The raids started on a Sunday night and lasted until morning, with police targeting anyone who looked Somali. This included dozens of illegal residents who had fled the fighting of their homeland and blended into this largely Somali enclave known as "Little Mogadishu." Which, I'm guessing, they've made much like "Big Mogadishu," complete with local Mr. Bigs and imported clan antagonisms...
But the raids also swept up Kenyan citizens, who had never visited the country of their ancestry, "Y'ain't from around here, air yew?"
"Jes' down the road apiece! Honest!"
and Somalis with visas and citizenship from Canada, the United States or European countries. "Sounds lak yew got some sorta fonny assent!"
"No, no! Really! I talk just like youse!"
Kenyan Mohammed Ibrahim was near one of Eastleigh's mosques when police arrived and stood his ground while others fled. Hanging around the mosque is a pretty good indicator...
When the officer demanded proof of his citizenship, Ibrahim could tell from the constable's accented English that his native tongue was Luo, a dialect from western Kenya. Ibrahim replied in Luo: "You are targeting my community. What's your problem?" "Why's ever'body always pickin' on me?"
The officer responded, "No problem," and walked away. "Don't be here when I stroll back this way!"
Ibrahim, 30, was one of the few who escaped the dragnet. More than 400, including at least 13 members of Somalia's parliament, were taken into custody Jan. 17 and spent the night in jail. Kenya security ministers defended the raids and said they were conducted lawfully. Somalia is of course Kenya's neighbor. They're the neighbor with the '62 Studebaker Lark up on blocks out front and the dead appliances on the front porch. They're the ones who have the cops there five nights a week, usually at 2 a.m., with the sounds of screaming and broken crockery the other two nights. They have 18 hound dawgs who bark, howl, and snarl 24 hours a day and always chase the Kenyan car when the populace comes home from work at night. They're resentful that Kenya for some reason doesn't want them on their lawn.
The sweep -- and violent downtown demonstration two days earlier by more than 100 Muslim protesters -- underscores the tension here, as problems in neighbouring Somalia threaten the stability of the Horn of Africa. "An' youse cain't keep us off that lawn! Tryin' to keep us off'n thet thar lawn's goin' agin our honor and dignutty!"
After a year in power, Somalia's UN-backed transitional federal government still struggles for credibility and holds power in only a small area of Mogadishu. Protected by a 5,300-strong African Union mission, both government forces and AU peacekeepers are battered daily by al Shabab, an Islamic insurgency that Washington has labelled a terrorist group The cops have to show up two or three cars at a time because when they try to intervene the denizens stop slapping each other around and turn on them.
Nairobi has recently been on high alert as al Shabab has vowed to attack the capital. Kenya has also become a key transit point for foreign fighters lured by Internet propaganda to join the Shabab. The group's prized Western recruits are difficult to detect in Kenya, as they usually enter the country legally as visitors, then slip across the largely unguarded border into Somalia. Five young Toronto men disappeared last fall after coming to Nairobi and are believed now to be among al Shabab recruits. One of the youths reportedly called home and told frantic relatives not to expect his return. "Ah'm gonna ketch me thet thar car an' chew off its tires!"
Mohammed Sheikh Abdullah, a 25-year-old former Shabab member who recently defected and is under protection with Somalia's struggling transitional government, said he doesn't know the Toronto youths but had met many Canadians and Americans. "There are white Canadians
"white" Canadians? Does that mean Arabs or Euro-descent types? If the latter, did they convert to Islam or are do they think they're just playing at being romantic banditti?
and Somali Canadians," he said in an interview with the Toronto Star last week inside Mogadishu's guarded presidential compound, known as Villa Somalia. Maw and Paw have locked themselves in the shed because the kids have set the dawgs on them...
He claims one "white Canadian," who goes by the name Ayottola Ali Jacob,
Ayottola? A bit presumptuous, especially for a Sunni Muslim, which is what I assume he is supposed to be, the Shiites having Hizb'allah in Lebanon for absorbing idiots.
is fighting on the front line.
The right place for those who aspire to be cannon fodder.
Abdullah said the group is keen to attract followers from the West because they elevate the status of the network from a local fight to part of a greater global struggle. He said a fighter by the name of Idris Mohamud Barkhadleh, or "Abu Wajir," acts as a recruiter for foreigners. Abu Wajir is Kenyan, of Somali heritage, and fluent in English, Swahili and Somali. He is the "focal point" for these recruits and arranges logistics of their arrival. "This man is the brainchild of bringing children of Somali origin here," Abdullah said. His title, or kunya, indicates Barkhadleh is from the northeastern Kenyan province of Wajir, which could make him a key asset in getting foreigners across the border. But really they're being put upon, stereotyped, even profiled. It just isn't fair!
Abdullah said Abu Mansour al Amriki (an American) is also influential among foreigners and boasts of direct connections to Osama bin Laden. The U.S. convert to Islam (whose real name is Omar Hammami and was raised Baptist) lived for a year in Toronto in 2004, where he reportedly ingratiated himself in city's large Somali community. His YouTube videos calling for foreign fighters are widely circulated...
Shh! Don't tell anyone about the CIA connections one or more of his connections does not boast about, or how many of his recruits oh so mysteriously disappear between leaving the bosom of the family and returning in triumph from the the battlefield.
#1
See also DAILY TIMES.PK > [Al-Shabaab, etal Groups]SOMALI REBELS UNITE, PROFESS LOYALTY TO AL QAEDA, in order to do the following:
To wit,
* LIBERATION of HORN/EASTERN AFRICA.
* Revival of the MUJAHIDEEN.
* Stop the War which they deem wqs created by Somalia's Colonizers.
* Prevent Attacks, more Invasions by CHRISTIANS.
The United States has begun beefing up its approach to defending its Gulf allies against potential Iranian missile strikes, officials say. The defenses are being stepped up in advance of possible increased sanctions against Iran.
The Obama administration has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations, and one military official said the navy is increasing the presence of ships capable of knocking out hostile missiles in flight.
The officials discussed aspects of the defensive strategy Saturday on condition of anonymity because some elements are classified.
The moves, part of a broader adjustment in the US approach to missile defense, including in Europe and Asia, have been in the works for months. Details have not been publicly announced.
The White House will send a review of ballistic missile strategy to Congress on Monday that frames the larger shifts. Attention to defense of the Gulf region, a focus on diffuse networks of sensors and weapons and cooperation with Russia are major elements of the study, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.
Russia opposed Bush administration plans for a land-based missile defense site in Eastern Europe, and President Barack Obama's decision to walk away from that plan last year was partly in pursuit of new capabilities that might hold greater promise and partly in deference to Russia.
One military official said the adjustments in the Gulf should be seen as prudent defensive measures designed to deter Iran from taking aggressive action in the region, more than as a signal that Washington expects Iran to retaliate for any additional sanctions.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton consulted with numerous allies during a visit to London this week. She told reporters that the evident failure of US offers to engage Iran in negotiations over its nuclear program means the US will now press for additional sanctions against the Iranian government.
Gen. David Petraeus, the US Central Command chief who is responsible for US military operations across the Middle East, mentioned in several recent public speeches one element of the defensive strategy in the Gulf: upgrading Patriot missile systems, which originally were deployed in the region to shoot down aircraft but now can hit missiles in flight.
[Iran Press TV Latest] Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday rejected Saudi claims of Tehran's interference in Yemen, urging Riyadh to revise its own policies regarding Sana'a rather than pointing fingers at others.
The goings-on inside Yemen are its internal affairs and Iran calls on other countries to avoid interfering in the impoverished country, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast.
"Tehran has repeatedly called for dialogue and a peaceful solution to the problem," he said.
The spokesman said that Saudi Arabia's claim came as "a surprise" to Iran, adding that, "We expected our Saudi brothers to move toward reforming their policies regarding Yemen, instead of accusing others."
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal has accused Iran of interfering in Yemen's internal affairs. The accusation comes after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the Saudi military intervention in the war against Houthis in northern Yemen.
"My perception was that Saudi Arabia would mediate in Yemen's domestic conflict like a father, or an elder brother, and make peace; not to get involved in the war and use bombs and guns against Muslims," President Ahmadinejad said on January 13.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
TOPIX > STALEMATE CONTINUES IN THE CAUCASUS, + IRAN: NO RESOLUTION OF CAUCASUS TROUBLES WITHOUT IRAN, TURKEY [Russia versus Chechen Militants].
* SAME > DITTO ala TURKEY.
Also, THE ISLAMIC CASE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. How SSSSHHHHHHHH West-suppor REGIONAL, LOCAL NATIONALISM destroyed Motherly Fatherly Peaceful Prosperous Progressive "PAX OTTOMANA" = OTTOMAN EMPIRE OF TURKEY???
* SAME > STRATFOR: SITUATION AROUND NAGORNO-KARABAKH COULD GET OUT OF CONTROL.
Though Bangladesh government banned the activities of notorious Islamist militancy group Hizbut Tahrir in October, 2009, defying such government order, members of Hizbut Tahrir [HT] are continuing their activities including orientation courses, publication, symposiums etc. The group is even taking necessary preparations for filling writ petition with Bangladesh Supreme Court challenging the ban order.
On the occasion of Indian trip of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Hizbut Tahrir published a 18-page pamphlet criticizing the trip and terming the ruling party in Bangladesh as 'agent of India'. Hizbut Tahrir in this pamphlet called on the people for launching massive demonstrations against the government for 'leasing out the country to India.'
Chhatra Moitri [Student's Friendship], the student wing of this notorious Islamist group has resumed the publication of its regular journal named Paribarta [Change].
According to information, HT is maintaining 10 reader's forums in Bangladesh. Dhaka University chapter of this unit sits every Saturday at 5 pm at its Central Office at 234 Khairunnesa Bhaban, Kataban, Elephant Road, Dhaka. North-South University chapter of this unit sits on every Tuesday at Banani mosque in Dhaka. Khilgaon unit of the reader's forum of Hizbut Tahrir sits every Monday at 6-30-A B/391 Khilgaon Chowdhury Para, Malibagh, Dhaka. There are a number of reader's forum of this Islamist militancy group, which is continuing their activities on a regular basis in various parts of Dhaka and the country. Members of intelligence agencies and law enforcing agencies are showing extreme reluctance in taking any action against such illegal activities of this group.
Hizbut Tahrir's kingpin in Bangladesh, Professor Mohiuddin Ahmed is still under virtual house arrest. His personal bank accounts are already freezed while his relatives are not allowed to visit him. Commenting on this 'house arrest' Hizbut Tahrir's joint convener Monirul Islam told a vernacular daily that, they will soon launch massive movements in the country to uproot democracy and establish Caliphate rule.
Meanwhile, another notorious Islamist militancy group named Hizbut Towhid [HuT], which also preaches Caliphate rule and terms democracy as 'law of devil' is getting organized in various parts of Bangladesh as well a number of cities in the world, with the goal of waging 'war against Jews and Christians'. This group's kingpin Selim Panni is continuing to publish several books and DVDs with provocative sermons thus giving instigations of Jihad [Holy War] to the people. He [Panni] terms Jews and Christians as 'enemies of Allah' and preaches his followers in killing Jews and Christians with the goal of establishing 'Allah's rule in the world'. It is reported that Hizbut Towhid members are already spreading in different parts of the world with Jihadist indoctrination. It is even learnt that Hizbut Towhid kingpin Selim Panni gives instructions to his followers in keeping sword in their possession, with the aim of getting ready for war against 'Jews, Christians and forces of democracy'.
Bangladesh government is yet to take any action against Hizbut Towhid for reason unknown. This group is allowed to continued its notorious anti-democracy activities in various parts of the country.
Two days after former British premier Tony Blair gave his evidence before the country's independent inquiry into the Iraq war, a former cabinet minister has described his testimony as "ludicrous."
Clare Short told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that it was fallacious to suggest that al-Qaeda would team up with "rogue states," after the September 11 attacks.
Short, who quit the cabinet soon after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, defended Prime Minister Gordon Brown, saying he had been "marginalized" when the decision to go to war was made.
Brown was chancellor of the exchequer when Blair ordered the country's troops to join the US-led invasion.
The incursion was based on a now notorious dossier claiming the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Short said Brown's political priorities laid elsewhere at the time and that he neither opposed nor supported the invasion but was "preoccupied" by other concerns.
During his six-hour testimony, an unrepentant Blair said he still believed he had made the right decision and would do so again, if it meant deposing Saddam, whom he described as a "monster."
He said he believed the executed dictator "threatened not just the region but the world," and that the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, had "dramatically" changed British and US position towards that threat.
Notably, Blair steered away from Iraq towards new alleged threats, including Iran.
He argued that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which Tehran has repeatedly affirmed is for peaceful purposes such as electricity generation, was dangerous.
Blair urged world leaders to take on a tough stance towards Iran.
On January 12, a Dutch inquiry into Netherland's support of the 2003 invasion said the US and Britain had rushed to war without sufficient legal backing under international law.
The commission's 551-page report said UN resolutions prior to the outbreak of the war did not provide a legitimate mandate for the attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Clare Short - the ugly end of the dumbstick
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/01/2010 10:48 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I've been reserving judgement for most of the day but it sure does appear Frank has the Snark O' the Day Award wrapped up.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 29 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Friday that he may hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il sometime this year. In an interview here with the British public broadcaster BBC, Lee said he is "prepared to meet" Kim any time as part of efforts to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula and resolve the North Korean nuclear problem.
Count your fingers and toes after the meeting ...
"I can't say for sure it (the summit) will be held soon but I think I can meet (Kim) within this year," Lee said, according to an audio file unofficially released by BBC to the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). Lee's comments on the sensitive subject were not immediately available on the BBC's Web site, which carried only a brief part of the interview on the president's views regarding the global economy.
Spokeswoman of Cheong Wa Dae, presidential office, Kim Eun-hye confirmed Lee's remarks.
"I think the two sides should have dialogue with their minds open to cooperation and reconciliation," Lee added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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An American academic says South Korea's military capabilities are inadequate to handle a North Korean invasion or other North Korean military action or regime collapse there. In an article entitled "Managing Catastrophic North Korea Risks," Bruce Bennett, a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, said South Korea could face a crisis if it fails to enhance its military capabilities through modernization of equipment and personnel capable of using and maintaining it.
He cited South Korea's outdated weapons, inadequate military budget, and reduced conscription period as the rationale for his claim. Many major South Korean weapon systems "are very old, such as M48 tanks and F-5 aircraft originally designed and produced three decades or more ago," he said. By contrast, "the U.S. military spends some 16 times as much as the [South Korean] military on equipment acquisition each year despite the U.S. forces having only twice as many personnel. U.S. military research and development spending is some 50 times" South Korean spending each year.
He said that the South Korean military budget "has been too small to acquire key military capabilities. Thus few [South Korean] soldiers have GPS to identify their own or adversary locations with accuracy, making precision battlefield attacks difficult and increasing the potential for friendly fire. But in civilian life, many soldiers have GPS in their cars."
He pointed out that South Korea and the United States have worked together for almost 60 years "to deter and defeat North Korean military threats. But while the United States remains ready to assist" South Korea, Seoul's security is ultimately Seoul's responsibility and it "must take the lead." South Korea's military budget is inadequate for "assuring the security of the Korean people from North Korea's catastrophic threats," he added.
To enhance military capabilities, the Defense Ministry in 2005 prepared a Defense Reform Plan 2020, requiring 9.9 percent annual military budget increases for 2006 through 2010. "Instead, the average increase has only been 7.2 percent, placing the 2010 military budget roughly W3.5 trillion behind the plan," he said (US$1=W1,153).
Assuming that Mr. Bennett is correct, the SKors aren't taking their defense seriously enough. That doesn't mean they're 'inadequate' against a NorK army that is filled with under-fed conscripts, that drives T-55 tanks and has no adequate air force. But it does suggest that the margin for error is less than it should be.
Bennett also complains about the reduced conscription period. South Korea "faces a serious birthrate problem. From 1977 to 2002, [it] had more than 400,000 young men turn draft age almost every year. But in 2009 only about 325,000 young men turned draft age, and by 2023 that number will be less than 250,000," he said. "Shorter conscription periods reduce the number of conscripts, and also reduce the average level of conscript experience (their military quality)."
He advised that Seoul enhance its capabilities urgently, citing the possibility of a North Korean invasion or other North Korean military action or its collapse, and "Korean unification -- a potentially very large and long-term job." Seoul needs to take practical measures for "substantial [military] budget increases," he added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
"Korean Unification" > e.g. WMF + SINA > IIUC, CHINA broadly already fears deployment of US GMD-TMD along the DPRK-ROK DMZ - WHAT MORE FROM any post-Unification NORTH KOREA which Chin also believes will turn agz it, + deploy US GMD-TMD + other US mil forces right on the Chin border wid the now newly unified Koreas.
E.G. FORMER COLD WAR SOVIET SSRS trying to join NATO; POLAND, etc. + US BMD on borders wid RUSSIA.
#3
US air power could easily take out Nork tank columns and ensure ROK had enough time. The old problem was fear of escalation leading to human wave attacks from China and possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The Norks have lost this backing forever and even they realize it. This completely changed the strategic calculus in that region. The US should be gradually our troops stationed in Korea both to save money and to get them out of the way of a missile strike. The value of air power can be over-estimated, but it's great for repelling an attack by a conventional army, especially in support of a decent enough standing army like ROK's.
#4
What it sounds is that the ROK hasn't carried its share of the load for its own defence relying on the US taxpayer and eventually US blood to pull its chestnuts from the fire.
#5
It's BS. Take a look at SK's TOE. They have plenty of F-16s and F-15s plus older F-4s and F-5s. They also make world class armour and artillery and are designing and building their own entry level fighters and helos. SK is replacing their older equipment quickly since they will take over primary responsibility for defense in 2012 and massive American reinforcement won't be guaranteed.
This while NK is (barely) flying mostly Mig-17/19 and Mig-21s.
Posted by: ed ||
02/01/2010 10:35 Comments ||
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#6
Funny how they don't have the capability but Hyundai and Kia didn't go broke.
#7
Here is a link for the ROK Army's equipment listing - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/army-equipment.htm A lot of the older stuff is down much further south and is being modernized like the Israelis did with older equipment. So saying a tank is an M48 is a bit misleading because it is an M48 with a laser rangefinder, new high pressure 90mm or 105mm main gun with depleted uranium sabots, reactive armor add-ons, and an NBC-capable climate control system.
#8
What it sounds is that the ROK hasn't carried its share of the load for its own defence relying on the US taxpayer and eventually US blood to pull its chestnuts from the fire.
Nails it. ROK follow American Soldiers around like puppy dogs watching and waiting for us to do stuff. The KATUSA program is the biggest joke ever. I used to teach some Katusas at a command sponsored class and they would fall asleep and yak in Korean the entire time I was trying to teach them. Then I'd walk outside the base gates in civilians and be face to face with jerks carrying pickets protesting our presence. Fine, I say fend for yourselves.
#11
My KATUSAs were fine except for one lad who had a problem dealing with a female Warrant Officer. Turned him over to the senior enlisted Korean NCO in the brigade to handle. When that failed, he was recycled back in to the ROK Army. Since it took a lot of 'pull' and influence just to get a KATUSA gig, the family lost what ever they put into the process. That, and recycles weren't treated very well by the less economically privileged draftees and NCOs in the ROK Army ranks.
When the NKors blitzed south in the first war, most of the terrain between the 38th and Seoul was largely undeveloped. When I left in '89, it was urban sprawl from Uijeongbu south. Probably even more now. There won't be a blitz. I doubt that the NKors will even get close. Most of their troops will end up looting and pillaging for food and goods, of which there is plenty along that corridor.
Seoul and Pyongyang held two rounds of secret meetings in the North Korean border city of Kaesong in November to discuss a possible inter-Korean summit but failed to narrow differences over the nuclear issue, South Korean prisoners of war and abduction victims, and humanitarian aid.
Won Tong-yon, the deputy director of North Korea's United Front Department who headed the North Korean delegation, had reportedly already prepared a draft summit agreement. Won also drafted the 2007 summit agreement between president Roh Moo-hyun and leader Kim Jong-il.
According to South Korean officials, the director-general of a Unification Ministry bureau and Won met twice at a hotel in Kaesong on Nov. 7 and 14. Prior communication had been made through a channel in the truce village of Panmunjom.
The South Korean delegation demanded that the term "denuclearization" be mentioned at the beginning of the summit agreement, but the North Koreans insisted it would be possible to use only the expression "progress in the nuclear issue." North Korean officials reportedly repeated that the nuclear issue is a matter that they should discuss with the U.S.
The South Koreans also demanded the repatriation of South POWs and abduction victims languishing in the North, but the North Koreans said home visits would be the best they could permit.
The North demanded that humanitarian aid including food and fertilizer be specified in the summit agreement or be given before the summit, but the South said aid would depend entirely on progress in the other two issues.
When the meetings ended without tangible results, the North Korean media went through a period of daily criticism of the Unification Ministry and Minister Hyun In-taek, but this stopped on Dec. 27.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is reportedly receiving regular kidney dialysis, raising speculation that his health may be deteriorating.
Mortality rate once you get on dialysis is about 8 - 10% a year even in the best of hands.
According to Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun, the 68-year-old dictator, who has a history of heart disease and is believed to have suffered a stroke in August of last year, could be suffering from complications from diabetes.
The newspaper said the South Korean and Japanese governments were informed of Kim's health status last fall. The report added that Kim tends to receive treatment before he meets with foreign guests to show that he is in good health.
Posted by: Steve White ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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Dearborn —An autopsy released today found that Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah died from 21 bullet wounds during an FBI raid in October of a Dearborn warehouse.
The autopsy, released at noon by Wayne County Medical Examiner Dr. Carl Schmidt, concluded the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner was homicide.
The long-awaited autopsy comes amid calls for an independent investigation into the Oct. 28 shooting. FBI agents have said they were justified in shooting Abdulla because he had opened fire on the agents during a raid on a stolen-goods operation. An FBI dog was killed, prompting agents to return fire. Expect more huffing and puffing by community activists, anything to obscure the answer to the only important question, "Was the shooting justifiable?" If so, how many bullets were fired is not material, but IANAL.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/01/2010 15:34 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I didn't see a mention in the story, and I doubt any reporter asked a follow-up question, but I expect the FBI has long since determined how many shots were fired and missed.
One interesting note and comment by the ME concerns the one shot to the back, and the ME not knowing how that happened.
Clearly, the FBI at least had multiple agents on the scene, responding in unison, and likely as trained. No real discussion of the chain of events, but the dog's role is interesting.
Doubt will see or hear much more of this, beyond where Rep. Conyers wants to lead the interested local constituents.
Still, we can hope Mayor Bing and the local cops will comment at some point.
#7
That reminds me--I need to add Swiss cheese to my shopping list.
Posted by: Dar ||
02/01/2010 21:54 Comments ||
Top||
#8
No word of accomplices; appears any fled (as if they were never there)
wonder what the shot sequence was; reading the article, he took a round in the balls, 'scuse me; 'scrotum'; hope it hurt.
The father of terror suspect Najibullah Zazi is now accused of helping to destroy chemicals that were linked to the ongoing terror investigation.
Whoops!
Zazi's father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, was re-arrested on the new charges unsealed Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, officials said.
The indictment alleges that Mohammed Zazi conspired with others to "corruptly alter, destroy, mutilate and conceal objects" to impede the terror investigation. Among the items allegedly destroyed, glasses, masks, liquid chemicals and containers.
Zazi's father was initially arrested on charges of lying to the FBI about his alleged efforts to alert his son about the terror investigation. Najibullah Zazi is charged with plotting to bomb New York City subways. The younger Zazi, a Queens native who had moved to Denver, is accused of buying hair products and other chemicals in an attempt to build the device.
Zazi is also accused of traveling overseas to Pakistan to meet with al Qaeda operatives for explosives training. Zazi's father is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Denver late Monday. He then would be expected sent to New York for trial.
Last month, two associates of Najibullah Zazi were arrested in connection with the terror investigation. Adis Medunjanin was arrested on charges he traveled to Pakistan for terror training. Zarein Ahmedzay is also accused of traveling to Pakistan and then lying to the FBI about the reason for his trip there.
Lawyers for the suspects have denied their clients are tied to terror.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris drew criticism from a leading Muslim group today after saying in his annual State of the City address that the high desert town was growing a Christian community.'
"We're growing a Christian community, and don't let anybody shy away from that,' Parris told the audience of ministers gathered for his address.
I need [Lancaster residents] standing up and saying we're a Christian community, and we're proud of that," the mayor said.
The Greater Los Angeles area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced the statement and said it plans to file a complaint about the mayor's remarks with the civil rights division of the U.S. Justice Department.
Elected officials should not use their public positions to impose their religious beliefs on others," said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of CAIR.
The mayor, reached by telephone today, said his remarks did not intend to impose his faith on others, and he said he would make no apology.
This is just about very few people wanting to get their 15 minutes of fame,' he said. I guess they got it.'
WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a half-billion-dollar increase in funding next year to help train and equip Pakistani security forces to fight Islamist militants and also asked for a big hike in economic aid for Islamabad.
The proposed increases in Obama's budget reflects Washington's attempt at long-term stabilization of Pakistan.
The United States is Pakistan's biggest aid donor. Washington wants Pakistan to help hunt for al Qaeda leaders and to stop Islamist militants from crossing the border into Afghanistan to fight U.S.-led forces there.
Obama requested $1.2 billion for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund for fiscal 2011, a jump from $700 million budgeted the previous year for the fund to help Pakistan defeat extremists within its own borders.
The president also requested $1.322 billion for Pakistan from what is known as the Economic Support Fund (ESF), a House Democratic aide who had seen detailed budget documents told Reuters. This fund promotes economic and political stability in strategically important regions where the United States has special security interests.
That's a proposed increase of $289 million, or not quite a third, in economic aid from that fund to Pakistan from a year earlier, and is consistent with U.S. promises to step up economic aid to Islamabad.
Last year, Obama signed legislation pledging to provide $7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over five years. The money must be appropriated by Congress year to year.
Economic support funds are provided on a grant basis and are available for many economic purposes, like infrastructure and development projects. The House aide did not know what how the new funds would be spent in Pakistan.
The administration also asked Congress to approve $296 million for Pakistan from a program called Foreign Military Financing, the House aide said. These are grants given to foreign governments to finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services and training. The amount is roughly the same as last year's request.
Obama's budget proposals must be approved by Congress, which holds the purse strings; this usually takes months.
Posted by: john frum ||
02/01/2010 16:04 ||
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#1
See PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > ARE AMERICANS [under POTUS Bammer]REALLY GOING TO PAY US$500.0MILYUHN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ATTACKED AND KILLED THEM???
ARTIC > America went to war in AFPAK agz the TALIBAN oer 9-11 attack in NYC + 3000 dead Americans,etc. but now desires to pay the Taliban big $$$ [integrated into local AFPAK Govts]for a relatively safe or benign US downsizing + ultimately mil pullout [Year 2011-2016 = phased downsizing, Year 2017 = final/last pullout of milfors under Obama's schedule]???
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan -- The Pakistani Taliban on Monday denied reports that their leader died from injuries sustained in a U.S. drone strike in mid-January, saying they would try to provide proof he is alive in the next few days.
The denial came a day after a state television report of Hakimullah Mehsud's death set off a flurry of speculation and prompted the government to announce it was investigating. The state TV report was apparently based on witnesses who said they had attended his funeral last week.
Meanwhile, three soldiers and 22 militants were killed in renewed clashes in Bajur tribal region that were triggered by an insurgent attack on a checkpoint, said local government chief Abdul Malik. The army deployed jets, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery in the region, which was declared free of militants after an operation in 2008.
Continued on Page 49
[Dawn] The Taliban of North Waziristan have issued a warning on Sunday, which states that they will launch a large scale war if the military launched an operation in the agency.
This announcement was stated in a pamphlet issued by the Taliban in Miramshah. According to the pamphlet, the Taliban claim that the government has violated an agreement by spying on them and sending troops to Janikhle and Baqakhel.
It further adds that the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai will be approached to give shelter to people migrating from North Waziristan in case the military launches an operation.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
North Waziristan needs targeting as its GCHQ for all our enemies!
[Al Arabiya Latest] Hamas commander killed in Dubai was targeted by Israel for his role in smuggling "special weapons" to the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Islamist group said on Sunday.
Israel's government declined official comment on the Jan. 20 death of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, which Hamas on Friday announced as an assassination. But Israeli security sources linked him to rockets and other arms that reach Gaza from Iran.
Police in the United Arab Emirates said they suspected a foreign "criminal gang" of killing Mabhouh in his hotel room, while not ruling out involvement of Israel's Mossad spy agency.
Hamas spokesman Talal Nasser told the UAE newspaper The National that Mabhouh had "played a key role in supplying the Palestinian people with weapons and money", including "special weapons" for his native Gaza, where Israel waged war a year ago.
A source close to Hamas in Gaza told Reuters: "I believe the issue of weapons he used to provide Hamas and (Palestinian) resistance factions was the reason behind his being targeted."
The source added that such weapons generally come from Iran or Sudan, countries with ties to Islamist groups.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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And now he can help organize a place in Hell for all the Gazans who'll soon be coming.
Head of Dubai's law enforcement refuses to rule out that the Israeli intelligence apparatus, Mossad, may have been behind the recent assassination of a senior Hamas commander.
"It could be Mossad," police chief Dhahi Khalfan was quoted as saying by AFP about the targeted killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the co-founder of the Palestinian resistance movement's armed wing, Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in a Dubai hotel on January 20.
"Personally, I don't exclude any possibility. I don't exclude any party that has an interest in the assassination," he said.
The death squad included "seven or more people holding passports from different European countries," the police chief said. "We are currently in contact with these European countries to verify the authenticity of the passports."
According to the Times of London, the hitmen had subjected Mabhouh to an injection which induced a heart attack, photographed the documents in his briefcase and left a "do not disturb" sign on the door of the hotel room where the crime was committed.
Hamas has accused Israel of carrying out the hit. In a statement, the movement said, "we hold Israel responsible for the assassination of our brother and leader."
Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas political bureau told Press TV that the victim "spent a long time in Israeli jails and when he was released from prison, they monitored him as he continued to play his important role in continuing to implement resistance activities in Palestinian refugee camps and as a result he was targeted."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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For technology challenged individuals see here for a discussion on what an ICMP packet is.
To TFA: The basic part of the Internet is the First Amendment. The Internet has always been used for communications purposes and that is its main use now. The UN bureaucrat calling for a "drivers licence" for the Internet misses the point. In American, the birthplace of the Internet, we don't hamper free speech, and those who don't abuse free speech by calling for murder, for example, suffer when governments makes an excuse out of those who do to constrict everyone's most basic right.
A key passage:
Mundie and other experts have said there is a growing need to police the internet to clampdown on fraud, espionage and the spread of viruses. We already have party vans for the internet.
People don't understand the scale of criminal activity on the internet. Whether criminal, individual or nation states, the community is growing more sophisticated,' the Microsoft executive said. Fred understands it. Spamming is theft, pure and simple. And even with new laws there is a monetary limit to what would be caled an Internet crime. Spending billions on expanded police powers would be the last, least effective solution.
When there is a pandemic, it organises the quarantine of cases. We are not allowed to organise the systematic quarantine of machines that are compromised.' Yes, you are. You just won't kill off raw sockets on Windows.
He also called fo a driver's license' for internet users.
If you want to drive a car you have to have a license to say that you are capable of driving a car, the car has to pass a test to say it is fit to drive and you have to have insurance There's an idea. Create a whole new bureaucracy to deal with Internet griefing.
"badanov. you are charged with posting a comment on the Internet that upset people. Who is your insurance company and how do you plead?"
"American Internet General (AIG)! And I did it for the LULZ and FTW!"
[Straits Times] A SHIPMENT of weapons from North Korea seized by Thai authorities last month were headed for Iran, according to a confidential report the Thai government sent to a UN Security Council committee.
Thai authorities seized more than 35 tons of arms from a cargo plane they said had come from North Korea, and arrested its five crew members after the aircraft made an emergency landing at a Bangkok airport in December.
The report to the Security Council's North Korea sanctions committee, seen by Reuters on Saturday, said the shipment included rockets, fuses, rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.
The cargo plane departed from Pyongyang and was en route to Mehrabad airport in Tehran, the report said. The shipping firm was listed as Korea Mechanical Industry Co.
The movement of North Korean arms to Iran appears to have been an effort to violate UN sanctions against North Korea that was foiled by the Thai government, diplomats said. Although Iran is subject to separate UN sanctions because of its nuclear program, it is not forbidden to import arms.
Council diplomats said on condition of anonymity that the sanctions committee was expected to discuss the Thai report next month when it considers its latest quarterly report, due on Feb 11. The committee will probably send letters to Pyongyang and Teheran for details on the shipment, the Western diplomats added.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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then on to Hezbollah, Gaza, Houthis, or?
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02/01/2010 7:31 Comments ||
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[Iran Press TV Latest] Iran is studying the case of two German Embassy staffers linked with the recent post-election unrest in the country, a diplomat close to the case said Sunday.
"We are looking into the case and the result will be announced after the investigation is finalized," the source said.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry said Wednesday it had found evidence that the staffers played a role in last month's "counterrevolutionary riots" in Tehran.
"Anti-Islamic Revolution agents, networks backed by Western intelligence services" and those who seek to promote sedition in the country had planned the Ashura riots in advance, the Islamic Student's News Agency quoted a deputy intelligence minister as saying.
The Intelligence Ministry has confirmed the staffers were detained but were released after their identities were confirmed.
On Wednesday, German news agency DPA said the two German nationals were police officers who worked at the embassy.
According to the Iranian ministry, the two Germans had set up a network comprising of young Iranians to collect information on events in Iran.
Germany has rejected the accusations.
"We deny the allegations that German diplomats played a role in last month's anti-revolution riots in Tehran," DPA quoted Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle as saying on Wednesday.
The German magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday that Germany has recalled the two policemen from the embassy in Tehran.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV Latest] In reaction to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks on Iran's nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned Sunday about the consequences of "tension-seeking" American policies.
"We believe the world public opinion should be concerned about tension-seeking US policies and their consequences on regional and international peace and stability," Mottaki told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Mottaki was reacting to the recent remarks made by his American counterpart, Hilary Clinton, on Tehran's nuclear program. He said Tehran does not take her comments "seriously."
"Clinton's efforts to take the US back to the time of the unsuccessful policies of [former President George W.] Bush will bear no fruit for the American people and the new administration," he said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has been faced with the hostile approaches of certain US officials during the past three decades but has always tried to maintain peace and stability in the region," he said.
In unusually blatant remarks aimed at China, Secretary Clinton on Friday assailed the country for not joining the US-led front in imposing fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear work.
Clinton said she understood China's unwillingness to impose new penalties on Iran, one of the country's biggest oil suppliers in the world, but warned against "longer-term implications" if Iran did not stop its nuclear program.
"We understand that right now it seems counterproductive to you to sanction a country from which you get so much of the natural resources your growing economy needs. But think about the longer-term implications."
Mottaki, meanwhile, said sanctions and threats cannot prevent Iran, which has always committed itself to regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), from seeking its inevitable right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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The Islamic Republic of Iran has been faced with the hostile approaches of certain US officials during the past three decades but has always tried to maintain peace and stability in the region," he said.
Yes like funding/training Hezbollah,Hamas,Shia extremist in Iraq etc!
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem has said that the Lebanese resistance movement is ready for any surprise from Israel.
"Hezbollah is prepared and ready for any surprise. As long as Israel exists in the Middle East region, it poses a considerable threat to the entire region and will try to give the wrong impression about Iran's civilian nuclear program," the senior Hezbollah official said in Beirut on Saturday.
Qassem added that the Hezbollah resistance movement is greatly indebted to Iran for its many triumphs and regards such achievements to be the result of the practical guidelines of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel has not achieved its goal of ending Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon, and the Islamic resistance movement claimed victory in the 1996, 2000, and 2006 wars with Tel Aviv.
On January 2, the Hamas movement's political representative in Lebanon, Ali Baraka, said the Palestinian resistance group will fight alongside the Hezbollah movement should Israel launch a new offensive against Lebanon.
"We are guests in Lebanon and our policy will not change," Baraka said during a memorial service to mark one week passing since the death of two Hamas members in an explosion in Beirut's southern suburbs on December 26.
"However, we are committed to resisting Israeli occupation forces," he added.
"Israel should know that if it launches a new attack against Lebanon, we will not stand handcuffed. We will face the aggression side by side with our brethren in Lebanon -- be they the resistance, the army, or the people, to repel the aggression," Baraka asserted.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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TOPIX > ISRAEL's NEW HEZBULLAH WAR COULD ESCALATE INTO FIGHT WITH LEBANON, Full-scale Lebo-Israeli War oer the Hezzies, Hizzies, Huzzies, Hazzies, Hissies, etc., likely to also invol SYRIA + IRAN, ONE OR BOTH???
Iran plans to build seven new oil refineries with a capacity of 1.6 million barrels that could turn the country into a gasoline exporter.
Iran's official news agency, IRNA, in a report announced that the production of gasoline by the new refineries will not only meet domestic demand, but could result in sufficient production to turn the country into an exporter of gasoline.
The largest refinery, the "Persian Gulf Star", will be built in the city of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf with an estimated production of 35.6 million liters of gasoline per day.
The "Shahriar" refinery that is to be built in the northwestern city of Tabriz will be able to produce 8.1 million liters of gasoline daily.
Five additional refineries will be built, with a second installation in Bandar Abbas, and Shiraz and Abadan completing the locations in southern Iran, and a production center in the western city of Kermanshah and the northern province of Golesatan.
The plan to construct the new refineries comes as the US has already imposed sanctions targeting Iran's gasoline imports as part of Washington's efforts to apply pressure to Tehran over its nuclear program.
Tehran has repeatedly declared that Western sanctions are not able to force it to relinquish the legitimate nuclear rights of the Iranian nation.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/01/2010 00:00 ||
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Knowing Iran, it'll be in the form of molotov cocktails.
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.
