At least 858 U.S. soldiers have died in the Afghanistan war since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. That equals 60.13 percent of the 1,427 American soldier fatalities so far in the ongoing 10-year war in that country. If the MSM picks this up and starts the body count-up, Barry is sure to face a primary challenger and be a one termer. But he will have been a great one-termer./sarc
He'll have been a one-termer, which is enough to be grateful for.
#2
RUSSIA TODAY > [US]GOVT. GRIDLOCK ANGERS MANY AMERICANS, vee threat of US Govt. shutdown circa May 16th, 2011 or shortly afterward unless the US Congress can raise the national debt ceiling
#3
Not entirely fair, in that W. Bush put the majority of his emphasis on Iraq, and with it no longer being an issue, the focus shifts to Afghanistan with much more resources and offensive actions.
Seriously, in the last few years, the US military has been doing so serious hurt there, with major and kick-ass offensives with considerably more risk involved. The pitifully few journalistic accounts show a lot of action.
#4
Using US military deaths as a proxy for victory/defeat has been absurd from the beginning. That said, it would be fun to see Barry hoist by his own petard.
Pressures on insurgents have been greatly increased, Isaf Spokesman in Kabul told a news conference on Monday. Isaf Spokesman Gen. Josef Blotz says the Taliban militants are struggling to retake the areas they had lost, but the Afghan security forces and the foreign forces have taken all measures to prevent it.
Unimpacted by the riots? Well done!
Efforts are being made to retaken Waigal district of Nuristan that recently fell to the insurgents, Mr Blotz said. He said operations are continuing in the eastern region to clear all districts of insurgents.
"First of all Kunar, what we are seeing right now in southern and eastern Afghanistan but particularly in the area's like Kunar is a serious partnered operations of the combined team Isaf and Afghan National Army in order to maintain the pressure on the insurgency in order to solidify the gains we have made over the six to eight months," General Blotz said.
He said this is of particularly great importance in these days and weeks as preparations are made very thoroughly for the spring offensive of the insurgents, to maintain pressure before they try to regain what they have lost.
Isaf believes the insurgent grip on some of the eastern parts will not last longer and the Afghan forces will soon be able to defeat militants.
Six US troops and one Afghan soldier have so far lost their lives in the operations in Kunar province.
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Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who had previously announced his intetions to run for the presidency of Egypt, said Monday that if Israel attacked Gaza we would declare war against the Zionist regime." Tell me again how fair and balanced this guy was at the UNSC? Also, I'd like to note that I feel this guy is about as disconnected from reality as a president in another country seemed to be when he was running for election only a few long years ago. Be careful of him. Reality for him takes a whole different meaning.
In an interview with the Al-Watan newspaper he said: "In case of any future Israeli attack on Gaza - as the next president of Egypt I will open the Rafah border crossing and will consider different ways to implement the joint Arab defense agreement." Tell me again what we've done to prevent future occurances of this kind of thing? Such as having Libya in charge of human rights there?
He also stated that "Israel controls Palestinian soil" adding that that "there has been no tangible breakthrough in reconciliation process because of the imbalance of power in the region - a situation that creates a kind of one way peace." Uh, that's Israeli soil, bub. Take it up with the UN.
Discussing his agenda for Egypt, ElBaradei said that distribution of income between the different classes in Egypt would be his most important priority if he were to win the upcoming elections. Heh. It's been tried in other countries and failed.
ELBaradei's main competition is Arab League Secretary General and former Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa. Last month he discussed Egypt's relationship with Israel. "During my term in office the foreign ministry was subject to unfavorable policies from Israel with regards to the peace agreement," Said Moussa who served as foreign minister 1991-2001," he said. First let's talk about the "Palestinians". How favorable have they been to a peace agreement?
"We thought the peace process was like a waterwheel endlessly turning around and around without reaching a defined point. My opinion was that we needed to be honest with the Israelis, taking determined measures within the framework of the foreign ministry's operations. Maybe this led to a lack of agreement on all Israel related issues." Judging by the "Palestinian" actions, they've been very forthcoming in communicating their opinion.
CAIRO: Cairo is ready to re-establish diplomatic ties with Tehran after a break of more than 30 years, Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday, signalling a shift in Iran policy since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
But they won't have 'Khomeini rule', don't you worry...
"The Egyptian and Iranian people deserve to have mutual relations reflecting their history and civilisation," said Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby after meeting Iranian official Mugtabi Amani.
Persia and Egypt have exchanged ambassadors since ancient times, when they were rival empires with their own gods.
It was the first publicly announced meeting between officials from both countries since Mubarak was toppled on Feb 11, handing power to the army.
Iran and Egypt severed ties in 1980 following Iran's Islamic revolution and Egypt's recognition of Israel. Both have competed for influence in the Middle East. Egypt has long been an ally of the United States and Israel but since Mubarak was toppled there have been signs of warming ties between Cairo and Tehran.
"Egypt is open to all countries and the aim is to achieve common interests," Elaraby said, adding that Cairo welcomed "opening a new page with Iran". Amani carried a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who welcomed Egypt's initiative.
"Foreign Minister Salehi ... called for developing bilateral cooperation, beginning with hosting Egypt's foreign minister in Tehran or having Iran's foreign minister visit Cairo," Menha Bakhowm, spokeswoman for Egypt's foreign ministry, said in a statement.
In February, two Iranian warships passed through Egypt's Suez Canal after approval from the military rulers in Cairo. Israel called Iran's move a provocation.
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CAIRO - Egypts army rulers froze assets belonging to three former aides of deposed President Hosni Mubarak, meeting a demand of reformers seeking tough action against figures of the past administration.
Sure hope you boys each have a bag of Krugerrands...
The decision on Monday applies to Fathi Sorour, the former speaker of the lower house of parliament, Safwat el-Sherif, a senior member of the one-time ruling party and head of the upper house of parliament, and Zakaria Azmi, one of Mubaraks senior aides, Egypts official news agency MENA reported on Monday.
Essam el-Gawahri, a senior justice ministry official who heads a committee in charge of uncovering ill-gotten gains, last week banned the three from leaving Egypt after investigations showed they had amassed large amounts of wealth.
The decision to freeze their assets also applies to their wives and children, MENA said.
Egypts public prosecutor had earlier ordered auditing and supervisory authorities to investigate claims made against the three former politicians.
Prosecutors have been investigating corruption allegations made against former officials and businessmen connected with the Mubarak administration.
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CAIRO -- Egypt will not be ruled by "another (Ayatollah) Khomeini," the country's military said on Monday, in reference to the cleric who led Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, the official MENA news agency reported.
"Egypt will not be governed by another Khomeini," the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said after a three-hour meeting with newspaper editors-in-chief and MENA.
So they won't have a religious thug in charge, they'll have a secular thug.
How about compromising with an Erdogan? Turkey is doing so well these days...
The military rulers made the comment amid concerns over the increased visibility of the Muslim Brotherhood, banned under the regime of president Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down on February 11 after a popular uprising.
Mubarak's departure raised fears in the West of the creation of an Islamist regime in Egypt, where the Brotherhood is the strongest opposition force.
The Brotherhood says it is not in favour of a religious state.
Then their lips fall off...
Whoever takes over gets to deal with food shortages and unemployed youths. Better for the Muslim Brotherhood to take over afterward.
"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will not allow extremist factions to control Egypt," Deputy Defence Minister Mohammed Mokhtar al-Mella told the journalists on Monday.
The military also reiterated its commitment to transfer power to civilian rule after legislative and presidential elections, and to respect freedom of expression. It "expressed the hope that the Egypt of tomorrow will be democratic and modern", MENA reported.
"We've got wars to plan with Libya and Israel. You civilians run the country for us, m'kay?"
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#2
Whoever rules is going to have their job cut out for them. Because of a humanitarian aid boo-boo, some 15+% of their working age population have hepatitis C.
Their best bet is the Egyptian equivalent of "the Mexican solution", which was simply, whoever kept the price of tortillas and beans cheap was elected.
#4
E.g. WAFF > COULD EGYPT EMERGE AS AN ISLAMIC STATE IN FUTURE?
In 2011 + via the "Jasmine" pro-Democracy regional mass protests, for the Muslim Brotherhood + Islamists its about PCorrectly achieving DE FACTO FORMAL POLITICAL POWER - the real crux is what may change between now + Year 2015.
The OWG Caliphate = Global Islamist-Jihadist State is rising + intent on going nukulaar.
AND
* PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > SYRIA GOES TO WAR.
ARTIC = Pluses-versus-More-Numerous-Negatives for the Middle East, ME Democracy, + US-West/Allies iff the Assad Regime collapses.
IIUC, the Math says BABY ASSAD IN SYRUH = UNCLE MUAMMAR IN LIBYUH = IS "OUR MAN IN DAMASCUS/ASIA MINOR" [or One of Them] + ITS MORE IN THE INTERESTS OF THE US + ISRAEL + ALLIES TO MAKE SURE HE STAYS IN RULING POWER; OR ELSE AS AN INDISPENDABLE, POST-COLLAPSE, PRO-REFORM REGIONAL POWERBROKER + "HEDGE" AGZ IRAN, RADICAL ISLAM + RISING REGIONAL, GLOBAL NUC TERROR???
On the first day, March 11th, newly appointed Juarez police chief Julian Leyzaola Perez had impressed Juarez street police officers with his action oriented approach to management. Two issues were addressed the very first day, including assurances to female officers that middle managers would no longer cover for officers who sexually harassed their female counterparts
The other was his willingness to be on the ground and not in his office, according to news articles an issue with municipal police officers with the last police chief.
Leyzaola Perez has garnered an impressive record in his previous job as police chief in Tijuana, Baja California, a record so impressive, he had been commonly credited with reducing massive drug and gang crime violence.
Leyzaola Perez's record also included accusations by Human Rights Watch of favoring one drug gang over another as a strategy to reduce drug crime violence, a strategy supported by a local Tijuana business organization. His methods has also gained some positive mention in US Wikileaks cables.
But on March 26th an arrest by several Juarez municipal police officers of four suspects involving two of the four assistants Leyzaola Perez brought with him to Juarez may prove to be his undoing.
Juan Carlos Chavira, 28, Dante Castillo de la O, 25, Raul Navarro, 29, all Nextel employees, and Felix Vizcarra, 22, a car salesman were arrested by Juarez police officers manning five police units in Juarez Saturday night near a busy market near the corner of calles De la Paz and Oasis Revolucion in the Oasis Revolucion colony, according to local Mexican press. The Ford pickup truck they were in was found abandoned in a tunnel a kilometer away the next day with the registration gone and the keys in the floorboards.
Two of the police units, specifically 509 and 504, were identified by witnesses who observed the arrest, which are units assigned to be part of Leyzaola Perez's security detail.
On March 27th, Rosa Maria and Armida Vazquez, the mother and sister of two of the missing went to several Juarez municipal and Chihuahua state police substations, and apparently the local Policia Federal headquarters to find where they were, but to no avail. The following day, a case was filed with the Chihuahua state prosecutor numbered 8/77/11.
Neither state police nor Juarez municipal police have stated they have the four in custody.
Extrajudicial abductions are rare in Mexico, but they have taken place on occasion. The last known sanctioned kidnapping was last summer when two undercover Policia Federal agents were detained by Tijuana, Baja California municipal police agents acting on an anonymous tip, taken to a military base, beaten then later released. A subsequent confrontation between the local Policia Federal detachment and Tijuana municipal police came very close to ending in gunfire. To read the Rantburg report on last summer's near shootout between Mexican Federal agents and Tijuana poice click here.
Two other cases of putative Juarez police involvement took place last year as well, one apparently turning out to be in fact organized crime.
In early May, 2010, four men, all US citizens, were kidnapped from a Catholic wedding ceremony in Juarez. Originally, local Mexican press reported the victims had been abducted by police agents, at least that was the accusation by relatives at the wedding. Three of the victims were found dead two days later in two separate locations. To read Rantburg report on the recovery of the three dead in May, click here.
To read the Rantburg report on the original crime, erroneously reported at the time as a triple murder, click here ( last item ).
The fourth victim was released in a rescue in a Policia Federal operation nine days later. To read the Rantburg report on the rescue operation click here.
The other case involved two missing 13 year old girls whose mothers accused Policia Federal and local police of kidnapping. It turned out the two teens ditched school after attending a late night party the day they came up missing . To read the Rantburg report on the missing teen girls, click here (the Wait-Until-Your-Father-Gets-Home Department item)
An opinion poll in France has found that right-wing politician Marine Le Pen could defeat President Nicholas Sarkozy in upcoming elections, Le Parisien reported Saturday.
The poll results, published in the Sunday edition of the French daily, showed the 42-year-old leader of the National Front party would receive 23 percent of the vote in the first of the two rounds of presidential elections due to occur in France next year.
Center-right Sarkozy would only receive 21 percent of the vote, according to the poll.
"This poll makes me believe that Nicolas Sarkozy will lose this presidential election," Le Pen said at a news conference in northern France.
Part of Le Pen's platform so far has included comparing Muslims in France to an occupying force. Meanwhile, Sarkozy has initiated a national debate on the role of Islam in France, a move that some feel is designed to neutralize Le Pen.
No margin of error was published for the poll, conducted between February 28 and March 3 with 1,618 people aged 18 and up.
France's next presidential elections are set for May 2012.
#4
They are more Fascist and statist than market oriented conservative. They are also strongly anti-American.
Papa Le Pen was fully capable of entering into tactical alliances with the Islamists.
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#5
"National debate on the role of Islam in France" > see DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > FRENCH SECULARISM DEBATE [inter-Govt] ON BANNING ALL RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS | FRANCE'S GOVERNING PARTY [UMP = Sarkozy] DEBATE [strengthening] SECULARISM.
OTOH its not Islam's fault that many French Churches are mostly empty of Patrons, or that Muslims have sex = higher birth rate while working hard to protect their Values + Traditions???
Accused WikiLeaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning installed and used unauthorized data-mining software on his SIPRnet workstation during the time he allegedly siphoned hundreds of thousands of documents off that classified network, the Army said Friday in response to inquiries from Threat Level. Manning allegedly installed the software twice on Army computers connected to SIPRnet, the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network thats been identified as the original source of WikiLeaks large-scale U.S. releases.
He doesn't seem that clever. If someone at WikiLeaks gave him the software, they suddenly aren't innocent publishers, right?
Accused WikiLeaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning installed and used unauthorized data-mining software on his SIPRnet workstation during the time he allegedly siphoned hundreds of thousands of documents off that classified network, the Army said Friday in response to inquiries from Threat Level. Manning allegedly installed the software twice on Army computers connected to SIPRnet, the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network thats been identified as the original source of WikiLeaks large-scale U.S. releases.
He doesn't seem that clever. If someone at WikiLeaks gave him the software, they suddenly aren't innocent publishers, right?
The president of Israel is a ceremonial head of state, with less power than the queen of England. So President Perez can neither make commitments nor speak for the Israeli government; all he can do is express his own concerns and convey President Obama's to Israel's chief executive. To what great lengths Barack Obama's hatred of Benjamin Netanyahu carries him, to be sure.
This summer it will be musical chairs among President Barack Obamas national security team. Leon Panetta, the CIA Director, is widely expected to take over from Bob Gates as Pentagon chief. General David Petraeus, who is said to be exhausted and eager to leave Afghanistan, is being tipped by NPR as a serious contender for Panettas job.
According to Tom Ricks, Lieutenant General John Allen of the US Marine Corps, a Gertrude Bell aficionado, will take over from Petraeus as ISAF commander in Kabul.
It wouldnt be unusual for a military officer to take over at Langley but Petraeus known to some as King David has no specialist intelligence background, though hes certainly spent plenty of time as an intelligence consumer. And intelligence has been a crucial element of the campaigns he has directed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The possible move shows that the Obama administration is having a hard time finding a slot for the general, once considered a potential 2012 nominee for Republicans. Some might view a Petraeus appointment to the CIA as an attempt by President Barack Obama to neutralise a possible rival.
I would have thought he would be a natural choice for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when Admiral Mike Mullen retires at the end of the year but apparently hes not viewed as a contender for that. There would be some pushback from the Left over nominating him for CIA but Petraeus is such a bipartisan rock star on Capitol Hill that its hard not to see him being confirmed almost unanimously.
One big thing the CIA job would do is give Petraeus an entry point into the civilian politics of Washington. Certainly, Petraeus is extremely well connected in DC for a military man but theres no doubt that a stint at CIA would be a broadening experience for him.
Which means, of course, he would be an even more attractive presidential candidate in due course.
This summer it will be musical chairs among President Barack Obamas national security team. Leon Panetta, the CIA Director, is widely tipped to take over from Bob Gates as Pentagon chief. General David Petraeus, who is said to be exhausted and eager to leave Afghanistan, is being tipped by NPR as a serious contender for Panettas job.
According to Tom Ricks Lieutenant General John Allen of the US Marine Corps, a Gertrude Bell aficionado, will take over from Petraeus as ISAF commander in Kabul.
It wouldnt be unusual for a military officer to take over at Langley but Petraeus known to some as King David has no specialist intelligence background, though hes certainly spent plenty of time as an intelligence consumer.
The possible move shows that the Obama administration is having a hard time finding a slot for the general, once considered a potential 2012 nominee for Republicans.
WikiLeaks files detail U.S. unease over Turks and charter schools
Classified documents recently released by WikiLeaks recount U.S. officials' growing concern over large numbers of Turkish men seeking visas to work at American charter schools founded by followers of Fethullah Gulen, a powerful Turkish Muslim political figure who lives in the Poconos.
An analysis of H1-B visas conducted for The [Philadelphia] Inquirer showed that the number granted for Gulen charter schools has grown substantially since that 2006 report. More than 2,500 have been issued since 2007.
Prior to the ascension of Reccip Erdogan to the top of Turkish politics, Gulen was charged by the government of plotting to overthrow secularism in favour of a fundamentalist Islamic state. He is known for advising his followers to work and wait patiently for the right time to act, rather than choosing violence. For this he is praised as a moderate Muslim.
It is difficult to discover the number of Gulen-affiliated schools that exist around the world, although "over 1,000 including a few private universities" is tossed around, but beyond Turkey and the U.S. there are schools as far away as Afghanistan and Georgia, teaching Turkish and providing free study trips for the students to Turkey.
Last month, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan - the pro-Islamic prime minister - detained Turkish journalists who had alleged that Gulen followers were infiltrating security agencies.
There have long been accusations that Muslim businesses are pressured to donate to the cause, that teachers must kick back part of their salary, that students are proselytized in Gulen charter schools in America and indoctrinated in Gulen boarding schools in Turkey, that teachers and administrators brought in from Turkey are unqualified by American professional standards.
The article details all these concerns, and more, with reference to Wikileaks documents on the subject. Do not go to the link if that will cause you security clearance problems.
Prime Minister David Cameron will call for a new start in relations with Pakistan on Tuesday, eight months after sparking a diplomatic row by saying Pakistan should not be allowed to "look both ways" on terrorism.
Mr Cameron, who made those controversial comments on a trip to India in July 2010, will meet Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad, seeking to improve co-operation on counter-terrorism operations and Afghanistan.
"Let's make today a 'fresh start' in our relationship," Mr Cameron will say in a speech, according to extracts released by his office. "It is time for a new step in relations between Britain and Pakistan, and between Britons and Pakistanis."
Secretary of State Clinton can lend him her Reset button. The joke will be even better than it was in Moscow.
"Let's clear up the misunderstandings of the past, work through the tensions of the present and look together to the opportunities of the future."
The British government has justified its involvement in the war in Afghanistan by saying the majority of terrorist plots uncovered in Britain have their roots in the lawless Afghan-Pakistan border region.
U.S. ally Pakistan is seen as key to any negotiations to end the decade-long war in Afghanistan because of its influence over the Taliban.
KARACHI -- Chairman of Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said a report on the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto will not be released for the time being as it could sabotage the investigations currently being conducted into case.
Nope, nope, can't do it, nope...
Why would there be a formal report before investigations are complete? Surely nothing more than a private update to the country's chief executive -- who is not party boy Bilawal, merely the victim's son and hereditary head of the family's political party -- is appropriate at this juncture.
Bilawal made the statement while addressing the Central Executive Committee of the PPP in Nau Dero. "The premature release of the entire investigation report could sabotage investigations currently in progress. It could also allow the conspirators -- who may not be just confined to our borders -- to permanently deprive the people of Pakistan and citizens of the world of the truth they deserve."
He advised the members of the CEC to appoint a limited number of its senior members for a full and complete briefing on the entire investigation report.
Bilawal said the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was a conspiracy to rid the world of its best weapon to fight global extremism. "My mother's assassination was a conspiracy to rob Pakistan of its best hope to establish a fully functional democracy," he remarked.
I wouldn't go that far; Benazir was just like her husband in taking 10% of everything she could get her hands on. She wasn't quite as contemptible as most Pakistani pols and seemed to have a clue that the Taliban weren't good for her country. But she was willing to let the ISI have its way until it turned on her.
She was before the Taliban before she was against them. It was her government which recognized the Taliban government in Kabul, after all.
"Given the complexities of this conspiracy, a committee of senior members can advise us on how to proceed with the publication of the report. It will decide what information can responsibly be released to satisfy the wishes of our supporters seeking information."
Bilawal said there was a need to proceed with caution on the report as circumstances surrounding the assassination of his mother were much complicated and it was necessary to understand all aspects before the report was released in its entirety.
Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari decried reports about the formation of a technocrats' government in the country in place of the elected government.
Zardari's remarks came amid rumours that the Establishment had enough of the present government and was keen to form a government made up of technocrats and experts.
"Technocrats and experts sitting in drawing rooms could not understands the problems of the masses because they cannot think like politicians and are not answerable to the people," he said.
And, he can't get his 10% if technocrats are in charge. But they can.
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#1
The UK is repor willing to consider returning MUSHARAFF back to Pakistan to face formal charges on his alleged role in the Benazir assassination.
MISSAN / Aswat al-Iraq: Missan police department mapped out a new security plan after the withdrawal of army forces from the Amara city, local police chief said on Monday.
The police prepared a security plan after the 10th division of the Iraqi army withdraws from Amara city, General Ismail Arar al-Majedi told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The plan includes removing army blocs and checkpoints, he added.
Amara, the capital of Missan, lies 390 km south of Baghdad.
Life goes back more to normal in southern Iraq. The local coppe shoppes maintain whatever semblance of law and order there will be, and the army -- we hope -- works to defend the country instead of policing it.
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In interview with Arab newspaper, former IAEA chief says if elected as Egypt's next president he will open Rafah crossing in case of an Israeli attack.
Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian law scholar and Iranian catspaw. He was head of the IAEA from December 1997 to November 2009. At some point during his tenure he was purchased by the Iranians. ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for something in 2005. After stepping down from his IAEA position ElBaradei attempted to horn in on the 2011 Egyptian protests which culminated in the collapse of the Mubarak regime. ElBaradei served on the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group, a lefty NGO that is bankrolled by the Carnegie Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as George Soros' Open Society Institute. Soros himself serves as a member of the organization's Executive Committee.
who had previously announced his intetions to run for the presidency of Egypt, said Monday that "if Israel attacked Gaza we would declare war against the Zionist regime."
In an interview with the Al-Watan newspaper he said: "In case of any future Israeli attack on Gaza - as the next president of Egypt -- I will open the Rafah border crossing and will consider different ways to implement the joint Arab defense agreement."
That old thing? Can it even be found in the files any more?
He also stated that "Israel controls Palestinian soil" adding that that "there has been no tangible breakthrough in reconciliation process because of the imbalance of power in the region - a situation that creates a kind of one way peace."
Discussing his agenda for Egypt, ElBaradei said that distribution of income between the different classes in Egypt would be his most important priority if he were to win the upcoming elections.
#1
Dear Mr. El Baradei: Please accept the following short historical recap of the 19 day Yom Kippur conflict of 1973 with best wishes:
The war began with a massive and successful Egyptian crossing of the Suez Canal during the first three days, after which they dug in, settling into a stalemate. The Syrians coordinated their attack on the Golan Heights to coincide with the Egyptian offensive and initially made threatening gains against the greatly outnumbered defenders. Within a week, Israel recovered and launched a four-day counter-offensive, driving deep into Syria. To relieve this pressure, the Egyptians went back on the offensive, but were decisively defeated; the Israelis then counterattacked at the seam between two Egyptian armies, crossed the Suez Canal, and advanced southward and westward in over a week of heavy fighting. An October 22 United Nations-brokered ceasefire quickly unraveled, with each side blaming the other for the breach. By 24 October, the Israelis had improved their positions considerably and completed their encirclement of Egypt's Third Army. This development prompted superpower tension, but a second ceasefire was imposed cooperatively on October 25 to end the war. At the conclusion of hostilities, Israeli forces were 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Damascus and 101 kilometres (63 mi) from Cairo.
#10
Bring forth the plans for again, annexation of Gush Katif. If the smuggling continues and this becomes unmanageable, take that and the Sinai too. You own that land anyways - no reason to allow these punks to determine your sovereignty. Bless Yerusalem.
JERUSALEM Jerusalem city council on Monday approved the construction of 942 new homes in Gilo, a settlement neighbourhood in the citys eastern sector, a councillor told AFP.
Elisha Peleg, a councillor from the right-wing Likud party, confirmed that the new construction in Gilo, close to the West Bank city of Bethlehem, had been approved during an afternoon session of the district planning council.
The move came a day ahead of a top-level meeting at the White House between Israeli President Shimon Peres and US President Barack Obama.
The Israelis have learned that you don't get anything from Bambi by being a friend; better to diss him up front.
Gilo lies in mostly Arab east Jerusalem, which Israel captured along with the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.
Israel considers both halves of the Holy City its eternal, indivisible capital, and does not view construction in the east to be settlement activity. The Palestinians, however, want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state and fiercely contest any actions to extend Israels control over the sector. Some 180,000 Israelis live in east Jerusalem alongside nearly 270,000 Palestinians.
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BEIRUT: Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati vowed Monday to pursue his efforts to form a new government despite major hurdles blocking the Cabinets birth.
I will continue my efforts to form a government that will address the big problems and seek to allay the Lebaneses concerns, Mikati said in a speech welcoming the countrys top Christian and Muslim religious leaders, including the newly elected Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, at his residence in the Beirut neighborhood of Verdun. Mikati hosted a luncheon for his guests.
Rai visited Mikati as part of his calls on the top Muslim political and religious leaders to thank them for participating in his inauguration mass last month which confirmed him as the new head of the influential Maronite Catholic Church, replacing Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir who has resigned.
Mikati stressed that the Lebanese religious authorities have a role to play in bringing the Lebanese together, cooperating to save Lebanon from the crises it is facing and also in safeguarding internal stability.
The key to resolve the political crises is by adhering to the implementation of texts and spirit of the Constitution which preserve the positions and role of all the Lebanese groups No one can eliminate the other or underestimate its effective presence in the country and institutions, he said.
Mikati reiterated commitment to the ruling system based on the 1989 Arab-brokered Taif Accord which ended the 1975-90 Civil War. He warned that any attempt to undermine this ruling formula would bring the country back to a very difficult stage.
The Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders praised Mikatis efforts to form the Cabinet and called on all political factions to facilitate his mission and reduce their conditions and demands in order to help the formation of a government to tackle many thorny issues.
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A new governor was appointed to the Syrian protest hub of Daraa on Monday while a Facebook group urged rallies in honour of those killed in previous demonstrations.
President Bashar 'Pencilneck' al-Assad, who is facing a domestic crisis unprecedented in 11 years of rule, has made a string of gestures hinting at change but failing to assuage protesters who are demanding greater freedom and political reforms.
Pro'ly because they don't trust a bloodthirsty thug whose daddy killed tens of thousands and imprisoned even more. People are funny about things like that.
Assad appointed Mohammad Khaled al-Hannus governor of Daraa, an agricultural town near the border with Jordan, where dozens have been killed in more than two weeks of unrest. Hannus replaces the much-reviled Faysal Kalthum, sacked on March 23 at the height of anti-regime rallies that left dozens dead and the governors residence in flames.
Kalthum will be 'rehabilitated' at a later date. If Pencilneck just executes him he can still be rehabilitated, but it won't mean as much to him...
The appointment, which was immediately dismissed as not enough by Syrian human rights activists, came one day after Assad asked former agriculture minister Adel Safar to form a new government.
The residents of Daraa want more than a switch in governor they want the security services to stop oppressing them, the emergency law lifted, property rights respected, the detained freed and freedom of expression guaranteed, one activist told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Residents of Daraa had accused the former governor of postponing the acquisition of property rights and preventing farmers from drilling water wells for irrigation. A lawmaker from the region issued a scathing indictment in parliament, accusing security forces of opening fire without mercy and criticising the president for not offering his condolences.
You want condolences after the thug-boy's police opened fire 'without mercy'?
Activists estimate more than 130 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, mainly in the cities of Daraa and Latakia, home to the minority Alawi sect, from which President Assad hails. Officials who of course have no reason to lie have put the death toll at closer to 30.
The commission charged with replacing Syrias emergency law with new legislation will conclude its work by Friday, a newspaper close to the government reported.
Sources within the commission tasked with studying the removal of the emergency law said it would, by Friday, finish formulating the necessary legislation to replace the emergency law, the Al-Watan newspaper said.
Lifting Syrias emergency law, in place since the end of 1962, has been a central demand of protesters in three weeks of pro-reform rallies across the country.
Al-Watan said the commissions work is inspired by the experience and legal frameworks of the United States, the United Kingdom and France, while taking into account both the dignity and safety of all citizens.
Particularly Pencilneck's dignity and safety...
Its conclusions will be publicly discussed and the commission will listen to all views before the government passes the proposed legislation.
President Bashar al-Assad had set April 25 as the deadline for the judicial commission to complete the task of drafting new legislation to replace emergency rule.
The law, which paved the way for the ruling Baath party to declare a state of emergency when it took power in 1963, imposes restrictions on public gatherings and movements, authorises interrogation of any individual and surveillance of personal communication as well as official control of the media.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/05/2011 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who had previously announced his intetions to run for the presidency of Egypt, said Monday that if Israel attacked Gaza we would declare war against the Zionist regime." 
CAIRO - Egypts army rulers froze assets belonging to three former aides of deposed President Hosni Mubarak, meeting a demand of reformers seeking tough action against figures of the past administration.
This summer it will be musical chairs among President Barack Obamas national security team. Leon Panetta, the CIA Director, is widely expected to take over from Bob Gates as Pentagon chief. General David Petraeus, who is said to be exhausted and eager to leave Afghanistan, is being tipped by NPR as a serious contender for Panettas job.
A new governor was appointed to the Syrian protest hub of Daraa on Monday while a Facebook group urged rallies in honour of those killed in previous demonstrations.
