#8
Steve Y, thank you for editing the text body. I tagged this with a TMI Alert because of its content. Your advisory will serve as a guideline in the future.
Osama bin Laden's operatives still use this freewheeling city as a logistical hub three years after more than half the Sept. 11 hijackers flew directly from Dubai to the United States in the final preparatory stages for the attack. The recent arrest of an alleged top al-Qaeda combat coach is the latest sign that suspected members of the terrorist organization are among those who take advantage of travel rules that allow easy entry. Citizens of neighboring Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia can come to Dubai without visas, which other nationalities can get at the country's ports of entry.
Once here, it's easy to blend in to what has become a cosmopolitan crowd. In August, Pakistani Qari Saifullah Akhtar, suspected of training thousands of al-Qaeda fighters for combat, was arrested in the Emirates and turned over to officials in his homeland, authorities in Pakistan announced. Emirates authorities have refused to comment on Akhtar's arrest. They were similarly tightlipped in 2002, when the United States announced the arrest of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. It was a month before Emirates officials confirmed al-Nashiri had been arrested here. Then they said he had been planning to attack "vital economic targets" in the Emirates that were likely to inflict "the highest possible casualties among nationals and foreigners." The Saudi-born al-Nashiri, one of six Cole defendants in an ongoing trial in Yemen, is in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location. Besides the Cole attack, he is suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, U.S. officials say.
With open borders, multiethnic society and freewheeling business rules, the Emirates remains vital to al-Qaeda operations, said Evan F. Kohlmann, a Washington-based terrorism researcher. Dubai still "plays a key role for al-Qaeda as a through-point and a money transfer location," Kohlmann said, although he also noted the country could be working to combat such activity with "an aggressive but low-profile intelligence strategy." al-Qaeda isn't the only organization that has found Dubai useful. The father of Pakistan's nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has acknowledged heading a clandestine group that, with the help of a Dubai company, supplied Pakistani nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea. Emirates officials refused to discuss the country's latest steps to combat terror.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 2:57:34 PM ||
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A PRESS officer for the British Council has been sacked after writing anti-Muslim articles in the Sunday Telegraph using a pseudonym, British media reported today. The council, a government-funded body which promotes British culture and sponsors multicultural activities, confirmed it had fired senior press officer Harry Cummins over the affair. In four articles signed Will Cummins, he denounced the "black heart of Islam" and accused Muslim voters of having a "global jihadi agenda", according to newspapers. "Christians are the original inhabitants and rightful owners of almost every Muslim land and behave with a humility quite unlike the menacing behaviour we have come to expect from the Muslims who have forced themselves on Christendom," he wrote in the right-leaning Sunday Telegraph.
A journalist at the rival left-wing Guardian newspaper revealed Cummins' identity four weeks ago, spurring a wave of complaints from Muslim groups. A British Council spokesman told the Daily Telegraph it had been "a pretty distressing and damaging period". A council spokesman described Cummins' work to the Guardian as "the antithesis of everything that we stand for." The Sunday Telegraph would not comment to the British media on the affair.
Posted by: tipper ||
09/02/2004 1:09:16 AM ||
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#1
"A journalist at the rival left-wing Guardian newspaper revealed Cumminsâ identity four weeks ago, spurring a wave of complaints from Muslim groups."
Guess it's OK to out sources of other journalists.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 3:56 Comments ||
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#2
Well only if you are a leftist, commie, socialist, scumball and the person outed is a conservative/moderate or non socalist type.
Go spend some time lurking on lefty forums. Once you get over the puking and feeling ill you can develop a real loathing understaning of them. Kind of like they have for all moderates, conservative, non soicalist types. Except they will proudly and loudly proclaim that those bad.evil wrong thinking people should be put against the wall. But I know you already knew that.
#5
Guardian journos - no integrity presumed. How did he/she/it get to know the information?
I have to add that Mr Cummins (nom de plume "Mr Cummins") could have exercise a little bit more imagination in thinking up a moniker for his alter ego.
After the voyages of Columbus, subsequent expeditions began to bring waves of Arabs to the Americas. They had been conquered; they were fleeing from intolerance and the Inquisition. Not only did Arabs arrive in Havana during the 16th, and especially the 17th centuries, but they also brought with them a reflection of their culture, which had penetrated the natives of Andalucia and Córdoba, whose spirit is strongly felt in historic Old Havana. One has only to observe the reconstructed palaces, their courtyards, balconies, grounds; in sum, their architecture. That also goes for the other parts of Cuba. Something that is not so well known, if they were from Northern Africa — Senegal, Mali, Gambia and Guinea — the slaves brought to the island from the earliest times of the Spanish conquest, also brought with them the stamp of Islam. For that reason, we shouldn't be surprised that Arab words appear in their songs and religious rituals. Here we go again...
#1
I my genealogical research, I have, in the area where some cousins lived, I have heard of a culture called Mulangeron. They have swarthy complexions and black hair. This is in the Applachian region where there is a border between Tennessee and North Carolina. . .
Some documents refer to these folks as "Turks" legend has it that these folks were descendants of a crew of a merchant ship that sank off the coast of North Carolina during a storm (Hurricaine?) during the moid-1700s, and they had no way back. Somehow they moved inland and became integrated with the local communities along what would be the TN/NC line
No Islamic remanants, as all joined either the Protestant or Catholic local communities. . .
#2
Heard a lot of the same thing BigEd. My favorite funny family thing is great granny preShipman. According to all in the know she was 100 percent take it to the bank Cherokee Innjun Maiden. I can take one look at the both of the surviving photographs and wager..... sure one of them African American Indians. LOL! Denial is every whichway. Hey it's the south! It's what we do!
#4
There were also Germans of Portugese ancestry who came here. The Madera family were Germans, but were actually descendants of Portugese exiled to Germany because of their Lutheran faith. The later came to Pennsylvania. One member of this family had a gas station-garage with his name on it, and was visited by some long lost cousins from Portugal who knew the story from the other end. An Alex Hailey moment.
My great-grandmother's sister married a Madera, and the owner of the station was her great-grandson.
#5
hmmm. There's DNA evidence among goats on Catalina Island too...any Arabs wanna fess up?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/02/2004 23:33 Comments ||
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#6
Wat a bunch of bullshit. This doesn't explain the proliferation of delicious carnitas or the fact that a Cuban sandwich features HAM and ROAST PORK.
mmmmmm pork products
Posted by: Chris W. ||
09/03/2004 0:28 Comments ||
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THE Australian Government is checking reports that one of the Bali bombers was let out of prison to have coffee with an Indonesian government official in a Jakarta mall. Ali Imron was reportedly seen having coffee at Starbucks with the director of Indonesian narcotics and drugs, Brigadier General Gorries Mere.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today he had read the report and checked with his department to find out what was behind it. "I don't know that he's out and about ... he's certainly not been released and we don't want him to be released. We have checked, we have made absolutely sure that he's not going to be released. Asked if there was a possibility Imron could escape while outside jail, Mr Downer said: "Apparently not, so the Indonesians say."
Anybody want to cash that check?
The Government had been assured by Indonesia that Imron would not be released from prison, where he is serving life imprisonment for his part in the October 2002 terror attacks in Bali which claimed more than 200 lives, including 88 Australians.
The report said that when Imron and Mr Gorries were challenged by journalists, they and a number of black-clad armed police guards fled to a waiting car and sped off, Detik.com news said. "I walk often with Pak (Mr) Gorries," Imron said in response to questions.
Brig Gen Gorries was one of the main investigators of the Bali bombings before he was transferred to narcotics at national police headquarters in Jakarta.
The pair were spotted shortly after 7pm (2200 AEST) yesterday at a Starbucks store on the second floor of the newly opened Entertainment X'Nter and movie complex beside the swank Plaza Indonesia shopping centre and had coffee together for almost three hours. The head of Kerobokan Prison in Bali, where Imron was jailed, confirmed he had been temporarily transferred to Jakarta to help in a police investigation.
Posted by: tipper ||
09/02/2004 2:08:41 AM ||
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#1
One simple solution: A wetwork team that blows this maggot's filthy twisted @ss straight to Hell if he is ever spotted outside of prison walls. Same goes for every single one of these slimeballs, including Bashir. Bali must not be forgotten.
#2
Canada has a different outlook on jail time than we do in the US. In Canada the solution for this problem would be to open a Starbucks in the prison.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 3:45 Comments ||
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#3
Zenster you may have the right idea. The best action would be to wack him in his cell. Message, "your ass ain't safe anywhere. Just a friendly reminder from the victims home boys."
#4
The best action would be to wack him in his cell.
Works for me, SPoD. I just want this scumbag at room temperature post haste. All the better if it's done when he thinks he's most safe. The way Indonesia has paraded around these grinning jackals for media consumption is simply hideous. I dread to think what the average Australian feels when they see these wastes of skin leering into the camera. My blood boils as it is.
#6
HUGE CAVEAT: What Indonesia is doing here, letting Ali Imron go get coffee with Pak (âelder, fatherâ) Gorries, is not easy to wrap my mind around. Iâm really torn between my Western WTF! reaction, and my more Indonesian-type reaction (which is kind of a âWell, I can see why they do that, but it might not be the best thing to do . . . Time moves on, time moves on, time moves on, harmony, respect, order . . . He did repent and apologize, you know . . .)
That said, the official explanation is that this guy is cooperating with the police in nailing other bad guys. Since weâre not running that investigation, I wonder if it doesnât make sense to sit back and see how things play out? I MEAN, REALLY, IN HOW MANY OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF TERRORISTS ALREADY BEEN ROUNDED UP, TRIED, CONVICTED, AND GIVEN SERIOUS SENTENCES -- INCLUDING QUITE A FEW DEATH SENTENCES?
On a separate note, Zenster, overkill is not the answer. Your gung ho, âpro-militaryâ solutions lack the temper of realism. Donât give up on Muslims, in general. You tend to voice strong support (to the point of utter overkill) for positions obviously near and dear to many who visit this blog -- and then (here and there, thrown in as if afterthoughts) mock Bush and the validity of his presidency, without any proof to back up the slander. How do you square your âkill them all, let God sort them outâ rhetoric with your âBush is a crookâ rhetoric?
#7
#6On a separate note, Zenster, overkill is not the answer. Your gung ho, âpro-militaryâ solutions lack the temper of realism. Donât give up on Muslims, in general. You tend to voice strong support (to the point of utter overkill) for positions obviously near and dear to many who visit this blog -- and then (here and there, thrown in as if afterthoughts) mock Bush and the validity of his presidency, without any proof to back up the slander. How do you square your âkill them all, let God sort them outâ rhetoric with your âBush is a crookâ rhetoric?
cingold, while it may not be intentional, you seem to be cherry-picking my posts. I have received harsh treatment here at Rantburg for maintaining that there are moderate Muslims (a point which Fred himself finally interceded to make as well). That hardly squares with the "overkill" mentality you are assigning me. Please note that I do not advocate direct nuclear attacks on theocratic and totalitarian Islamic states, despite their overt sponsorship of terrorism. I have repeatedly voiced support for establishing a credible deterrent or forcible custodianship of the Arabian shrines so that access to them for the Haj can be used as a quid pro quo in fighting terrorism. I advocate this specifically as an alternative to total war, which less restrained people hereabouts do support.
You say that I "mock" the White House. The current administration's attempts to blur the separation of church and state make a mockery of our nation's constitution. Support for the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Amendment) is nothing short of attempting to insert discriminative religious doctrine into American law.
Precedent also directs the courts to deem DOMA unconstitutional. Loving v. Virginia, decided only 36 years ago, banned all restrictions of marriage between persons of different races. Such laws violate the 14th Amendment, which grants every person equal rights and due process of law.
Does this amendment's protection not reach the gay community? For the Constitution to be substantial, for it to have any power or meaning, it has to reach this minority population. In Loving v. Virginia, the Court eloquently declared "the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men." Marriage is one of the basic civil rights of people, and the law can deny such a fundamental right to no one.
Along with being a symbol of love and commitment, marriage in the United States grants certain rights between spouses, which are just as pertinent to the union of two persons of the same sex as they are to spouses of the opposite sex. These include child custody, divorce protections, certain property rights, insurance breaks and visitation of partners in the hospital. These rights should extend to the unions of people of any sexual orientation.
For the moment, let's try to ignore the fact that gay marriage has been around for thousands of years:
Yale historian John Boswell researched the history of homosexual marriage and contended that such unions were legally sanctioned and religiously upheld for over 3,000 years in ancient African, Asian, Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian, Native American and Roman cultures.
Same-sex relationships did not gain widespread condemnation until the 13th century, according to Boswell, when religious orders labeled them immoral.
Among the evidence Boswell presents are Greek texts of the ceremonies, along with their English translations.
The texts are clear. There is no doubt that
the ceremonies sanction a union between two people of the same sex. Even before Boswell, historians who knew of the existence of the texts admitted as much. The accompanying prayers invoke the example of paired Christian saints of the same sex - in particular, the martyred Roman soldiers, Serge and Bacchus, who were the most famous and revered paired saints in early Christianity.
Additionally, establishment of The Office of Faith Based Giving has only served to blur the separation of church and state even further. This is nothing less than government funding of religion and is in direct violation of our nation's constitution. What's more, Rep. Mark Souder, (R-IA) introduced an amendment to the House's Homeownership and Economic Development Act of 2000 that permits religious organizations which administer federally funded programs to discriminate in their hiring on the basis of religious creed and sexual orientation. All of these are complete and total violations of federally mandated equal opportunity hiring practices.
Please tell me how this does not make a mockery of our nation's secular heritage? Such willful erosion of the very legal foundations this country rests upon is tantamount to treason and represents a degree of treachery that I find unconscionable.
As to the 2000 election. It matters not whether a Republican or Democratic won. What matters is that when an election is decided by a number of votes that are significantly less than the margin of error for that state, let alone the entire nation, it demands the most intense scrutiny.
The glitch in a state that President Bush won by just 537 votes could have been significant ... The purge of felons from voter rolls has been a thorny issue since the 2000 presidential election. A private company hired to identify ineligible voters before the election produced a list with scores of errors, and elections supervisors used it to remove voters without verifying its accuracy. A federal lawsuit led to an agreement to restore rights to thousands of voters.
Questionable practices such as the mistake riddled purge of felons from the voter's roles and numerous other dubious circumstances all contributed a shadow of doubt to the results.
* Voting machines in minority districts were defective, old and outmoded compared with machines available elsewhere.
* Applications for absentee ballots were toyed with, which would be fraud.
* Some Haitian-American and Hispanic voters who needed language assistance did not receive it.
* Poll workers in minority communities had no access to computers or phones to check voter registrations.
* A higher percentage of minority votes were not counted in the election tally, compared with those of whites.
* Some polls closed early, preventing many people from voting.
* There was an especially large police presence in certain neighborhoods that may have deterred some people from exercising their right to vote.
I do not post these points to open up debate over the validity of Florida's 2000 federal election results. I use them to vividly demonstrate the incredible chain of circumstances involved in deciding its outcome. That the final decision would rest in the hands of a court whose partisan majority conincided with the candidate they would eventually select represents a nadir of American electoral practices. Again, had the Democrats won under similar circumstances it would be just as questionable and equally odious.
Finally, with the slimmest of margins in this nation's entire history, the White House nonetheless acts as if it was giving a unanimous mandate for the implementation of its policies. This is most pointedly highlighted by its continual blurring of the separation of church and state and I find it to be worthy of only scorn and mockery. Our nation's glory can be traced back directly to its secular origins. It is hypocrisy in the extreme to be spilling the blood of our soldiers fighting Islamic totalitarianism abroad while, at the same time, installing a fledgling theocracy here at home.
And this brings us back to this thread's central topic.
cingold, I'm glad to see you say how it "is not easy to wrap my mind around" Imron's little Starbuck's soiree. You accurately predicted that, despite Indonesia rightfully overturning recent terrorism convictions on the basis of their postdated nature, that rule of law would prevail. At first it seemed so.
Need I mention that Imron is serving a life sentence? While he may be repetant and even assisting the ongoing investigation, his presence outside of prison walls in the context of a casual outing for coffee absolutely reeks of the lax "business as usual" collaboration between security services and terrorism that we see in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia et al.
Indonesia's past history of corruption and graft do not cast this recent debacle in any sort of comforting light. Imron was the one who instructed others in how to contruct and detonate the Bali bombs. Additionally, he secured the vehicles used in the operation. He represents a linchpin for the entire operation. That he is remorseful now in no way ameliorates his culpability in the murder of hundreds of innocent people.
Imron, Amrozi and Bashir all constitute the core of an extremely dangerous terrorist network. Indonesia's track record in fighting terrorism is dismal at best. I advocate elimination of such terror operatives because of the dire threat they represent to human life, Indonesian and American alike. You will note that I do not talk of regime change in Indonesia. That is not the issue. Killing terrorists, especially convicted terrorists who are suddenly seen enjoying freedoms entirely inappropriate to their reduced station, is a priority to me. Circumventing a corrupt nation's questionable legal structure to ensure that no further loss of life takes place at the hands of these brutal killers is something I consider worthwhile.
No, we should not go about sprinkling atomic bombs amongst various and sundry totalitarian or theocratic regimes But we must also address how to combat a deliberately decentralized and transnational terrorist organization. Killing them where they reside is one of the few ways of doing so short of forcible regime change like that in Iraq. Waiting to "see how things play out" as a corrupt and ineffectual nation pursues "business as usual" falls far short of what it will take to eradicate terrorism in a timely fashion.
#8
Zman there was an attempted theft of the Florida election but you've got the wrong suspect. Are you familiar with the term motor voter? In Florida it means voting by bus and then there's of course I can vote in this crappy state, I'm from New yawk. All New yawkers are allowed to vote in Broward County by default.
#10
Zenster, I have a general respect for intelligence (including yours), but donât you find your deconstructionist argument that âgay marriage has been around for thousands of yearsâ to be quite a bit duplicit and disingenuous? IIRC, this argument was soundly trounced just about a week ago RIGHT HERE on Rantburg.
As for the âoverkill,â thatâs just my perception . . . so deal with it. We all have opinions. Again, in my mind, your gung ho, âpro-militaryâ solutions lack the temper of realism. Muslims, in general, live their lives out, bleed and die, and hope daily for a better life (just like all us Westerners). Palestine and other similar countries simply prove that the gentrification of entitlement, without personal responsibility and true democratic voice, always leads to thuggery. If we follow the policies of President Bush, there is much reason to hope millions more can be set free to pursue life, liberty and happiness. We have the sword for the warring, and our right hand of friendship for the peaceful.
Regarding your opinions of Bush, FOAD.
Your argument regarding âour nationâs secular heritage,â like your arguments regarding homosexuality, also are duplicit and disingenuous. I commend to you a reading of a text widely used to support the establishment of the U.S. government, Blackstoneâs Commentaries on the Laws of England (1769). I wouldnât call that a particularly âsecularâ piece -- at least not in the sense you mean. I also commend to you a reading of the text used even more widely than Blackstoneâs Commentaries to support the establishment of the U.S. government, the Judeo-Christian Bible. I wouldnât call that a particularly âsecularâ piece, either -- at least not in the sense you mean. In reality, whether you care to believe it or not, the religious freedoms and âsecularâ nature of this country (that you purport to so cherish) flow directly and naturally from the Judeo-Christian doctrines of tolerance and acceptance that are foundations of this country.
Now, going back to Indonesiaâs handling of Ali Imron, do you have any idea of what an Indonesian prison is like? Indonesians may well sneer at the relative luxury we give criminals here in the U.S. Many a U.S. prisoner serving a U.S. life sentence in a U.S. prison has a greater life expectancy than the average, free Indonesian. That, alone, should give you an idea of prison conditions in Indonesia. Iâm not saying Imron should be set free just because he repented, but (then) neither is the Indonesian government. Imron will serve out his sentence in a Indonesian prison -- not in the relative luxury of a Western prison.
But, again, whoâs to say what kind of information the Indonesians are getting out of this guy, and what they have had to do to obtain that actionable information. My question still stands (which, BTW, you conveniently avoided answering), IN HOW MANY OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF TERRORISTS ALREADY BEEN ROUNDED UP, TRIED, CONVICTED, AND GIVEN SERIOUS SENTENCES -- INCLUDING QUITE A FEW DEATH SENTENCES?
#12
#10IN HOW MANY OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF TERRORISTS ALREADY BEEN ROUNDED UP, TRIED, CONVICTED, AND GIVEN SERIOUS SENTENCES -- INCLUDING QUITE A FEW DEATH SENTENCES?
Short answer: Not enough.
When Saudi Arabia's own government is still spewing blatant lies, such as a majority of American women sleep with their fathers and that all Jews are pigs and monkeys, or that it is the obligation of all Muslims to hate and, if appropriate, kill Christians and Jews, clearly, not enough is being done to thwart the real roots of terrorism.
However much America's founding fathers relied upon or derived from Mosaic law in establishing parts of our constitution, it in no way justifies further adoption of exclusively religious doctrine so as to directly controvert existing federal law as it applies to anti-discrimination and fair hiring practices. I find that to be the trappings of theocracy and therefore detestable.
As to Indonesian officials deliberately risking the potential escape of a convicted mass murderer. I'd sooner see that chance deleted through extra-judicial execution, even at the cost of losing further information, than take the chance that such a vile demon might ever walk free to slaughter anew.
Great, so applaud the Indonesian government for all they are doing right.
However much America's founding fathers relied upon or derived from Mosaic law in establishing parts of our constitution, it in no way justifies further adoption of exclusively religious doctrine so as to directly controvert existing federal law as it applies to anti-discrimination and fair hiring practices.
The fearful monster of U.S. theocracy, that you bemoan, does not exist, is not being planned, and is totally inconsistent with the Judeo-Christian doctrines that you admit âAmerica's founding fathers relied upon,â and of which you express such fear and distrust. These doctrines made the great country you purport to cherish; I wouldnât damn them if I were you. If you understood these Judeo-Christian doctrines, you would realize that what you are so alarmed about could never happen. The very Bible thumping Christians you decry would die to fight against such tyranny -- just as they have done time and again over the course of this nations history.
As to Indonesian officials deliberately risking the potential escape of a convicted mass murderer. I'd sooner see that chance deleted through extra-judicial execution . . .
From the way I read the story, with all those black-clad security guards around, escape wasnât even a remote possibility. Knowing Indonesians, an escape attempt would have just advanced an opportunity for that execution you so hanker for. And, regarding âextra-judicial executionâ (setting aside for the moment the issue of foreign policy concerns), now who is trashing the political concepts that make the U.S. so great . . . Again, overkill, and (dare I say it?) un-American.
Your gratuitous invitation to violence meagerly bespeaks any persuasive powers of debate upon your own part and nowhere makes a compelling argument in your favor. At no time have I made such an ill mannered gesture towards your own self and I consider your's a flat out repudiation of the tenets you posit.
With respect to offing the terrorists wherever they may be; At some point America's national security overrides the sovereignty of other countries. It did in both Afghanistan and Iraq and will most likely prove to do so again. Wetwork teams have been a feature of espionage from time immemorial. While I would rather rely upon the transparent conduct of foreign countries in their prosecution of the war on terrorism, so long as there are many which overtly propagate terror, I will continue to advocate extra-judicial execution of those conspirators in situ.
#15
#14 #10 Regarding your opinions of Bush, FOAD.
Your gratuitous invitation to violence . . .
Havenât you ever heard of a metaphor? You repeatedly âdo violenceâ to the office of the current President -- the only political figure I see staying the course (despite shifts in public resolve and populism) regarding what needs to be done to win the WOT. Youâre offended by âFOAD?â You donât see yourself as repeatedly making ill mannered gestures toward other posters here through your phraseology, your bald contempt for those you seem to deem less acute, and the presumptuous presentation of your particular socio-political agendas as the status quo of the human race?
You can decide my mode of engaging you to be a repudiation of my posited tenets, if you wish. But, you and I both know that objective constructs remain inviolate and immovable despite the debatable qualities of their promoters. So, at your own peril, feel free to consider those tenets repudiated by your own myopic impressions of me.
âWith respect to offing the terrorists . . . [and] advoca[cy of] extra-judicial execution of those conspirators in situ,â that is appropriate only in the context of war on hostile territory. Indonesia, whatever its current or past transgressions and indiscretions, has proven itself far from hostile. No, itâs not a state in the Union, and doesnât want to be, but it is a notable ally in seeking out and destroying the common enemy of the WOT. Promoting âwetworkâ (ah, what a euphemism) in that country detracts from the goal of winning the WOT. Again, overkill and un-American.
#16
#15that is appropriate only in the context of war on hostile territory
cingold, this is central to the issue of fighting terrorism and its decentralized structure. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that coddle, foment and even knowingly shelter terrorists become de facto "hostile territory."
I am beginning to believe that Wahhabism should be declared a political ideology and not a religion, thereby making it subject to all sedition laws. The violence that Wahhabist clerics routinely encourage needs to be identified as a clear physical and military assault upon the governments of those whom their attacks are directed at. Only when Islamism's political agenda is openly identified as such will we begin to properly combat it.
A last question; Do you deny that wetwork has been a common component of American and numerous other countries' covert foreign policy for many decades? Your febrile attempts to paint me as un-American for calling a spade a spade doesn't cut any ice with me.
#17
Countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that coddle, foment and even knowingly shelter terrorists become de facto "hostile territory."
TRUE. Most true for Iran, but far too true for Saudi Arabia, and less and less true for Pakistan. But, at the present time, not true at all for Indonesia. So, why suggest âwetworkâ (which can only undermine the WOT) in a country already working hard to defeat the WOT and bring islamofascists to justice? I found that suggestion to be counterproductive.
Do you deny that wetwork has been a common component of American and numerous other countries' covert foreign policy for many decades?
I do not deny that; in fact, I can only hope we have all sorts of black forces at work changing the face of the hostile world. But, then, theyâre black -- so no one would really hear about those effort so as to get all worked up over them, right? You might wonder why black ops are black. Might it make sense to not advertise those policies?
Your febrile attempts to paint me as un-American for calling a spade a spade doesn't cut any ice with me.
LOL. Iâll take an aspirin. It wasnât meant as an ad hominem. I think some of your positions are overkill and un-American. That is a logical and rational perspective on my part. I donât question your motives or sincerity in the least bit. In fact, I appreciate you passion and intellect, and willingness to (sometimes) consider other viewpoints. I certainly donât mean that you are un-American and kill wantonly -- just some of your ideas.
Now, donât get all shocked, but I actually agree with you that âWahhabism should be declared a political ideology and not a religion, thereby making it subject to all sedition laws,â (except for the caveat that not sedition laws, but laws of warfare, should be applied). It is, at best, a political system aspiring to world domination, and which is infused with religiously inspired self-serving justifications.
#18
I donât question your motives or sincerity in the least bit. In fact, I appreciate you passion and intellect, and willingness to (sometimes) consider other viewpoints. I certainly donât mean that you are un-American and kill wantonly -- just some of your ideas.
Now, donât get all shocked, but I actually agree with you that âWahhabism should be declared a political ideology and not a religion, thereby making it subject to all sedition laws,â (except for the caveat that not sedition laws, but laws of warfare, should be applied). It is, at best, a political system aspiring to world domination, and which is infused with religiously inspired self-serving justifications.
cingold, I'm glad to see the two of us are reading off the same page once in a while. Quite obviously, I have a much lower opinion of Indonesia's efforts than you do.
That said, I'm happy to see you take note of my willingness to consider other viewpoints. Were that not so, I would not be here at Rantburg. More than once in the past few months, I have used information gathered here to shut a blithering piehole or two, and it was gratifying to have the facts at hand to do so.
I regard militant Islam as a substantial threat, and more especially, a gigantic black hole for monies desperately needed in the fight against much more critical woes, like famine, disease and illiteracy. That a picayune minority of outright thugs have so successfully siphoned off such a vast portion of international resources absolutely infuriates me. The collateral deaths from other privations, let alone terrorism's depredations, make it all the more critical that terrorists are exterminated post haste. It is most likely this that you interpret as a "kill 'em all" attitude. I would just as soon live in peace with Muslims who are willing to coexist. Should they chose otherwise, I merely want them all dead and out of the way so that those of us who choose to make progress may do so unfettered by such stone age thinking.
Muslim schoolgirls in the eastern French region of Alsace, an area of high Arab immigration, are seeking advice from a telephone hotline on the appropriate dress code for the new headscarf-free term. France's controversial law banning the Islamic headscarf in schools will be tested for the first time when the new term opens today. And students in Alsace, as in the rest of the country, will have to heed a secularity law which prohibits the wearing of symbols or clothing that "conspicuously" display religious identity. For a week, 25-year-old Nora has been manning a free-phone hotline in a Strasbourg suburb handing out advice to young veiled Muslims on the chances of being turned away from school doors. "There's no miracle solution. The law says clearly that the veil is prohibited," says Nora. Though the law is framed so that no religion is singled out — Jewish stars of David, large Christian crosses and Sikh turbans are also banned — no one disputes that the main target is the headscarf worn by increasing numbers of teenage Muslim girls. "Theoretically, they don't have the right to refuse you access to the yard but in the classroom there is a strong chance that you will be refused and sent away," Nora advises 15-year-old schoolgirl Sarah over the phone.
Since the free-phone hotline was set up on August 24, around 30 girls, the majority from the Alsace region bordering Germany, have been in touch seeking advice. There has also been an increasing number of abusive and threatening calls. "Call us, you're not alone!" says one of the dozens of leaflets in the call centre, promising "help through dialogue, moral support, legal assistance, an alternative and support schooling in case of exclusion." "We haven't had time to hand them out. It's word of mouth for the moment," said Nora, herself a law graduate who wears a headscarf completely covering her neck and hair. The hotline is an idea of the Union of Islamic Organisations in France, the League of Muslim Women and an association that legally defends Muslims run by Strasbourg doctor and Muslim convert Thomas Milcent. The Alsace region's Muslim leader Abdulhaq Nabawi, who visited the call centre Tuesday, hailed "all initiatives enabling young women not to find themselves alone in the test. I dare to hope that there will be a normal interpretation of the law and that discreet signs will be admitted," said Milcent.
#1
It's been set up by one infamous convert, the Dr. Abdallah Thomas Milcent, a long time pal of Gulbudin Hekmatyar, opponent of the "islamophobia" and active propager of the strategy of tension in France. Link about his bio here (in french, mais oui):
http://athee.free.fr/milcent.html
they should also be sure that their clothing is bullet proof and a metal collar hidden under their scarves would be handy in stopping any attempted throat slashings from their brothers.
The British armed forces wants to convince more ethnic minorities -- particularly Muslims -- to sign up. But with wars raging in primarily Muslim Iraq and Afghanistan, that's not an easy task.
#2
Who in Allan's name came up with that lame idea? Lets help infiltrate our troops. Bulldog Will or Howard, what's going on over on your side of the Pond?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
09/02/2004 14:45 Comments ||
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#3
Even the SS couldn't toughen them up. Waffen SS Division Handschar only one disbanded and disarmedby the Reich during the course of the war. Rape and pillage is what they were good for...fighting?...forget it...
#4
There were several small Gurkhas units assigned to UK forces in Iraq at the beginning of the war...if they are still there, what better unit to turn lose to find the Islamoslobs that killed the Nepalese drivers.
For once, the Public Image Lawyers doing the right thing. A bit of lateral thinking involved in the judgement; but, if I was in gurkha shoes at the moment, I would probably only fight for me and mine after this. Who cares if it's cheaper to live in Nepal or London. Let's send the Judge to Nepal and give him £20 pm to live on. There's a going rate for work done in the international world.
That said, I am not expecting any back-pay for my time on $180 per month slotting ZANLA/ZIPRA back in the '70's, but I know which side is which.
http://greenleader.net/
Let's hope the POW's have their money by now.
#8
Absolute f£cking madness - any muslims joining the army will and shall have the right royal shit beaten out of them. I'm surprised the US Army would enlist any more after that twat threw grenades into a control tent during the opening days and that Lebanese gaylord went awol in Fallujah. They should be banned from conscripting full stop.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
09/02/2004 18:09 Comments ||
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School doors open for 12 million French children Thursday, but there is far more at stake this year than back-to-school jitters. An already contentious ban on Muslim head scarves and other religious signs faced its first test in France's public schools - under the cloud of Islamic radicals holding two French hostages in Iraq to press their demand that the law be scrapped. "In the circumstances we are facing, I hope this return to school will take place under the sign of fraternity," Education Minister Francois Fillon pleaded said Wednesday. The law was one of the most divisive issues for Frenchmen in recent times, and no one was sure whether Muslim girls who cover their heads would defy it or compromise their beliefs to stay in school.
Depends -- any Islamic hard boyz hangin' around the schools?
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/02/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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#1
Let's see...the sun comes up in the morning...the sun goes down in the evening...cultists of the false god allan are a) killing, b) maiming, c) raping, or d)kidnapping someone.
#2
Wonder what their response will be to open defiance. Will they enforce it or look the other way? It would be tragic if these guys are killed for a law that Phrawnce doesn't have the stones to enforce.
#1
I question that this guy really served, this smells fake. If he did, he probably got passed over and is nursing one heck of a grudge.
Posted by: B ||
09/02/2004 19:11 Comments ||
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#2
Don't know about his service, but Goff is a 9-11 conspiracy theorist and a very prominent rising star in lefty moonbat culture (google his name). He is much given to Marxian rhetoric such as "class populist."
You can take this article and apply it to almost every war America has ever had. It's almost a universal truth. (excluding the "all about the oil" parts)
The rich are the head honchos (High ranking Officers)the poor are the foot soldiers and most wars thereafter. Initially due to differences in education(IE: Revolutionary War)(Exceptions IE: Baron Von Stuben) Still got my "Blue Book" back home hehe.
The rich draftees in the Union States often paid some poor downtrodden schmuck money to take his place in the war.(Civil War)
Prolonged combat occurred in WWI through today. The phrases "Thousand Yard Stare"(WWI),"Shell Shock"(WWII), "Battle Fatigue"(WWII), "Operational Exhaustion"(Korea) and "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" (Vietnam) all were used to describe the same condition of mental trama that those young men experienced.
With all due respect, Vietnam Vets didn't corner the market on this. Their horrors were the first that were brought to the public's attention.
Unfortunately, they were all stereotyped as baby killers, druggies, and psycopaths. (Partial Hat tips to Hollywood, Jane Fonda, and John Kerry on that one)
Much of what he said I agree with, when I got back from the first Gulf War and started having (and still have) fatigue, short term memory loss, and bleeding gums, my fellow veterans and I were still treated like shit. The Army docs treated you like you were a con artist trying to scam a free paycheck. All I wanted was to get better. Lets really face the facts. $200 fricking bucks a month and a pat on the back isn't going to feed my wife and 2 kids. I gave up on the process. I'm waiting until I go back stateside.
I just feel he lost his credibility when he started the Bush bashing "all about the oil" and "It's all about oppression of Blacks, and the poor". Also, if he had picked up a paper once in a while he would've learned that now disabled vets can collect BOTH retirement and disability checks whereas before they couldn't "double dip". This and alot more money that Bush poured into the VA.
With that said...before you start the flaming me. Please do not think for one second that I'm one of those Gulf I Vets that actually wore a combat hash on his class A's sleeve afterwards.
Hell, my CIB is still buried under the Saudi sands seconds after the presentation were conducted upon learning that the Vietnam Vets in our platoon were not granted their CIB with star for their service. Nor do I pretend that the combat operations that I fought in puts me on the same level as a Vietnam combat vet. Let's face it, you had more time on the shitter in Vietnam than I did in combat and I stand humbled before you.
The hard truth is that our sense of duty called many of us to service and only until it's too late do we realize that war isn't a game or movie and that we are numbers on HQ's sheets. In one column one day, another the next. I mean no offense to the writer. He has every right to be angry. He's right they don't give a fuck about you. They love you so long as you can run and jump and fight, but lose an appendage and you're yesterday's news. Screw them, the people that DO matter were the ones to your right and left. People that you couldn't stand in times of peace became brothers in war. Yes, it's true the rich and politically powerful (with the exception of Pat Tillman) are (most often)not willing to do what we do or did, but that IMO is what defines a man. His moral courage and his character.
Sorry Fred, long and disjointed, but it's late and I just couldn't let him float some his goods just because he was a GB. I repect him for his service, but his Bush bashing watered down his argument.
#4
good points, It seemed also that he had additional problems added to his "post-traumatic stress disorder"...if that is true I feel even more pity for him. However thats just me prying. Nevertheless, 75th rangers-Fuck With The Best-Die Like The Rest
#5
Bottom line is there are 2 types of people, those who can cope with what combat does to you and those who cannot.
No fault of their own - and no real difference during combat. It only shows up after the person is released from the pressure cooker.
My religion and strong anchor of belief are what got me through - that and staying engaged with certain activities, and not decompressing too fast and for too long. Plus my wife, more than anything, helped get me past the bad dreams, insomnia, the sudden smells I would swear were there (but they weren't), and stuff like that.
#12
Don't know about his service, but Goff is a 9-11 conspiracy theorist and a very prominent rising star in lefty moonbat culture. He is much given to Marxian rhetoric such as "class populist."
#13
Don't know about his service, but Goff is a 9-11 conspiracy theorist and a very prominent rising star in lefty moonbat culture. He is much given to Marxian rhetoric such as "class populist."
Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad complained to a judge Tuesday that his jailers refuse to let him wear underwear and have restricted his access to his legal files. A sheriff's spokeswoman denied the claims made at the conclusion of a pretrial hearing in the second capital-murder case against Muhammad. Trial is scheduled for October. "How does it make the courtroom safe with me coming in, no T-shirt, no underwear, no socks?" Muhammad asked Judge Jonathan Thacher. Muhammad has been under especially tight security since a pretrial hearing last month in which he briefly slipped out of a waist chain, giving him a sizable length of chain that could have been used as a weapon. He appeared in court Tuesday with his wrists cuffed closely to his sides. He winced in pain several times as deputies attempted to get him seated at the defense table. The deputies said Muhammad was resisting their efforts, but Muhammad said several times, "I'm not doing anything."
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 03:20 ||
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Stop ... stop, you're ripping my heart out. Cry me a stinking river and fill it with raw sewage. This filthy maggot should be grateful he isn't placed in the general population. Too bad this little cretin didn't pause to think about these sort of issues while he was squeezing the trigger all those times.
KUALA LUMPUR - The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis sailed into Port Klang yesterday, in a move underlining the strong ties between the US and Malaysia. The nuclear-powered carrier was invited to the port by Kuala Lumpur despite the recent Malaysian protests against an American presence in the Malacca Strait.
The visit reflects the US commitment to a 'loyal' friend, said Rear Admiral Patrick Walsh, commander of the carrier group. 'This is a visit for us for rest and recreation and to enjoy Malaysian culture. We are here by invitation,' he told the media. 'I hope this will be the first of many visits. This is an opportunity to really stand by a loyal, faithful partner and friend,' he said, after reporters and photographers toured the floating 'mini-city' of nearly 6,000 officers and sailors.
He hosted a reception for some 400 Malaysian government and defence officials aboard the warship yesterday evening. The two countries will also hold a 'limited defence exercise' during the five-day visit, he said.
Malaysian and Indonesian officials protested when suggestions were raised recently that the US help to boost security in the pirate-prone Malacca Strait to avert terrorist attacks. Malaysian officials said its territorial sovereignty would be compromised and it was worried that terrorists could be attracted to the region if US forces were present. The three littoral states - Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore - have since banded together to boost naval security in the Strait.
Asked how he sees the US role in the strait, Rear-Adm Walsh said he recognised that 'sovereignty is a very important issue'. 'That is their right and they are in the best position to enforce their own security. Where we can help, we can build capacity and we can help with information and intelligence sharing,' he added.
"And if we can hang a few pirates, why that would be great!"
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/02/2004 12:25:37 AM ||
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#2
Being hung from the yardarm of a carrier must be a high honor from a pirate.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 3:59 Comments ||
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#3
In terms of current technology, a nuclear powered flat-top pretty much heads the list when it comes to projecting power. Mind you, precision guided hypersonic missile-delivered warheads may effectively supplant the aircraft carrier, but until then I'm perfectly happy with our military sending such an unmistakable message to everyone in the region. That one boat probably has sufficient combined weaponry to reduce all of the "littoral states" to smoking ruins in a 24 hour period. The entire carried battle group most certainly does. I like the warm fuzzy feeling that gives me, yes indeed I do.
#4
Actually, I like that we have the nads to park it in Klang. Malaysia is full of seethers, and stopping by here sends a strong message about our confidence in our ability to defend this asset, and our confidence in the Malay government, who despite their ranting about the joos are firmly in our court when it comes to seethers who take up arms.
#5
I dunno, I think that the only reason that places like Malaysia and Singapore get any attention is because some American companies have manufacturing facilities there (my employer included). Absent that, what else is there? (note how little Rangoon is ever mentioned)
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 03:18 ||
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"Ebadi will serve as defense counsel for Ebrahim Yazdi, a former foreign minister who faces trial on accusations of plotting against the ruling clerical establishment.
"It would be treason if I stop working out of fear of prison," Ebadi said at a news conference.
Yazdi is an outspoken leader of the freedom movement of Iran and a former Iran's Foreign Minister after 1979 Islamic Revolution."
Somebody is repeatedly breaking into her house to rattle her cage. I don't think she rattles.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 14:37 Comments ||
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Iran accused the United States and European secret services on Tuesday of unsuccessfully using former Al-Qaeda operatives against the Islamic republic.
Intelligence Minister Ali Yunessi also warned the United States of an Iranian response to any attempt by it to destabilise the country, Iran's State News Agency (IRNA) reported.
The Minister told reporters that elements that were no longer a part of Al-Qaeda "were infiltrated by intelligence services from America, Europe and even the region".
"A number of them were activated by these services to commit terrorist acts, but we identified and arrested them," he claimed, without giving any further details.
"There is no security in the region without Iran, and if the United States or any other country threatens our security, their security will also be threatened," the minister warned.
"The region is not safer than what it was before September 11. The Americans got rid of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, but have expanded insecurity in the world. One of the aims of the US ... is Iran," he added.
Yunessi nevertheless reiterated that Iran was fighting "all forms of terrorism".
"At the present moment, a number of important members of Al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Islam are in our prisons," he said, repeating earlier declarations but again refusing to elaborate on the identity of those being held.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 1:26:48 AM ||
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#1
I'm tempted to get my hopes up when I see an Iranian official go into bellicose mode like this -- are we really finding some chains to pull that have the mullahs sweating? -- but then I usually just chalk it up to routine Iranian unhinged truculence .....
#2
I don't think anything is yet going down via Iran. No facts, just intuition. But I think Iran is feeling paranoid. Like a criminal does. A snake slithers to a hiden place. Tastes the air.
#5
Like Saddam Iran is a prolific sponsor of terror. It is in fear of it's existance with Afganistan on one side and Iraq on the other gone as buffers. If it comes down to it Turkey will go with the US as it doesn't need Iran for anything. I say make them sweat say stupid things and do stupid things. Between the Saudi princes and Iran they got the islamic terror market cornered.
#6
As far as I know Iran does not play any major role in the Chechen insurgency. The outside support mostly comes from the nexus of Saudi Arabia, other Gulf Emirates, and Jordan
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
09/02/2004 8:52 Comments ||
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#7
Intelligence Minister Ali Yunessi also warned the United States of an Iranian response to any attempt by it to destabilise the country, Iranâs State News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Big Allan spiders coming our way, eh? Does anyone have video of a really big spider (a'la Godzilla) attacking NYC?...look for it on Al-Jiz.
"The region is not safer than what it was before September 11. The Americans got rid of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, but have expanded insecurity in the world. One of the aims of the US ... is Iran," he added.
Well, in an ironic way, he's right...it's not safer for IRAN! BTW, could someone get him to call the Demos and let them know also that Iran is next in our sights? They don't seem to realize it, ironically, like he does.
Posted by: BA ||
09/02/2004 11:12 Comments ||
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#8
divide and conquer.
Posted by: B ||
09/02/2004 11:43 Comments ||
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#9
BA, The Democrats are actually courting Iran to the extent one would think Iran had electorial votes comparable to Florida.
Iran's Mehr News Agency reports it has received an e-mail from the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry pitching the candidate as one who will "repair the damage done" to international relations by President Bush. http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37024
INSIGHTMAG 3/01/04 The Democratic Party's presidential front-runner, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), has pledged that if elected he will abandon the president's war on terror, begin a dialogue with terrorist regimes and apologize for three-and-one-half years of mistakes by the Bush administrationhttp://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/03/16/Politics/Kerry.Will.Abandon.War.On.Terrorism-621288.shtml
Doesn't square with what sKerry told the Legionaires in Nashville yesterday does it?
#10
GK: No it doesn't square with what he told the AL in Nashville...of course, you probably are as SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell ya' that he "flip-flopped" on that too! And don't forget pretty boy Edwards saying that they'd allow Iran to keep the nuke plants, as long as they don't keep the rods/fuel to make bombs! Just like Clinton's (via Jimma Carter...sadly from my home state...compare him with Zell and you see the REAL GA) deal with the Norks, the mad mullahs will break any deal they make. The point I ALWAYS make re: Iran & nuke plants is this: they are sitting on some of the world's LARGEST oil reserves. Anyone who thinks they need nuclear plants for energy is either stupid or the most naive person i've met!
Posted by: BA ||
09/02/2004 14:38 Comments ||
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#11
Paul is one of those that follows the threads. I think he knows more than most here. But I still think that you "one up" on these assholes.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States wants U.N. sanctions imposed on Iran after the Bush administration concluded the country is on the verge of enriching enough uranium for four nuclear weapons.
The new alarms were raised after the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency circulated a classified report among member governments about Iran's nuclear program.
Powell said the United States wants the U.N. Security Council to impose economic, political and/or diplomatic sanctions against Iran because of steps he believes Iran is taking toward developing nuclear weapons.
There you go Rantburg folk, your wishes are about to come true, just read 'U.N.' above as U.S. I wonder how many American lives will be lost in this crusade.
#2
UFO, when that surgical proceedure to extract your cranium from your anus is completed, please let us know. After more than a year, American losses in Iraq are not even approacing the lives lost in 9-11. Throw in all the casualties from Afghanistan and it still doesn't equate.
You're long on criticism but short on any actual solutions. Around here, I call that; "All turban and no sheep."
Additionally, your use of the word "crusade" is incorrect. The term crusade refers to a remedial action. The fight against terrorism is one of self defense and nothing else. America was attacked on 9-11 (and many times before), and is now in the process of dismantling its enemies.
Your naysaying and most especially your taunting in the face of a factual and violent threat to America's national security is conspicuously lacking in character. Are you an American citizen, or in fact, the denizen of another planet? My money is on the latter.
As to UFO's comment about "just read 'U.N.' above as U.S." -- well there's a savvy point whose import is of course lost on the author. Each and every time you see "U.N." -- from food aid to disease-eradication to budget support to especially security activities -- you can read "U.S." That's, uh, part of the problem. The US shoulders a VASTLY disproportionate burden -- and it's critical to include political will, blood, and military logistics in the calculus -- of all the laudable activities carrying the U.N. label.
Nearly 300,000 American lives were lost in the "crusade" (to borrow the term from Eisenhower's memoir of his European campaigns) that led to creation of the UN (uh, by the US, of course). More to the point, well north of 10 million Germans and Japanese were killed in this crusade. Every US or allied soldier lost in suppressing the forces and allies of mass-murdering vandalism (islamofascist terrorism) is an outrage, but pretending there is a "free" pass to success in this struggle is just stupid.
#4
UFO - I thought you were smarter than that. Have you never heard the phrase "Death to America"? Know whose catchphrase that is? Remember? Think allowing Iran to aqcuire nuclear weapons is better for American lives than preventing them?
#5
Four, eh?
Let's be conservative and make these equivalent to primitive 1945 devices:
New York, Midtown Manhattan, high noon: 250,000 dead
Washington DC, Capitol building, rush hour: 100,000 dead.
Tel Aviv, random by crude missile, middle of the night: 60,000 dead.
One left over. Where is it and what are the mullah's demands?
#6
This may be a dumb question but; Has Iran even built a power plant to use this "uranium"?
Because it seems to me a waste and a hazard to store the "uranium" until such a Physical Plant is constructed. With Construction such as it is in Iran not sure how long it would take them to build one, heck they are a couple of years behind schedule in opening thier "state" of the art airport..
Iran has announced it plans to turn tons of uranium into the substance used to make enriched uranium, the United Nations atomic watchdog agency said Wednesday in a report stoking concern about Tehran's nuclear agenda.
The confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency said the agency had been informed that the Islamic Republic planned to process 37 metric tons (more than 40 tons) of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride. A senior diplomat familiar with the agency declined to say how much hexafluoride could be obtained from that amount of raw uranium, also known as yellowcake, beyond saying it was a "substantial amount."
Another diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that enough highly enriched uranium could be produced from the hexafluoride derived to make several explosive devices.
From CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel Wednesday, September 1, 2004 Posted: 2:38 PM EDT (1838 GMT) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.N. atomic watchdog agency says weapons inspectors have not uncovered evidence to support accusations that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program. However, this article also fails to uncover a scintilla of evidence that the IAEA is anything other than a sock puppet for Islamic nations seeking to build nuclear weapons.
However, a U.S. State Department official said the Bush administration still intends to work toward referring the matter to the U.N. Security Council for possible punitive action. A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency accepts that Iran may not have produced HEU (highly enriched uranium), a key ingredient needed to produce nuclear weapons. HEU contamination had been found at the Kalaye Electric Company and at the Natanz targets sites in Iran. "It appears plausible that the HEU contamination found at those locations may not have resulted from enrichment of uranium by Iran," the report said. In other news: Recent scientific analysis of lunar soil samples revealed high concentrations of green cheese.
Iran has maintained that the source of the contamination was not domestically produced HEU but rather imported equipment -- specifically centrifuge equipment it said it purchased from Pakistan in the 1990s along with comprehensive nuclear bomb assembly diagrams.
But the State Department official told CNN the picture is murkier than the IAEA report indicates, noting "there are too many pieces to explain it away as a peaceful program." "We view with great concern the IAEA report that Iran is about to convert 37 tons of 'yellowcake' uranium into uranium hexaflouride gas, as well as Iran's recent announcement that it intends to test its gas centrifuge cascade," said Undersecretary of State for Arms Control John Bolton in a written statement to CNN. "Iran's announcements are further strong evidence of the compelling need to take Iran's nuclear program and convert it to bouncing microscopic rubble to the Security Council. The United States will continue to urge other members of the IAEA Board of Governors to join us in this effort, to deal with the Iranian threat to international peace and security," Bolton wrote.
But, considering the tone and text of Wednesday's report, it appears unlikely the Bush administration will find support among the IAEA's 35-member body to refer the matter to the United Nations this month to consider imposing sanctions against Iran or Syria, or North Korea or Sudan ... In Tehran, Iran's former representative to the IAEA, Ali Akbar Salehi, predicted that Iran`s nuclear case would not be referred to the Security Council. "I predict that the next session of IAEA`s board of governors will involve canapes, vintage Champagne, plus twelve courses culminating in a flaming truffled dessert and not be a complicated and hot one," Salehi told IRNA, Iran's government-run news organization. The agency knows that uranium enrichment has not been carried out in Iran, he said, adding, "We take it as a favorable decision." Still, the IAEA report qualified its findings and said it is not ready to "draw definitive conclusions" about the "correctness and completeness" of Iran's blatant lies declarations.
In particular, the report cited the appearance of low enriched uranium on domestically produced components in various locations in Iran and said it would "continue with its efforts to understand the source." A second matter of concern to IAEA inspectors is the extent of Iran's efforts to acquire and use centrifuges of the P-1 and P-2 design, which could be used to produce nuclear weapons fuel. A Western diplomat told CNN that IAEA inspectors believe they got a "very good fix of some great Afghan heroin from the mullahs" on Iran's development of these designs since 2002. But the diplomat said Iran had not provided enough information on anything but hanging 16 year-old girls to back up its claim that no P-2 centrifuge-related activities or centrifuge-procurement activities occurred between 1995 and 2002. The question, this diplomat said, is "can we trust what Iran has said on this file?" between 1995-2002 because "if it's incorrect that raises questions on other things" Iran has told the IAEA.
The report implies that its year-long Tahitian junket investigation into the source of the HEU contamination and the origin of the P-2 centrifuge design has ended. The IAEA report also cites "very good cooperation" by Iran with U.N. weapons inspectors in affording them access to suspected nuclear sites, but a spotty record on providing information "promptly." Iran has maintained its enrichment program was devoted to peaceful purposes to produce nuclear energy, not nuclear weapons. Although it was under no legal obligation to do so, Iran this year agreed to suspend its known enrichment program as a show of good will to the international community. According to the Western diplomat, enrichment facilities at Natanz are still "under seal" and U.N. inspectors have continued to monitor them. But in July, Iran modified the terms of the agreement it made with France, Germany and Britain and started to produce and assemble centrifuge components, the Western diplomat said. Iran then handed out free copies of "Selling Major Suspension Bridges for Fun and Profit," "Florida Real Estate and Your Future," plus bonus editions of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion."
Posted by: Zenster ||
09/02/2004 12:17:14 AM ||
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The IAEA sock puppets? I am gonna sue! Get me a trial lawyer on the phone right now @$% &*#$ it!
You can't insult the Sock Puppet of Doom like that you UN "chain dogs!"
Posted by: Zeus Carver ||
09/02/2004 10:34 Comments ||
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The U.N. Islamist atomic watchdog lapdog agency says weapons inspectors have not uncovered evidence to support accusations that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program.
Oh will miracles ever cease?, Of course they haven't found any evidence its the UN fer cryin' out loud, they aren't looking and they aren't about to start.
#4
Let this be a lesson to you, Sock Puppet of Doom. Without the ever-vital Sock Puppetâ¢, your otherwise unsubstantiated claims of identity are nothing more than the mouthless mutters of a summer's breeze.
The leader of Germany's foreign intelligence agency warned Tuesday of an increased likelihood of a major terror attack by Al Qaeda in the weeks before the American elections.
"There is fear of a big attack on America by the terror organization Al Qaeda before the presidential elections in November,'' August Hanning, director of the Federal Intelligence Service, said in a speech in Heidelberg, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported.
He said that Al Qaeda had realigned its structure and personnel and that the likelihood of terror attacks was "bigger than ever before."
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 12:21:18 AM ||
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#1
Regretably I'll be shocked if something doesn't happen, or come close to happening (plot is discovered and then foiled)in the run up to our elections this fall. I also am still quite concerned (horrified) by the notion of the Islamofreaks getting a small nuke into the US, and using it. I can't imagine a more enticing goal for these monsters than to secret in a handful of "suitcase nukes" and set them off in as many cities as they can.
Posted by: RJB in JC MO ||
09/02/2004 6:19 Comments ||
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#2
The leader of Germanyâs foreign intelligence agency warned Tuesday of an increased likelihood of a major terror attack by Al Qaeda in the weeks before the American elections.
Well that's nice. Now, any details available? Or is this just a general heads-up, which is of rather questionable value?
#3
Thanks to JFK's come on to Iran, I have no doubt that that terrorists will attempt to pull off another Madrid 3/11.
Posted by: B ||
09/02/2004 11:35 Comments ||
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#4
The Al Qaeda terroristâs, and others, have consistently been successful using bombs, either trucked in, left or carried as an undergarment, to cause substantial casualties; and, while itâs possible they could introduce a chemical, biological, or nuclear device, itâs more likely theyâll stay with the bomb option. Thatâs not to say they might not try a rudimentary âdirty bombâ using depleted uranium core surrounded by conventional explosives.
#5
One of my ML sent a stratfor backgrounder some time ago, which noted the increase of "islamic chatter", and the possibility of a wave of terrorist attacks starting late august, and culminating on the 9/11 anniversary, for what it's worth.
#6
#3, B,I was thinking the same thing. See comments, quotes and links in the thread under "US using turned al-Qaeda against Iran?".
But maybe the Mullahs will be convinced by sKerry's strong language at the American Legion convention in Nashville and not his earlier pandering when he was competing Dean. Yeah. Right.
Security guards who were supposed to escort Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the Knesset only realised they had left their charge back at home when they arrived at the Israeli parliament, army radio reported. The burly premier, one of the world's most heavily-protected leaders, was forced to kick his heels at his residence in the upmarket Rehavia district on Tuesday morning when the bodyguards failed to check whether he was in their convoy. The Shin Beth internal security service has launched an investigation into the incident, which sources said could have caused a major crisis if it had occurred somewhere other than his fortified residence.
Look at the drive and ambition of these Marines.
AL ASAD, Iraq(Sep. 1, 2004) -- In ancient times, the ranks of Roman legions were filled with soldiers who fought for Rome in order to earn their citizenship privileges.
In modern times, military service has often been a stepping-stone to U. S. citizenship and a chance to further military careers.
Since its beginning, the Marine Corps has been home to Marines without citizenship, who help fight America's battles around the globe. Even though they may not enjoy all of the rights and privileges that come with citizenship, these Marines still honor their sworn oath to defend the U. S. Constitution and the American way of life.
For three Marines, now serving here, the pursuit of U. S. citizenship has been somewhat of a struggle, but one not without reward.
"I first came to the U. S. when I was 11 and I grew up in New York City," said Sgt. Demetrious Kontizas, administration chief, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "After the September 11 (2001 terrorist) attacks I was really motivated to serve this country and become a citizen.
"Now, on October 1st I will finally hold up my hand and take the oath of citizenship, but in my heart, how I live and how I see myself, I am an American," added the 23-year-old.
A native of Brazil, Kontizas said he started the application process to gain U. S. citizenship earlier this year before deploying to Iraq.
"The application process involved a lot of paperwork and took a lot of time out of our daily schedules," said Kontizas. "Its all worth it though in the end."
Originally an infantryman, the leatherneck said he nearly completed a lateral move into a computer related military occupational specialty following a serious foot injury. He felt the move would complement his college degree in computer science, but his lack of U. S. citizenship ultimately prevented the job transfer, due to security clearance issues.
"I want to put together an Officer Candidates School package, but I will need a security clearance for that too," explained Kontizas, who extended his tour in Iraq. "Completing (the citizenship) process will also help further my Marine Corps career."
Lance Cpl. Noe Mezarodriguez, administrative clerk, MAG-16, and 20-year-old native of Mexico, said he is also looking forward to becoming a U. S. citizen and a drill instructor.
Like his supervisor Kontizas, Mezarodriguez's citizenship application has been approved and he will take the oath of citizenship after he returns home from Iraq.
"After the Marine Corps, I want to work in law enforcement with either the (U. S.) Border Patrol or the (Los Angeles Police Department)," said Mezarodriguez who hails from Tucson, Ariz. "It means a lot to me to be able to wear (the Marine Corps) uniform and serve this country."
Kontizas and Mezarodriguez said before deploying to Iraq they completed a challenging course at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, Calif., to become certified aerial observers, but without their U. S. citizenship, the necessary security clearance proved to be a stumbling block once again.
"Fortunately, after we become citizens we do not have to go through that training again and will be certified aerial observers," said Kontizas.
Before their applications can be finalized, Marines seeking citizenship must complete a step-by-step process involving extensive documentation, a thorough background check, fingerprinting and an interview.
Cpl. Damalie Gathright, personnel clerk, MAG-16, and a native of Jamaica, who was also raised in New York City, said overcoming the citizenship application process has been made easier thanks to legal assistance from her fellow Marines.
"What we do is help the Marine (seeking citizenship) with the application process and work as a liaison with Citizenship and Immigration Services, who ultimately review and approve the applications," said Capt. Kasey C. Shidel, legal assistance officer, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, 3rd MAW. "Assuming the Marine moves quickly, applications can be completed in as little as six months. "For deployed Marines, it could take longer, due to the demands of our workload (in Iraq)," said Shidel. "Basically we are here to help them in any way we can and to answer any questions the Marines may have during the process."
As of Oct. 1, the $300 citizenship application fee is waived for all service members on active duty, according to Shidel. Kontizas, Mezarodriguez and Gathright--who already paid the fee when they began their applications earlier this year-all agreed that the financial cost related to citizenship was irrelevant.
"I don't care about spending money," explained Kontizas. "What I care about is becoming a citizen of the country that I fight for, that I love and I believe in."
#2
I originally came to this country through the effective, if admittedly imprudent, stratagem of enlisting in the US Army. I had a year in Vietnam and a Purple Heart before I took the oath of citizenship. I have never regretted even one minute of it.
The Scorpions have arrested one person in a case involving the contravention of laws on weapons of mass destruction and on nuclear energy, spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said on Thursday. He would not comment further except to say: "The National Prosecutions Agency was involved in an operation this morning which involved the arrest of one person." Abdul Minty, chair of the South African Council For the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction said on Thursday: "There has (also) been a recovery of items alleged to have been used in the contraventions."
He said enquiries were being made into the activities of "some companies and individuals, who may be involved". "In the context of these investigations, the South African authorities have co-operated with their counterparts in other countries as well as with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." Minty said that since 1994 the government had adopted a strict policy of disarmament and non-proliferation with regard to weapons of mass destruction and the capabilities to produce these weapons. Foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said he didn't know of any link between the inquiry and al-Qaeda or international terrorism.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 2:55:20 PM ||
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Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
09/02/2004 21:11 Comments ||
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#6
If there's one single song the Scorps should be remembered for, it's "There's No One Like You." Michael and Rudy's guitar solos in the original track were nothing short of quintessential.
Almost two decades later, while driving around Taiwan, my host was playing this abominable soft rock whose vocalists sounded hauntingly familiar. When he finally informed me that it was the Scorpions, I nearly had to roll down the car window and retch. How far they have fallen.
#2
Qaradawi was one of 93 prominent Muslim figures who in August called on Muslims around the world to support resistance against U.S. forces in Iraq and the Iraqi government. The same list probably also calls for "Global Jihad". Wish somebody would use this for a hit list.
#5
I am reminded of the sarcastic gibe current at the time of the Iranian hostage crisis: An Islamic moderate was defined as someone who takes hostages.... but doesn't eat them.
#6
Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi is not a "moderate." He is a pro-wife-beating, Palestinian bomb vest advocating wingnut. This gaping rectal cavity is just another frothing Islamist fanatic that needs to catch a bullet, exactly like abu Hamza and al-Sadr.
#7
It's time for the west to form "freedom fighters" to assasinate muslim clerics. Let car bombs at moques and their homes be the weapon of choice. Let the institutions and neighbors who support them also suffer the consequences. It's war. No limits.
Posted by: ed ||
09/02/2004 16:38 Comments ||
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#8
Maybe Britain will rethink his invite next time now?
#9
An Egyptian cleric based in Qatar and often described as a moderate has ruled that it is a religious duty for Muslims to fight Americans in Iraq, including U.S. civilians, his office director said Thursday.
"Fight" U.S. civilians? Civilians who are likely to be unarmed?
I wonder, does this "cleric" have a complimentary Hamas membership card?
#10
#8Maybe Britain will rethink his invite next time now?
TS(vg), al Qaradawi's inclinations were already well known to Ken Livingstone, London's Mayor, when he invited this Islamist troglodyte for an official visit the first time around.
#11
Maybe Britain will rethink his invite next time now?
Yup Zenster, I damn well hope so, me and the brothers will be near enough to twat him next time..
Posted by: Howard UK ||
09/02/2004 18:14 Comments ||
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Each time Chechen terrorists strike a fresh blow against Russia the same question is asked - with security supposedly at ever higher levels how do they ever reach their targets? The answer is usually that they have bribed their way through.
In one of Russia's most notorious terrorist incidents, Shamil Basayev, the Chechen warlord, led a convoy of more than 100 heavily-armed rebels dozens of miles across southern Russia in 1995, passing through more than 24 checkpoints. He later joked: "We would have got all the way to Moscow if our money hadn't run out." The group of nearly 20 terrorists, armed with assault rifles and several pounds of explosive, who seized hundreds of children hostage yesterday had driven a lorry through one of Russia's most heavily-guarded regions.
In Ingushetia and Northern Ossetia, the two republics just to the west of Chechnya, there are security checks every few miles. Each driver must stop and produce identification before being allowed to proceed. Car boots must be searched. The checkpoints are intended to starve the troubled republic of weapons and terrorist reinforcements. In practice, they are an opportunity for corrupt traffic police and militiamen to extort money. The usual payment in the Caucasus is 10 roubles per car (about 20p) even on the main roads inside Chechnya. Nor does that transaction require any particular skills of persuasion. Documents are simply handed through the window with a folded note inside. After a cursory glance they are returned minus the note. "It's a bit like driving a toll road," a local told me during a recent visit. Another Chechen told how a Russian soldier given 50 roubles joked with the driver. He asked: "What have you got in the back of your car, a bomb?" But still he did not bother to open the boot. At the large, reinforced checkpoint on a roundabout outside Nazran, only 20 minutes from the scene of yesterday's attack, duty officers demanded a "premium", pushing the cost to 20 roubles.
When bands of terrorists, reportedly led by Basayev, attacked Ingush security forces in June, killing nearly 90 people, they were understood to have bribed their way into the centre of the republic. Preliminary reports show a female suicide bomber who brought down one of two passenger planes that exploded last week may not have shown identification and even her name was written down inaccurately. During the terrorist attack on the Nord Ost theatre in 2002, two blacked-out vanloads of heavily-armed terrorists drove through central Moscow in the busy early evening, apparently without being stopped.
Posted by: Bulldog ||
09/02/2004 8:20:00 AM ||
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#1
I wonder if anyone will bother to "rotate" the staff at every one of those checkpoints the hostage takers drove through? Maybe the parents of all those schoolchildren will if the officials don't.
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Deputy General Secretary Liaqat Baloch has asked all MMA districts officials to show solidarity with jihadi movements on September 11. A press release issued from the Jamaat-e-Islami media office on Wednesday said that imperialist forces wanted to crush jihadi movements. The statement said that the rulers of Muslim countries were acting as guardians of those imperialists forces. "It is the duty of the public to resists the aggression of imperialist forces, " he said.
Posted by: Paul Moloney ||
09/02/2004 2:30:35 AM ||
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Posted by: Howard UK ||
09/02/2004 05:27 ||
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#1
"It could be argued that now the murderous regime of Saddam Hussein is dead and gone these people feel happy and safe for me, a soldier, to take their pictures... Perhaps they want to be recorded and documented as having lived free to express themselves, to have made a choice based on free will and not fear."
Yup - nuff said.
Posted by: Howard UK ||
09/02/2004 5:28 Comments ||
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Banned Bangladeshi Islamic extremist outfit Harkat-ul Jehad-al Islami (HUJAI), which is suspected to be behind recent attack on Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina's rally, has camps running in different parts of that country and is imparting training to similar extremist groups from Myanmar and India, a media report said. A five-part article in prominent Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo has reported that HUJAI, which has been declared a terrorist outfit by the US State Department for its Al Qaeda and Taliban connections, has established an active network through 'madrassas' (religious seminaries) and local NGOs to carry out its activities. The HUJAI has been imparting arms training to Islamic extremist outfits like those belonging to the Rohingiya Muslims of Arakan mountains in Myanmar and some Indian organisations.
The areas, where the newspaper sent reporters to investigate the camps, are Bandarban, Naikhangchari, Ukhia, Dailpara, Chandgaon and Khatunganj among others in Cox Bazar and Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh. Quoting police officials in Cox Bazar, the article said the HUJAI activists, who were at one point operating openly, were now known to be based in these camps many of which were located on the Naikhangchari No Man's Land. The central Command Headquarters of ULFA and northeastern insurgent outfits like NLFT and NDFB are based in these areas.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 4:42:08 AM ||
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Tadeusz Iwinski, a rapporteur on Chechnya for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said that a dialogue with separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov would be possible if he distanced himself from Shamil Basayev-type rebels. Iwinski told a news conference in the Interfax main office on Wednesday that if any dialogue with Maskhadov could have helped avoid those terrorist attacks that have recently occurred in Russia, then this dialogue would have been an option. But in order to make this dialogue possible, Maskhadov needs to distance himself from odious rebels like, for instance, Basayev, he said, adding that he thinks that any dialogue with Maskhadov is an unrealistic option today. Iwinski and Andreas Gross, also a PACE rapporteur on Chechnya, recently returned from Chechnya, where they worked on a report on the situation in the republic for PACE's autumn session.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 1:30:21 AM ||
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#1
"FPCâs work raises the following major issues, each of which strike at the very sprit and letter of the European Unionâs Constitution:
* European aid has not reached its intended target â the Palestinian people. It has been diverted towards graft, terrorism and incitement to hatred.
* Despite repeated denials from senior European politicians and civil servants, terrorists are on the Palestinian Authority payroll. This includes, in particular, members of the Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades who have openly admitted their direct roles in acts of murder. The salaries of these murderers come directly from budgets provided by European government aid, even though the Al-Aksa Brigades have been officially classified as terrorists by Europe.
* European taxpayersâ funds have not been managed transparently in everything connected with aid to the PA and to the Palestinian people. The facts have been concealed and continue to be concealed from European taxpayers.
* The methods used to fund the PA might even be considered to be money laundering."
I look for the EU to pencil whip another probe and issue itself a clean bill of health.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
09/02/2004 3:51 Comments ||
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#2
New Report Analyses European Aid to Palestinians - Finds Evidence of Foul Play
#4
Yet, when you google "Funding for Peace Coalition," the folks who wrote the report, ONLY FOUR ARTICLES show up. Contrast that with 7200 for "Hamas."
This will never get any traction. The EU has too much of a vested interest in making sure the paleos are supported. That, plus any concrete evidence that they support terror, and Israeli families would be able to sue, which would create too much chaos (and even MORE anti-Israel backlash).
Nothing will come of this. Too much petrowhoring going on.
MOSCOW, September 1st, 2004 (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Romanov) -
Yesterday's explosion in Moscow has been followed by another terrorist attack today: a school has been seized in the North Ossetian town of Beslan. Children and their parents, approximately 120 people who were in the school to mark the beginning of the new school year, have been taken hostage. This attack came after the recent explosion near Moscow's Kashirskoye metro station and the August 24 explosions on two planes, which, when taken together, paint a gloomy picture. "In essence, a war has been declared on us, with an invisible enemy and no front line," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has stated.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
09/02/2004 12:44:40 AM ||
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#1
Sorry, Mark. This article pegged my hand-wringing meter a few too many times.
The majority of the industrialised countries are not ready to counteract terrorism effectively, though they are investing great efforts in this cause. Even huge sums of money and advanced technologies are not enough to solve this problem.
And how does this, in the least way, affect the urgent need to vigorously pursue and dismantle terrorism wherever it manifests? Pure negativism.
Even the most experienced counter-terrorist experts, the Israelis, do not yet know how to combat this evil.
Again, more blather. The Israelis do know how to "combat this evil" and they do it rather effectively. Vaporizing Yassin and Rantissi took the piss and vinegar out of Hamas to the point where it required months before any retaliation was forthcoming. In the meanwhile, Palestinian factions have been chewing each other up like so much bubble gum.
Nor is classical Islam prepared for an effective struggle against terrorism. Armed people in a mosque, and explosives at Muslim cemeteries (this has happened more than once in Chechnya and now in Iraq) show how far Islamic radicals have departed from the Koran.
Another heaping helping of bullsh!t on a stick. The more vital issue is how the "Islamic radicals have not departed from the Koran." All of what's being done is right there in the book, including dispensation to slaughter all and sundry that pose the least interference with Islamist goals.
The media continues to vomit up this sort of defeatist twaddle and then purports to ponder why so much dithering occured in Najaf. They need only look into a mirror for the reason.
#4
Anonymous6166 No problem, I just join others really asking for these Islamic hotage takers of so many children to understand if they murder them the only response shall be more Russian troops attacking their children.
It's wrong, now little kids are the newest victims of Islamic madmen consumed with hate. During the last week or so, people on passenger planes were destoryed by this same Islamic death cult, then it was subway riders blown to bits by female death cultists.
Neither side was right when this civil war began some 15 years ago, and a lot longer than that in the horrors of the Stalin era.
May those children be released.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
09/02/2004 2:22 Comments ||
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#5
The enemy is not "invisible".
We're staring into his face every day.
#6
Maybe it will take those kids massacre to make a difference.
Lucky, I hope not. Should worse come to worse and these unfortunate victims are murdered, if that does not galvanize Russia to more solidly oppose terrorism, especially Iranian sponsored terror, then there is no hope for Putin's regime. The rubber is meeting the road and Vlad is under the microscope as never before. The time for lip service is over and young lives hang in the balance.
Dream scenario: A group of Islamic clerics offer to mediate and exchange themselves for the hostages. After entering the building these clerics draw weapons and snuff the terrorists. Nothing short of impossible, I know. I mention this only as an example of what it would take for Islam to begin the long and painful process of regaining its stature as a religion worth anything at all.
Soon enough, the outside world will begin to see Islam as being more trouble than it's worth. Incredibly, Muslims are able to ignore one simple fact. Namely, that the "outside world" has the vast preponderance of nuclear weapons at their disposal. The time is coming where such a troubling and irksome beast as terrorism will simply be blotted out, along with all those who pray along side such vermin.
#7
Hey Zen. I didn't like writing that about the kids massacre. But all day I thought about it and now I know that Iran has got to be put into the crosshairs regarding all this. Whether they are involved or not. As it is Iran that has played this coy game. Put a face on terror. Right or wrong. Have them freak out some.
#8
Muslims are able to ignore one simple fact. Namely, that the "outside world" has the vast preponderance of nuclear weapons at their disposal.
And not just that. If required, the West's conventional forces could walk over everything the Islamic states have to offer like so many rotten tomatoes. The only thing that can protect them is the West's unwillingness to slaughter indiscriminately. In a way, the situation in North Ossetia is a microcosm of the global situation - you have a bunch of murderous thugs using innocents as a shield, whilst the forces of the developed world wait patiently outside, armed with overwhelming firepower. The only thing holding them back is their reluctance to allow those inocents to be hurt. All it would take to end the stand-off is a change of heart.
#9
Lucky, I don't imagine you enjoy the thought of all those Russian children being slaughtered like cattle any more than I do myself. And I cannot agree with you more about Iran. Putin's dalliance with the mullahs must cease instantly. If Russia does not have the moral fortitude to give up Iran's hard currency then Putin is merely selling his citizens' lives in exchange for it. This is what needs to be made clear, both to Russia and the entire world community.
For far too long the remaining world has turned a blind eye to terrorism's handlers. America is not innocent by any measure, but at least we have had the courage to finally step up to the plate and begin swinging at some fast pitch hardballs.
Europe, Russia and Asia all need to get on board. The only alternative is continued loss of innocent life. At some point, doing continued business with the Middle East theocracies and totalitarian states that sponsor terrorism has to come with a penalty attached.
France is just beginning to have their duplicity visited upon them, as with Russia. Japan and all the other countries that rely upon Iranian oil must be made to understand that there is no free ride. As always, communist China will take up any Iranian slack. It is for this simple reason that China represents the ultimate terrorist state of all. The end game centers on neutering China's burgeoning dominance. Right now, we are in the middle (east) game of dismantling terrorism.
It is gruesome to think that the deaths of so many young children may well be what is required to give Russia its wakeup call. The Russians have struggle valiantly to bring this horror about and are reaping the whirlwind. One can only hope that they will finally connect the dots that lead to Iran.
I also need to make one more thing crystal clear. These Russian children are not the first to suffer. Over 50% of women in the 22 Middle East Arab countries are illiterate. None of those 22 Arab states are democracies. If a mother cannot read to her child, what does that foredoom the young to? It is these bereft children that are left entirely susceptible to the spewings and bile retched up by their local clerics. Theocracy and totalitarianism have been devouring their young for centuries, the power base of such tyranny relies upon it completely. This is what must be changed. No small task, to be sure, but it must be changed. A majority of the global Muslim population lives in some form of democracy. It is the Middle East's Arab nations that constitute the bulk of the problem. This is where the fight against terrorism begins and ends.
#11
Liz Fuller, one of my favorites analysts over at Radio Free Europe, has a pithy little article about this mess. It's looking more like these particular terrorists are mostly Ingush, not Chechens. The two are close ethnic kin (comparable in relation to Norweigians and Danes, no offense intended) and were merged within the same autonomous unit for most of the USSR's history.
Back in '92, a part of North Ossetia that had traditionally been Ingush turf was ethnically cleansed by N. Ossetia (with not-so-subtle federal support from Moscow). Keep in mind, as Fuller says in her article, that the Ossetians are an anomaly in the Caucasus: they are majority Christian and extremely loyal to Moscow. Not surprisingly, they hate their Muslim neighbors, particularly the Ingush, and the feeling is quite mutual. This school is in a town that is spitting distance from the Ossete-Ingush border.
The Chechen War has taken another important step toward becoming a general Islamist war in the North Caucasus. My money's on more violence in Dagestan or one of the hyphenated republics further west. If Saakashvili and Putin are worth their salt, then the former will finally shut down the Pankisi Gorge (or leave that to an "outside party" that's up to the task), and the latter will FINALLY pull the other fist out from behind his back (and, yes, quit peddling weapons and technology to the enemy).
This is "clash of civilizations" stuff, big time. My heart goes out to innocents trapped in the crossfire, and Muscovite brutality casued this mess in the first place. Aris, if you're here, you have spoken articulately about your distrust of Putin and your outrage over Russian savagery in the Caucasus. But we cannot undo decisions made twelve years ago. For good reasons or not, these folks have given themselves over to barbarians who do not destinguish between us and Russia and seek to destroy us all.
For the second time in 70 years, we may have to endure an alliance with Russia, knowing they will fight our common enemy using tactics that we dare not contemplate, tactics comparable even to our Islamist foes. But Russia, for all of its brutality, is not on a divine mission to destroy us.
The clock is ticking.
Posted by: Another Dan ||
09/02/2004 4:45 Comments ||
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#12
This article is BS. Look at the post just above it on bribery in Russia. If the Russkies REALLY want to fight terrorism, they need to get serious: join the modern world and enforce the rule of law.
#13
spot...it doesn't necessarily follow that, because the Russians have a problem with bribery, that we are not in a war against an Islamist enemey.
Posted by: B ||
09/02/2004 10:05 Comments ||
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#14
Bribery at the lowest level of the security services reflects the corruption found at the highest levels. Both police and military personnel are poorly paid and consider taking an extra swig off the teat part of their compensation.
It will take a complete rework of the system, over several generations to change this, unless some of the guards are the parents of the kids at the middle school. In that case, look for rabid enforcement at the check points.
#15
RN - I completely agree. But I was just making the technical point that, while bribery does hinder efforts at combating Islamic terrorism - eliminating bribery would not eliminate Islamic terrorism.
Posted by: B ||
09/02/2004 10:23 Comments ||
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#16
Spot on! Couldn't agree more.
Please see my comments on "Explosions at..." article.
#17
B - Of course we (and Russia) are at war with islamonuts. But if the Russkies take bribes from them, how are they fighting that war? My point was that if the corruption was gone (or at least much less) then they would be able to fight terrorism productively.
#18
spot - actually, I agree with your overall point completely! However, I think it is important to keep the blame where it belongs.
While it would be helpful if the Russians didn't have a culture of bribery, it's not the bribery itself that is to blame. It is the Islamists who are to blame for all of the death and misery listed above. The bribery helps the Islamists accomplish their deeds, yes. But one could also say that, here in the US, our protections of individual freedoms assists the terrorists as well.
I just think it is important to remember that, without the Islamists in this equation, none of these evils would have occurred.
Just a fine point not meant to contradict your own
Posted by: B ||
09/02/2004 11:21 Comments ||
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#2
It's too late for Iran to get reasonable, we would never believe them.
----------------------------------
Fair? In a GUNFIGHT??
"Andrew Jackson took part in many duels, mostly because of aspersions on his wifeâs character.
One such adversary aimed away from Jackson who stood unscathed."
(Awwwww. How NOBLE of him, huh?)
"Calmly, Jackson aimed his pistol and shot the man through the heart."
(Oops. So much for nobility...)
#3
"We think there's enough now to do it, but I obviously have to hear what others have to say," he said.
We did the right thing countering Iraq's criminal deceit with action, then we backed off under criticism from our UN "partners" and the international community's textbook tantrums. Somewhere along the way, someone accepted guilt instead of pride for our decisive action, and now we've surrendered to the UN "wait-and-see" way. If we don't keep the pressure on Iran, the "wait-and-see" way will turn into "it's too late to change it" grief. Ask Darfur.
Last night, did anyone hear the crowd roar its disapproval at the UN? Think it'll end there?
A new assessment of Iran's nuclear program by the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency says that, as early as 1995, Pakistan was providing Tehran with the designs for sophisticated centrifuges capable of making bomb-grade nuclear fuel. It also finds evidence that, as of the mid-August, Iran had assembled and tested the major components for 70 of the machines, which it showed to inspectors from the agency.
But the report, issued to members of the agency yesterday as a confidential document, provided no new evidence of the kind of covert programs that the agency has discovered in the last year, and suggested that the Iranian government was slowly becoming more helpful to inspectors. That assessment, American officials said, is likely to discourage moves by the Bush administration to take Iran to the United Nations Security Council for penalties unless it dismantles its program, which the Iranians say is entirely peaceful and which the United States says is designed to produce nuclear weapons.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
09/02/2004 12:30:43 AM ||
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#1
But agency officials are still suspicious that some of the uranium could have been produced elsewhere in Iran, at plants they have yet to discover.
This is where spies come in. Has the U.S. intelligence community been doing its work quietly for some time? Or is all as it was before and we still have no humint resources in key areas?
The government and tribal militants are reportedly holding secret talks to reach a shaky Shakai-like deal, tribal and official sources said on Wednesday. "We expect something positive to happen soon," a relative of Maulvi Abbas, one of the wanted men, was quoted as saying to a tribal elder in Wana. But he would not elaborate on his statement.
"He'll spend a few days in the hoosegow but then he'll be back on the street lookin' for infidels."
FATA Security chief Brig (r) Mehmood Shah denied reports that the government was holding any talks with the militants. "The government does not want to make a repeat of the Shakai experience," he told Daily Times on the phone. He said the government's stand was very clear. "Militants must surrender unconditionally," he added. But military spokesman Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan would not confirm or deny the report. "One should not be surprised if such talks are in progress. These talks may be taking place on behalf of the political administration or Governor's House," he told Daily Times on the phone. Asked if the talks were likely to lead to a Shakai-type deal between the militants and the government, Gen Sultan preferred not to comment. A senior official, however, denied that the government was directly involved in the talks. But he said some parties were negotiating with the militants on the government's behalf.
Power broker and devout Christian Chief Solomon Lar is on a crusade against Islamic "invaders" he says are sweeping down through central Nigeria, killing his people and forcing them off their fertile lands. Lar is one of many politicians embroiled in a battle for dominance over Nigeria's "Middle Belt", an ethnically diverse central area on the cusp of the Muslim-dominated north and Christian south. Conflict has simmered throughout Lar's home state of Plateau since street fighting in the state capital Jos killed hundreds in 2001. It culminated this May in a massacre of hundreds of Muslims by Christian Tarok militiamen in the town of Yelwa.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that Sudan's government has not stopped attacks on "terrorized and traumatized" civilians in its Darfur region and urged the speedy deployment of an expanded international peacekeeping force.
I'm told the Germans have a large, well-equipped army not doing much right now.
Annan did not say how large a force he wanted, but U.N. diplomats said a U.N. plan presented to the African Union called for about 3,000 peacekeepers. The 53-nation African organization now has about 80 military observers in Darfur, protected by just over 300 soldiers, monitoring a never rarely observed cease-fire signed in April.
Anybody know if the Belgian army has a date for the weekend?
#4
Perhaps we can team up with the French to do something here, since I read that we're such good buddies over Syria these days. (sound of projectile vomiting)
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.
