Another victory for smart diplomacy
...Throughout this country, Libyans are discovering that their hard fought battle to win freedoms is at risk. more like going, going gone
Puritanical Muslims known as Salafis are applying a rigid form of Islam in more and more communities...The small town of Zuwara near the Tunisian border, dominated by a heterodox Muslim sect despised by the Salafis, is quickly becoming the battlefield.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
01/19/2012 07:12 ||
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#2
Look on the bright side. When Al Qaeda's emirate in Libya finally starts sending terrorists abroad to do another 9/11, we'll have easy access to their training camps.
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Lawyers for Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... said on Wednesday the military was responsible for the deaths of protesters during the revolt that ousted the Egyptian president last year, insisting he had done nothing wrong.
The prosecution wants Mubarak to hang for the killing of hundreds of protesters in the 18-day revolt that forced him to quit on February 11 and hand over power to the army.
On the second day of arguing his case, defence Farid al-Deeb said Mubarak, his interior minister Habib al-Adly and six top officers are not responsible for the bloodshed that started January 28, three days after the revolt began.
Several protesters were killed in three days of unrest that preceded the full-blown revolt on January 28 and dozens injured, according to figures released at the time.
Deeb said the reasoning behind his argument was based on the fact that Mubarak imposed a curfew on the afternoon of the 28th which, by law, made the army responsible for security.
"Mubarak used his constitutional power and issued an order imposing a curfew across Egypt and put the army in charge of security from 4:00 pm, January 28," Deeb told the court.
Deeb said the killing and wounding of protesters began after 4:00 pm on that day, which places the responsibility of the bloodshed squarely on the shoulders of the armed forces.
"Therefore, it does not make sense that police ordered the killing of protesters. The police did not have the jurisdiction or authority to issue any orders since the authority had been transferred to the head of the army."
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01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[Yemen Post] The coalition of the main Yemeni opposition parties, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) expressed sorrow about the comments of the Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi who told Alarabya TV that Yemen unrest might lead to the delay of presidential elections.
JMP further demanded the ruling General People Congress party to issue a formal and clear statement regarding the elections and its schedule, calling all the friendly and concerned states to put pressures on GPC to comply with its commitments.
News reports had quoted a Yemeni top ruling party official as saying that Saleh met with high-level security officials this week and decided to ask parliament to delay the elections until May 22.
In a statement released on Wednesday, JMP has cautioned against security consequences resulted in by the storm of Al-Qaeda gunnies on Rada'a, 150 kilometers southeast of Sana'a.
It affirmed that people responsible for these events have their own agenda which aim to impede the implementation of the GCC-brokered power transfer deal.
Al-Qaeda gunnies had seized government facilities of Rada'a and released on Monday all the inmates of the central jail of Rada'a, a town of 60,000 population.
"The security services that are still loyal to the outgoing President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... was responsible for insecurity occurred in Rada'a," the statement cited.
"We highly appreciate attitudes of tribal leaders and dignitaries of Baidha who decried the security services' complicity with the gunnies and emphasized their readiness to defend their governorate and stand against those who try to plunge it into chaos."
JMP further urged all security forces and the newly-formed military commission to shoulder their responsibilities in this critical stage and uncover realities of what is happening on the ground.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[Yemen Post] The Yemeni veteran politician Abdulkarim Al-Eryani has said that Yemen will radically change after February 21 when early presidential elections will be held.
During a United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... conference entitled "Reform and Transitions to Democracy," held in Beirut last Sunday, Al-Eryani said that Yemen change was internally produced.
"However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... the GCC states and other western countries played role in the occurrence of this change" added he.
According to the UN, this conference aimed to provide decision-makers in emerging democracies in the Middle East a chance to meet and interact with others who have encountered similar challenges during their own respective countries transition to democracy.
Al-Eryani who is a top official of the ruling party and the political advisor of the outgoing President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... made clear that the Yemeni youth uprising entrenched a change that would not be declined.
"The latest thing I expected to happen in Yemen was the eruption of this revolution, as Yemen is among those latest developing and linking to electronic communication countries" added Al-Eryani.
According to a Yemeni analyst, Mustafa Alsabri, Al-Eryani who has good ties with the opposition stayed loyal to the regime, despite many Yemeni US-educated politicians defected from the Yemeni regime following the outbreak of wide-nation anti-regime protests.
Alsabri said that Yemeni opposition always dubs Al-Eryani as one of those officials of the ruling General People Congress party who exert efforts to defuse Yemen's problems and provide good advice to President.
Some 50 leading international figures, including dignitaries, academics and development experts from across the globe took part in this conference organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
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01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged people to reject the BNP-Jamaat forces, alleging that they had patronised militancy, indulged in corruption and now were trying to save war criminals.
"The people of Bangladesh do not want to see them [BNP-Jamaat] in power again. They made crores of taka through corruption, abetted militancy and terrorism and are now trying to save the war criminals," she said.
She also urged people to vote for her party, the Awami League (AL), at the next general election, if they [people] are happy with the development activities of the government.
The prime minister was addressing a rally in Manikganj organised for the first time by the AL district unit after the December 2008 elections.
Citing the present government's activities, AL President Hasina said, "If you [the people] are not satisfied with this, the choice is yours. But if you think that what we have done should continue then vote for us again. We will continue to serve you."
She urged people to be united and completely reject the "BNP-Jamaat wrong-doers". "I seek your assistance in building a developed country.
Hasina alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... had legalised black money and made a huge fortune by indulging in corruption.
"She [Khaleda] even looted money from orphanage and the trial for this will definitely take place in Bangladesh," vowed Hasina, adding that there was no way they could get away with such acts of corruption.
The PM also pledged to try the war criminals, including Ghulam Azam, who had committed murder, loot, rape and arson during the Liberation War, even though the BNP chairperson was determined to save them.
Referring to Khaleda's recent speech, Hasina said the opposition leader had said that she would shut down all power plants and cancel all that the present government has done. But by doing so, she would push the country back into the dark ages, said the PM.
"We have increased food production, rooted out crime, and eradicated terrorism. Will she cancel all those? Do the people want kabooms, criminal activities, looting and corruption in the country again? Do they want to stay in the dark?" said Hasina.
She urged the people to remember the situation that had prevailed during the BNP-Jamaat alliance rule. She cited the kabooms in 500 places across the country, torture on AL and Chhatra League ... the student wing of the Bangla Awami League ... leaders and activists, killing of 16 journalists and injuries caused to hundreds of people.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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According to Turkish Zaman daily, a cell of the Quds Unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard is planning to attack U.S. embassy in Ankara.
The Turkish newspaper Zaman reported Tuesday that Turkish intelligence has warned that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is planning attacks on the American embassy and American consulates throughout the country.
According to the report, Turkey's security forces have warned police in all 81 districts throughout the country, telling them to remain alert and vigilant.
The report states that according to Turkish intelligence, it is likely that a cell of the Quds Unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard is planning to break into the U.S. Embassy or one of its consulates. The intelligence further stated that the cell is planning on staying at a five-star hotel in the city in which the attack is being planned, cautioning forces to focus on foreigners residing in those hotels.
Moreover, the report states that Hezbullies may take part in such attacks against Americans.
According to Turkish intelligence, Iran is attempting to support the operations of small, illegal Turkish organizations in the wake of Turkey's decision to establish a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... radar within its territory, and due to Ankara's condemnation of the Assad regime in Syria.
In an about-face, the feds have admitted wrongdoing in the cases of two elderly women who say they were strip-searched at Kennedy Airport by overzealous screeners. Someone musta had pix.
Federal officials had initially insisted that all "screening procedures were followed" after Ruth Sherman, 89, and Lenore Zimmerman, 85, went public with separate accounts of humiliating strip searches. Maybe they were followed, but they should not have been.
But in a letter obtained by the Daily News, the Homeland Security Department acknowledges that screeners violated standard practice in their treatment of the ailing octogenarians last November.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Betsy Markey concedes to state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) that Sherman was forced to show security agents her colostomy bag -- a violation of policy.
"It is not standard operating procedure for colostomy devices to be visually inspected, and [the Transportation Security Administration] apologizes for this employee's action," Markey wrote. Heck, why not give them a squeeze to make sure they aren't hiding something in there. They could be, you know. And I'm a malcontent and demand my right to safe flight. I'm sure that's in the Constitution somewhere.
The letter says that Sherman, who uses a wheelchair, was escorted into a private area after she voluntarily lowered her pants to show screeners the device. Horseshi+. She's older and was bullied into it.
In the private room, she was patted down and told to show agents the colostomy bag, the letter says.
Markey still maintained that the Florida-based Sherman was never asked to remove her clothing. What then, am I to believe she's an exhibitionist?
"They asked me to pull my sweatpants down, and now they're not telling you the truth," Sherman fumed Monday.
Markey also denied that Zimmerman had been strip-searched, but did apologize for the conduct of a TSA agent who violated policy by scanning the Long Island granny's back brace. They must really think the flying public are stupid if they propose this as an explanation.
Zimmerman had told The News two female agents removed her clothes -- instead of just patting her down -- after she revealed that she was wearing a defibrillator.
"They're lying," said Zimmerman. "I don't have a problem with [screeners checking] the back brace. I have a problem with being strip-searched."
Gianaris, who wrote to the TSA requesting a full investigation, said the feds' account is still full of holes.
"It's obvious that something went wrong, so its nice to see the TSA admit that their procedures were violated," Gianaris said, "but they're still falling short of admitting that these women's dignity was violated by asking them to remove their clothes." Or accidentally thumping Lenore on the shin and making her bleed. Some day the agents who did this may well be old enough to appreciate this one.
[Dawn] Pakistain will arrest former military ruler Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... should he return as announced at the end of the month from three years of self-imposed exile, the interior minister said Wednesday.
"I assure this house that if he lands in Pakistain, he will be placed in durance vile because he is a PO (proclaimed offender)," Rehman Malik Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Näwaz Shärif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. told the upper house of parliament.
"There are three registered cases against him. He has been named in these cases, so ultimately he will be placed in durance vile."
In a telephone address to a political rally in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... on Jan 8, Musharraf promised to fly home between Jan 27-30 to contest general elections now widely expected later this year.
"I'll land in Bloody Karachi despite all sorts of dangers to my life," he said. "I can sacrifice my life if need be for the people of Pakistain."
Few in Pakistain are thought to want Musharraf to return, and the army has stopped short of publicly guaranteeing his safety against the arrest warrants.
A front man for Musharraf's All Pakistain Mohammedan League (APML) on Wednesday left the door open to the retired general changing his mind on returning.
"We are not afraid of arrests," party official Mohammad Ali Saif told AFP.
"We are in consultation with party leaders in this regard and Pervez Musharraf will take the final decision." The authorities in Bloody Karachi stood by the threat of arrest.
"We'll go by the order of the court," provincial home minister Manzoor Wassan told AFP in Bloody Karachi, capital of the southern province.
"We have made arrangements for him in prison," he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Lt Gen (retired) Naeem Khalid Lodhi is one of the earliest fall guys in the memogate fiasco, but he`s not going down without a whimper.
The former defence secretary is making last ditch efforts to correct the wrong done to him when he was unceremoniously and without any reason terminated from his post.
In a petition filed at the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday, Lt Gen Lodhi has claimed that his termination as defence secretary is illegal, and that it is intended to clear the way to arbitrarily remove the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for personal and political gains.
The petition was filed by General Lodhi`s lawyers Mohammad Munir Paracha and F.K. Butt and cited the president, prime minister, cabinet secretaries, the establishment division and Acting Secretary Defence Nargis Sethi as respondents.
Lt-Gen Lodhi has stated that on November 28, 2011 he was appointed as defence secretary for a period of two years, but on January 11, 2012 the respondents dismissed him from service without issuing any charge-sheet or show cause notice.
The petition says that the termination of the contract was in violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 4, 14 and 25 of the Constitution, and requested the court to set aside the termination notification and restore him to the post of defence secretary till the final decision on his petition.
Lt-Gen Lodhi has also accused the respondents of pressuring him to sign an af-fidavit on the memogate issue prepared by the government functionaries.
He explained that he could not justify signing an affidavit prepared by someone else and one that was contrary to the true and actual facts he believes the affidavit conflicts with the written statements submitted by the COAS and DG ISI to the Supreme Court of Pakistain.
Mr Lodhi has said that he has submitted his affidavit on the matter to the Supreme Court through Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq.
His counsel F. K. Butt told Dawn: `The government was pressurising him to sign the same affidavit that it submitted in the Supreme Court in memo case. The other ministers and officials accepted the orders and signed the ready-made reply but my client refused to do so.According to Advocate Butt the replies of COAS and DG ISI were submitted in this case in accordance with the prescribed rules and through the attorney-general`s office and if there was anything contrary to the government stance in the replies it could either be corrected or be sent back for correction.
The petition pointed out that in common practice government departments and authorities submit their replies directly to the superior and lower courts without the consent of law ministry and their respective ministers.
It may be pertinent to mention here that the government in their replies submitted in the apex court termed the memorandum a pack of lies while the versions of the COAS and DG ISI were different than that of the government.
It said the respondents were incensed by the rejoinder issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations on January 11 in response to the `irresponsible interview` given by the Prime Minister to the People`s Daily Online of China.
After that the respondents in a knee-jerk reaction terminated the service contract of the defence secretary.
Meanwhile, ...back at the precinct house, Sergeant Maloney wasn't buying it. It was just too pat. It smelled phony... Advocate Paracha, another counsel of the petitioner, said that there was already a petition pending in the apex court against General Lodhi`s termination: `It has been filed by one of the petitioners in the memo case but not on the instructions of General Lodhi. He is not an aggrieved party in that petition.
He added: `The current petition is different from the earlier petition because it has been filed by the aggrieved party, General Lodhi, himself.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#6
The article was written by Peter Singer the zoophiliac
Ewwwww
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/19/2012 16:55 Comments ||
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#7
I would call it "specious enslavement".
Knowing navy types, those dolphins are probably fond of Krispy Kremes and a few pitchers of dark beer after a successful training exercise. They also probably have tattoos they picked up on shore leave in Tijuana.
Warning: Image may be photoshopped.
Iran might pound Persian Gulf cities with ballistic missiles and use swift boats to attack American war ships in an attempt to dissuade a U.S. attack on its nuclear arms sites, a new report states. I wonder how well swift boats would work against cluster bombs or a chain gun. We can't use those: cluster bombs are a war crime and chain guns are un-Islamic...
Tehran likely would employ a mixed game plan against the U.S. military consisting of "advanced technology" and "guerilla tactics," according to a research organization with close ties to the Pentagon. Guerilla tactics only work if we have boots on the ground, right?
Before that, Iran would first lean hard on weaker Middle Eastern nations to convince those states to deny Washington access to bases on their soil, it states. And that only works if they fear you more than they love you.
Some of the report's grimmer scenarios predict Iranian ballistic missile launches on Gulf cities in an attempt to convince other nations to resist providing support to an American military operation. I wonder how many missiles would be fired after the first few bunkers had been collapsed. I wonder how many missiles would miss their mark or be shot down. I wonder how many nations you can hold off at once, and for how many hours. I wonder if night vision equipment could pick out your commandos operating along your shores. I wonder if your submarines are visible to our satellites.
The report also forecasts efforts by Tehran to use Shiite Muslim "proxy groups" to attack U.S. allies in the region. Similar groups plagued the U.S.-led war effort in Iraq for years, and some officials and experts said some acted with Tehran's backing. [Cantor Presses for More Pressure on Iran.] I wonder if your operatives would continue to operate after your government has been taken over by people. I wonder if their records containing your names will ever be found.
Anthony Cordesman, a Pentagon adviser, acknowledged Iranian officials might give some kind of support to extremist groups in a place like Yemen.
But he cast doubt on the likelihood that Iran would fire missiles at Gulf cities, or if its missiles would even work.
"Iran is much more likely to look at this and realize when you see this type of exchange, you ignore the fact that there are no rules as to how the U.S. and others would respond," said Cordesman, a senior analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. What? Only the mad mullahs are allowed to come up with clever tactics and ignore the rules! That ain't fair!
An Iranian missile barrage on Gulf population centers, he said, could lead the United States and its allies to "take out their oil refineries." Refineries? Does this imply that they have more than one? Oh man, load another bomb on the B-52!
"Then, their economy grinds to a halt," Cordesman said. "If Iran can't export [oil], it can't earn. And that creates critical problems for the regime." And if someone else exports their oil for them, like China, well, that would be problematic, wouldn't it?
"Every time they escalate, they open themselves to attack on their own refineries, their own missile systems, and their navy and air force," Cordesman said. And their turbans! Don't forget the turbans!
Iran also could use new weapons, like advanced ballistic missiles, to attack U.S. bases and other forces positioned around the Persian Gulf, wrote Mark Gunzinger, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, in the report. Advanced ballistic missiles? Did they figure out how to put radar tracking on rocks or something?
"Iran's hybrid strategy would continue at sea, where its naval forces would engage in swarming 'hit-and-run' attacks using sophisticated guided munitions in the confined and crowded littorals of the Strait of Hormuz and possibly out into the Gulf of Oman," according to the report. "Iran could coordinate these attacks with salvos of anti-ship cruise missiles and swarms of unmanned aircraft launched either from the Iranian shore or from the islands guarding the entrance to the Persian Gulf." Doesn't that sort of assume there is something left to do the coordination?
For those reasons, Pentagon officials would be wise to move U.S. forces and naval ships beyond the suspected range of Iran's arsenal, the report states. The U.S. also should steel its bases in the region to limit the damage Iranian missile strikes could do to those sites, while also inking deals for a series of "distant" sites from which military operations could be launched, the report states. Wow, I'll bet they didn't think of that!
But Cordesman said there is little evidence to show Iranian missiles could reach American war ships. "Nobody has said Iran has successfully tested their long-range missiles, especially with these kind of warheads," he said. Give them time. I'm sure it will happen all of a sudden.
Iran's growing arsenal of weapons also would require Defense Department brass to take a second look at the kinds of weapons it is buying, Gunzinger states. He calls for stealthy bombers that can evade Iranian radars and missile systems, drone aircraft that can operate off aircraft carriers, an amphibious troop vehicle "optimized for ground combat operations," among other new weapons. Ground combat? NO! Just smack them and let the people take care of them. Air-drop AK-47s and ammo if you think they need it. Let the people take care of it.
"Achieving this within an increasingly constrained budget will require defense planners to make difficult decisions," Gunzinger writes, "the United States cannot meet the challenges that Iran could pose to its vital interests in the Gulf by simply spending more and adding new capabilities and capacity."
With most of Washington -- and the GOP presidential candidates -- debating whether the United States should use military force to halt Tehran's nuclear ambitions, the report paints one of the first sketches of how a U.S.-Iranian conflict might play out.
The Pentagon will need to change how it fights and what it buys -- even amid declining annual budgets -- to deal effectively with Iranian systems fielded in recent years, says CSBA. These weapons and supporting platforms are tailored to significantly hinder the U.S. military's ability to move freely within an enemy's territory -- including the air, at and under the sea, and increasingly in cyberspace.
#2
Thanks Moose. That needs some rewording. Anthony Cordesman, a Pentagon adviser...a senior analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
A little self-promoting.
Much like the 'threatened' Iranian naval blockade of the east coast there is little capability to coordinate such an integrated strategy.
Ya'all forgot the grouping of kittens and fluffy bunnies in the foreground.
(great graphic, nonetheless)
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/19/2012 9:20 Comments ||
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#4
Maybe a rehash of an old point. During Gulf War II, reporters asked an AF officer whether what they were seeing was the much advertised "shock and awe." The officer replied, "If you have to ask, it ain't shock and awe."
#6
Not enough rounds in a Vulcan to ward off 50 boats attacking simultaneously.
There better be some CAP in the area, even if some of it is land based. They don't call them fast movers (OK, that was an F4, but you get the idea) for nothing. BTW, if one swift boat shows up, 50 swift boats would definitely show up on the overhead surveillance. Just ask the US Coast Guard on drug interdiction duty. Posse Comitatus doesn't apply against military foes.
Integrated theater battlefield management means that frigate ain't alone.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
01/19/2012 12:27 Comments ||
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For the third time this month, the U.S. Navy has come to the aid of Iranian fishermen.
On Wednesday, the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey came the the rescue of a sinking Iranian fishing dhow, the Al Mamsoor, after an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter spotted it in the Arabian Sea early Wednesday morning.
The dhow had been flooding for several days, and by the time the U.S. Navy reached the ship, the Iranian crew had abandoned it and climbed onto other dhows nearby. Still, it was clear that they needed food and water, so the team from the USS Dewey provided the fishermen with 150 pounds of food, water, medical, and hygienic supplies.
Earlier this month, American forces rescued a group of 13 Iranian fisherman who had been held captive by Somali pirates for more than 40 days. Just days later, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter came to the aid of another six Iranian fisherman in waters off Iraq, after they issued a distress call that their boat was taking on water.
"Without your help, we were dead. Thank you for all you did for us," the owner of the Iranian ship said, according to the Navy.
The rescue operations come amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
#5
Second time is a charm. Third time is a pattern.
How much high explosive could be emplaced on a fishing boat? A goodly amount, I would guess. They could also have half a dozen a-holes with half a dozen RPGs each.
Remember that they have no respect for human life, for themselves or others, so suicide missions have to be assumed, as well as deception operations, so that one of their coastal subs could sneak up and use its torpedoes.
Therefore, the best policy would be to clearly state to Iran that closing the Persian Gulf works both ways. No oil and no fishing.
Spying is standard operating procedure for nearly all the Gulf and penninsula nations. Based on personal experience, the Iranians tend to concentrate their intel dhows in the waters outside of Bahrain, the Saudi naval bases, and the openings to the Straits.
There are several kinds of dhows in the Gulf and the Arabian sea: fishing, cargo, smuggling, pleasure craft, and intel. Also based on personal experience, the last are generally cleaner than the fishing boats they pretend to be, have a few antennas, and if one looks closely enough, can generally see uniforms or parts of uniforms under the 'fisherman's robes'.
How much high explosive could be emplaced on a fishing boat? A goodly amount, I would guess.
I suspect that you'll just have to leave it up to the judgement of the professionals on scene.
Iran said it was ready to return to negotiations over its nuclear program, though U.S. officials said they had yet to see proof of that claim, as some international efforts to ratchet up pressure on Tehran progressed.
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday that Iran would like to restart talks in Turkey with the diplomatic bloc of world powers that has been involved in the negotiations effort, according to news reports from Turkey. The grouping comprises the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, and is known as the P5+1.
Mr. Salehi's comments came amid heightened tensions over sanctions against Iran and a threat by Tehran to block oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route. The final decision on talks with the West and any compromise lies with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The European Union is coalescing around a July 1 start for its proposed crude-oil embargo on Iran, several diplomats said Wednesday, while Russia's foreign minister said new sanctions weren't the best route.
U.S. officials said EU foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton, who heads the P5+1 bloc, sent a letter to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, last month requesting a resumption of talks. These officials said Wednesday that Iran had yet to respond.
#1
Tell them to negotiate through the IAEA, after they permit full, unhindered inspections of any site even suspected of involvement with nuclear anything.
#2
Tell them to negotiate through the IAEA, after they permit full, unhindered inspections of any site even suspected of involvement with nuclear anything.
Would have saved Saddam a lot of trouble.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
01/19/2012 14:52 Comments ||
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A Texas medical student well-known in her community as an Iranian activist was "mysteriously" shot and killed in her car, just yards from her home.
Gelareh Bagherzadeh, 30, was driving through her Houston townhouse complex around midnight on Monday when she was shot dead through her car window.
"When officers arrived, they found a vehicle had run into a garage door at that location with the engine running and tires spinning on the pavement. Ms. Bagherzadeh was found slumped over in the driver's seat," the Houston Police Department said in a statement. That's odd. The video at the link has a witness that said they heard a shot and then tires squealing a couple of minutes later. Maybe just a poor choice of words. There were certainly lots of tire shavings all over the place.
Authorities said nothing appeared to have been stolen from her car. Her cell phone and purse were found inside. But her life seems to be missing.
"Homicide investigators responded to the scene and were told by witnesses that several gunshots were heard, a crash and then tires squealing," the statement said.
Police told ABC News' Houston affiliate KTRK that the last person to speak to Bagherzadeh was her close friend and ex-boyfriend who was on the phone with her when she was shot.
"[The boyfriend] heard a loud thud. He doesn't recall hearing any gunshots, but a loud thud and then a screeching noise," Richard Bolton of the Houston Police Department Homicide unit told KTRK.
Bagherzadeh was of Iranian descent and was outspoken in promoting Iranian women's rights and criticizing the Iranian government, according to interviews she had done with the Houston Chronicle.
Photos and video from the newspaper's website show Bagherzadeh participating in a 2010 protest calling for a regime change in Iran. At the time, she requested that her name not be used in the video because she was afraid of persecution, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"It's not believed that she was targeted because of her ethnicity or because she was an activist," Houston Police Department spokesman Victor Senties told ABCNews.com. Oh no. Couldn't be. That would mean Iran would be something other than a democratic republic.
Police don't currently believe her death was related to her activism, but the death is mysterious. Bagherzadeh's cell phone and purse were still inside.
"They're still in the process of investigating," Senties said. "We're still trying to question anyone that might know her or might know if there was someone that wanted to harm her." Like maybe the Grand Ayatollah?
Bagherzadeh was studying molecular genetic technology at the Texas Medical Center.
At about 11:45 p.m. on Monday night, Houston police responded to a discharge of firearms call at 800 August Drive. When officers arrived, they found no evidence of any shooting and left. Forty-five minutes later, they responded to a call for a shooting from 894 August Drive. Paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced her dead, according to police. Wabbit season?
Another unexplained element is the question of why Bagherzadeh had turned her car onto a dead-end drive, in the opposite direction from her home. Maybe trying to elude a car that was following too attentively?
"We don't know why she ended up back there on the back end. Maybe they only lived here for a short time, maybe she's unfamiliar with the property, because from what we understand from friends and relatives is she always parks on the street in front of her townhome," Bolton said. Always. Very reliably. Not good if trying to avoid getting assasinated, I always say!
Investigators are looking into neighborhood surveillance footage to see "if there's anything that could possibly help," Senties said. Like maybe a car full of laundry following her?
A neighbor who did not wish to be named told ABCNews.com that the shooting was "very unusual." He has surveillance cameras outside his home and said police came to his house to collect his tapes. Well, apparently not unusual enough to arouse suspicion.
"I've been living her since 1976 and never heard of anything like this before," he said. "It's a terrible, terrible thing." How many other Iranian activists do you have living on your block?
Bagherzadeh's family could not be reached for comment. Perhaps they went into hiding for some reason? Pressophobia, probably.
#1
If you look at the organizational structure and the backgrounds of the Chief on down, you will see that this is a direct result of promoting people not based on integrity or qualifications, but for political reasons. That's the real dirt on this situation. Texas is a red state, but the major cities are just as infected with the liberal vermine as any other major cess pool.
#2
This sounds like more than just incompetence. It sounds like an intelligence operation, in which the local police have been told what to say.
If it was a domestic al-Quds hit, US counterintelligence would be hot on smoking out the resident assassin, as they are high priority targets. Likewise, if they came up from Mexico, the BP will be keeping their eyes peeled.
Alternatively would be a local yokel at her mosque who decided that she was a heretic or belonged to the wrong Iranian faction, and finally a family member honor killing. Though that happens a lot less among Iranian ex-pats.
#3
One article said she was talking on the phone with an ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend was also ruled out...I say the ex took out a hit on her, providing an alibi for himself. The Chronicle also published photos of the family and a statement by her her distraught brother--they seemed aristocratic, and it specifically noted a part of the established local Persian community. I find those that call themselves Persian also distance themselves from the current Iranian Nutjob. FBI was involved, so local liberal cops have supervision.
#4
Regarding the police. Texas is a Red state, but Houston is a Democrat area. Shelia Jackson Lee, who is a racist that has the IQ of a banana, is a representative from that area of Texas.
BRUSSELS - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where most oil exports from the Gulf to the West pass, must remain open and called on Iran to behave responsibly, Xinhua reported.
“It is of utmost importance to make sure that energy supplies continue to flow through the vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz...The Iranian authorities have a duty to act as responsible international actors and in accordance with the international law,” Rassmussen told reporters at NATO headquarters.
“But I’d also like to stress that NATO has no plans of intervention,” he told a press conference after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Brussels.
Typical Y'urp-peons. All hat and no cattle.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
and called on Iran to behave responsibly
"And send me a pony. You know, with a long flowing mane."
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/19/2012 8:19 Comments ||
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#2
The Rapid Response Council of Councils has come to the conclusion, follow a final appeal and vote, that closing the Straits of Hormuz is....bad.
Following final vote, appeal, and time allowed for re-appeal, action required will be a sternly worded letter.
#4
John Edwards, Esq. was the original "Silky Pony" and just happens to own the word Pony™.
So MR, please be advised that you are walking on thin ice when you throw throw the Pony word about. We, at State, are monitoring you.
But, "Hey, No Pressure"--The 2011 Tax Season is coming soon... ;-)
[Iran Press TV] A former American official has warned that the United States wants to blame Israel for Washington's possible war on Iran that could end life on earth.
US warnings to Israel for not attacking Iran is to avoid responsibility for the war Washington has prepared, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Paul Craig Roberts wrote in an article on Global Research.
"If the war gets out of hand, and if Russia and China intervene or nukes start flying, Washington wants the blame to rest on Israel, and Israel seems willing to accept the blame," Craig Roberts said.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal said the US has privately sought assurances from Israeli leaders that they will not take military action against Iran. But the Israeli response has been noncommittal.
The US analyst also used a few examples to show that the White House has prepared for an all-out war against Iran.
"If Washington did not want war with Iran it would not have provided the necessary weapons to Israel. It would not have deployed thousands of US troops to Israel," he argued.
"Washington would not have built a missile defense system for Israel and would not be conducting joint exercises with the Israeli military to make sure it works," Craig Roberts added.
He said, "Washington won't prevent the war that it so fervently desires. Neither will Washington's NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... puppets."
"'Great' Britannia does as it is told, subservient and occupied Germany, bankrupt La Belle France, Italia occupied with US air bases with a government infiltrated by the CIA, bankrupt Spain and Greece will all, in hopes of an outpouring of US dollars and devoid of any dignity or honor, support the new war that could end life on earth," Craig Roberts added.
This article starring:
Paul Craig Roberts
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
Its a [popcorn] quandry.
Moscow + Beijing are on Washington's side as per Iran ever developing Nucweaps, which Tehran officially denies intending but covertly needs to do so, + M-U-S-T do so, iff it hopes to become a true major world power on par wid NATO-EU + Nuke Club. THE SO-CALLED OWG "ISLAMIST/
JIHADIST CALIPHATE" ALSO WILL NEED NUKES IFF IT HOPES TO ACHIEVE DE FACTO PARIY, IFF NOT SUPERIORITY OR DOMINANCE, VEE NON-ISLAMIC WORLD.
IOW, Iran is publicly denying it needs the very thingy it does need [NucWeaps] to become more than just a another regional power. DITTO RADICLA CLERICS WHOM PROCLAIM TO WISH TO SEE THE US + WHITE HOUSE "REMOVED" FROM THE WORLD SCENE.
#6
One properly placed EMP is enough to halt Iran. Followed that with strategic conventional strikes on key infrastructure points, such as power, water, transportation and communication points to permanently destroy them.
Iran very quickly drops to medieval at best. Without 20th century technology, it is capable of supporting perhaps 50 percent of its current population. Few will be left in major cities like Tehran after the loss of power, sanitation, modern medicine, clean water, modern transportation. Cholera based disease epidemic would do most of the decimation and most survivors would face starvation. Tehran, Qom and other large metropolis would become open graveyards. Tamerlane would be proud.
#9
rj, no. Turning off power would not prevent frying by an emp burst.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/19/2012 19:43 Comments ||
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#10
It is possible to control the footprint via altitude and yield. Looking at the geography, if Israel (or the US) wanted to they could basically wipe most of Iran's major cities clean of electronics with one popped over Qom and higher yield over Esfahan (Tehran in that footprint), low altitude and yield over Bandar Abba so as not to fry the Emirates - only Tabriz escapes (which has lots and lots of Kurds, so maybe not a bad thing).
I've always advocated a full return to the 6th century for Iran if we do get into it with them, but never considered an EMP strike as the first hit. That would be a crippling blow, if one is determine to destroy Iran and the pople in it - combein that with conventional strategic strikes on a few bridges, power plants and power distribution centers, water plants, and tv/radio and telepnone exchanges, and they will be in the dark with no way to talk and no refrigeration or medicines or food or water.
*IF* it becomes neccesary, such a sever striek would need to be very carefully considered - you're talking about creating an unstoppable wave of refugees, and deaths in the millions to tens of millions if cholera and so on set in.
Its not the sort of thing I think Israel would do except in extremis.
EMP with leadership decapitation would probably be enough to demolish Iran as anything other than a third would country.
US efforts to pressure other countries into imposing sanctions on Iran's oil exports is as an act of war against the country, a political analyst tells Press TV.
"What the United States is actually doing, is waging a war on Iran. This is as Ron Paul, the US presidential candidate has said, an act of war to impose oil sanctions and sanctions on Iran's Central Bank," Professor Seyyed Mohamed Marandi said in an interview with Press TV on Wednesday. Mr. Paul, by rights, should worry that Iran Press TV agrees with him. That should be enough to make him re-think his position. Sadly, it won't...
Marandi said Washington's pressure on other states to stop doing business with Iran would cause anger towards the US among independent countries in the long run and "deteriorate global hegemony of the US."
The prominent political analyst said these sanctions, however, would not have a major effect on the country since Tehran would continue to export its oil and "some countries will actually increase their imports from Iran because they have an interest in a strong Iran as an opposition to the United States."
On December 31, US President Barack Obama The campaign's over, John... signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran's Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution.
The bill requires foreign financial firms to make a choice between doing business with Iran's Central Bank and oil sector or with the US financial sector.
Although EU states have already agreed on the general outlines of Iran's oil embargo, they have failed to reach a final agreement on details such as the exact timing of the sanctions so far.
On January 17, an EU official said the bloc would probably postpone an embargo on the imports of Iranian oil for six months since the sanctions could batter the already reeling economies of the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
The EU foreign ministers are expected to hold a meeting on January 23 to discuss the proposed embargo on Iran's oil exports.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
Waging war huh? The Iran-Iraq was wasn't that long ago so they should know better. The US isn't some third world power. If Iran thinks this is the US waging war, they will be in for some shock and awe when the real things hits home.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
01/19/2012 12:39 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] Russia on Wednesday accused Western powers of trying to "suffocate" the Iranian economy and incite popular discontent with new sanctions such as a proposed oil embargo.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said all sanctions aimed at winning more transparency from Iran concerning its nuclear program had "exhausted" themselves and new measures threatened to only hurt the Iranian people.
"Additional unilateral sanctions against Iran have nothing to do with a desire to ensure the regime's commitment to nuclear non-proliferation," Lavrov told news hounds at an annual briefing outlining Russia's foreign policy views.
"It is seriously aimed at suffocating the Iranian economy and the well-being of its people, probably in the hope of inciting discontent."
His comments came as EU diplomats closed in on a July date for a full oil embargo that would suit nations such as Italia with a strong reliance on Iranian supplies.
Lavrov said Russia had evidence that Iran was ready to cooperate more closely with inspectors from the United Nations ...an organization whose definition of human rights is interesting, to say the least... IAEA nuclear watchdog and was preparing for "serious talks" with the West.
He also hinted that Europe and the United States were imposing the measures with the specific purpose of torpedoing new rounds of talks.
"Iran is now waiting for an (IAEA) delegation so that it can discuss serious issues. So the sanctions that can now be adopted by the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... can hardly improve the atmosphere or make the talks productive," said Lavrov.
"All possible sanctions that could impact Iran's behavior in the nuclear sphere or its cooperation with the IAEA have been exhausted," said Lavrov.
Russia has previously backed four rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Tehran but now argues that tougher penalties could carry serious security risks.
Tehran's ambassador to Moscow said Wednesday he expected Russia's support to continue because it too was being threatened by the West.
"We expect Russia not to agree to a deal with the West," Iranian Ambassador Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi told the Interfax news agency.
"If there are (non-Western) countries that want to see Iran become a victim of the West, they must understand that the West will get to them too," Sajjadi.
"We hope that the Russian government and the Russian people will take note of this."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] British Prime Minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... on Wednesday accused Hizbullah and its main regional ally Iran of supporting the Syrian regime's violent crackdown on the country's uprising.
Cameron told politicians in the House of Commons that both were offering backing to Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad. Lord of the Baath... "Britannia needs to lead the way in making sure we tighten the sanctions, the travel bans, the asset freezes, on Syria," Cameron said.
"In terms of who is actually helping the Syrian government to oppress their people, there is now growing evidence that Iran is providing a huge amount of support," he noted.
"People should also know that Hizbullah is also an organization that is standing up and supporting this wretched tyrant who is killing so many of his own people."
Thousands have been killed in Syria's crackdown on the 10-month-old uprising, and Cameron has pledged to press for tougher international sanctions -- despite opposition from Russia and China.
Cameron is seeking a United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... Security Council resolution condemning the violence.
In August, Hizbullah denied a French media report accusing the party of being involved in the killing of Syrian soldiers who had refused to shoot at anti-regime protesters.
"Hizbullah has already released several statements denying the accusations launched by some Syrian dissidents and some other parties about Hizbullah's involvement in the events taking place in Syria, and its statements had always stressed its keenness on Syria and its leadership, people and institutions and its wishes as to reaching solutions that meet the aspirations of all Syrians regarding reform and stability," the party said.
"Hizbullah's response to the claims circulated by these dissidents stems from its keenness on clarifying the picture and preventing the Arab and international public opinion from being misled by some individuals who are seeking to gain the support of the international conspiracy against the forces of resistance and defiance in the region," it noted.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Former premier Saad Hariri Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's liquidation. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too. on Wednesday said the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council must endorse a Qatari proposal to dispatch Arab troops to revolt-hit Syria, where the regime's crackdown on protests has cost more than 5,400 lives since March, according to U.N. estimates.
Answering a question on the social networking website Twitter, Hariri also said his opposition March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... camp was being "attacked" because it is at the "core" of the Arab Spring sweeping across the region.
Asked when he would return to Leb, Hariri tweeted in English: "You will wake up soon and hear the news."
The Qatari proposal could be discussed at a meeting of Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... foreign ministers over the weekend but is not on the agenda, Adnan Khodeir, the Syria chief of operations for the League, said on Wednesday.
Syria has flatly rejected Qatar's call to send Arab troops to the country and on Wednesday Syrian state media accused Doha of arming and financing opponents of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Trampler of Homs... 's regime.
Activists say an Arab League observer mission has failed to stop the bloodshed since it deployed on December 26 in Syria.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The Special Tribunal for Leb announced via Twitter on Wednesday that United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... chief the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... will decide on how long its mandate will be extended after consulting with the Lebanese government and Security Council.
It said: "The agreement between the U.N. and Leb states that our mandate will be renewed if our work is not finished. Our work is not finished yet."
It revealed that STL President Judge Sir David Baragwanath had requested an extension of the mandate.
Asked of its actions should the Lebanese government stall on the renewal, the STL responded that Ban will hold consultations with Leb and the Security Council on the matter.
The tribunal also announced that the head of the Defense Office Francois Roux will hold a live session on Twitter with Lebanese citizens and journalists on January 24
During his trip to Leb last week, Ban stated that the STL's mandate ends on February 29.
He stressed that consultations should be held between the Lebanese government and Security Council to determine the length of the extension.
Leb had witnessed a dispute between members of its government over the funding of the STL, with some sides opposing the funding and others insisting that Leb respect its international obligations.
Prime Minister Najib Miqati settled the dispute when he funded Leb's 49 percent share of the budget from the premiership fund.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... noted on Wednesday that Leb may act as a center for dialogue in the region. He stressed before a consular delegation: "It is in the country's best interest to keep a distance from external affairs." Knobby's in a tight spot here, isn't he? Assad's going down the tubes and everybody in Leb knows it. But the Iranian overlords are trying to stop it. If Amal supports Iran then it faces the likelihood that Syria's successor regime isn't going to be fond of it, meaning no support from that quarter, financial or clandestine operationally. If it supports the opposition then it's put itself on the other side in Leb politix, something you have to be Wally Jumblatt to do with any success.
"The region is witnessing a major conspiracy and a very dangerous operation called the 'new Middle East'," he remarked.
He added that this conspiracy is seeking to create ethnic and sectarian wars in the area.
"Leb has several options and it has so far distanced itself from dangers and God willing the conspiracy to create sectarian strife in the country will fail," said the speaker.
"Leb should not only protect its Christians and sects, but it can play a major role in obstructing attempts to create strife in the region and it can therefore serve as a center for dialogue for it," Berri noted.
"Despite all the developments, Leb has a rare opportunity to demonstrate its independence," he stated.
He continued: "Some sides criticized Leb's policy of keeping a distance from regional developments .... Had it become involved and should strife erupt in Syria, would that not affect Leb?"
"The majority of the foreign officials who have visited Leb have stated that it has chosen the wise option of distancing itself from regional affairs," added Berri.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
Lebanon's Best Interest [is] to Distance Itself from External Affairs
Way too late for that. Syria can't want to take on a fight now in Lebanon. Perhaps its time for Berri to ask the Saudis and (gasp) Israel for help in dealing with its thuggish neighbor.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
01/19/2012 14:50 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... foreign ministers are set to slap fresh sanctions on Syria next week, adding 22 individuals and eight companies to an existing blacklist, EU diplomats said Wednesday.
"As long as the repression continues we will step up our restrictive measures," said an EU diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity. ... for fear of being murdered... The sanctions are expected to be announced by foreign ministers meeting on Monday in Brussels, another EU diplomat said. No details were immediately available on the identities of the new targets.
The EU has already agreed 10 rounds of sanctions against the regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... , with some 120 people and companies targeted so far by an EU assets freeze and travel ban.
It is also enforcing an arms embargo and a ban on imports of Syrian crude oil.
In December, it expanded its sanctions list to include Syria's finance and economy ministers, state-owned oil companies and two media organizations.
The EU move would come on the heels of a pledge by U.S. President Barack Obama On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today... to redouble efforts to force a change of regime in Syria as the U.N. Security Council struggles to agree on a resolution on Damascus ...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world... 's crackdown on dissent.
Obama said concerns about the crackdown had been "uppermost" in talks with visiting Jordanian King Abdullah II on Tuesday.
"We continue to see unacceptable levels of violence inside that country," Obama said.
"We will continue to consult very closely with Jordan to create the kind of international pressure and environment that encourage the current Syrian regime to step aside so that a more democratic process and transition can take place inside of Syria."
The comments followed the Assad government's rejection of a proposal to deploy Arab forces to halt unrest in Syria, where the U.N. estimates more than 5,400 people have been killed in the crackdown on democracy protests since March.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday defended Russia's trade with Syria amid growing controversy over a mysterious shipment that reportedly delivered a supply of arms to Damascus ...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world... Lavrov was asked to address criticism from Washington's U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice that followed reports that the shipment brought munitions to Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... 's forces amid their crackdown on protesters.
"I even heard that Susan Rice was requesting some clarification," Lavrov told news hounds at an annual briefing outlining Russia's foreign policy views.
"We do not feel we have to explain or justify anything because we are not violating any international agreements or U.N. Security Council resolutions.
"We are only trading items with Syria that are not banned by international law," he said without explicitly confirming that the Chariot charter craft was carrying Russian arms.
The ship docked a Russian-leased Syrian port last week after making an unscheduled stopover in Cyprus and then pledging to Cypriot authorities that the craft would travel to Turkey instead.
The Chariot then left Cyprus and headed for Syria's port at Tartus that this month was also visited by a Russian naval flotilla.
Russia has angered both Washington and the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... by refusing to back the West's arms embargo on its Soviet-era ally, despite violence that the United Nations ...an organization whose definition of human rights is interesting, to say the least... estimates has killed more than 5,000 people.
Moscow still maintains close Soviet-era ties with the secular regime and remains the main supplier of weapons to Damascus.
Lavrov said Russia had no intention of joining the West's arms embargo despite pressure from Washington.
"Without question, we cannot view unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union or anyone else as legitimate for Russian actions.
"Unilateral sanctions always undermine collective efforts, whether it concerns Iran, Syria or any anyone else.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
So was the breakup of the USSR really a breakup or was it a Chapter 11 reorganization to rebuild the core entity?
Posted by: Water Modem ||
01/19/2012 0:16 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] Hizbullah denied on Wednesday accusations that it had shelled the Syrian area of al-Zabadani with Katyusha rockets, deeming such claims as "silly and laughable."
"Pish and tosh, sirrah!"
It said in a statement: "These accusations are part of a campaign to incite the public against the party."
Y'all are Hizb'allah. It's been a long time since anybody liked you, even those whose loyalty you buy.
It accused some internet websites and Arab media outlets of spreading such claims against the party.
The Syrian Revolution Coordination Committee had accused Hizbullah of firing Katyusha rockets from Lebanese territory into towns in al-Zabadani in Reef Damascus. ...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world... The Damascus suburb of al-Zabadani has witnessed fierce festivities between regime troops and army deserters over the past week, according to activists and rights groups.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/19/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
It's been a long time since anybody liked you, even those whose loyalty you buy with Obama's tax money.
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.
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
Khaleda Zia
According to Turkish Zaman daily, a cell of the Quds Unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard is planning to attack U.S. embassy in Ankara.
In an about-face, the feds have admitted wrongdoing in the cases of two elderly women who say they were strip-searched at Kennedy Airport by overzealous screeners.
Pervez 
[Dawn] Lt Gen (retired) Naeem Khalid Lodhi is one of the earliest fall guys in the memogate fiasco, but he`s not going down without a whimper.
A Texas medical student well-known in her community as an Iranian activist was 
A former American official has warned that the United States wants to blame Israel for Washington's possible war on Iran that could end life on earth.
David Cameron
[An Nahar] Former premier 
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
[An Nahar] Speaker 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
