higher costs.
These officials cite a case in which the auditors accused the mission of wasting $9 million by hiring a local company to clear U.N. goods through customs, rather than relying on U.N. staff. Peacekeeping officials agree the costs are high but say that the government has prohibited the United Nations from doing the job, and that the U.N. secretary general and the Security Council have been unable to convince Khartoum to back down.
They also defended a contract for a New Zealand firm, Radiola Aerospace, to install solar-powered runway lights at the Kadugli airport, southwest of Khartoum, despite evidence that the bidding process was manipulated. Investigators found that the company improperly helped a U.N. procurement official draft the specifications of a contract that the company later won. It also sponsored a New Zealand visa application for the official's wife and pledged to cover any financial liabilities she might incur while in the country.
At the same time, the official pressed the United Nations to approve Radiola's contract after U.N. headquarters had ordered the contract terminated because the lights "failed to meet the safety specifications of the United Nations and the International Civil Aviation Organization," according to an October report by U.N. investigators.
Radiola acknowledged that it violated U.N. rules by sponsoring the visa, but the company said it fairly won the bid for the contract. "In hindsight it was inappropriate we should not have done it," said Brent Albiston, Radiola's managing director. "But absolutely no money passed hands."
Albiston said that his company informed the United Nations that solar power lights did not meet international standards, but that they made sense in a remote location where power supplies were unreliable, a position that senior U.N. peacekeeping officials backed. "The quality of the lights at Kadugli are better than they are at the international airport in Khartoum," Albiston said.
A GIMF communiqué posted January 1, 2008 on the Islamist website www.ekhlaas.info (hosted by Piradius.net in Malaysia) reveals a rift between Somalia's two major jihad groups.
The communiqué, signed by Abu Mansour Al-Amriki - an American who provides military training for mujahideen in Somalia - states that Harakat Shabab Al-Mujahideen (the Movement of Jihadi Youth - MJY), which is currently the most active jihad group in Somalia, has severed ties with the Islamic Courts Union (ICU).
The two groups had initially joined forces to fight Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu, but later fell into a dispute over the September 2007 Asmara Conference, a summit under the aegis of the Eritrean government that was aimed at reconciling the various Somali opposition groups. While the ICU participated in the conference, the MJY boycotted it, saying that it was "doomed to fail" because it brought together "desperate [elements] with conflicting agendas" - that is, Islamists and secular nationalists - and that it promoted a "new and counterproductive culture and [Western] concepts like moderate[ness], retreat, compromise."
In the communiqué, Abu Mansour accuses the ICU of favoring nationally based alliances with Somali secularists over partnership with devout Muslims, and of focusing on limited national interests while betraying the greater Islamic causes, such as the establishment of the global Caliphate. He further accuses the ICU of restricting the action of the muhajiroon (i.e. the non-Somali mujahideen) who come to assist the Somalis in their jihad against the Ethiopian forces in Mogadishu, and of attempting to direct the jihad in Somalia from posh hotels in Eritrea. Finally, Abu Mansour announces that the MJY remains loyal to the ideology of Osama bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, and that it aspires to establish a global Islamic Caliphate
#2
Most Muslims aren't interested in global jihad. Few would object if Allah came down from his perch and personally ensured victory. But not many Muslims will donate money, let alone risk their lives for such a open-ended and improbable venture. There are maybe a billion Muslims worldwide. Only tens of thousands have shown up in Iraq. And most of them fight for pay. The average Muslim might not like Uncle Sam, but anyone who's donated money for the jihad in Iraq has had to put up with images of Muslims getting beheaded and massacred via a creative variety of roadside and marketplace bombs. I suspect it's too much for most Muslims, and not exactly an inducement to part with more of their hard-earned money.
(SomaliNet) The militiamen controlling Kismayu city, southern Somalia were put on high alert on Saturday after receiving reports over possible invasion from the supporters of the ousted Islamic Courts, sources say. Large number of militia forces could be seen today on the main streets of Kismayu to face any outside attack.
Colonel Warfa sheik Aden, the militia commander in Kismayu said the vigilance by the troops came after they had received concrete information saying that the Islamic fighters are heading to the city. "We have to be prepared to defend our city from the offensive that might be launched by the Islamic insurgents. Kismayu will not be fallen into enemy hand," said Sheik Aden.
The militia in Kismayu supports the current transitional federal government. Kismayu, which is 500km south of the Somalia capital Mogadishu, is a strategic port city in the country.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Can't KBR get more ammunition to these people? (distributed equitabley to both sides of course)
The Taliban are thought to be recruiting an increasing number of fighters from Britain after RAF experts overheard secret transmissions from the Afghan frontline spoken in broad Midlands and Yorkshire accents.
i.e. they grew up in the UK versus being educated briefly in British universities from abroad
Specialists in top secret surveillance planes listened in on radio traffic broadcast by the Taliban in Helmand province and heard fighters talking in thick regional accents. The discovery indicates that a growing number of British-born Muslim are turning their backs on the West and moving to Afghanistan to be trained as fighters.
It has been reported that RAF radio operators were able to hear the young fighters speaking in clear Bradford and West Bromwich accents. The linguistics experts were listening to the conversations from specially adapted Nimrod planes flying above the province.
One reason they're so concerned about losing the Nimrod.
The Taliban reportedly spoke mainly in Afghan Persian or Pashto - but when they were stuck for words, they would slip back into their native language. "The mission specialists could easily jam the Taliban transmissions but the RAF believes listening in to their plans is much more productive," a source said to The Sun.
It was quite startling to hear English being spoken with clear Bradford and West Brom accents. "They reverted to English when they couldn't remember the Afghan Persian or Pashto - the two local languages - for certain words."
The newspaper said that the transmissions were picked up by three converted Nimrods that are usually based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, with 51 Squadron. The planes fly at more than 40,000ft and with language specialists on board who operate surveillance equipment known as "The Package".
Why not just publish the frequencies while you're at it?
General Sir Anthony Walker, former deputy chief of the defence staff, said: "We seem to have confirmation that fanatical jihadists from Britain are working on the frontline of the the war in Afghanistan.
"Eavesdropping seldom has a good image.
"But let's hope the perseverance and dedication of our listeners-in-the-sky continues to save the lives of our men and women."
The Ministry of Defence said in a statement: "The Nimrod R1 operated by 51 Squadron has a highly sophisticated and sensitive suite of systems used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence. However, due to operational security, we are unable to discuss its operations."
Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, expressed his shock at the report. He said he was aware that some British Muslims travelled to Afghanistan to fight when hostilities began in 2001. He had heard of no cases since then, but accepted it was "not beyond the bounds of possibility", given that the conflict had lasted so long. Mr Bunglawala said: "I do know that when the initial bombing was occurring in late 2001, there was a lot of sympathy for the Afghan people, who had endured so much.
"I am surprised if people are going now. I wasn't surprised then, but I am surprised now. That's the effect of the conflict having dragged on. We were told it would all be over in a few weeks, but the end is still not in sight."
He urged British Muslims opposed to the war in Afghanistan to protest peacefully using the democratic means available in the UK. "I don't think it can be denied that our actions overseas have contributed to some British Muslims being radicalised," he said.
They're Victims®.
"Our advice to youngsters is to campaign within the democratic framework here. Going to fight British soldiers in Afghanistan leaves them open to accusations, quite rightly, that they are betraying their own country."
Some of us think so, anyway. Depends on what country they identify with.
#2
indicates that a growing number of British-born Muslim are turning their backs on the West and moving to Afghanistan to be trained as fighters.
This has at least two huge upsides: UK jihadis are out of the UK; and, they will likely end up taking dirt naps a long way from the UK never to be heard from again instead of on welfare plotting terror in the UK. A win-win!
Gentlemen don't eavesdrop, Grailing and Tenille1838. Nor do they read other's mail, nor take unfair advantage of the viciously stupid by beating them in an unfair fight...
One reason they're so concerned about losing the Nimrod.
Not to mention the loss of native translators to turn Yorkshire into understandable English. ;-)
#5
lotp__ I'm belaboring the obvious here, but the problem is that, as good muslims, they don't identify with a country, but rather a religion, so they don't see themselves as traitors, but rather as righteous. Since that's alien to western thought, at least in this century, it just points out the incompatibility of islam with western civilization.
Posted by: Titus Gleck3862 ||
02/11/2008 12:50 Comments ||
Top||
#6
What an opportunity! The Brits should be organizing entire boatloads of bad Muslims on "secret" trips to Afghanistan! Hell, empty out their prisons! Pay for their tickets!
Even losing a few hundred thousand could revitalize Britain more than becoming a US State.
#7
Take no prisoners, boys. If you do, you'll see how fast they go from Brave Jihadi Warriors Seeking Martyrdom to Persecuted British Citizens Seeking Protection Under British Law.
Don't put them through that embarrasment...
#8
"The linguistics experts were listening to the conversations from specially adapted Nimrod planes flying above the province. One reason they're so concerned about losing the Nimrod.
"
While that may be true, the reality is that there are a multitude of airframes that can provide a satisfactory platform for 'The package" to be installed into; and i would also hazard a gueaa that there are many of these very same airframes sitting out in the desert Southwest, mothballed by the major airlines that would love to unload them. The UK is finacially and politically unable to gain support to acquire a few of these for even short term relief. instead they will continue to apply bandaids and holy water to the Nimrods in the hope that there are no in flight breakups.
(last week there was a comment about the bizarre appearance of the Nimrod; i would sugesnt you look up the Gannett; another Britich creation that folds its wings in a 'z' configuration and has twin turboshafts driving through a combining gearbox to a set of couter-rotating propellors, mounted on the nose. I think it is also a tail-dragger! Looks vaguely like an old Navy AD-1 Spad as done by Peter Max....)
#12
TW, the line Gentleman do not read each other's mail, was said by Herbert Hoover's Secretary of State Henry Stimson in 1929. It's an American attitude. The British may claim they agree, but they've never acted like it.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
02/11/2008 18:35 Comments ||
Top||
#13
For instance the British were eager beavers reading the transatlantic cable traffic Wilson's time.
Posted by: ed ||
02/11/2008 18:50 Comments ||
Top||
#14
Gentlemen don't eavesdrop, Grailing and Tenille1838. Nor do they read other's mail, nor take unfair advantage of the viciously stupid by beating them in an unfair fight...
TW, that's a Henry Stimson Quote, wrong then, wrong now, history proved that.
When evil speaks, better listen.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/11/2008 21:24 Comments ||
Top||
#15
I do yield me, gentlemen all!
And so I learn a new thing at almost 11 p.m. on the Monday before the big snowstorm (9" predicted by the morning!) in Cincinnati. I can go to bed content. :-)
A second MP has waded into the controversial debate over increased birth defects in British Muslims as a result of inbreeding and claims parts of the Pakistani community are in "denial".
The genetic difference between your first cousin and your half sister is somewhere between negligible and none.
Labour's Ann Cryer, who represents Keighley in West Yorkshire, called for community leaders to encourage talks that she believed would move more families away from marriages between cousins. Her call for debate followed comments from Environment Minister Phil Woolas who said there was a "duty" to raise the issue, which was not being addressed. He insisted that the marriages - which are legal in the UK - were a cultural, not a religious, issue based in the traditions of rural parts of Pakistan. His comments were backed by Chief Whip Geoff Hoon who said there was a "particular problem" that needed expert analysis.
Today Ms Cryer backed the debate that had been started on the issue. She called on community leaders to increase awareness and claimed that the "vast majority" of trans-continental marriages in Bradford were between cousins and these could have "tragic" impacts. She first raised the issue more than two years ago after research showed British Pakistanis were 13 times more likely to have children with recessive disorders than the general population.
Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University College London, backed the calls to raise public awareness and said in general mortality and disability almost doubled among cousin marriages. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Ms Cryer said: "The vast majority of marriages in the Muslim community in Bradford, 80% are trans-continental."The vast majority of those are to cousins. Many of those do result in either infant mortality or in recessive disorders."
Asked if the problem was recognised in the British Pakistani community she said: "They are in denial at the moment.
I like to think of myself as a practical guy. Philosophy is nice, but this question is a total waste of time in my opinion. Unless it's rhetorical or designed to get the undecided to hop off the fence, but it's likely that this question will be taken seriously by way too many self-haters.
Enjoy the comments at the end of the article. The three that were visible when I grabbed this were all from Americans offering advice to brethren who they hope have the common sense to stop mulling over this crap and the courage to kick their butts out of Europe if they won't integrate. Or maybe just kick their butts out of Europe because they won't integrate.
Lots of opportunity for snark. Let's see if we can get one of those "Snark O' the Day" awards out of this great material!
Enjoy!
Is a clash of civilisations looming? Its now time to find the links rather than the conflicts between English and Islamic law.
Is a clash looming between the laws of the West and Islam? In the wake of 9/11, commentators such as Samuel Huntington have spoken of a conflict between an economically powerful but increasingly amoral West, and a resurgent and moralistic Islam.
There is much at stake. Can a state such as Turkey, overwhelmingly Muslim, join the EU and become party to international human rights provisions? Given that Islamic councils have been established in England, should they be recognised by English family law?
And what of the exercise of human rights in the context of combating terrorism? Is any dilution of human rights norms justified for the protection of the public and of national security? The rules of the game have changed, Tony Blair famously said after the London bombs. This seemed to signal a change in policy on human rights, from which Muslims here and abroad would be the most likely to suffer.
But everyone can feel victimised and resentful. All religions attach importance to certain rituals and sanctity to certain religious persons. How far should the law go in protecting such religious beliefs and ultimately religious feelings, and how far in protecting free speech? The Danish cartoons raised passions on all sides.
Sharp questions lead to sharp answers. In all our communities there is misinformation, ignorance and fear of that which is little known. Occasional suspicion readily deepens into a rut of distrust, which can lead to anxiety and antagonism; so ends all hope of understanding between communities and mutual appreciation.
Two organisations have come together to generate discussion with a quite different dynamic. The Temple Church in the heart of legal London and the Centre of Islamic and Middle East Law (CIMEL) at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London are sponsoring a series of lecture-discussions on Islam in English law. The sponsors are telling every ticket-holder that an important part of the series is the opportunity for people from different backgrounds to meet. Please make the most of this opportunity, from this first evening, by introducing yourself to those sitting around you, they say.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, launches the series this Thursday with a foundation lecture on civil and religious law in England. The discussions are part of the 2008 Temple Festival, a year-long mix of music, art, drama, history and law events to mark the 400th anniversary of James I granting the Inner and Middle Temples freehold of their land.
English law and Islamic law differ in principle and in application. English law has been shaped in large part by the principles and history of Christian culture, but acknowledges no duty of obedience to any revelation, scripture or doctrine ascribed to God. In current practice, it attends closely to the rights and freedoms of the individual and protects them against curtailment from the state or from corporate power.
It is the prime duty of all Muslims to follow, as much as they are able, the traditions of Islamic law, which include the principles imparted by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic law has tended to protect and strengthen the community in which, it is intended, the individual can then live a devout, good and ordered life.
The English court system aims to free litigants and especially, vulnerable litigants from the pressure that people powerful in a local community can bring to bear; Islamic councils draw strength from the insights that local and personal knowledge can offer.
English family law does not accept the validity of decisions of the many Islamic councils that have grown up; there is vigorous debate as to whether it should. Intolerant actions of militant Islamists have affected the debate on the exercise of human rights an issue behind the question of the validity or morality at Guantanamo Bay.
At times the two systems have seemed in direct conflict. In 2001, the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights declared that Islamic law clearly diverges from convention values, particularly with regard to its criminal law and criminal procedure, its rules on the legal status of women and the way it intervenes in all spheres of private and public life in accordance with religious precepts.
The claim cries out for discussion. We too readily imagine two incompatible and impermeable systems of law squared up for conflict with each other. But it is a matter of genuine disagreement how wide or deep is the gulf between the two systems and both are evolving.
The series on Islam in English law is not designed to reach clear, prescriptive answers to all the questions that its speakers will raise. It is meant to be a forum for the discovery, on all sides, of people, ideas and ideals that seem alien and threatening.
Last month, when Dr Williams spoke in the House of Lords on religious hatred and religious offence, he talked of an argumentative democracy in which, quite apart from the laws sanction, public controversy should not be debased or effectively silenced by thoughtless and (even if unintentionally) cruel styles of speaking and acting.
The setting for the rest of the series is significant. The Temple Church was built in 1185 by the Knights Templar, who were vital in the Crusades to the viability of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. In past centuries it represented the gulf between Christendom and Islam; the sponsors are now using it to help to heal the divisions it was built to foster.
They have just installed a window in the church to mark the anniversary, bearing the motto of James I: Blessed are the peacemakers. That is what the sponsors, through honesty and courtesy and without delusion, hope to be.
#2
Now, G(r)omgoru, don't be mean; technically, most of the "british" muslims are not criminally insane, they're just inbred. You just can't escape Gaia's wrath.
#4
Inbreeding is the process, anonymous5089. Overbred, with the historic concern about crazy aunts in the attic, is the result. Also neatly explaining both Prince Charles and his lovely but nervously dim first wife.
As for the looming clash of civilizations: No. Looming implies future tense, not present.
#7
One of the foundations of US law is that no law shall be passed that gives one group rights another group doesn't have. We haven't always lived up to that, especially lately. Sharia law is totally different: it imposes upon all the beliefs of a few and the words of a maniac. Britain needs a Constitution. I suggest writing one that totally excludes any law not backed by British common law, common sense, and experience. That would neatly eliminate any consideration of Sharia.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
02/11/2008 19:45 Comments ||
Top||
#8
Britain's constitution is all written case law.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to face calls for his resignation when the Church of England's general synod meets today. Senior colleagues, MPs, bishops and the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England have all poured scorn on Rowan Williams's views on Islamic sharia law.
In a lecture last week, he said the establishment of sharia in Britain "seems unavoidable" and it would be better if Muslims could settle marital disputes or financial matters in a sharia court.
The archbishop spent yesterday with his advisers working on what could prove to be a crucial address to the synod today. He was to have focused on the oppression in Zimbabwe but will now have to try to defuse the sharia row as well.
Dr Williams's supporters fear that a synod member may call for an emergency vote on his resignation.
The issue became even more damaging for him yesterday with the disclosure of a Church of England document warning its followers of the dangers of sharia law. It says that Islam does not allow Muslim women to marry non-Muslims, that the wife of a Muslim is required to uphold Islam, and that women must be careful because "Islam allows Muslim men to marry more than one wife".
Christina Rees, a member of the Archbishop's Council, said that Dr Williams had been right to speak out but added: "The archbishop's aides should have prepared clear and specific examples of the types of things the archbishop had in mind.
#10
I think he will attempt to hang on, effectively forcing them to try and fire him. He's more of a lefty liberal than a christian, and so values power more than "unity" or "peace" (those virtues being good only so long as Christian principles are sacrificed in the name of Political Correctness).
#11
I think Ptah has it down cold. His claim of being surprised by the reaction to his comments either means he is clueless about the feelings of his congregation writ large, and that he has no intention to be held accountable for his public statements. He will play the mis-understanding, lamb of God role and try to weather the storm. After all, what would he do if he had to actually work instead of "lead" like Chamberlain.
The archbishop of Canterbury has no intention of resigning ...
... isn't that what they always say the day before they resign? ...
... over his suggestion that Britain's legal system should accommodate aspects of traditional Islamic law, a Church of England official said Sunday.
Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of more than 75 million Anglicans worldwide, kicked off a controversy when, in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio Thursday, he said the implementation of Shariah law in Britain was an inevitable part of achieving social cohesion.
While Williams has since been backed by other senior bishops, the media's reaction has been poisonous, drawing lurid headlines accusing him of everything from cowardice to tacit support for Islamic terror. Some editorialists have called for him to resign, but the Church of England said Sunday he would do no such thing. "He is not considering his position," church spokeswoman Marie Papworth said, adding that Williams would not be speaking publicly about the issue until Monday, when he was due to address the General Synod, the church's governing body.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
I doubt that he could find any other way of earning a living were he to resign. Further, he is dedicated to his ongoing quest to destroy the Christian faith in Great Britain. That a piece of flotsam like this could float to the top of the church hierarchy is a damning condemnation of the Church of England. Almost enough to make the Queen convert to catholicism.
#3
All he'll have to do is declare "i'm a muzzlimb" and the English taxpayer will have to support him for life. Let's make sure that doesn't happen here in the US...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/11/2008 1:12 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Yeah. He won't go quietly. Getting to the top where he could influence others with his poisonous opinions was his entire life's amibition, and he's not about to leave now.
Posted by: no mo ruo ||
02/11/2008 6:36 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Find "common purpose", find gramsci.
Luckily they're all too stupid to lead public opinion, however they're "nepotism" does lead to people being placed where they wouldn't if talent alone was the deciding factor. As you can see this causes huge damage to the U.K.
#8
"Who will rid me of this troublesome priest"
Henry II.
900 years later that statement still rings true. I wish the Queen would stand up to people like this and call them out publicly.
#10
Can't say how they do it in England, but in Germany, your 'tithe' comes out of your paycheck, just like our taxes do. It takes a ton of paperwork to get them to quit. Whenever the State supports a Church, the purpose of the Church is to support the State, not to declare the Kingdom of God. England has reached the point where the Church doesn't even support the State.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
02/11/2008 21:56 Comments ||
Top||
Up to 17,000 women in Britain are being subjected to "honour" related violence, including murder, every year, according to police chiefs. And official figures on forced marriages are the tip of the iceberg, says the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
It warns that the number of girls falling victim to forced marriages, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and even murder by relatives intent on upholding the "honour" of their family is up to 35 times higher than official figures suggest.
... children as young as 11 having been sent abroad to be married ...
We are bringing three girls a week back from Islamabad as victims of forced marriage. We know that is the tip of the iceberg ...
Women who have been taken overseas to be married against their will are now being rescued on an almost daily basis ...
Former Bradford policeman Philip Balmforth, who works with vulnerable Asian women, said he saw 395 cases of forced marriage in the city last year ... a total of 250 girls aged between 13 and 16 were taken off the school rolls last year because they failed to return from trips abroad ...
Prison officers are struggling to control a group of al-Qaeda terrorists who are clashing with other serious offenders in one of Britain's high-security jails.
Frankland Prison, County Durham, holds an estimated 20 al-Qaeda members and sympathisers, serving long sentences for planning atrocities in the United Kingdom and abroad. They include Dhiren Barot, who was jailed for 30 years, and Omar Khyam, jailed for at least 20 years, for plotting to blow up the Bluewater shopping centre and the Ministry of Sound nightclub.
In recent weeks three disturbances have taken place at the prison. The Prison Officers Association (POA) said many of those involved had been moved to Frankland from Belmarsh Prison in London. 'They don't want to be in Frankland; they want to be in Belmarsh with their friends. They are getting more organised and want to be together in one place, which is scary,' said Steve Gough, vice-chairman of the POA.
Continued on Page 49
#1
What would happen if Britain would actually arrest and lock up all their 'Clockwork Orange' thugs, and mix them in with their Al Qaeda thugs? Would one kind of thug transform into the other or would they destroy each other like mixing matter and ant-matter?
#2
Khyam's solicitor, Muddassar Arani, has gone so far as to warn that 'race riots' have erupted at the prison, which as a result has become 'an extremely dangerous environment for ethnic minority prisoners who now fear for their safety'.
Three senior judges are to rule on the legality of an arranged marriage conducted in the UK under sharia law, a judgment that could have profound consequences for British Muslims. The Court of Appeal was told how a 26-year-old British Muslim with learning difficulties was married over the telephone to a woman in Bangladesh. It was arranged by the man's father and deemed lawful under sharia law.
Lord Justice Thorpe, Lord Justice Hall and Lady Justice Hallett were asked by the man's family to reject an earlier decision that, because the groom was unable to give his consent, the marriage was unlawful. Mr Justice Wood said that the true test into the validity of the marriage was 'whether the marriage is so offensive to the conscience of the English court that it should refuse to recognise and give effect to the proper foreign law'.
The judge added that the long-standing British policy to recognise sharia marriages conducted abroad should be offset by the understanding that 'there are occasions when such a marriage cannot be recognised in England, for example where to do so would be repugnant to public policy'.
The case was brought by Westminster city council community services department after the local authority raised concerns about a marriage in which the groom could not possibly have given consent because of his learning disabilities.
The marriage took place in September 2006. Although the bridegroom stayed in London and listened to the ceremony by speakerphone, the ceremony took place in Bangladesh and was declared valid under sharia law.
Yogi Amin of the law firm Irwin Mitchell, representing Westminster council, said: 'This case highlights that the law in this country may clash with sharia law and the cultural wishes of the family.' He added: 'The High Court held that the marriage in this case ... is not valid under English law, and that any marriage entered into by this vulnerable adult whether inside or outside England will not be recognised under English law.'
Legal experts said the case would have ramifications for plans to make forced marriages - often arranged marriages involving youngsters - prohibited in the UK under case law.
Nations normally recognize marriages performed abroad, so if you and your Canuck honey got married in Toronto, you dont need a new ceremony or marriage license when you come down here. And within limits (like polygamy) thats extended even where marriage laws are somewhat different. Very different even. Which is why, if say, youre an Israeli Jew who wants to marry a Christian, you and your shiksa beloved, can go to Cyprus for a marriage that Israel WILL recognize.
But since you in the past had to actually GO somewhere, it placed a limit on the wholesale importation of the marriage laws of one place to another.
Dr Rowan Williams is still caught in the eye of the Sharia law storm. The Archbishop of Canterbury is facing criticism from fellow Anglicans over his comments on Islamic Sharia law. He has provoked condemnation from the Anglican Archbishop in Latin America, who said confidence in Dr Rowan Williams's leadership had plummeted.
Archbishop Venables is an orthodox Christian who has given a church home to traditional Episcopalian parishes and dioceses who can no longer stand the idiocy in ECUSA. I'm pretty sure he knows exactly what the Islamicist threat is in Latin America ... moreover he has been increasingly critical of the failure to lead coming out of Canterbury under the Druid.
Dr Williams's predecessor Lord Carey has also weighed into the row saying the acceptance of some Muslim laws would be "disastrous" for Britain.
Supporters of Dr Williams say reaction to his comments has been "hysterical".
On Monday, he will face the Anglican Church's national assembly - the General Synod - when it gathers for the body's biannual meeting. There is a chance a motion could be tabled to discuss the issue. Dr Williams has insisted he was not advocating a parallel set of laws but has faced calls for his resignation.
BBC News religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said it was "inconceivable" that Dr Williams would be forced to quit, adding the Archbishop was held in "deep affection and respect" by rank and file Anglicans. He said the long-term problems might lie abroad in the Anglican communion. "The international church is already deeply split over the issue of homosexuality," he said. "Many Anglicans in Africa and Asia live side-by-side with Muslims and for them Sharia is a sensitive issue. Dr Williams's remarks have damaged his personal authority."
The Most Reverend Gregory Venables, Archbishop of Latin America, said his comments were a "surprise". "Taken within the context of other things that have been said and done in recent months, it will just add to the general sense that confidence in the leadership of the Anglican Church has plummeted," he said.
Confidence in Dr Williams has also been eroded at home, with criticism from the church's former leader Lord Carey. He flatly contradicted the Archbishop's suggestion that the law should incorporate elements of Sharia. But writing in the News of the World, Lord Carey said he should not be forced to quit.
Alun Michael, former Home Office minister, accused Dr Carey of being "disloyal" and condemned what he called the "absurd media feeding frenzy". He told BBC Wales' Politics Show: "If the reportage in the press is hysterical, inaccurate and inflammatory then it's very difficult for those who are asked to comment on it to deal with it properly."
Since making the remarks in a lecture to lawyers and in the BBC interview, Dr Williams has produced both anger and agreement from politicians, religious leaders, the public and people within his own church. At least two General Synod members have called on him to resign.
Catholic leader Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is one of the many to come out in defence of Dr Williams. "I feel he may fear that people with a Christian conscience will be put to the sidelines and not allowed to say what they believe to be true for the common good," he told the BBC.
#1
Catholic leader Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is one of the many to come out in defence of Dr Williams. "I feel he may fear that people with a Christian conscience will be put to the sidelines and not allowed to say what they believe to be true for the common good," he told the BBC.
What does the Cardinal think will happen to people with a Christian conscience under Sharia law? The usual result is the men are killed, the women raped, the homes burned, and the businesses looted. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
A crowd of 16,000 expatriate Turks cheered Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a vast indoor auditorium in Germany on Sunday as he told them to resist assimilation into the West.
The political rally by Germany's biggest ethnic minority upset German politicians, who objected to a major public event on German soil being advertised on posters in Turkish only.
Erdogan indirectly addressed those concerns, saying it was right for Turkish immigrants to learn German and other languages so they could integrate, but wrong to abandon their Turkish heritage and assimilate. "Assimilation is a crime against humanity," he told the crowd. Many Turks had travelled from France, Belgium and the Netherlands to hear his hour-long address in the shiny venue, the Koelnarena.
"I can well understand that you are against assimilation," he said. "It is important to learn German, but your Turkish language should not be neglected."
He said ethnic Turks abroad should be more confident in standing up for their interests, and should win election as mayors and members of European national parliaments.
Erdogan was lionized by other speakers at the event, organized by the Union of European Turkish Democrats, a group that supports his moderate Islamist AKP party.
Outside, bearded members of the audience spoke politely to an elderly woman protester, Vera Villinger, who wore a scarf in German colours and claimed Islam was taking over Germany. "I'm glad you've come along and spoken openly of your concerns. In itself that is exemplary," one man told her.
The only hostility was towards a group of Kurdish protesters, who were ringed by police. The fuming Kurds roared back abuse at a passer-by they took for a Turk. He was in fact a 24-year-old German.
So Turkey joins the EU with this policy in mind.
What's good for the goose, and so forth . . .
So 100,000 slavs (pick your nationality) move/retire/get jobs in Turkey.
And then what?
One other thought; "Assimilation is a crime against humanity," That's an interesting view of US history.
MADRID (Rooters) - Spanish police on Monday arrested at least 14 Basques suspected of trying to reorganize the separatist Batasuna party, which is banned because of its links to ETA rebels, a court spokesman said.
Well-known Batasuna campaigner Karmelo Landa was among those held in the raids, which came as Spanish authorities are in the process of banning two small parties said to have been used as Batasuna fronts.
Batasuna was banned in 2003 because of its links to ETA, which has killed more than 800 people since the 1960s in its fight for independence of the Basque Country, which covers parts of northern Spain and southwestern France.
The Socialist government, facing elections on March 9, has been criticized by the opposition for its attempts to negotiate with ETA, but Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero now says the guerrillas must lay down their arms without conditions.
Landa and the other suspects are believed to have been trying to form a new Batasuna governing council following the arrest of its former members in October.
Police broke up a demonstration by Basque nationalists in Bilbao on Sunday, arresting several protesters. A police officer was injured in the disturbances, during which protesters smashed shop windows and set rubbish bins on fire.
Polls show most Spanish Basques do not want independence, although the region's government, controlled by moderate nationalists, wants to hold a referendum-style vote on whether to begin talks about the Basque Country's relations with Madrid.
Former Dutch lawmaker Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the target of death threats over her criticism of radical Islam, said she has asked France to grant her citizenship because she cannot be assured of protection back home. "I would be very honored and grateful if I were to become a French citizen, and the question of my protection could be resolved once and for all," Somali-born Hirsi Ali said Sunday on France-2 television.
"I live under protection now, but it's a protection in which I still have to move from place to place, and look for donors to pay for my protection," she said in English, simultaneously translated into French for the program. She said she had chosen France because she received support from French intellectuals and expressions of understanding from French political leaders.
Since last October, "I've found myself in the position in which my own government - the government of the Netherlands - has said it doesn't want to pay for my protection," Hirsi Ali said. "The American government said: 'You are a Dutch citizen,' and that it doesn't pay for the protection of foreigners," she said.
French Human Rights Minister Rama Yade, also on the France-2 news program, said: "We believe in France that Ayaan Hirsi Ali must be protected," but stopped short of offering citizenship.
#2
I need a MOD...I just posted an article that Mansoor Dadullah was just killed in Pakistan in a raid...I think it went off into the ether....can someone help me find it.
If, on the otherhand, she were a US citizen, she would be entitled to protection. It's concerning that she didn't apply. It may be she's afraid of who will win the 2009 election or has no confidence in the US. It's embarassing to think someone whose actions and opinions I respect as much as I do hers would think France represents a safer bet.
#4
I don't know what the requirements are in France, but in the US she would need to be a permanent resident for a minimum of 5 years, then apply for naturalization.
The issue is that there is no legal basis under which the US government could give her 24-7 personal protection for the 5 years + the application period.
The US administration is pressing the 27 governments of the European Union to sign up for a range of new security measures for transatlantic travel, including allowing armed guards on all flights from Europe to America by US airlines.
The demand to put armed air marshals on to the flights is part of a travel clampdown by the Bush administration that officials in Brussels described as "blackmail" and "troublesome", and could see west Europeans and Britons required to have US visas if their governments balk at Washington's requirements.
According to a US document being circulated for signature in European capitals, EU states would also need to supply personal data on all air passengers overflying but not landing in the US in order to gain or retain visa-free travel to America, senior EU officials said.
Continued on Page 49
#2
The legal foundation, for those interested in Euro-Dweeb's complaint, is "It's our goddamned country and we'll ask for any info we want. Don't like it? Then stay the hell out."
#3
Not quite.
You are asking data from people who do not even enter the U.S.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 18:05 Comments ||
Top||
#4
No just those that violate our airspace.
Posted by: ed ||
02/11/2008 18:27 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Violate your airspace? Are you kidding?
You are also asking data from people who do not fly at all.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 18:34 Comments ||
Top||
#6
who do not fly at all
You must mean those who enter the secure section of the airport. I am ambivalent to that. Yes they could pass explosives or weapons to take over a flight, but I would think there is a much greater chance with the large numbers of muzzie airport workers doing that (and there have been a LOT of them each time I have flown into W. European airports).
Like I said, our airspace, our rules. You are welcome to follow those rules or stay out.
Posted by: ed ||
02/11/2008 18:46 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Crap. Messed up the html.
Posted by: ed ||
02/11/2008 18:47 Comments ||
Top||
#8
I've seen heaps of Pakistani airport workers in Dallas or Chicago.
Look closer to home. Airport security in the U.S. is still hit and miss.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 21:23 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Mostly miss...
thanks norman
Posted by: Abu do you love ||
02/11/2008 21:53 Comments ||
Top||
#10
One does not preclude the other. As far as the US giving in, you are under the mistaken impression Americans want more transatlantic travel. Less contact and equalized trade at a lower level is just fine with most Americans.
Posted by: ed ||
02/11/2008 22:02 Comments ||
Top||
#11
On both sides of the Atlantic, when it comes to airport workers.
And many measures to ensure passenger screnings are just ludicrous. Confiscate the shampoo and the tweezers, and what do you find on board? Champagne bottles.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 22:07 Comments ||
Top||
#12
It's not about "giving in", it's about what makes sense and what does not.
HS is under the mistaken impression that you just need enough data and you'll sort out the rest. Won't happen. You'll just drown in irrelevant data.
We need to look where the bad guys are. Starting with the mosques, the madrassas, the online meeting places.
And ed, you'd be the first American to want LESS trade.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 22:14 Comments ||
Top||
#13
We need to look where the bad guys are.
I agree. Then take action.
You'd be surprised how any Americans are turned off by the current trading system. The primary beneficiaries are the money movers who by importing make vast fortunes w/o taking the risk of those who build factories and making products. The primary losers are the former $25/hour middle class factory workers now making $8/hour in retail. The vast majority of those I know are angry at the wide open US market while the rest of world employ high tariffs or non-tariff restrictions. It's well past time to take care of our own.
Posted by: ed ||
02/11/2008 22:25 Comments ||
Top||
#14
You'd find pretty much the same discussion in Western Europe about Asia.
But not many American companies build new factories in Europe, quite a few European companies build them in the U.S.
Alabama for example.
But let's face it. Direct your anger at Asia, not Europe. Exporting to the U.S. at $1.50 to the Euro is hard work, even without tariffs.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 22:48 Comments ||
Top||
Islamophobia is gaining ground in the Netherlands, with Muslim minorities facing rising violence and discrimination, a pan-European anti-racism commission said in a report released on Tuesday.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) found Islamophobia in the country to have increased dramatically since 2000, reporting that Muslims were disproportionately targeted by security policies and were facing racist violence and discrimination.
How about violence by Islamic youts and extremists against the other good citizens of Dutch-land? Any increases there?
The ECRI studies and makes recommendations on the problems of racism and intolerance in the 47 states of the Council of Europe.
Tensions have been fuelled by national and international events, such as 9/11 attacks in the United States and the murder of outspoken columnist and filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a radical Muslim in 2004, the report said.
How 'bout that murder, does the ECRI have anything to say about that?
The tone of Dutch political and public debate around integration and other issues relevant to ethnic minorities has experienced a dramatic deterioration, it said, warning of a worrying polarisation between majority and minority communities.
It found that the countrys Muslims a community of one million people, or six percent of the population had faced stereotyping, stigmatising, outright racist political discourse and biased media portrayal.
The Moroccan and Turkish communities were especially hard hit, it said. Community tensions had also led to a rise in anti-Semitism, the report found.
The report also found that anti-Semitic insults and expressions had tended to become a feature of everyday life, reflecting in part a similar trend in Holocaust denial, notably among the younger generations. According to the report, the word Jew is increasingly used as an insult and different aspects of the Holocaust are reportedly questioned in everyday situations, including in schools.
Which everyday situations? By whom?
The Dutch government, in an annex to the report, replied that it had adopted anti-racism legislation, opened anti-discrimination offices around the country and taken steps to fight discrimination in the job market.
But a Dutch minister said on Friday the government wanted schools, public bodies and public transport companies to forbid clothing that covers the face although it would not explicitly ban the burqa.
European Union ministers and Dutch Muslim groups have also expressed serious concern about plans by far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders to make a potentially inflammatory film about the Quran. Wilders, who has been under round-the-clock protection since the filmmaker Van Gogh was murdered for making a film critical of Islam in 2004, said this weekend his film would be aired in March.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
No concerns about Christianphobia or don'tbelieveinanythingaphobia. It's racism, I tell ya! Well, no, it isn't, since religion is something you choose (usually) but you (prolly) get the idea...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/11/2008 0:23 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I think someone should start targeting the "Rights Watchdogs" myself. These chattering weasels need to be silenced.
Posted by: Glomoque Prince of the Swedes6689 ||
02/11/2008 3:56 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Is there any conceptual differnce betweeen islamophobia, catholicophobia, protestantiphobia, jewishophobia (the religion not for the simple act of being born a Jew), hillaryclintonophobia, obamaphobia, bushophobia, comunistophobia, KukluxKlanophobia, or naziphobia?
While peoplle are not responsible for their race they are for their ideas. If I judge these ideas are evil (some of the above list but not all) I claim the right to hate them and the people who prophess them specially when there is a long trail of blood behind these ideas and when myself or some of my beloved ones have come close of being victim of one of the pratictioners of such ideology.
#4
Gotta make it look like they're doing something, anyway. And they are too afraid to go to SA, NorK, China, or Iran. So I guess that leaves them biting the hand that feeds them.
Hundreds of Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Muslim men in polygamous marriages -- some with a harem of wives -- are receiving welfare and social benefits for each of their spouses, thanks to the city and province, Muslim leaders say.
Mumtaz Ali, president of the Canadian Society of Muslims, said wives in polygamous marriages are recognized as spouses under the Ontario Family Law Act, providing they were legally married under Muslim laws abroad. "Polygamy is a regular part of life for many Muslims," Ali said yesterday. "Ontario recognizes religious marriages for Muslims and others."
He estimates "several hundred" GTA husbands in polygamous marriages are receiving benefits. Under Islamic law, a Muslim man is permitted to have up to four spouses.
However, city and provincial officials said legally a welfare applicant can claim only one spouse. Other adults living in the same household can apply for welfare independently. The average recipient with a child can receive about $1,500 monthly, city officials said.
FAMILY LAW ACT
In addressing the issue of polygamous marriages, the preamble to the Ontario Family Law Act states: "In the definition of 'spouse,' a reference to marriage includes a marriage that is actually or potentially polygamous, if it was celebrated in a jurisdiction whose system of law recognizes it as valid. R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3, s. 1 (2)."
"There are many people in the community who are taking advantage of this," Ali said. "This is a law and there's nothing wrong with it."
Immigration officials said yesterday that polygamous marriages aren't allowed in Canada, but that contradicts the provincial law. "Canada is a very liberal-minded country," Ali said. "Canada is way ahead of Britain in this respect."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
Whoremongerin', eh?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/11/2008 0:18 Comments ||
Top||
#2
REALCLEARPOLITICS/TOPIX > CANADA:BRITAIN"S FIGHT IS ALSO OURS/OUR OWN.
By the Grace of Allah and your kind support Muslim Welfare Centre was established in 1993, was the first such organization in North America. Humanity in general and our community in particular is passing through the most critical period.
While we are enjoying, there are millions of our less fortunate brothers, sisters and children around the globe, begging for a morsel, they are dying of HUNGER, they are dying of DISEASE: they are dying of EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND COLD. Even innocent children, who have yet to see the world and enjoy the fruits of life, are victims of adversity - loitering in slums and dying of Mal-nutrition and Starvation. We, the fortunate ones whom Allah has given enough to lead a luxurious life, are directly or indirectly responsible for the agony of the less fortunate members of the Muslim Community. We are supposed to lend a helping hand to the poor and needy. Our individual efforts in this regard may be just a drop in the vast ocean.
Sounds like democratic convention campaing speach.
#4
Canada like the UK are been taken over by muslims who dont want to work!!!!
Posted by: Paul ||
02/11/2008 6:21 Comments ||
Top||
#5
I always figured polygamy was the only crime which is its own punishment. But I guess not, it you're Muslim in Canada and get government money for each wife plus you get to beat them if they don't obey.
#7
While we are enjoying, there are millions of our less fortunate brothers, sisters and children around the globe, begging for a morsel, they are dying of HUNGER, they are dying of DISEASE: they are dying of EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND COLD.
So get up off your butts and do something about it.
We, the fortunate ones whom Allah has the dhimmis of Canada have given enough to lead a luxurious life,
At 6:30 a.m. on a freezing Friday in February, the lights are dark on Frat Row near the University of Minnesota campus. Some students may be sleeping off last night's party, while others are just sleeping in.
An 8 a.m. class? Get real.
But drive down a few blocks, then take a sharp right at the U of M Armory. It's a different predawn world there, as 120 young men and women sweat through a grueling workout of timed runs, push-ups and sit-ups.
These are the cadets of the Golden Gopher Army ROTC battalion. About 75 percent are U of M students; the rest are drawn from nine other metro-area colleges.
In 2007, the battalion was named the best Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit in the country in an annual contest among the nation's 273 Army ROTC programs. Criteria range from cadets' academic performance to their combat water-survival skills.
Growing student interest in military service at the U reflects a national trend. While the number of students who enter Army ROTC programs nationwide has remained relatively stable over the past decade, the number of those who complete the program and accept an Army commission rose from about 12,000 in 2004 to almost 16,000 in 2007-08, according to Lt. Col. Curt Cooper, the U battalion's commanding officer.
On Cooper's watch, the Golden Gopher battalion has grown from 47 cadets in 2004 to 120 today.
Why drag yourself out of bed on a winter morning when your fellow students are still catching zzz's? Is it the free tuition and living stipend that ROTC offers?
"You couldn't pay us enough to do this job," said Cadet Greg Holmes of St. Louis Park, a senior. "What drew me is that I want to be part of something bigger, that's going to be a part of history. I was blessed to be born in this country, and I believe in earning what you get."
At the U, but without a clue
For Holmes, it's been a long path. "When I walked in here as a freshman, I had a mohawk haircut and wore baggy pants. I didn't have a clue what to do with my life," he said.
A chance encounter with an ROTC officer acquainted him with the program's pluses. He learned, he says, that ROTC "teaches you leadership, helps you with education expenses, and allows you to serve your country in a way no other organization can."
"Next thing I knew," said Homes, "I was shaving off my hair and showing up at PT [physical training] at 6:30 a.m."
But leadership preparation requires more than doing push-ups and learning to fire an M-16 rifle. As seniors, cadets assume responsibility for everything from overseeing supplies and logistics to public affairs.
"The instructors look at you and say, 'You're in charge; make it happen,'" said Holmes. "You walk in here as a senior and they tell you, 'It's not about you anymore. It's about the people below you -- helping them to excel.'" Priorities: 'My men, then the mission, then me.' And yes, that's the definition of leadership: helping subordinates and the unit as a whole to succeed. In ROTC, everyone has it
"Americans have this tendency to believe you either have it or you don't," he added. "We don't believe that. The Army believes that any one of us can be the next [Gen. George] Patton."
How does a 21-year-old kid become equipped to shoulder these responsibilities? In part, by immersing himself or herself in the military decision-making model -- a framework for action in uncertain conditions -- until it becomes second nature.
Does this approach equip you to find the best route for your patrol in Baghdad? You bet. But it has much broader applications -- from running a business to raising a family.
Holmes, for example, did his paper for military decision-making class on how to use the approach to buy a digital camera.
"As a 19-year old, I would have just gone for the flash," he said. "I would have said, 'I want the shiny one, or the one with the cool name.' Now I go beyond that, from defining the problem to anticipating what could go wrong."
#1
The character of ROTC changes even more than the character of the military, depending on circumstances.
That is, with an extended peacetime, the big emphasis in ROTC is academics, because unless the student graduates, they don't get commissioned.
But when the military is expanding and preparing for war, suddenly the emphasis shifts to extreme physical preparedness. This often begins a year or two before actual hostilities have even begun.
This regime continues through whatever conflict, until the ROTC cadre begins to be replaced with combat veterans.
The vets are focused on teaching the most practical tactics, with emphasis on their life and death consequences. They are willing to accept lower physical standards and appearance, as long as cadets have both high lethality and survivability. Cadets from such programs are neither handsome nor particularly buff, but are decidedly murderous.
Ironic, in that few of them will ever get to practice their skills, in that the conflict is over. So the emphasis again returns to their academics, to insure that they graduate so they will become commissioned.
Fortunately, one other cycle, that of militarism over militancy, has to a great extent fallen by the wayside. The militarism of snappy dress uniforms, drill & ceremonies, military bands and other such window dressing, has long taken a back seat to core performance.
#2
That's true at West Point too, 'moose. They've been doing serious combat training exercises for the last few years, including IED detection and survival.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is planning to charge six detainees at Guantanamo Bay for the Sept. 11 terror attacks on America and seek the death penalty. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said an announcement of the charges could come Monday.
A second official said that military leaders also will seek the death penalty for the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
Among those held at Guantanamo is Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the attack six years ago in which hijacked planes were flown into buildings in New York and Washington. Five others are expected to be named in sworn charges.
"The department has been working diligently to prepare cases and bring charges against a number of individuals who have been involved in some of the most grievous acts of violence and terror against the United States and our allies," Whitman said.
Prosecutors have been working for years to assemble the case against suspects in the attacks in New York and Washington that prompted the Bush administration to launch its global war on terror. "The prosecution team is close to moving forward on referring charges on a number of individuals," Whitman said, declining to name the defendants.
The New York Times reported in Monday's editions that the others are Mohammed al-Qahtani, the man officials have labeled the 20th hijacker; Ramzi bin al-Shibh, said to have been the main intermediary between the hijackers and leaders of Al Qaeda; Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, known as Ammar al-Baluchi, a nephew of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who has been identified as Mohammed's lieutenant for the 2001 operation; al- Baluchi's assistant, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi; and Walid bin Attash, a detainee known as Khallad, who investigators say selected and trained some of the hijackers.
#2
I'll believe it when I see the green card. We've been waiting for the FBI name check for over two and a half years. This is freakin' ridiculous.
I'm certain they still won't manage to issue the thing until we have to pay for yet another employment authorization, new driver's license, and all the other associated fees that we ring up every year because they never, ever get any of the documents we pay for issued on time (it's lovely to be unemployed for a few weeks courtesy of the USCIS, trust me....)
#3
WASHINGTON - In a major policy shift aimed at reducing a ballooning immigration backlog, the Department of Homeland Security is preparing to grant permanent residency to tens of thousands of applicants before the FBI completes a required background check.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/11/2008 21:35 Comments ||
Top||
Moderator note: please do not post an entire entry in italics.
The United States administration is pressing the 27 governments of the European Union to sign up for a range of new security measures for transatlantic travel, including allowing armed guards on all flights from Europe to America by US airlines.
The demand to put armed air marshals on to the flights is part of a travel clampdown by the Bush administration that officials in Brussels described as "blackmail" and "troublesome", and could see West Europeans and Britons required to have US visas if their governments baulk at Washington's requirements.
#6
Sounds like HS is concerned about people in wheelchairs switching places with their escorts just before boarding. Somebody's been running scenarios.
Posted by: moody blues ||
02/11/2008 13:12 Comments ||
Top||
#7
By cancelling the Visa Waiver program for Europeans the U.S. would massively shoot themselves in both feet.
The program was established 20 years ago, one reason being that U.S. consulates could barely cope with visa applications. Since then transatlantic travel has increased multifold. How would they cope now, with millions of applications every year?
U.S. airlines and the tourist industry (including everything related to business travel) would suffer most. International business conventions would shun the U.S.
Bottom line: It's not going to happen and after some negotiating things will work out, just as they always do.
Posted by: Pearl Shuck3997 ||
02/11/2008 15:14 Comments ||
Top||
#8
This maneuver by the Bush Administration (ie; Homeland Security)may be a forgone conclusion, assuming the 'tea leaves' are being read and a sweep of the Presidency to occur in November. With Obama and Hillary vowing to bring the troops home sooner rather than later and turning those AirCraft Carrier groups around; tightening of the borders; Sea,land and air will be a required move on the US side as it steers toward 'semi isolationism' and nationalistic enhancement."W" also mindful of politics can steal alittle thunder from the Dems and 'pumping the Repubs' as we get closer to the General Election!
The military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost $170 billion in the next fiscal year over and above the $515.4 billion regular Pentagon budget that President Bush has proposed, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Wednesday.
Mr. Gates gave that estimate in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee after cautioning the panel that any estimate would be dicey, given the unpredictability of war.
Well, a straight-line projection, Mr. Chairman, of our current expenditures would probably put the full-year cost in a strictly arithmetic approach at about $170 billion, Mr. Gates said in response to questions from Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is the head of the committee.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Typical of the NYT - they're only interested in government spending when a) it's done for military purposes and b) when it's done by a Republican administration.
#2
Well, since Lydon Johnson launched the 'War on Poverty' in the 60s, we've spent about 7 trillion dollars and still have poverty. How about declaring it a quagmire and pulling out?
#3
And how much has the "war on drugs" cost? How much has the non-enforcement of border security cost us in prison housing and loss of life?
Trillions...
and hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
Several billions and the loss of 6 thousand US lives (including 9-11) to prevent another 9-11 and a nuclear terrorist attack seem like a fucking bargain, doesn't it?
#4
Also from NY TIMES [WAFF.com] > HARD LESSONS LEARNED... article > the US Army's new revised doctrine now has new impetus for NATION/REGION-SPECIFIC STABILITY/BUILDING OPERATIONS, besides mil defeating any and all adversaries on the battlefield.
All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Sunday urged Pakistanis to boycott the February 18 elections as the vote is nothing but a fraud with the nation. The APDM an alliance of opposition parties is boycotting the elections. No transparent election could be held until the reinstatement of the sacked judges and an independent election commission [is] put in place, AFP quoted Ahmed as telling a public rally in Karachi. The crowd shouted slogans against Musharraf. Remove Musharraf, bring true democracy, was one of many banners held by the participants of the rally. A senior police official, Athar Rashid Butt, said about 2,000 people turned up to attend the APDM rally. Ahmed said the constitution had been severely distorted by Musharraf and the army. Separately, speaking at a Meet the press programme at Karachi Press Club, Ahmed rejected the idea of demanding a UN probe into the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, APP reported. A team comprising former judges Wajihuddin Ahmed, Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui and Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should be tasked with probing Benazirs death, he said, adding that investigations by reliable Pakistanis will be much more helpful in knowing facts than a probe by foreigners.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami
#2
Osama Bin Laden only legitimizes [organizations] and gives his blessing, but he does not know what those who got his blessing are doing. After all, the man sleeps in a cave somewhere.
How about reducing troops a few at a time by simply taking them out of action but not out of the area? If things stay stable for a few weeks with no complaints, then send them home, otherwise put them back. With the big operation coming up in Mosul, it doesn't seem right to remove them altogether until that area is pacified. After that, I don't think the terrorists will be able to assemble anything like the critical mass they need to be very effective anywhere.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday endorsed, for the first time, the idea of pausing the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq this summer. "A brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense," Gates told reporters after meeting with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Petraeus has indicated in recent weeks that he wants a "period of evaluation" this summer to assess the impact on Iraq security of reducing the U.S. military presence from 20 brigades to 15 brigades.
Of that five-brigade reduction, only one has departed thus far. The last of the five is to be gone by the end of July.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq faces an extraordinary crisis. Last year's mass defection of ordinary Sunnis from al-Qaeda to the US military created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight. The terrorist group's security structure suffered total collapse.
These are the words not of al-Qaeda's enemies but of one of its own leaders in Anbar province once the group's stronghold. They were set down last summer in a 39-page letter seized during a US raid on an al-Qaeda base near Samarra in November.
The US military released extracts from that letter yesterday along with a second seized in another November raid that is almost as startling.
That second document is a bitter 16-page testament written last October by a local al-Qaeda leader near Balad, north of Baghdad. I am Abu-Tariq, emir of the al-Layin and al-Mashahdah sector, the author begins. He goes on to describe how his force of 600 shrank to fewer than 20.
We were mistreated, cheated and betrayed by some of our brothers, he says. Those people were nothing but hypocrites, liars and traitors and were waiting for the right moment to switch sides with whoever pays them most.
Assuming the two documents are authentic and the US military insists that they are they provide a rare insight into an organisation thrown into turmoil by the rise of the Awakening movement. More than 80,000 Sunnis have joined the tribal groups of concerned local citizens [CLCs] that have helped to eject al-Qaeda from swaths of western and northern Iraq, including much of Baghdad.
US intelligence officials cautioned, however, that the documents were snapshots of two small areas and that al-Qaeda was far from a spent force.
They said that while the number of car bombs had fallen over the past year, the organisation had doubled its attacks on CLC members since October. More than 20 people were killed last night when a suicide car bomber attacked a checkpoint near Balad.
Al-Qaeda gunmen stormed a compound of an Awakening group in Iraq's northern Nineveh province yesterday, the US military said. Among those killed in the fighting were 10 suspected Al-Qaeda in Iraq fighters.
The Anbar letter conceded that the crusaders Americans had gained the upper hand by persuading ordinary Sunnis that al-Qaeda was responsible for their suffering and by exploiting their poverty to entice them into the security forces. Al-Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq is faced with an extraordinary crisis, especially in al-Anbar, the unnamed emir admitted.
In an apparent reference to al-Qaeda's brutal tactics, he said of the Americans and their Sunni allies: We helped them to unite against us . . . The Americans and the apostates launched their campaigns against us and we found ourselves in a circle not being able to move, organise or conduct our operations.
He said of the loss of Anbar province: This created weakness and psychological defeat. This also created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight. The morale of the fighters went down . . . There was a total collapse in the security structure of the organisation. The emir complained that the supply of foreign fighters had dwindled and that they found it increasingly hard to operate inside Iraq because they could not blend in. Foreign suicide bombers determined to kill not less than 20 or 30 infidels grew disillusioned because they were kept hanging about and only given small operations. Some gave up and went home.
Finally the emir recommended rewards for killing apostates, using doctors to kill infidels and offering gifts to tribal leaders. He said al-Qaeda's fighters should be sent to more promising areas such as Diyala province or Baghdad which is exactly what happened.
Rear-Admiral Gregory Smith, the US military spokesman in Baghdad, called Abu-Tariq's testament a woe-is-me kind of document. It calls the Sunnis who switched sides a cancer in the body of al-Jihad movement, and declares: We should have no mercy on them.
The author lists those who have made off with al-Qaeda weapons or money, describes the group's arsenal, including C5 rockets, which are used against helicopters, and records the fate of the battalions under his command.
Most of the first battalion's fighters betrayed us and joined al-Sahwah [the Awakening], he says. The leader of the second ran away and all but two of its 300 fighters joined the Awakening. The activities of the third were frozen due to their present conditions. Of the fourth he writes: Most of its members are scoundrels, sectarians, non-believers.
He lists 38 people still working for him but beside five names he has written comments like We have not seen him for twenty days or left us a week ago. He concludes, wistfully: And that is the number of fighters left in my sector. More
Posted by: tipper ||
02/11/2008 03:15 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Iraq
#3
As said or inferred before, btwn now and 2010 > make or break, validate or discredit ISLAM + RADICAL ISLAMISM AS PER THE APPEARANCE VERSUS NON-APPEARANCE OF THE "HIDDEN IMAM/MAHDI" TO DEFEAT AND DESTROY US MILFORS + ME ENTRENCHMENT, + SAVE THE ISLAMIC = ISLAMIST GLOBAL AGENDA.
IMO, IT WILL NOT JUST BE THE DISCREDITMENT = DESTRUC OF "HARD" ISLAM AS A BASIS FOR TERROR.
NO US [incl. Allied/Western] DEFEAT > besides the above, will also empower ISLAMIC SECULARISTS vv RADICALISTS-DIVINISTS/MULLAHS. AFter 2010, any salvation of the Radical Islamist agenda will be dependent on inducing MUTUALLY DESTRUCTIVE "GREAT POWERS" CONFRONTATION, including CONTINEMTAL, REGIONAL, TRANS, etc.
The planners of 9-11 KNOWINGLY UNLEASHED DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY UNCONTROLLABLE/
CATASTROPHIC FORCES UPON THE WORLD which the present generations will only be lucky to live thru unscathed and may last for generations more.
Via the Google search linked above, the original motion was introduced by...Iraq. Thanks for nothin'.
Speaking to KUNA, the bureau's media department director, Nasra Hasan, said Vladimir Goryayev was appointed executive director of the office, which groups more than 20 employees. She noted that the UN General Assembly approved an annual budget of 2.3 million euro for the office in 2006, adding that the office had finished placing its regulatory and legal framework for a databank on those who sustained damage from the construction of the wall and follow-up of their claims.
[Executive director] Goryayev refused to give any details on the nature of the work carried out at the office nor the mechanism for filing complaints
On his part, Goryayev refused to give any details on the nature of the work carried out at the office nor the mechanism for filing complaints. Questions have been raised over why a Russian was appointed as chief of the office, at a time when his country abstained from voting from the resolution at the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, a source told KUNA that the office would only be issuing statements from time to time and was not authorized to speak to the press at present, noting that it was a technical body and not a political one.
Evil Al-Knievel and the Cycles of Violence...
Gaza Ma'an After the death of eight people in mototcycle accidents in the Gaza Strip, the de facto government launched a campaign on Saturday to control unlicensed riders. Obviously, a Jooo Zionist Plot...
The campaign will include all the provinces of the Gaza Strip. Bikers will be subject to random checks on their identity papers and driving permits. The Gaza police said they would take tough action against people riding motorcycles without the proper documents. Oh-oh. I'd be digging my bulletproof shoes out of the closet...
Abdel Salam Haniya, a traffic police officer in the allied police, said that eight people have died and more than 70 others have been injured since the toppling of the Egypt-Gaza border wall. Awwwwww. That's...too bad.
Hundreds of motorcycles were reportedly brought in from Egypt by Palestinian teenagers after the border breach in January. Most of the motorcycles are still unregistered and the drivers untrained and unlicensed. So this fun could go on for awhile...
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
02/11/2008 19:26 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Hundreds of motorcycles were reportedly brought in from Egypt by Palestinian teenagers after the border breach in January. Most of the motorcycles are still unregistered and the drivers untrained and unlicensed.
They forgot, "And paid for with counterfeit money."(Stolen, in other words.)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
02/11/2008 21:51 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Cycles of Violence
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/11/2008 21:53 Comments ||
Top||
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) - Gaza's tunnel smugglers are getting back to business after a forced break during the massive Gaza-Egypt border breach, despite renewed promises from Israel and Egypt to shut down the illegal trade.
Egypt closed the border more than a week ago, ending 12 days of anarchy that allowed hundreds of thousands of Gazans to stock up on cigarettes, cement and fuel in Egyptian border towns. But with the blockade of Gazaenforced by both Israel and Egyptback in place, a scarcity of goods and rising prices will fuel the black market again.
Smuggler Abu Diya and his cohorts, who temporarily suspended trafficking through the dozens of tunnels the run under the border for lack of customers, said they'll resume operations once it makes economic sense, probably in about three weeks. "Palestinians can do the impossible to break this boycott," Abu Diya said. "Whatever Israel does, we'll find a way around it."
Continued on Page 49
Politicians on the Right called upon Shas to leave the government immediately on Sunday after The Jerusalem Post revealed that secret talks were taking place with the Palestinians in which Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had made concessions on Jerusalem.
As reported in Sunday's Post, a senior Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah said that the Palestinian negotiating team headed by former PA prime minister Ahmed Qurei had been holding "secret talks" with Livni and other government officials over the past few weeks.
"There are public meetings and there are secret ones," the PA official explained. "The main progress has been achieved during the secret talks, particularly on the issue of Jerusalem. Today we can say that Israel is prepared to withdraw from almost all the Arab neighborhoods and villages in Jerusalem. Israel is prepared to redivide Jerusalem, and this is a positive development."
Livni's associates declined to comment on the story, saying that the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams had decided not to respond to reports about what was taking place behind closed doors during the negotiations.
An Israeli official familiar with the talks said that until now they had focused on procedural matters and that the more serious issues on substance still lay ahead.
The PA confirmed Sunday that Jerusalem was being discussed with Israel. Nimer Hammad, political adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said the PA had sensed readiness on Israel's part to talk about the future of Jerusalem.
"The negotiations [with Israel] are not easy," Qurei said Sunday. "The topics which we're negotiating about are also not simple. These are the most difficult issues, and they include Jerusalem, the refugees, the borders and the settlements."
A senior PA official added that "Jerusalem was of course on the table" and that "there is almost full understanding with Israel" regarding the creation of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Shas officials responded to the story by reiterating the party's promise that it would not sit in a government that negotiated Jerusalem's fate and that they expected to be updated by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Livni if the issue were raised. But politicians on the Right said Shas could no longer explain remaining in the coalition.
"The cat is out of the bag," National Religious Party chairman Zevulun Orlev said. "The fact that the Olmert government is not telling the truth about the negotiations with the Palestinians has been revealed. Shas will no longer be able to say they didn't know. Even if the prime minister isn't telling them the truth, they can thank The Jerusalem Post for revealing it to them. I hope Shas keeps its promise and leaves the government that is dividing Jerusalem."
Likud faction chairman Gideon Sa'ar said the secret negotiations were intended to give the political establishment a fait accompli that would require Israel to withdraw to indefensible borders and divide Jerusalem.
"Shas should withdraw immediately from the coalition as it promised," Sa'ar said. "It's also time for the MKs in Kadima and the Pensioners Party who oppose such moves to wake up."
United Torah Judaism MK Avraham Ravitz criticized the negotiations, saying that if "the story was true, then Jerusalem's fate is being decided like a thief in the night. It cannot be that while Olmert is denying that there are any talks about Jerusalem at all, Livni is negotiating in back rooms with Abu Ala [Qurei] about the state of our capital."
Jerusalem municipal opposition leader Nir Barkat, who has led a public campaign against the proposed division of the capital, called on Livni to reveal any agreements reached during negotiations with the Palestinians.
"I demand that the foreign minister, who heads the negotiations with the Palestinians, publicly disclose all secretive and other agreements that the State of Israel has reached with the Palestinians," Barkat said.
"Any such agreement achieved on behalf of an Israeli official would constitute an absolute deviation from Kadima's basic principles and a violation of the Basic Law: Jerusalem. It would betray the trust of the voter and undermines the sovereign basis of the Knesset. The Palestinians must understand that neither the government of Israel, nor any other body on its behalf, has the right to promise to give up areas where Israeli law, governance and legislation have been implemented."
#2
How ironic that non-Zionist parties like Shas and UTJ are trying to bring down a govt for dividing Jerusalem. The state of Israel is illegitimate, and it MUST govern all of greater Jerusalem.
The food was lousy, and they didnt give seconds, huh?
A radical Palestinian faction on Sunday denounced a recent statement by Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit in which he warned the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip not to cross the border into Egypt or else they would have their legs broken.
Anwar Raja, a member of the political bureau of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General-Command, called on Aboul Gheit to retract his comments, made last week. "The diplomatic courtesy and the brotherly (Egyptian-Palestinian) relations requires that Mr. Aboul Gheit be more responsible in his statements," Raja said in a statement.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians crossed into Egypt from the Gaza strip beginning late last month during a 12-day breach of the border. The border has been resealed, and Aboul Gheit warned last week that anyone trying to cross illegally "will get his legs broken."
It was not known if Aboul Gheit meant what he said literally, but it illustrated the tensions that have flared between Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Egypt.
Raja stressed that Aboul Gheit's statement doesn't reflect the opinion of the Egyptian people and requested that he apologize to the Palestinians for the "moral and psychological harm he has done." There was no immediate comment from Aboul Gheit or the Egyptian government.
Raja said the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza should be reopened according to a new mechanism that ensures the freedom of passage for people and goods from and to the Gaza Strip. He did not elaborate.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: PFLP
Malaysia has offered to work with Thailands new government to aid Muslims in the restive south, which has been wracked by an insurgency for more than four years, state media reported Sunday. It's the nature of the "aid" you've been sending to the south that's part of the problem.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he looked forward to meeting his new Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej to discuss how to help locals and restore peace to the area, which he said would benefit both countries. We have expressed our willingness to cooperate with Thailand to help the Muslims in the south, along the border with Malaysia, Abdullah was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. I want to discuss this with the new Thai prime minister. I think it is a good thing that we give attention to the situation in southern Thailand. More than 2,900 people have been killed since the unrest broke out in January 2004 in the south, which was an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate until mainly Buddhist Thailand annexed it in 1902, provoking decades of tension.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
Posted by: anonymous5089 ||
02/11/2008 09:09 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
OTOH, BREAKING > TWO RUSSIAN BOMBERS BUZZ US CARRIER IN WESTERN PACIFIC. TU95's versus NIMITZ-class, USN Fighters scrambled but Russ apparently still came on - one Russ bomber turned itself back towards the CV and came close enuff to launch/bomb, or else commit Borsch-kaze.
See also STRATEGYPAGE > CHINESE spare parts keep US-made Iranian F-14's flying despite embargo. HAD BEEN FOR YEARS ACCOR TO IRANIAN EMIGRES.
Iran is to launch two more rockets into space in the next few months, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Monday, after a firing of a rocket earlier this month sparked international concern.
"Two other rockets will be launched so that we can then send a satellite into space," Ahmadinejad said at a rally in Tehran broadcast live on state television.
"We home that Iran's first home-produced satellite will be launched in the summer," he added, reiterating a prediction made by other Iranian officials who said the satellite would be launched in May.
On February 4, Iran fired a rocket into space to mark the opening of its first space centre, triggering swift condemnation from the United States amid continued tensions over the Iranian nuclear drive.
Ahmadinejad hailed the launch of the rocket, named Kavoshgar-1, as a success and for the first time gave some technical details about its launch.
"The first rocket that was launched had three parts. It was a success," he said in the speech marking the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
He said the first section of the rocket detached after 90 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute while the second entered the earth's atmosphere after 300 seconds.
"The third section of the rocket, which contained the probe, was sent towards orbit."
"The probe is sending information on wind, temperature, pressure to allow the sending of new probes into space," he added.
Iran has been pursuing a space programme for several years, and in October 2005 a Russian-made Iranian satellite named Sina-1 was put into orbit by a Russian rocket.
But the satellite Iran plans to launch in summer -- already named Omid (hope) -- would be its first domestically manufactured probe and the first to be launched from Iranian territory.
The United States, which has led international efforts to pressure Iran to freeze controversial nuclear activities, has said Tehran's activities in space risked further isolating the Islamic republic.
"It's unfortunate that they continue to do that because it further isolates the country from the rest of the world," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino at the time.
The new Iranian space centre, located in the remote desert of the northern Semnan province, includes an underground control centre and launch pad which will be used to fire Omid into space
Posted by: anonymous5089 ||
02/11/2008 08:59 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#2
I shot a rocket in the air, it fell to earth I know not where...
Usually, when a rocket is launched for the purposes of gathering data on the winds, temperature, and pressure, they call it a "sounding rocket", as I recall, and it does not go into orbit.
#3
As per IRANIAN.WS + TOPIX + EURONET/JOURNAL > FRANCE and many Euro Perts, including the RUSSIANS when they're willing to admit it, BELIEVE THESE ARE ACTUALLY DISGUISED MISSLE WEAPONS TESTS???
A leading pro-government Lebanese politician warned Sunday that his coalition is ready for war if that's what Syrian-backed opposition wants, adding that they would take Hizbullah's much-vaunted rockets away from it.
Walid Jumblatt, a leading member of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament and a strong critic of Hizbullah, made his comments from his Druze stronghold in Mount Lebanon, soon after the country's deadlocked factions postponed presidential elections for a 14th time. "If you think that we will stand idle, this is your imagination. We might be forced to burn everything. Our existence, dignity and Lebanon are more important than anything," he said. "If you want anarchy, you are welcome. If you want war, we welcome war," said Jumblatt, who was interrupted several times by the cheers of hundreds of his supporters.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Presidential Advisor Mohammad Nasser Biriya has said that Turkey's approval of the Hijab law shows Islam has prevailed in the country.
In a significant victory over secular forces, the Turkish parliament voted on Saturday to amend the constitution to lift a decade-old ban on Islamic headscarves at universities.
Addressing a conference in the central Iranian city of Yazd Saturday, Hojjatoleslam Biriya added that 29 years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the remark made by the late Imam Khomeini on the spread of Islamic values is becoming a reality in most countries. "We are witnessing the spread of Islam and strengthening of unity among Muslims across the world day by day," he noted.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
PAYVAND > DOES THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT FEAR EDUCATED WOMEN?
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit neighboring Iraq by March 19, Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday, a trip that would make him the first leader of the Islamic Republic to visit its former foe.
"All the necessary preparations and arrangements have been made for this trip and, God willing, it will take place before the end of the year," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. He was referring to the Iranian year which ends on March 19.
Iraq's Foreign Ministry said last month that Ahmadinejad, who like other Iranian leaders often rail against the U.S. military presence in Iraq, had accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad but it did not announce a date.
Iran, a predominantly Shi'ite Muslim country, and Iraq fought an eight-year war in the 1980s in which hundreds of thousands were killed. But ties have improved since Sunni Muslim strongman Saddam Hussein was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and a Shi'ite Islamist-led government came to power in Baghdad. Both Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have visited Iran.
Posted by: lotp ||
02/11/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Let's stat practicing that "crossfire incident" right now...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/11/2008 0:26 Comments ||
Top||
#2
stat = start. Laptop's wearing out...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/11/2008 0:27 Comments ||
Top||
#3
With all those Iranian EFPs floating about in God knows what places, that's probably the best Idea Nutjob has ever come up with.
Szollosi, chairman of the city's intergovernmental relations commission, has called a 2 p.m. meeting Tuesday to pose "some tough questions" to Finkbeiner. The full City Council meets later Tuesday.
"We basically want the mayor to apologize," he said. "It's very disappointing."
As criticism spread over the Toledo mayor's decision to put the kibosh on downtown urban warfare training by a Grand Rapids-based Marine battalion, other city leaders were doing damage control today.
"On behalf of several colleagues on the city commission and numerous citizens, we would like to apologize to the community of Grand Rapids and the families of the reservists," Toledo Councilman Frank Szollosi said.
"The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people," Finkbeiner spokesman Brian Schwartz said. "He did not want them practicing in a highly visible area."
Schwartz said the mayor in 2006 informed then-police Chief Jack Smith that he didn't want the Marines back. Finkbeiner was unaware they planned to return until Friday, Schwartz said. "Unfortunately, the chief of police never communicated that down to his subordinates, so nobody handed it down to the mayor," Schwartz said.
Wonder why the chief didn't 'communicate that down'? Could it be because he recognized it was stoopid?
Smith said Saturday that Finkbeiner should have made his wishes known to current police officials. "He told me he did not want them, as he put it, 'playing war in Toledo,'" Smith said of the 2006 training session. "I told him, as a former Marine, that if one young Marine's life is saved because of training he or she received in Toledo, Ohio, then it was worth the inconvenience."
Maj. Dan Whisnant, the battalion's commander, said he was disappointed by Finkbeiner's decision. The training is vital to their combat mission, given the deployment in 2006 and part of 2007 to Iraq's western Anbar province, he said. "It prepares the guys for the real sights, smells, sounds of an operating city," Whisnant said. "It heightens their sense of awareness. You don't duplicate it."
Whisnant said he was unaware of any complaints by Toledo residents or the mayor. "The reason we rescheduled it (the training) is we had such a good training experience," he said. "It went so smoothly last time."
#4
Yesterday, the mayor came short of an apology, but defended the decision in a written statement.
"I spoke with Maj. Jeff Brooks of the United States Marine Corps. I conveyed my sincere regret for the failure to communicate within the administration and any inconvenience that caused the U.S. Marine Corps," the statement said.
"I also conveyed, as my staff did on Friday, that we would make available abandoned buildings for Marine training outside of the central business district."
Mr. Ashford challenged Mr. Finkbeiner's statement from the previous day that people downtown would be frightened by warfare exercises and said he was doubtful the mayor was completely unaware of the planned visit.
"If you have ever been downtown on a weekend in February, there is no one downtown," Mr. Ashford said.
The backlash against the mayor intensified yesterday. There was much disdain for Mr. Finkbeiner when he competed in a free-throw shooting contest during halftime of yesterday's men's basketball game between the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University at BGSU's Anderson Arena. Mr. Finkbeiner, who competed against Bowling Green Mayor John Quinn, was showered with boos by fans from both teams. The mayor responded by cracking a faint smile.
#5
How charming of Mayor Finkbeiner. I hope he plans to reimburse the Marines for the $10,000 the regretted act took out of their very limited budget. Perhaps he can give up showering at the office after his midday run, until he's saved up $10,000 in unspent personal water bills.
Our military doesn't scare its people. They know it won't hurt them. People love seeing a training exercise like this and it is good PR and recruiting.
So, the only real excuse you have is you are a military hating liberal that did your best to stab our troops in the back during a time of war. That is treason, sir. Back in the day where the government had a spine, you would have been shot for it after your trial.
#9
Just a side note. IIRC, while Ohio provided more troops to the Union than any other state during the last Civil War, it also had the highest level of Copperheads as well.
PRINCE Bandar Bin Sultan, the former Saudi Arabian ambassador to America, has been hit by a court order in effect freezing some of his US assets, as part of a class-action lawsuit over bribery allegations at British defence giant BAE Systems.
A Michigan pension scheme, the City of Harper Woods Employees Retirement System, has been granted a restraining order, according to documents filed in the US district of Columbia and seen by The Sunday Times.
The order, granted last Tuesday, blocks Bandar from transferring out of the country any money he makes from the sale of property in America. Bandar owns one of the worlds most expensive homes, Hala Ranch, in Pitkin County, Aspen, Colorado. The bulk of the estate was put up for sale for $135m (£69m) in July 2006 after Bandar reportedly decided he was spending too much time in Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the lavish property.
The latest move comes after the pension scheme launched a class-action suit on behalf of rebel investors last September against the BAE board, as well as former directors and Bandar.
The case centres on allegations that bribes worth $2 billion were paid to Saudi officials, including Bandar, as part of BAEs agreement to supply military aircraft and other equipment to Saudi Arabia. The lawsuit accuses BAE directors of intentional, reckless and negligent breaches of their fiduciary duty.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A second MP has waded into the controversial debate over increased birth defects in British Muslims as a result of inbreeding and claims parts of the Pakistani community are in "denial".
Three senior judges are to rule on the legality of an arranged marriage conducted in the UK under sharia law, a judgment that could have profound consequences for British Muslims. The Court of Appeal was told how a 26-year-old British Muslim with learning difficulties was married over the telephone to a woman in Bangladesh. It was arranged by the man's father and deemed lawful under sharia law.
Dr Rowan Williams is still caught in the eye of the Sharia law storm. The Archbishop of Canterbury is facing criticism from fellow Anglicans over his comments on Islamic Sharia law. He has provoked condemnation from the Anglican Archbishop in Latin America, who said confidence in Dr Rowan Williams's leadership had plummeted. 
MADRID (Rooters) - Spanish police on Monday arrested at least 14 Basques suspected of trying to reorganize the separatist Batasuna party, which is banned because of its links to ETA rebels, a court spokesman said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is planning to charge six detainees at Guantanamo Bay for the Sept. 11 terror attacks on America and seek the death penalty. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said an announcement of the charges could come Monday. 
All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Sunday urged Pakistanis to boycott the February 18 elections as the vote is nothing but a fraud with the nation. The APDM an alliance of opposition parties is boycotting the elections. No transparent election could be held until the reinstatement of the sacked judges and an independent election commission [is] put in place, AFP quoted Ahmed as telling a public rally in Karachi. The crowd shouted slogans against Musharraf. Remove Musharraf, bring true democracy, was one of many banners held by the participants of the rally. A senior police official, Athar Rashid Butt, said about 2,000 people turned up to attend the APDM rally. Ahmed said the constitution had been severely distorted by Musharraf and the army. Separately, speaking at a Meet the press programme at Karachi Press Club, Ahmed rejected the idea of demanding a UN probe into the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, APP reported. A team comprising former judges Wajihuddin Ahmed, Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui and Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should be tasked with probing Benazirs death, he said, adding that investigations by reliable Pakistanis will be much more helpful in knowing facts than a probe by foreigners.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) - Gaza's tunnel smugglers are getting back to business after a forced break during the massive Gaza-Egypt border breach, despite renewed promises from Israel and Egypt to shut down the illegal trade. 
Iran is to launch two more rockets into space in the next few months, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Monday, after a firing of a rocket earlier this month sparked international concern. 
A leading pro-government Lebanese politician warned Sunday that his coalition is ready for war if that's what Syrian-backed opposition wants, adding that they would take Hizbullah's much-vaunted rockets away from it. 
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Presidential Advisor Mohammad Nasser Biriya has said that Turkey's approval of the Hijab law shows Islam has prevailed in the country.
