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No release of Bin Laden death pic
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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Set the Navy SEALs on Whitey Bulger
Donald Rumsfeld said the same thing on the Jeff Katz radio show in Boston this morning. The article is copyrighted on the Boston Herald Website, so click away.

Posted by: Delphi || 05/04/2011 08:58 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Osama Bin Laden's ultimate victory
Prepare to be dazzled...
It's Ted Rall. Nothing more need be said, but he does anyway, in his very special way.
Posted by: tu3031 || 05/04/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  OSAMA-IAN, JIHADI ENCRAVED MARTYRDOM

versus

* TOPIX > US BANKRUPT DUE TO BIN LADEN [policies], SAYS [US] POLITICIAN | BIN LADEN DEATH AN "EMPTY VICTORY" FOR WASHINGTON, DC.

Former US Senate candidate Mark Dankof.

* SAME > PANETTA: NEW AL-QAEDA CHIEF WILL BE NEXT ENEMY #1 [for USA].

Again, ADAM GADAHN is curr #2, while AYMAN ZAWAHIRI is #4.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 05/04/2011 0:50 Comments || Top||

#2  BS. I think many "good Muslims" will start thinking about how heroic a "holy warrior" is who is hiding in a mansion in peaceful territory and using women as a human shield when martyrdom was knocking.
Posted by: European Conservative || 05/04/2011 1:55 Comments || Top||

#3  What a load of rubbish.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/04/2011 2:26 Comments || Top||

#4  The leftism is this. Of course they aren't aware they made George W.Bush a martyr :))))
Posted by: Tiny Groluque5440 || 05/04/2011 3:24 Comments || Top||

#5  Ted Rall is in mourning that his Islamic superman got a bullet to the brain, and Americans are finally agreeing on something. His tears are delicious. This week keeps getting better and better. Whose next on the carousel of nitwit know-it-alls? I suspect Red Ken, Cindy Sheehan, and Michael Berg will be voicing their displeasure very soon.
Posted by: Destro || 05/04/2011 7:05 Comments || Top||

#6  So much pap. Much of it is not even truthful. I should remind Ted that Usama is dead after 10 years. If that isn't patience and perseverance, I don't know what is. It does not sound as if UBL died a hero's death--he threw a woman in front of himself at a Seal team member. He lived in relative luxury compared to his followers. He did not die a martyr. According to his son's book, he tried to persuade them to become suicide bombers which was declined. Why did UBL not become a suicide bomber himself if he wanted it done? Personally, I think he died a chicken$hit death. He cause untold deaths in this world. He was as bad as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or Pol Pot.
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/04/2011 8:16 Comments || Top||

#7  U.S. Gave Bin Laden the Martyrdom He Craved...

No Ted. He was given what he deserved - two center mass and one to the bucket. The savages would have called him a martyr even if he had died of a heart attack watching American Idol. Fool.
Posted by: DepotGuy || 05/04/2011 11:26 Comments || Top||

#8  Surprise, surprise! Mickey Moore says Bin Dead won, too. I'll try to find the link.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 05/04/2011 12:03 Comments || Top||

#9  He was as bad as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or Pol Pot.

Nah. He might have wanted to be as bad as those guys but he didn't have what it takes.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 05/04/2011 12:05 Comments || Top||

#10 
#9 has my vote for snark of the day.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/04/2011 15:13 Comments || Top||

#11  It also makes us look dumb. As anyone not drunk on bloodlust knows, the worst thing that could have happened to Osama Bin Laden would have been arrest followed by a fair trial.

Color me dumb, Ted.Do you have the indifference to say that yourself?
Posted by: Bobby || 05/04/2011 23:07 Comments || Top||


Osama Bin Laden's ultimate victory
And now, back from his world tour which took him from Irrelevance to Obscurity, and here to dazzle us all, I give you...TED RALL!!! Take it, Teddy.
Posted by: tu3031 || 05/04/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


China-Japan-Koreas
Kang provides Yodok imagery updates, sez hard labor be hard at Camp #14
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/04/2011 06:55 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Economy
How the Fed triggered the Arab Spring uprisings in two easy graphs
It is possible to join the dots between the Fed’s second phase of quantitative easing and the revolutions in the Middle East.
Posted by: tipper || 05/04/2011 12:25 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It isn't an 'Arab Spring' at all. Just call the whole shebang 'food riots.'
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 05/04/2011 13:33 Comments || Top||

#2  One can explain anything with graphs or statistics. For example, 90% of statistics are made up on the spot.

We can control uprisings in the middle east but we cannot control our own spending and our own economy?
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/04/2011 14:09 Comments || Top||

#3  It is a spring. A spring is followed by summer. Summer is dying time in ME.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/04/2011 14:40 Comments || Top||

#4  Surely bad harvests last year due to a cold, wet spring in the northern hemisphere (Russia discontinued grain exports until further notice) followed by the major flood in Australia had something to with food prices rising?

Summer is dying time in ME.

Could you expand on that g(r)omgoru? Heat deaths, thirst deaths, hunger deaths, other?
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/04/2011 15:32 Comments || Top||

#5  All of the above. See.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/04/2011 15:52 Comments || Top||

#6  Correlation is not proof of causation.

The Fed likely had some effect, but less than the weather and the biofuels lunacy.

The Arab world's particular problem is a huge dependence on imported food.
Posted by: phil_b || 05/04/2011 19:12 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Scrutinizing Obama's Body Language
Please check publishing dates, guys. This is from January 4, 2010.

--tw at 10:58 ET
Posted by: tipper || 05/04/2011 07:42 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The Pic
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 05/04/2011 9:29 Comments || Top||

#2  The looks on Obama and Hillary's faces say...Son of a Bitch, you said there'd be no violence nor live rounds!
Posted by: jack salami || 05/04/2011 9:44 Comments || Top||

#3  I can tell you without looking - his body language says either (1) "I'm much more wonderful than anyone who has come before me" or (2) "Waaaaaah! You hurt my widdle feewings! I'll make you pay somehow!"
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 05/04/2011 16:28 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Dupe entry: Pakistan: The Ally That Isn’t
Around 800 Pakistanis rallied in Quetta on Tuesday over the death of Osama bin Laden. Were they celebrating the American action against this man who had twisted and hijacked their peaceful religion? Were they dancing in the streets and passing out candy because this man who had besmirched the image of Islam by connecting it with terrorism had at last passed from the scene?

No; they were chanting “Death to America,” burning an American flag, and mourning the death of a man they revered. Maulawi Asmatullah, whom Agence France-Presse identified as a “federal lawmaker,” led the rally, explaining: “Bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world and after his martyrdom he has won the title of great mujahed.”

It was illustrative of where Pakistan stands in the fight against the global jihad, and where it has stood since September 11, 2001. The U.S. has paid billions to Pakistan since then in order to aid the Pakistani government’s fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban; it has been revealed, however, that much of that money has gone to those same organizations, and that the ISI, Pakistan’s spy service, has significant ties with al-Qaeda.
Posted by: Zebulon Thranter9685 || 05/04/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


The great deceit
BY SHYEMA SAJJAD
It's not like I choose to always write when the president goes missing but as luck would have it, those are the only times worth speaking out. Where I have often called for the president and prime minister -- sometimes receiving a not-so-supportive response -- this time I believe my call is completely legit. After all, the late Osama bin Laden
... he's rotten and relatively soon to be forgotten...
was killed (at least that's what the Americans said).

But first, I'll focus on our 'allies' a bit. As President B.O. started talking about how that "bright September day was darkened", American people began rejoicing and the scenes of celebration were similar to those I witnessed on St.Patrick's Day while in university -- except, instead of green accessories, there was a whole lot of stripes and stars involved here.

But that's okay. Why shouldn't the Americans celebrate? After all, nearly 3,000 of them were killed because of this man and his network -- it only made sense to run outside the White House with the US flag wrapped around their heads.

Did they for a second stop and ask for proof? No why would they, Obama saved the day (and his votes) -- that's all that mattered. I wish us Paks had that kind of blind trust on our leaders' statements. I mean think back to Hakimullah Mehsud -- Interior Minister Rehman Malik
Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Näwaz Shärif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men.
killed him a couple of times and once even created his twin in Afghanistan... so I guess it's only natural for us not to believe anything coming out of our leadership (the fact that they didn't say anything at all yesterday, is a different story). But wait, why don't think the Americans think Iraq for a second. WMD anyone? And even Afghanistan? A decade there and still the most wanted man was found in Pakistain's backyard. Oops? Doesn't the US public want to question anything? Or was "DNA confirms Osama dead" enough? He was the most wanted man in the world, responsible for the death of thousands! And what did the US forces do? Secretly kill him and dump him in the sea. Seriously? As Obama was promising brighter days ahead, no one seemed to be concerned with 'what next', because we all do know that this 'war' is far being over.

Osama has been killed several times over the years, however, this time was different because we actually had visual proof..... of the 'mansion'....the helicopter....the blood-stained floors.... Yes, that should be enough now to know that this time he really was killed.

Assuming there are no loopholes in the US' great hunt story and going by what supposedly happened yesterday, fact remains that Osama was killed in Pakistain. Not a cave in some tribal border area but right here in Abbottabad. Obama spoke at around 8:30 am local time. Shortly after, Afghanistan's Caped President Karzai came out and said something which pretty much sounded like 'it wasn't me ... it wasn't me' and then the Indians seized the opportunity and spoke along the lines of 'told you so... told you so' -- so basically everyone got their turn at riding the Bash Pakistain bandwagon. And for good reason of course, yes, yes, no denying we do support terrorists, quite right.

So here comes my favourite part, while Osama was dying and Obama was doing the happy dance, where were you Pak leaders? Haven't you embarrassed us enough already? Until about 12:00pm yesterday, there was no word from Pakistain -- shortly after noon, the Foreign Office woke up and had some nice bits and pieces of information to share. Still no Gilani. No Zardari. No Kayani.
... four star general, current Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army. Kayani is the former Director General of ISI...
No Pasha.

Somewhere in the afternoon (after a nice sleep-in perhaps) Prime Minister Gilani came out only to say 'errr, I don't have any details yet...'. Okay then. Why didn't we have any details when Obama specifically in his address mentioned that this couldn't have been achieved without Pakistain's 'cooperation'? And what about Pakistain's mainstream media? Normally we are quick to jump and question everything but this time, our televisions ran tickers of statements coming in from the US while the local headlines focused on PML-Q's oath-taking at 7:00pm. And then of course there were clips of the 'mansion' and the blood-stained floors inside. Where were all your hard-hitting questions Pak media -- or do you only reserve those when it comes to our own leadership?

The US has a lot to answer but so far they have been giving us a great story, but what about our own government and establishment? We have nothing to celebrate for. We cannot take out our flags and run across the country because chances are some jacket wallah somewhere will mar that celebration anyway. Instead, we have a lot to worry about now (once again assuming Osama was killed yesterday). The al Qaeda backlash, the ISI's supposed intelligence failure, the Pak leadership's silence and the media's confusion. As for the world hating us a bit more, I don't think that'll be a real problem -- those who need to get their tickets out of here, normally do manage to find a way to do so anyway. For those of us who are stuck here meanwhile, ask questions. Ask why Osama was there, why no one knew, how the US knew, why we stayed silent and most of all, why do never ever cease to disappoint ourselves.

As an after thought, also do ask why more than anyone else failing or insulting us, it is our own security establishment that takes the cake each time.

Shyema Sajjad is the Deputy Editor at Dawn.com
Posted by: Fred || 05/04/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  Did they for a second stop and ask for proof? No why would they, Obama saved the day (and his votes) – that’s all that mattered. I wish us Pakistanis had that kind of blind trust on our leaders’ statements.

Americans are asking for proof. Show the damn picture. Be done with it. The hell with sensibilities. Initial results indicate he was UBL. One of his wives identified him. The SEAL team ID'd him. The death picture supposedly is him. Initial DNA results indicate it is him. Biometrics indicate it is him. Getting rid of the body at sea makes sense--no shrines for future jihadist wannabees. Besides no country seemed to want the body which is understandable.

In the meantime, Party on...
Posted by: JohnQC || 05/04/2011 8:28 Comments || Top||

#2  We conquered Iraq on the mere threat of WMDs and the actuality of massive support of terrorism; the WMDs were subsequently found in abundance, labelled as insecticide.

Rather than worry whether or not President Obama provides proof of Mr. bin Laden's death, Mr. Sajjad and his compatriots ought to worry whether this American president will decide to use the actuality of Pakistani nukes, massive support of terror groups, and bin Laden's care and feeding by at least one faction of the Pakistani military establishment as an excuse to likewise conquer Pakistan. While rebuilding the country would take quite a bit more doing than did Iraq, the conquest itself would likely be no more difficult, given that the CIA has been resident there for the better part of a decade... and there is a kufr army just across the border in Afghanistan.

(Not that we're likely to go after Pakistan, but Barack Obama has been talking about it since 2007 or so.)
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/04/2011 12:10 Comments || Top||


Terror Networks
al Qaeda to split into Arab and Egyptian factions w/out bin Laden?
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/04/2011 14:31 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Osama bin Laden was never just the founder and leader of the group, but also an idea. He embodied the belief that their version of Islam was correct, that terrorism was the right weapon, and that they would ultimately be victorious.

Ye, ya, Obama invented muzzi terrorism.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 05/04/2011 15:18 Comments || Top||

#2  and that they would ultimately be victorious.

Or not, as the case may be, poor darlings.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/04/2011 17:17 Comments || Top||

#3 
Less filling! Tastes Great!!

People's Front of Judea vs. Judean People's Front.
Posted by: Penguin || 05/04/2011 18:57 Comments || Top||

#4  Osama had hundreds of millions of dollars that:

1) After s[ending it towards the defeat of the Soviets in Afghanistan he then used to build up the Taliban in Afghanistan, and then try to expand the reach of militant Islam into the heart of the USA.

2) He then kept financing the Taliban resistance until now.

Unless the Taliban can find another source of money such as the poppie fields, they may just start being bankrupt right about now.

Thier most reliable source of cash flow being gone now, may just about put them into a deep sleep for a while.
Posted by: Unolusing Mussolini1003 || 05/04/2011 22:17 Comments || Top||

#5  Splitting 's good. Let's see who's more righteous.

Aloha snackbar!
Posted by: twobyfour || 05/04/2011 22:58 Comments || Top||


Asia Times: Pakistan has a price to pay By Syed Saleem Shahzad (a different spin)
AoS note: do NOT use 'tiny' URLs in the source box; provide the full source URL. The mods need that to know how to handle posts. Thx.
Before Bin Laden's killing, hardly 10% of pro-Taliban militants were fighting against Pakistan. That is, 90% disagreed with Pakistan's policy of aligning with the US in the "war on terror", but they chose to keep their focus on fighting foreign forces in Afghanistan. Bin Laden's death has invited the wrath of all groups.
For example, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP - Pakistan Taliban), immediately announced it would avenge his death and declared Pakistan the number one enemy and the US as number two. On Monday evening, a suicide attack was carried out against police in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province, in which Abbottabad is located. The TTP claimed responsibility.
We live in very interesting times, indeed.
Posted by: Water Modem || 05/04/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:



Who's in the News
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2Govt of Syria
2al-Qaeda
2Hezbollah
2al-Qaeda in Pakistan
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1al-Shabaab
1Govt of Sudan
1Hamas
1Pirates

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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
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tu3031
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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2011-05-04
  No release of Bin Laden death pic
Tue 2011-05-03
  US: Pak Compound was Built Specifically for Bin Laden
Mon 2011-05-02
  Osama bin Laden sleeps widda fishes
Sun 2011-05-01
  Osama bin Laden dead
Sat 2011-04-30
  Saif al-Arab Gadhafi Reported Titzup
Fri 2011-04-29
  Blast kills 14 in Marrakesh; suicide bomber suspected
Thu 2011-04-28
  Some Syrian military units appear to be fighting each other.
Wed 2011-04-27
  Yemen's Ruling Party and Opposition To Sign Deal in Riyadh soon
Tue 2011-04-26
  NATO air strike pounds Gaddafi compound
Mon 2011-04-25
   470 inmates escape Kandahar jug
Sun 2011-04-24
  US carries out first drone strike in Libya
Sat 2011-04-23
  Yemen's president agrees to step down
Fri 2011-04-22
  Obama Authorizes Use of Drone Airstrikes in Libya...
Thu 2011-04-21
  Nigeria: Over 200 dead in the post-election riots
Wed 2011-04-20
  Syria government approves lifting state of emergency

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