Don't forget to fly your Estonian flag today, because...
Estonians ran off with the world wife-carrying title in Sonkajarvi, Finland, for the fifth year in a row on Saturday despite new rules on the weight of the spouse. Using the trademark âEstonia carry,â in which the woman squeezes her thighs on the sides of the manâs face while hanging upside down along his back, Meelis Tammre, 24, and Anna Zilberberg, 21, were fastest round the 254-meter course. Thirty-six couples from eight countries took part in the event, in which a man has to carry his wife or partner over a rough track that includes two timber hurdles and a chest-high water pool. Women contestants wore crash helmets due to the inherent perils of the favored ÂâEstonia carryâ upside-down position, which allows the man to run and use his arms freely. Top prize is the female championâs weight in beer â in this case Annaâs 49 kgs.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 09:12 am ||
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For the second time in six years, a streaker got onto Centre Court during the Wimbledon men's final. During a rain break with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt leading Argentina's David Nalbandian 6-1, 1-0, a middle-aged man jumped onto the court, shed his clothes and shoes and did a little dance at the net. The man did a pirouette, bowed, somersaulted over the net, flexed his muscles and pranced around as the spectators laughed. He jumped over the net to evade the guards, before he was finally caught and escorted away with a red sheet around him. There are those in the world who aren't afraid to display their intellects. Sometimes you don't know whether to applaud them or feel sorry for them, so you do both.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 10:19 am ||
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President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday warned of a US plan to launch a military strike on Iraq and break up the region's countries, including Saudi Arabia. "The US administration has drawn up a plan aimed at striking Iraq and breaking up the countries of the region," Uday alleged in a long article that covered the front and back pages of his Babel newspaper. Sounds like a good idea, Uday. Pray, tell on...
The plan envisaged making "Jordan an alternative country for the Palestinians, dividing Saudi Arabia into three parts, and scrapping Bahrain's identity and re-attaching it to Persia," he said in the article which carried one of his pseudonyms, Abu Hatem. The United Arab Emirates will remain united only as long as Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan remains head of state, Uday added, warning that the country "will be divided up eventually." Parts of that sound like a pretty good plan, others either not so hot or indifferent. I doubt if Jordan would really want to take the Paleostinians, since with their climate they can increase their production of nuts at any time. They had Yasser and his gang before, which is how Lebanon got to be such a nice place. Bahrain's always seemed fairly nice, so why would we want to give it to the Iranians? They'd just make faces at us and call us names, without so much as a "thank you." And the UAE will split apart on its own accord eventually â or not. Who cares? Now, splitting Soddy Arabia into many pieces, that doesn't seem like a bad idea...
"Iraq is ready to come to the rescue of Saudi Arabia if the country is threatened. A single telephone call, a simple sign to Baghdad, and they (the Saudis) will see Iraq launch all its forces to support the kingdom against those seeking to break it up," Uday said. And won't that be impressive?
"Support will be given, whether by unarmed men or men armed to the teeth, by tanks placed at the border for Saudis to use or tanks manned by Iraqis." Somehow I can't see the Soddies doing something unusual like defending their own country, not even with Iraqi tanks. Some of those old clunkers don't even have air conditioning, for goodness' sake!
But he added that the US plan would not succeed while the Palestinian intifada against Israel continued. "When the embargo imposed on Iraq (for invading Kuwait in 1990) is lifted, (Baghdad) will enter directly the Arab-Zionist conflict, which, from a US standpoint, will cause an imbalance in forces in the region and world," he warned. Sounds like a good reason for either keeping the embargo or for killing Sammy and both his sons and most of the Republican Guard...
Saddam Hussein has announced that 6.5 million Iraqis have been mobilised to "liberate Palestine" â and are waiting for Arab states bordering Israel to open their frontiers. Something over a third of the population, you say? Mobilized already, itchin' and rarin' to go? Perhaps we should thump them.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 10:45 am ||
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The two Koreas traded threats of renewed hostilities as the South's navy said that a deadly sea clash last month was "meticulously" planned by the North. Fallout from the June 29 battle in the Yellow Sea saw the rival states exchange some of their harshest warnings in recent years. North Korea accused the South of sending navy ships across the disputed sea frontier on Sunday in a bid to heighten tensions and warned there could be a new clash.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 01:49 pm ||
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Rebel ambushes and land mine explosions killed 11 soldiers and police across Chechnya in the last 24 hours, an official in the pro-Moscow Chechen administration said Friday. Rebels fired on Russian positions 15 times, killing three and wounding three. A military vehicle was blown up by a land mine in the capital Grozny, injuring three soldiers. A sapper working to defuse another mine in the capital suffered life-threatening injuries when it exploded. In the southern Vedeno district, a group of special military police clashed with rebels, leaving two police dead and one wounded. One rebel was also killed. At least 100 people were detained in security sweeps in the last 24 hours across the republic, and Russian artillery shelled suspected rebel holdouts in Chechnya's second-largest city Gudermes and in the Urus-Martan, and Achkhoi-Martan districts.
Large-scale combat operations ended long ago in the southern Russian republic, but small-scale rebel attacks continue to bleed Russian troops daily and belie the Kremlin line that life is returning to normal in Chechnya. The Russian military also remains active, shelling suspected rebel bases and conducting security raids daily. As long as they've broken the main organization, they can be considered mopping up. That doesn't say the mopping up operation will be easy or bloodless, but it's necessary to prevent these thugs from reforming, lining up more financing in Arabia, and going back into the wahhabi business. I'll be a lot happier when Maskhadov and Basayev are collecting lilies, and so will Putin.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 08:38 am ||
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A Spanish judge has frozen all bank accounts of the Basque political party Batasuna, a radical group considered to be the political wing of the armed separatist group ETA. The measure is the latest against Batasuna, a party which the Spanish government has said it is determined to outlaw. Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the freeze on Friday. Batasuna leader Arnaldo Otegi confirmed the move against the party but said he had received no official notification as to why. "Whatever for? Explosions? Us? Y'must be joking...!"
In a landmark ruling earlier this week, Garzon said Batasuna was liable for the damage caused by young ETA supporters who routinely go on rampages of street violence in the Basque region, burning buses, smashing bank windows and destroying other property. The damage has been set at $23.5 million. In his order, Garzon said Batasuna was a front for ETA and has routinely organized street violence by a banned youth group called Segi. Nice move. Hit 'em in the pocketbooks. I hope the liability extends to the individual head cheeses. Being a revolutionary can be a pretty lucrative profession.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 07:41 am ||
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Cases against sixteen religious heads including Amir Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) Maulana Fazalur Rehman, Secretary General Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Chinioty have been registered under Maintenance Public Ordinance (MPO). It was learnt that Chiniot city police station registered a case against Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Chanioti on account of negative use of loud speakers in Jamia Arabia. Cases against 13 other participants were also registered who were present in Jamia Arabia. Due to the excessive use of loud speakers and anti government speeches city police station has registered cases against them. Cheeze, what a relief! Now the people who live around them can get some sleep!
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 07:41 am ||
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Islamic rebels in Kashmir are turning to Bollywood action blockbusters to learn tricks for guerrilla strikes. Kashmir state officials and a top guerrilla leader told Agence France-Presse that it is the macho muscle-bound Bollywood superstars drawing fans from militant groups across the border in Pakistan, rather than the industry's captivating actresses. Proper Islamists aren't into girls. Everybody knows that...
"These militants draw inspiration from our action films because some of the stunts are novel and give ideas," said a senior city station house officer, tasked to track down militants in Jammu. The local commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, detained last week in Jammu, said he had spent more time watching action films than planning attacks. "During my stay in Pakistan, I saw a total of three Pakistani films, but since I crossed over, I have seen about 100 Indian films," Zulfikar Ali said from jail. He said he had entered Indian Kashmir a year ago. The 20-year-old thugterrorist guerrilla leader said he watched "Jang" ("War") some seven times because he liked the action. Indian films are a major intoxicant, he added. "I have a passion for watching Indian movies as they have a lot of fights, music and sensual scenes, because in Pakistan we miss such quality entertainment films." Yep. Only thing missing in those shootouts is the background music...
"Gadar," a hit in 2001, revolves around a Indian trucker who single-handedly battles Pakistani forces to rescue the woman he loves. Ali named Sunil Shetty, Aditya Pancholi and Ajay Devgan as his celluloid heroes. Millions watched Shetty's "Hutu Tu Tu" ("War Cry"), in which he played a malevolent insurgent. Devgan was a terrorist in the hit "Dil Jale" ("Burning Heart"). Character actor Pancholi is a villain in B-grade Bollywood action films. "Recently we took in two Hizbul Mujahedin militants who were in a Pakistani training camp but switched allegiance to the New Islamic Front (guerrilla force) after their bosses beat them up for watching 'Gadar' ('Riot')," P.L. Gupta, Jammu police chief, said. None of this comes as a big surprise, and none of it makes the cannonfodder look any brighter. The number of kiddies and dim-witted young adults in the USA who practice wrestling moves on each other represents an aspect of the same phenomenon. Nor is it confined only to the USA and Kashmir. Most Hamas threats and vows of vengeance sound like they were written by out-of-work screenwriters recycling old action movie material.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 08:29 am ||
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#1
This type of conduct is doctrinal. Segments of the Hadeeth refer to Mohammed's pronouncement that bloody "Shaheeds" (those who die in performance of a testament of murder) go to the highest point (Firdaws) in heaven. If their depravity reaches extreme depths, the Islamic slaver-deity ("allah") is said to place their souls "in the hearts of green birds", which can travel throughout heaven. These accretions were added to the Islamic fiction factory, when Mohammed needed killers to carry out his aggressive wars. Islam is all about elite status defense. It is a secular indoctrination scheme.
Trust me folks. I have been studying Islamania for over a decade. That is why I believe that Bush-Junior's limited war policy and alliances with Moslems were developed to serve the illusion that the President could outdo the $60,000,000 that VP Cheney earned from his Gulf War contacts.
A better man than Bush said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilence."
#2
That last paragraph lost me after "Islamania". And what it has to do with Indian movies is totally beyond my ken.
Posted by: Tom Roberts ||
07/07/2002 11:08 Comments ||
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Tom Roberts: Its all about motivation. You might try reading Mushareff's Jan 12 comments on the "cult of the gun." Or you can consult the State Dept website for cartoon versions of Islam and our Moslem allies.
#4
Sorry RG - I agree with Tom - there's a distinct difference between a rant and a ramble....might be a good idea to send copies of "The Matrix" over so they can learn up on that 'defying gravity while kicking' trick, or the 'dodging bullets in slow motion' trick ... ;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2002 13:46 Comments ||
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An special team of sensitive agencies have arrested eleven Al Qaida suspects from Clifton area and Shah Noorani area of Balouchistan adjacent to Karachi. The team of sensitive agencies conducted raids in Shereen Jinnah colony of Clifton, Sher Shah and in Shah Noorani area of Balochistan. The arrested Al Qaida suspects belong to Egypt, two others are Arabs and one is Afghan national including five activists of outlawed religious organization. So that's four Egyptians, two Saudis or Gulf Arabs, an Afghan, and five Pak thugs. That should make the area a little safer.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 07:47 am ||
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While confessing to an abortive plot to kill General Musharraf and other high ranking government officials, two die-hard members of outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi disclosed that the name of the President was on their hit list but the plot could not be materialised owing to stringent security arrangements. The suicidal attack was planned during the public meeting of General Musharraf at Karachi on the eve of the referendum but it had to be cancelled due to the strict security measures and for fear of killing of hundreds innocent people. The plot was devised after banning the religious parties and Jehadi outfits by the president. The confession was made by a member of the banned outfit, Atta ur Rehman alias Naeem Bokhari before Rangers Field Security Wing on Thursday during the course of interrogation. This fellow being a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, I'd imagine the security measures were much more of a concern than a little matter like knocking off a few hundred rubes. What's a few gallons of blood in the streets compared to achieving... achieving... whatever the hell it is that they want.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 08:50 am ||
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More from the Jhangvi thug's interrogation...
He told that massive terror activities against foreigners at Islamabad, Karachi and other cities of the country, terror attack on church in Islamabad, car bomb attack outside US counsel at Karachi and suicidal bombing at Sheraton hotel and the slaying of US Wall Street Journal journalist, Daniel Pearl were part of this plot. The leader of banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi told that one of Arab countries and traders from Karachi provide funds. Million of rupees are extorted from Shiite dignitaries out of threats and under coercion. The funds provided from the foreign country were spent for purchase of arms and ammunition, he added. Some Saudi nationals gave directions for bomb blast in Sheraton hotel, he revealed. Besides Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, members of Harkat ul Mujahideen also took part in this activity, he stated. We can guess which "Arab country" they're referring to. I'm surprised to see the Soddy "brains" so close to the action, but they could be Binny's mercenaries on the scene, rather than residents of the Reich kingdom making a special trip to supervise things.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 09:03 am ||
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A prominent member of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) was winged by gunnies at Kadikadal today. The attempted snuffies fired at Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Wani in his shop. Wani is a prominent member of AAC. Wani was rushed to hospital where his condition is stated to be critical. Seems like they're going after Awami targets...
Sixteen civilians sustained injuries in a grenade explosion at Khan Sahib, Budgam last evening. The injured have been hospitalised. The condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.
In another grenade attack at six ITBP men and twelve civilians sustained injuries when militants hurled a grenade on a party of the ITBP at Kakapora, Pulwama last evening.
Two crazed killers are pushing up daisies after a fierce encounter with the troops at Sofshali, Kokernag this morning. Didja ever notice that these guys are never wiped out in "casual" encounters, or "lackadaisical" encounters? They're always "fierce."
A hard boy was iced in an encounter with the SOG/BSF at Rajpora, Pulwama last evening. A rifle, 5 magazines, 4 rifle grenades, a hand grenade, a UBGL and a wireless set were recovered from the site of the encounter.
A soldier died in an ambush laid by Bad Guys at Chambalvas, Banihal yesterday.
The body of Kalu Gujjar of Doda district was recovered from Lambi Jai (Bhaderwah) today. He had been abducted by Islamic heroes few days ago.
According to police two chunks of cannon fodder belonging to HUJI were killed by troops at Kochal area of Chatroo today. They have been identified as Sulliman and Majid Hussain alias Bittoo, but nobody really cares who they were.
In another encounter at Lucha area of Gool, two gunnies departed the gene pool.
A sarpanch in Gandhi was abducted by snuffies and later killed. Police recovered his body.
Another person, Feroz Ahmed of Kunthal in Doda was abducted and later killed this evening.
One army jawan was killed and another injured today, when crazed killers attacked an army patrol at Sangaldan area of Doda district this morning.
An army jawan died in a landmine blast, when he was demining the area in Balnoie Nallah area in Poonch district this afternoon.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 09:42 am ||
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#1
Sounds like a busy week - apparently they didn't also get Friday off along with the Fourth of July, hmmm? These A-holes are really taking the fun outta listening to Led Zeppelin's Kashmir
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/07/2002 13:37 Comments ||
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The government turned down on Saturday a unanimous demand of the heads of religious parties to withdraw the Madaris ordinance approved by the cabinet last month to regulate over 11,000 religious institutions operating across the country. However, an official team comprising three members of the federal cabinet indicated the government's willingness to slightly amend the ordinance for incorporating the "genuine demands" of the religious institutions heads. Perv's not really suicidal. When religious fanatics are attempting to destablize your country, bring down your regime, and assassinate you, you really probably want to devote some attention to shutting down their breeding grounds.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 09:57 am ||
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Terming the gang-rape incident at Meerwala shocking the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) said on Saturday that culprits of this heinous crime deserved severest punishment under the Hudood Ordinance. Shocked! They're just shocked!
"This is a shocking incident which has brought disgrace to the whole nation," said a press release issued Saturday. The culprits of the gang-rape witnessed by a whole crowd, deserved the severest punishment under the Hudood Ordinance, the statement added. The perpetrators had openly insulted the injunctions of the holy Quran and deserved an exemplary punishment under Islamic law. Does that mean they're going to stone them? That would be a fittingly barbaric end to a barbaric incident.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 10:04 am ||
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In the Gaza Strip, armed Palestinians were approaching the security fence of the Jewish settlement of Alei Sinai when soldiers opened fire and cut off their retreat. The Palestinians returned fire, then two surrendered. The army confirmed capturing two of four men spotted near the settlement armed with assault rifles and wearing camouflage. Just stopping by to see if there were any kids that needed killed. The two who surrendered were probably the cannon fodder, and the two who got away were probably the ones the IDF would have liked to catch...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 07:41 am ||
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Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman visited for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, part of Arab efforts to push along reforms to the Palestinian Authority. Suleiman met with Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and was to speak with Yasser Arafat, confined by Israeli forces in his Ramallah compound, later Sunday. It's always difficult to anticipate what the Egyptians will actually do, since they're noted for saying one thing and doing another. My guess would be that they're going to publicly express support for the Paleostinians and in private talks push Yasser toward the buttered side of the toast.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 07:41 am ||
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The Israeli army allowed a delegation of 10 senior officers to enter Arafat's compound. After a three-hour meeting with Arafat, Col. Ziyad Habalreah told reporters the Palestinian leader had listened sympathetically to the group's insistence the new commander must come from within. "I can describe the atmosphere of the meeting as positive," Habalreah said, adding that Arafat expressed understanding and promised to consider their concerns. Habalreah added that no date was set for a return meeting and it had been agreed that in the meantime the officers would be under the direct authority of the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior and not that of Zuheir al-Manasra. That undercuts Manasra and it makes Whatsisname look impotent, which he is. It also underscores the fact that the "security" services are loose cannon organizations entities that aren't particularly concerned with carrying out any policies, are undisciplined, and are more interested in wearing uniforms and totin' guns. That's kind of the whole problem in a nutshell.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 07:41 am ||
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Palestinian Authority and Zionist police have arrested three young men from the Fouqa family on charges of smuggling weapons from Jordan. Samir Fouqa, a truck driver, was arrested while smuggling arms from Jordan last week. Samir, who usually carries vegetables to Jordan, had confessed to smuggling arms 60 times last year. His cousin was concerned with buying weapons while his brother, who lived in Nablus, used to sell those arms. Samir noted that he mainly smuggled pistols that were each sold at a price of 400 Jordanian Dinars in addition to M-16 rifles that were each sold at a price of 2,500 JD. Zionist police arrested Samir and his brother while PA police arrested their cousin in Jericho. Vegetables out, arms and ammunition in. As we all know, the arms and ammunition are the important part.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 08:28 am ||
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Terengganu's controversial hudud laws will be tabled today by the state's Mentri Besar, Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang, despite nationwide opposition from both Muslims and non-Muslims. The Syariah Criminal (Hudud and Qisas) Bill, which has been postponed several times following strong criticisms of its draft versions, will be presented at the Terengganu state assembly. Said a defiant Datuk Abdul Hadi: 'The laws under hudud are commanded by Allah. As his followers, we cannot but obey Him.' "Allah commands us to do barbaric things to each other..."
Malaysians, including Muslims, have expressed reservations about the proposed law. Women's groups say it is unjust to women. "But who cares about them? Let them shut up and breed sons, as Allah commands..."
They have been particularly upset by the requirements it sets for proof in cases of alleged rape. They say its condition that four male Muslim witnesses are needed to back up the allegation makes such crimes impossible to prove. Under the proposed law, thieves will have their hands chopped off and adulterers will be stoned to death if convicted. Well, that sounds fair...
At a public forum on Thursday, the state's Mentri Besar said he was perplexed by the outcry over the Bill because the laws were meant to build a peaceful society. 'It is the criminals, not peace-loving people, that should fear the hudud laws,' he said. He added that there was too much public concentration on the punitive aspects, such as the chopping of hands and whipping, which had obscured the 'beauty' of the laws. That's because the places that have them in place concentrate on the chopping and stoning, 'cause that's the "beauty" they see in them.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 09:25 am ||
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Terrorists are planning a series of spectacular attacks on American, British and Israeli targets to coincide with the anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Centre on 11 September. Intelligence agencies in the UK, South Asia and the Middle East are detecting an increased volume of communications between suspected al-Qaeda cells as the organisation accelerates efforts to pull off a major operation in the days around the anniversary of the New York and Washington attacks. Before they're completely extinct...
According to sources in Pakistan, Al-Qaida activists there have been given a three-month deadline to work with associates from local hardline Islamist organisations to target Western interests in the region. 'The threat remains high and the background noise has been growing over recent weeks. It's a question of when, rather than if, they will attempt another spectacular,' said one Whitehall source. It doesn't take much in the way of resources to mount an attack â we'll never be completely free of the threat of terrorism until all al-Qaeda members, Hamas, al-Aqsa, Muslim Brotherhood and other "mujaheddin" are either dead or under lock and key. And we'll always have to be vigilant, keeping an eye out for goobers hollering "Jihad!" But if they were going to fight a war, and had the resources to do it, they'd have followed up the 9-11 attacks within a week, 30 days at the outside, with something of close to the same magnitude. That's why I don't think the anthrax attacks were a domestic job, or if they were that the perpetrators were in cahoots with al-Qaeda. When that went bust, they had to come up with something else, but they were busy being daisy cut and executing each other at Konduz, so that's when they lost. We're going to see pinpricks like the El Al counter getting shot up, but I think we're seeing bluster now, and barracks bragging and wishful thinking. If the Paks don't slack off in NWFP, we may even see Binny's corpse on display soon.
There, I've said it, so that means they'll probably make a liar out of me, because there's not any certainty to be had. In the movies, every time the guy says "We're safe now, Myra," the monster comes crashing through the window/wall/ceiling/floor. But I'll be surprised if they do bring off something important.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 08:20 am ||
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#1
I didn't say we were done. I said they were done. There's a difference. With the head cut off the organization, and the organization battered, we're closer to victory. But look at the Russers in Chechnya - they're not close to finished yet, even though Khattab's dead, Maskhadov's headquarters is busted and he's on the run, and Bashaev is scared to show his head for fear of having it blown off. We'll continue to run the risk of some smart boy actually being able to reconstitute things, or more likely of al-Qaeda resolving into its component parts, with some of them growing into viable successor organizations. And there are still the money and ideology men behind them. The hydra won't actually be dead until the money's shut off.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/07/2002 21:06 Comments ||
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#2
Mm, I was replying to sassafras, Fred.
Posted by: Bill Quick ||
07/08/2002 10:38 Comments ||
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#3
So was I, Bill...
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2002 10:57 Comments ||
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#4
Oh. Well...never mind...
Posted by: Bill Quick ||
07/08/2002 13:03 Comments ||
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#5
Hope you're right, but this sounds a bit optimistic. Assume Sept. passes with no trouble, can we call off WW III and get our civil liberties back, please? What about the "mystery" anthrax attacks and all the un-tracked germs / nuclear materials-- still sufficient grounds for "WAR on TERROR!!!" booming from every cable TV?
#6
No, I think we continue the war until states like Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, and the Saudis are no longer actively fomenting terror or looking for WMD. I expect at the very least to see new governments in Iraq, Iran, and Syria, and an end to Saudi tolerance and funding of the Wahabis. If this results in the fall of the House of Saud, so much the better. Give the joint back to the Hashemites.
Posted by: Bill Quick ||
07/07/2002 11:40 Comments ||
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Amir Teheri, writing in Arab News, says that Osama bin Laden is dead, both physically and politically.
The news first came from sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan almost six months ago: the runaway died on Dec. 5, 2001 and buried the same day in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. A few days later Pakistanâs President Pervez Musharraf echoed the information. This month an Al-Qaeda leader, held by the Americans, confirmed the news. The remnants of Osamaâs gang, however, remained silent, either because they have no means of communication or to keep his ghost alive.
This could be true. The dates and the circumstances are good for some sort of perturbation.
On December 13th, Christian Science Monitor claimed Binny had escaped around December 3rd. Escaped? Or dropped out of sight?
The same day, Zawahiri said that al-Qaeda would "fight on." This could have been because they had just had the snot kicked out of them at Tora Bora, or it could have been because their leader was in fact doorknob dead. Urging the troops to keep fighting would more logically be the job of the Head Cheese, which would indicate that he wasn't available at the time. Pushing up daisies, or on a bus to Peshawar? In the same statement, Zawahiri said that he, Binny, Abu Ghaith, and Mohammad Atef were all alive and well. Mohammad Atef had been dead for almost a month when he said that.
Four days later, Zain Al-Abedin Hasan was named as Binny's successor "just in case." Zain's nomme de guerre is Abu Zubaydah, which means we have the current annointed head of al-Qaeda in custody at this moment. Presumably he's the guy who "confirmed" that Binny had been toasted.
On the 22nd of December, Perv said there was a "great possibility" that Binny was dead. We would assume that he would be advised of such a thing, one way or the other, whether from the Americans or by ISI.
Two days after that, the U.S. was taking DNA samples from corpses at Tora Bora.
Two days later, we have Binny on tape, which was probably made a few days after November 16th. This is the tape where he looks washed out and half dead. Subsequent appearances seem to have been spliced from earlier tapes â there has to be a reason for that.
There was also a flurry of rumors at the same time that Binny was dead or had skipped.
Perv stated recently that Binny's personal guard hadn't been found in Pakland, and FoxNews stated that several members of his bodyguard had been found in other countries. And Newsweek is running a story on a mysterious skull recovered from an al-Qaeda grave at Tora Bora.
All this can be considered pretty good evidence that Binny is not still breathing in and out like the rest of us. There have been a few rumors of his appearance that could burst the cirumstantial bubble if they proved true. If he really has been worm food for the past seven or eight months, Abu Zubaydah becomes even more of a prize than we thought he was.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
07/07/2002 08:57 pm ||
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#1
So, does any one remember from our "OJ Trial" police criminology primer, how long does it take do to long chain polymerase DNA testing on a sample to determine its origin? I think I remember that it takes quite awhile( and I want to say 6 months - which puts us in the "NOW" timeframe -which is a possible non-john lecarre explanation for the dealy ).
or was the delay just to draw Al Gore into the camera to say something stupid like " Bush didnt get bin laden....." only to have John Ashcroft hold a press conference a week later, showing off his new pewter drinking mug to the white house press corp, you know, the one made out of Bin Ladens skull.
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.
