Israel is Real

Iran Weighs Incentives to Halt Nuke Plans (AP)

2004-10-26T13:28:00.000-04:00

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran indicated it may suspend some unspecified nuclear activities after European powers offered a package of incentives in return for Tehran's promise to permanently give up uranium enrichment.

Meanwhile, a scientist said Iranian researchers have developed technology to produce zirconium, a key metal used in the heart of a nuclear reactor to produce nuclear fuel.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, told state television that Tehran was still studying the offer last week by Britain, Germany and France that included civilian nuclear technology and a trade deal.

"We are trying to choose the best course of work," he said.

--They thought about it...and then said....nahhhhhhhhh.

Andrew B.

Heavily Guarded Sharon Arrives for Vote (AP)

2004-10-26T13:11:00.000-04:00

By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM - A stormy two-day debate in the Israeli parliament wound down Tuesday ahead of a historic vote on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) and parts of the West Bank.

Approval was expected and would mark the first time the Knesset agreed to the uprooting of Jewish settlements in lands claimed by the Palestinians for a state.

--We will see how this pans out for both sides. You would think the "Palestinians" would be helping and looking forward to the pullout. Instead, they consider the pullout part of the occupation. It's like nothing will ever satisfy these people, until the destruction of Israel is complete. In my opinion.

Andrew B.

Insurgents: 11 Iraqi Guardsman Kidnapped (AP)

2004-10-26T13:07:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi insurgent group said on its Web site Tuesday it had taken 11 Iraqi National Guard soldiers hostage and showed pictures of them in uniform.

The Ansar al-Sunnah Army said the troops were captured on the highway between Baghdad and Hillah but did not say when they were seized. The posting included the names of all 11.

--This is just terrible news. My fingers are crossed and I pray that they either escape or their captors have a change of heart. I highly doubt the latter of the two.

Andrew B.

U.S. Airstrike Kills Al-Zarqawi Aide (AP)

2004-10-26T10:32:00.001-04:00

By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. airstrike in Fallujah on Tuesday killed an aide to Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the military said, while Iraq (news - web sites)'s interim prime minister blamed U.S.-led coalition forces for "great negligence" in the ambush that killed about 50 American-trained soldiers. An Iraqi insurgent group, meanwhile, said on a Web site it had taken 11 Iraqi National Guard soldiers hostage.

They were seized on a highway between Baghdad and Hillah, according to the Internet posting by the militant group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army. The posting included the names of all 11.

The authenticity of the posting could not immediately be verified. The movement claimed responsibility for a number of attacks and hostage takings, including the kidnap and murder of 12 Nepalese, who were seized in August.

The U.S. military said the early-morning raid in Fallujah struck a safe house used by al-Zarqawi's group. U.S. forces have stepped up aerial and artillery assaults on Fallujah in recent weeks in an attempt to root out insurgents.

--INSHALLAH...we will get Zarqawi and soon.

Andrew B.

Palestinian Blamed for Twin Sinai Attacks (AP)

2004-10-26T10:32:00.000-04:00

By SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt - A Palestinian refugee plotted the coordinated bombings targeting Israeli tourists at resorts in the Sinai and accidentally killed himself while carrying out the deadliest blast, Egyptian authorities said Monday.

Discounting the theory of al-Qaida involvement, an Interior Ministry statement said Ayad Said Saleh was motivated by the deteriorating situation in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip (news - web sites), which his relatives fled in 1967, and carried out the attack with the help of local residents.

--What a shock...I am just dombfounded...(sarcasm?)

Andrew B.

Let me leave and be free, pleads Israeli whistleblower Vanunu (AFP)

2004-10-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

LONDON (AFP) - Mordechai Vanunu, who was freed in April after 18 years in an Israeli prison for revealing the country's nuclear program, told the BBC in a television interview from Israel that he was desperate to start a new life elsewhere.

"I want to feel free, I'm not free here," said the 50-year-old Vanunu, who on release was subjected to a series of sweeping restrictions, including a ban on travelling abroad as well as holding unauthorised meetings with foreigners.

"The only way to feel and enjoy freedom and start my new life as a free human being will be when I can leave Israel and live my life in the US, in Europe or in London," he said.

Vanunu was sentenced in 1986 to 18 years in prison for "treason" and "espionage" after leaking top-secret details about the Dimona nuclear plant, where he was employed, to The Sunday Times.

"I tried to inform the world and to try to stop this nuclear proliferation," he said on Sunday in the live television interview with BBC's Breakfast with (David) Frost programme.

--He forgot endangering the ENTIRE state of Israel as one of his accomplishments.

Andrew B.

Large Explosion Shakes Downtown Baghdad (AP)

2004-10-24T13:11:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A large explosion shook downtown Baghdad on Sunday night, but its cause could not immediately be determined.

The blast occurred after sundown when Iraqi Muslims were taking their iftar meal, which breaks the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

--Lovely people...blowing people up. WTF is wrong with these people.

Andrew B.

700 politicians vow to end Mubarak's presidency (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-24T11:04:00.000-04:00

More than 650 politicians, activists and intellectuals issued a landmark joint statement saying they will push to amend Egypt's constitution to prevent Hosni Mubarak, the country's president for almost a quarter of a century, from standing for another term next year.

Mubarak, 76, has been Egypt's president and leader of the National Democratic Party since replacing his assassinated predecessor, Anwar Sadat, in 1981. His current six-year term ends in October, 2005 and he has not chosen a successor. In four previous presidential referendums, which require Egyptians to vote yes or no, he has been the sole candidate.

Some 689 people, ranging from Islamists to Communists and including 30 lawmakers, signed a petition Saturday in the name of The Popular Campaign for Reforms, an umbrella group formed last month to try to amend Egypt's constitution to limit a president to holding two terms only.

Among the signatories, including 26 human rights and civil society groups and opposition political parties, was the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamic group, which has 17 members represented in the Egyptian parliament as independents.

--No successor? I thought he was a president. A president is ELECTED to office...not succeded. This is all a farce.

Andrew B.

Car bomb explodes next to troops near Nablus (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-24T10:12:00.000-04:00

A car bomb blew up near IDF troops deployed in Beit Ilma near Nablus Sunday morning. No one was wounded in the attack.

It was the third car bomb to blow up in the Nablus area in the past month, and the fourth in the West Bank.

IDF sources said that the bomb was likely intended to be used for a larger terror attack, and detonated within Israeli territory, Israel Radio reported.

--I wish the IDF had special bomb sniffers that can automatically detonate the bombs as their being made by the terrorists. Or even better yet have these drone planes fly over head and detect the bombs.

Andrew B.

Bomb explodes near McDonald's restaurant in Turkey (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

A bomb exploded at the entrance of a McDonald's restaurant in the northeastern city of Trabzon on Sunday, injuring one passer-by, the Anatolia news agency said.

The explosion occurred in downtown Trabzon, a port city on the Black Sea.

Police were searching for a man who was seen escaping the area on foot and was believed to have planted the device.

The condition of the injured person was not immediately clear.

Several McDonald's restaurants have been targeted by attacks in Turkey in the past.

--Gee...I wonder...it must be those pesky Jews again, stirring up trouble.

Andrew B.

Iran rejects European demands over nuclear standoff (AFP)

2004-10-24T09:59:00.000-04:00

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran rejected European demands that it halt all uranium enrichment activities and described a proposal aimed at ending Tehran's nuclear standoff with the international community as "unbalanced."

"The European proposal is their preliminary proposition and is not definitive but it is unbalanced," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.

Iran is also refusing to suspend indefinitely work on enriching uranium, part of the nuclear fuel cycle, as called for in the deal offered to Tehran last week by the European Three of Britain, France and Germany, he added.

"In their proposal, the Europeans sought the suspension of enrichment until a comprehensive deal is reached. During the negotiations there is no question of an unlimited suspension," he told reporters.

--What a shocker...Iran doesn't want to make a deal. Shocked. (sarcasm?)

Andrew B.

Israel OKs Compensation for Gaza Settlers (AP)

2004-10-24T09:35:00.001-04:00

JERUSALEM - The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved legislation to pay compensation to settlers uprooted by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s Gaza withdrawal plan.

The 13-6 vote gave Sharon another boost as he pushes forward with the contentious plan. He faces an important battle on Tuesday, when the parliament will vote on the withdrawal.

The legislation approved Sunday includes guidelines for compensating settlers forced from their homes and penalties for settlers who resist evacuation orders. Sharon hopes to carry out the withdrawals next summer.

"The law will ease life as much as possible for the settlers who will be evacuated," Sharon told the ministers ahead of the vote. "I'm sure that even those who are opposed to disengagement will not want to make life difficult for the settlers."

--This is exactly what Sharon and his government need to do. These settlers need to be pampered and escorted to new fully functioning villages so that they can resume their lives. It is not an easy task to move an entire section of a country out peacefully and willingly. This is going to take some serious consideration by the Sharon government.

Andrew B.

50 Iraqi Soldiers Found Shot to Death (AP)

2004-10-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

By The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The bodies of about 50 Iraqi soldiers were found on a remote road in eastern Iraq (news - web sites), apparently the victims of an ambush as they were heading home on leave, Iraqi authorities said Sunday. Also, a State Department security officer was killed during a mortar or rocket attack at a U.S. base near the Baghdad airport.

The nature of the attack suggested an increased boldness and organization by insurgents, who, until now, have mainly used roadside bombs and suicide car bombs in their attacks on the Iraqi military and police.

Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said the victims were believed to have been killed about sundown Saturday on a road about 95 miles east of Baghdad near the Iranian border.

--Who says that it was Iraqi terrorists that murdered these brave men? If it was close to the Iranian border...who is to say that it wasn't the Iranians that did this? I am just throwing that one out there...It is a possibility.

Andrew B.

Study: Israel Still Responsible for Gaza (AP)

2004-10-24T09:31:00.000-04:00

By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM - Even if Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip (news - web sites), it will still be considered the occupying power under international law and as such responsible for the crowded territory, according to an internal Israeli government assessment obtained by The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) asked his Cabinet Sunday to approve legislation authorizing him to carry out his "disengagement plan", which foresees Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four isolated West Bank Jewish settlements in the summer of 2005.

Sharon was expected to win approval from his Cabinet, setting the stage for a parliamentary vote later this week.

But because Israel intends to maintain control over the crossings into Gaza, its coastline and airspace, international law will continue to hold the Jewish state responsible for the territory, according to the study by legal experts from the Justice Ministry, Foreign Ministry and the military.

"We must be aware that the disengagement does not necessarily exempt Israel from responsibility in the evacuated territories," said the 47-page report.

--Don't you love the spin on this? Even if Israel disengages the Gaza Strip...they are still occupying it. How the FUCK can you be an occupying power when your forces and people aren't even in the area in question??? This is crazy. Just keep blaming Israel for all of the "Palestinians'" problems. It's not like the Arab world is using the "Palestinian" people as pawns....nahhhhhhhhhhh.

Andrew B.

AP: Saddam Abused Oil-For-Food Program

2004-10-24T09:28:00.000-04:00

By DESMOND BUTLER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Interviews with dozens of former and current Iraqi officials by congressional investigators have produced new evidence that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) micromanaged business deals under the U.N. oil-for-food program to maximize political influence with important foreign governments like Russia and neighboring Arab states.

The Iraqi officials, who were flown outside of Iraq (news - web sites) for their own safety during the interviews, provided a list of foreign companies favored by Saddam and his top lieutenants for import contracts under the U.N. program. They also revealed a parallel blacklist of companies that the then-Iraq leader disqualified from getting deals, investigators told The Associated Press.

The precaution of redoubled secrecy comes after an Iraqi official involved in the oil-for-food investigation of corruption died in a car bombing in late June after speaking with investigators from the House International Relations Committee. The official, Ehsan Karim, who headed the Iraqi Finance Ministry's audit board, was interviewed in Amman, Jordan, on May 21.

The Iraqi officials also helped investigators identify Iraqi front companies, which operated abroad to solicit and process alleged bribes from foreign companies and to help facilitate imports for the Iraqi government, including dual-use military goods such as vehicles.

The oil-for-food program, which ran from 1996 to 2003, was created to permit the former Iraqi government to sell limited amounts of oil in exchange for humanitarian goods as an exception to U.N. sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

--They are just finding this out NOW??????? Eric Shawn and Claudia Rosette broke this story LAST YEAR. Talk about being irrelevant...

Andrew B.

Internet Tape Purportedly Shows Beheading (AP)

2004-10-24T09:26:00.000-04:00

CAIRO, Egypt - Iraqi militants beheaded a man, presumably Iraqi, who said he worked for the U.S. military in the northern city of Mosul for the past 10 months, according to a videotape posted on Islamic Web sites Saturday.

The killing was claimed by the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, a group that claimed responsibility for beheading a Turkish driver and an Arab Shiite Muslim in two tapes that surfaced earlier this month and 12 Nepalese construction workers, whose killings were shown in a video posted Aug. 31.

--How do these animals do it? They MUST really enjoy cutting heads off to do it this frequently. Sick fucks.

Andrew B.

Militants Kill Palestinian in Gaza Strip (AP)

2004-10-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants killed a Palestinian whose information they said helped Israel assassinate the group's founder and nine others, dumping the collaborator's bullet-ridden body near a trash can on a Gaza street where it was found Saturday.

--Lovely people...they treat each other with such respect. They really love life. You can just tell.

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of CNN

2004-10-23T23:50:00.000-04:00

Al-Jazeera

Sorry...

2004-10-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

I am sorry for not posting more links on my site, but the last few days have been really crazy at where I work. Sometimes I cannot control how much time I have to spend in front of the computer. I will try to post as much as I can, whenever I can.

Thank you for being patient...

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of the People's Republic of China

2004-10-22T23:55:00.000-04:00

Indifferent

Israel May Have Iran in Its Sights (LA TIMES)

2004-10-22T14:38:00.000-04:00

By Laura King Times Staff Writer

JERUSALEM — Increasingly concerned about Iran's nuclear program, Israel is weighing its options and has not ruled out a military strike to prevent the Islamic Republic from gaining the capability to build atomic weapons, according to policymakers, military officials, analysts and diplomats.

Israel would much prefer a diplomatic agreement to shut down Iran's uranium enrichment program, but if it concluded that Tehran was approaching a "point of no return," it would not be deterred by the difficulty of a military operation, the prospect of retaliation or the international reaction, officials and analysts said.

--I am telling you guys...it is only a matter of time now. I would say around May or June of 2005. We are going to see a decisive strike against Iran. Get the jets ready!

Andrew B.

Abducted Aid Worker Pleads for Life (AP)

2004-10-22T13:58:00.000-04:00

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Margaret Hassan, the kidnapped director of CARE International in Iraq (news - web sites), wept and pleaded for Britain to act to save her life in a video aired Friday. "Please help me. This might be my last hours," the gaunt Hassan begged, shaking with fear and burying her face in a tissue.

The wrenching appeal by Hassan puts new political pressure on Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites)'s government after it agreed to a U.S. request to redeploy troops to the Baghdad region to free up American forces for a new assault on insurgents.

Hassan, an Irish-British-Iraqi citizen who has been doing humanitarian work in Iraq for 30 years, pleaded with Britons to persuade Blair not to carry out the redeployment and warned she might meet the same fate as British hostage Kenneth Bigley, who was beheaded by his captors.

No foreign women have been killed in the wave of kidnappings that has struck Iraq. More than 150 foreigners have been abducted, and at least 33 of those have been killed, but the women among them have been freed unharmed.

--This is really over the top. These terrorists will stop at nothing to get their way. Which only reinforces the notion that we must destroy these animals before they can do this again with other innocent and decent HUMAN BEINGS.

Andrew B.

Palestinians Attack After Hamas Killing (AP)

2004-10-22T13:56:00.000-04:00

By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Defiant Palestinian militants pounded Jewish settlements in the southern Gaza Strip (news - web sites) with mortar fire Friday, following the killing of a top Hamas militant in an Israeli airstrike.

Tens of thousands of angry Hamas supporters joined the funeral procession for Adnan al-Ghoul, 46, a founder and deputy chief of the Hamas military wing who was on Israel's most-wanted list since 1990.

Mourners and leaders of the Islamic militant group threatened revenge attacks against Israel. The group, which opposes the Jewish state's existence, has killed hundreds of Israelis in the past four years of fighting.

"Hamas is loyal to the blood of its martyrs and will continue on the path of holy war and resistance until we achieve victory by defeating the Zionists," Ismail Hanieh, a Hamas leader, said in a rare appearance at a Gaza City mosque.

--Time to turn those tanks around, Izzy. Head back into Gaza and get these terrorists.

Andrew B.

U.N.: Hundreds of Palestinians Homeless (AP)

2004-10-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

By LARA SUKHTIAN, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM - Israel's recent 17-day military offensive in the northern Gaza Strip (news - web sites) killed 107 Palestinians, left nearly 700 homeless and caused more than $3 million dollars in property damage, a U.N. aid agency said in a report Friday.

Operation "Days of Penitence" was launched Sept. 29 in response to rocket fire on Israeli towns that killed five Israelis in recent months.

In the bloodiest campaign in Gaza in four years of fighting, some 200 armored vehicles and 2,000 soldiers patrolled the northern part of the strip to keep rocket launchers out of the range of Israeli communities.

During the campaign, 107 Palestinians were killed and 431 wounded, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which cares for Palestinian refugees.

Ninety-one homes were demolished, making 675 Palestinians homeless, UNRWA said. In addition, 101 houses, home to 833 people, sustained damage, the report said.

UNRWA said it will cost $2.5 million to rebuild the private homes.

--Does this report even remotely suggest that the "Palestinians" shouldn't have given sanctuary to these terrorists? Or better yet, does the report try to equate killing terrorists with 'genocide' bombers that destroy entire families in Israel? Pathetic...

Andrew B.

Family: Turkish Hostage Escapes in Iraq (AP)

2004-10-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

ISTANBUL, Turkey - A Turkish welder who was kidnapped in Iraq (news - web sites) and threatened with death if his company did not withdraw from the neighboring nation, has escaped his captors, his family said Friday.

Abdurrahman Yildirim, 21, was who reportedly abducted last week, called his family Wednesday to say he escaped and was free, his uncle Mehmet Balli said by telephone from the southern town of Osmaniye.

Yildirim's mother, Fatma, told the Anatolia news agency that her son fled when one of his captors left the door open where he was being held. He then went to a market and contacted Iraqi police. He was later brought to U.S. authorities, Fatma Yildirim was quoted as saying.

--What a brave young man. I guess when your back is against the wall like that...you either accept your fate or you take a chance on freedom. Good for him. I am proud of this young Turk for taking a stand against his captors.

Andrew B.

Shocker of the Day: Pro-Syrian Politician Named Lebanese PM (AP)

2004-10-22T13:45:00.000-04:00

By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's president appointed staunchly pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as prime minister on Thurdsday, asking him to form the next government in a move that consolidates Syria's hold on Lebanese politics.

Karami replaces billionaire Rafik Hariri, who has had a long rivalry with President Emil Lahoud — a close ally of Damascus — and who announced a day earlier he would not continue as prime minister in the new government.

--I know you're just as shocked as I am...(sarcasm?)

Andrew B.

Hamas Leader Had Eluded Israel for Years (AP)

2004-10-22T13:38:00.000-04:00

By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Adnan al-Ghoul, the Hamas military leader assassinated in an Israeli missile strike Thursday, had long eluded Israeli forces through a mixture of stealth and luck.

Al-Ghoul, 46, joined Hamas in 1988 when the group was in its infancy, and went on to help found its military wing. He became the organization's top bomb-maker after Israel assassinated Yehiya Ayash, known as "the engineer," in 1996.

Al-Ghoul also developed the homemade Qassam rocket as well as anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, according to Palestinian and Israeli military officials. Palestinian militants have fired dozens of Qassams into southern Israel in recent years, and Israel launched a broad offensive into Gaza late last month after a rocket attack killed two Israeli preschoolers.

--I have 3 words for Mr. Al-Ghoul (who really lived up to his name), ROT IN HELL!

Andrew B.

Great article at Jerusalem Post: Where Israel ends

2004-10-22T13:26:00.000-04:00

No longer nomadic, and making the most of the welfare state's handouts, the Negev's 145,000 Beduin are rapidly multiplying, increasingly involved in crime and terror, and fast emerging as a strategic problem

Driving south into the heart of the Negev the xeric land seems to sprout nothing but countless tin shacks and cinderblock houses. The landscape around Beersheba, especially to the east and south, is speckled with dozens of shantytowns, dotting the horizon as far as one can see.

They do not appear on any state maps. They exist in another country. Turn off the road and you leave law and order on the shoulders of the highway where Israel unofficially ends. This is Beduin country, where tribalism rules, radical Islam has taken hold, and anarchy and unemployment breed crime.

Some view this as the natural result of decades of racist government neglect, budgetary miserliness and lack of vision. Others, however, see it as the most monumental land grab in the state's history due to symptomatic lack of spine to enforce the law equally for Beduin and Jew.

The bottom line, regardless of who's to blame, is that a situation has been created in the Negev that has not only brought the Beduin way of life to the last stages of defeat, but also, in its wake, created a mushrooming threat to Israel's strategic and demographic future in the South.

--Very interesting article and it does raise some good points about the future of Israel in the South. To be honest...I have no idea of how the Israelis can fix the problem in the South. The Bedouin live away from society and do not want to be part of the large cities like the other "Palestinians". No one really knows how Israel can ammend this dilema, but all i know is that Israel has to in order to keep the peace with these nomadic people.

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of NPR (National Public Radio) pt. 2

2004-10-21T23:55:00.000-04:00

National Palestinian Radio

Iran Unlikely to Make Nuclear Concessions (AP)

2004-10-21T20:08:00.000-04:00

By WILLIAM J. KOLE, Associated Press Writer

VIENNA, Austria - Iran is unlikely to accept European incentives aimed at getting it to suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats said Thursday, raising the prospect of a showdown next month between Tehran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency.

Envoys from Britain, France and Germany offered civilian nuclear technology and a trade deal to the Iranians in a private meeting at the French mission to international organizations in Vienna. But Western diplomats said they doubt Iran will back down easily.

Iran did not immediately respond to the incentives, which included the promise of lucrative trade, a light-water nuclear research reactor and the chance to buy nuclear fuel from the West.

--Gee...What a shocker.

Andrew B.

Summary: Coalition Troops in Iraq (AP)

2004-10-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

Countries with troops in Iraq:

United States: 135,000

United Kingdom: 8,500

Italy: 3,000

South Korea (news - web sites): 2,800

Poland: 2,400

Ukraine: 1,600

Netherlands: 1,345

Romania: 700

Japan: 550

Denmark: 500

Bulgaria: 480

El Salvador (news - web sites): 380

Australia: 300

Hungary: 300

Mongolia: 173

Azerbaijan: 151

Georgia: 150

Latvia: 133

Portugal: 120

Slovakia: 105

Czech Republic: 90

Lithuania: 90

Albania: 71

Estonia: 45

Kingdom of Tonga: 44

Macedonia: 32

Kazakhstan: 27

Moldova: 12

--Coalition of the Schilling? I think NOT!

Andrew B.

U.N. to Increase Unarmed Staff in Sudan (AP)

2004-10-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS, Associated Press Writer

GENEVA - The United Nations (news - web sites) will increase the number of unarmed staff in Sudan's Darfur region in hopes their presence will increase security for a population frightened by continuing government and militia attacks, an official said Thursday.

The violence has hampered efforts by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to help displaced residents of Darfur, and its staff has been largely restricted to caring for 200,000 Sudanese who have crossed into Chad to avoid attacks.

"The security is a bit iffy," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said. "Over the last two weeks there have been a series of incidents which have stymied movements by UNHCR. The teams we have on the ground have had to turn back several times because we have had various security incidents."

--Why does this NOT sound like a good idea?

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs

2004-10-20T23:55:00.000-04:00

Web Warrior

Pakistan Says Holding Yemeni 'Qaeda Leader (Reuters)

2004-10-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested a Yemeni national who is an important figure in al Qaeda's new leadership and another foreign national who is one of the network's communications specialists, officials said on Wednesday.

The Yemeni, identified as Saleh Nauman, was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore about 10 days ago while trying to slip out of Pakistan, an intelligence official told Reuters.

"He is an important figure in al Qaeda's new leadership," said the official, who asked not to be named. "He had been here in Pakistan and Afghanistan (news - web sites) for the last eight years and wanted to sneak out of the country."

+++++++++++++++++

This just in...BREAKING NEWS

Pakistan arrests 'important' Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistani security forces arrested an Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative in the northwestern city of Peshawar bordering Afghanistan (news - web sites), a security official said.

The official identified the man as Abdul Rehman and said he was on the most wanted list of the US Central Intleligence Agency (CIA (news - web sites)).

"He is an important Al-Qaeda operative who had been hiding in Pakistan," the official who could not be identified told AFP on Wednesday.

"He did not offer any resistance when security forces raided his hideout a few days ago."

--Big new out of Pakistan today. 2 Major figures back to back captures. Indeed the world of al-Qaeda is getting smaller by the day.

Andrew B.

Lebanese PM Resigns, Dissolves Cabinet (AP)

2004-10-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Prime Minister Rafik Hariri resigned, dissolved his Cabinet and made the surprise announcement Wednesday that he would not try to form the next government, dropping out of the political scene at a time when Syria's role in Lebanon is being challenged by the United Nations (news - web sites).

Hariri, a self-made billionaire who has led Lebanon most of the time since the 1975-1990 civil war ended, has been in a rivalry with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud for years.

--You have to love those NEW reforms in Lebanon.

Andrew B.

Bahraini Activist's Jailing Sparks Protest (AP)

2004-10-20T13:37:00.000-04:00

By ADNAN MALIK, Associated Press Writer

MANAMA, Bahrain - Supporters of a Bahraini human rights worker scuffled with police and shouted slogans against the prime minister outside the court Wednesday as a judge denied bail to the activist, who is being prosecuted after criticizing the Gulf nation's leadership.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of about 100 supporters of Abdul-Hadi al-Khawajah, executive director of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who was detained Sept. 25 after publicly calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheik Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Al-Khawajah, who arrived in court in hand-cuffs, pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting hatred against the government and circulating false information about government officials.

--Waiting for the Media to pick this story up...(cue the crickets)...This is what we call shameful reporting. The sad thing is that this will be the ONLY article printed about this protest.

It's like no one even gives a shit about freedom or anything.

Andrew B.

Bizarro Bit of the Day: Al-Zarqawi's Group in Iraq Changes Name (AP)

2004-10-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

CAIRO, Egypt - Tawhid and Jihad, the Iraqi militant group of terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, apparently has changed its name two days after announcing its merger with Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al-Qaida organization.

An Internet statement released Tuesday under the purported new name, al-Qaida of Jihad in the Land of Two Rivers, claimed responsibility for an attack on a U.S. military convoy west of the Iraqi city of Fallujah the same day. The two rivers in the new name refers to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq (news - web sites).

--Is it just me...or does anyone find this to be really BIZARRO?

Andrew B.

Al-Zarqawi's Pledge May Show Weakness (AP)

2004-10-20T13:32:00.000-04:00

By LOUIS MEIXLER, Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey - The purported pledge by terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to unite with Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s group raises the horrifying specter of two of the world's most dangerous terrorists working together, though it may be a sign of weakness rather than strength.

Al-Zarqawi's group, which has claimed responsibility for beheading foreigners in Iraq (news - web sites) and car bombings, could be trying to shore up its support in the radical Islamic community as it faces relentless U.S. bombings in Iraq targeting the organization's leadership.

Linking up with bin Laden would also give al-Zarqawi's group better access to funding and potential recruits through the al-Qaida network, analysts and officials said.

"They're circling the wagons," said Matt Levitt, director of terrorism studies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

--Well...it's time to blow those fucking wagons up and destroy them completely. How do you like those apples al-Qaeda?

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of Noam Chomsky

2004-10-19T23:55:00.000-04:00

In the clouds

Cox + Forkum Cartoon: 10/19/04 - Hot Water

2004-10-19T19:49:00.000-04:00

Spanish Judge: Morocco Biggest Terror Threat to Europe (Fox News - AP)

2004-10-19T18:02:00.000-04:00

MADRID, Spain — Europe's biggest terrorist threat is Morocco (search) — seething with as many as 1,000 Al Qaeda adherents capable of homicide attacks and skilled at slipping through the continent's southern gateway, Spain's leading anti-terrorism judge testified Thursday.

The impoverished kingdom just a short ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar has about 100 Al Qaeda (search)-linked cells that raise money by dealing hashish, fencing luxury cars and smuggling people into Spain, Judge Baltasar Garzon (search) told lawmakers investigating the Madrid train bombings. Most of the 17 suspects jailed in the March 11 bombings, which killed 190 people, are Moroccan.

"They use every means and mechanism, and their activity can even be initially perceived as ordinary delinquency," Garzon said of the cells.

--I have been saying this for years...does anyone listen to me? NOOOOOOO!

Andrew B.

Afghanistan: Weapons cache stuns Canucks (Jihad Watch)

2004-10-19T17:47:00.000-04:00

Canadian soldiers attached to the Afghan National Army (ANA) have stirred up a hornet's nest in Kabul by being too efficient.

They've "discovered" a huge Soviet ammunition dump a few kilometres from Camp Julien with the potential of obliterating the camp, as well as most of Kabul....

In the dusty foothills, 10 minutes drive from Camp Julien (population 2,000), 82 buried bunkers, each 20-metres long, housed thousands of Soviet FROG missiles (one step down from Scud missiles), and every variety of rocket and mortar shells.

Some of the FROG missiles were still in their original cases. Some heaped in the open. Some stacked to the roof in the unlocked, open bunkers. Much of the ordnance had warheads removed to collect the explosive for homemade bombs -- or for blasting at a nearby quarry.

"Unbelievable!" was Maj. Brian Hynes' reaction when he saw them. "We (troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)) have been here some two years, and no one knew this was at our back door. Unbelievable."

In truth, the Soviet bunkers were well-known in an area supposedly under control of the Afghan Militia Force (AMF) -- not to be confused with the ANA. The AMF is paid by various warlords and so their loyalty is to them....

Many of the rockets, missiles and shells had been pried open for the explosives, which are used peacefully to blast mountain rock into gravel, and by those who want to make bombs that disrupt Kabul....

I've never seen anything like it. The feeling is that AMF soldiers were selling access to the dump or permitting friends to enter it.

--Hmmmm...What are the odds that these weapons would be used against our troops or Afghanis.

Andrew B.

Some people just can't take a hint... (Internet :: Haganah)

2004-10-19T17:27:00.000-04:00

http://www.ansar-army.8m.com/ - down
http://www.ansar-army.4t.com/ - down
http://www.ansar-army.i8.com/ - down
http://www.ansar-army.8k.com/ - next?

--Aaron...keep doing what you're doing.

Andrew B.

Terrorists Kill Soldier (INN)

2004-10-19T17:20:00.000-04:00

Arab terrorists gunned down and killed an Israeli soldier Tuesday afternoon near the community of Mevo Datan in northern Samaria.

Arab terrorists gunned down and killed an Israeli soldier Tuesday afternoon near the community of Mevo Datan in northern Samaria. Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Yassar Arafat’s Fatah group, said the attack was in response to recent Israeli anti-terror actions in the Gaza Strip.

The victim, not yet identified, died while being transported to a hospital by an Army helicopter.

Army spokesmen said at least one sniper was waiting on a nearby hilltop for a victim. Soldiers searched a nearby village for the killers.

--These terrorists are pathetic...utterly pathetic.

Andrew B.

Joke of the Day: Militia wants observers at US election (AFP)

2004-10-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

TEHRAN: Iran's hardline Basij militia has written to UN secretary general Kofi Annan to ask if the Islamic republic can send observers to the US presidential election in November, a government newspaper said on Monday.

"By this symbolic request, we want to ridicule the so-called democratic slogans of the American leaders," a Basij official, Said Toutunshian, told the Iran newspaper.

"We want to say to the whole world that the presence of observers from the Islamic republic of Iran, the most democratic regime in the world, is necessary to guarantee the smooth running of the American elections."

The Basij is a volunteer army attached to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic republic's ideological army.

Predominantly Western groups frequently send observers to pass judgment on the "democratic status" of elections in other countries.

--You have to be kidding me. This is a joke right? Someone tell me please that this is a joke.

Andrew B.

Jerusalem First Israeli City to Go Live with Free Wireless Internet Network (IMRA)

2004-10-19T13:30:00.000-04:00

The event, with the participation of Ivri Lieder, Maya Bouskila and 'Sweet peanut at the circus' band will take place Monday November 1 (17 Heshvan)
between 18:00 - 23:00

Installation of the first stage of the wireless networking infrastructure in Jerusalem's city center has just been completed. To mark its completion, there will be a launch event organized by the Jerusalem Business Development Corporation, with participation and support from Intel, Compumat, the Jerusalem Municipality, Cisco, 012 and Check Point. The event will take place on Monday November 1 (17 Heshvan) between 17:30 - 23:00, in Safra Square.

Jerusalem, the First Israeli City to Go Live with Free Wireless Internet Network, will join other major cities around the world providing a combination of entertainment and business service, conveniently, easily and at high speed (54 megabytes per second). Every resident and visitor to Unwire Jerusalem wi-fi zones will be able to surf the internet without the need of a cable connection, and enjoy free internet services by means of a laptop computer, hand-held computer or external wireless card connecting an existing computer. In the first stage of the project, which took around 3 months, a wireless infrastructure was laid and "hot spots" were installed in central areas in the city, with the assistance and support of the project sponsors and with the help of volunteers from Compumat and Intel as well as
the JBDC.

--Congrats to Israel. I wonder how many Arab countries have wireless networks?

Andrew B.

UK, Germany to Iran: Suspend nuclear program (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-19T13:28:00.000-04:00

LONDON

The foreign ministers of Britain and Germany on Tuesday urged Iran to indefinitely suspend its nuclear program and avoid a showdown next month with the U.N. nuclear agency.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and his German counterpart Joschka Fischer said the international community lacked confidence in Iran, which last year agreed to suspend uranium enrichment, but has since resumed testing, assembling and making centrifuges used in the process.

"Iran has yet to give us the confidence we need about its intentions," Straw said at a joint news conference. "We cannot go on indefinitely but Iran could still give us that confidence by introducing an indefinite suspension of its enrichment and processing activities."

--Strong language coming from Germany? Can it be true?

Andrew B.

Al-Masri charged for incitement to murder (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

British authorities on Tuesday charged radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri with urging followers to kill non-Muslims and other offenses in a 16-count indictment that pre-empts a U.S. extradition bid.

Al-Masri appeared at Belmarsh Magistrates Court, where prosecutors read out the charges, only one of which fell under anti-terror legislation. The others fell under ordinary criminal law.

He also faces 11 terrorist charges in the United States, but Judge Timothy Workman granted a request from a lawyer representing the United States to suspend the extradition case until the British case was completed.

Al-Masri did not apply for bail. He faced a preliminary hearing at the Central Criminal Court on Oct. 26.

The British indictment includes 10 charges of soliciting or encouraging people to murder a person or people who did not believe in the Islamic faith.

--Rot in hell Al-Masri aka "the Egyptian".

Andrew B.

Spain Seizes Islamic Militants Suspected of Plot (Reuters)

2004-10-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

MADRID (Reuters) - Police arrested seven suspected Islamic militants in raids across Spain on Monday to foil a planned bomb attack on the High Court, judicial sources said.

The arrests came seven months after train bombs killed 191 people in Madrid.

The seven suspects, including four Algerians and one Moroccan, were arrested in the southern region of Andalusia, the Mediterranean city of Valencia and Madrid.

Further arrests could be made in the coming hours as part of the operation against a radical and violent Muslim network, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Crusading Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the arrests as part of his inquiry into Islamic militant cells in Spain.

The suspects had been in contact with other individuals in Europe, the United States and Australia, the statement said.

--Great work Spain...keep up the hunt.

Andrew B.

Arafat for JFK

2004-10-19T11:03:00.000-04:00

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is hoping John Kerry wins the presidential election in November, several Palestinian leaders told WorldNetDaily.

Arafat deputy and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told WND in an exclusive interview that while “we do not involve ourselves in internal American politics,” at the same time “our region has been sliding deeper and deeper into chaos because of certain policies over the past few years, and this needs to change.”

While he would not directly endorse Kerry, it was clear Erekat was implying the PA wants a change in White House leadership: “If things continue the way they are, if certain policies toward our region are maintained in the years to come, there is going to be a lot of violence on both sides.”

--Disgusting...but predictable.

Andrew B.

As if we give a rat's ass: Mahathir's advice on US Elections

2004-10-19T10:56:00.000-04:00

Open letter to American Muslims

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the past four years, during the Presidency of George W. Bush, the Muslims and their countries have suffered oppression and humiliation as never before in the history of Islam. There is an obvious connection between the sufferings of the Muslims and the policies and thinking of Bush.

We cannot expect much change to the policies of the United States of America towards Islam and the Muslims under Democrats as under Republicans. But we have a duty to ensure that Bush will not be able to determine our fate for four more years.

Kerry may not be any different. But the candidates for the Presidency of the United States must be made aware that in democratic America, Muslim citizens have a voice and can influence the selection of the rulers of the country.

Bush has shown that despite his protests, he is the cause of the tragedies in Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq. People, including children, women, sick and disabled people, have been and are being killed in these countries who otherwise would be alive today. Under the pretext of attacking terrorists, whole towns and villages with their populations are being destroyed by rockets and bombs.

In Palestine, Israeli gun-ships and tanks razed villages and towns to the ground killing innocent men, women and children. All these are done with the approval of President Bush and his veto in the United Nations Security Council. There is no doubt that he will continue to do this if re-elected.

--Do I even have to make a comment? I think his words speak volumes of his HATE.

Andrew B.

Putin: Terror Attacks Aimed at Bush (AP)

2004-10-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) said Monday that terrorists are aiming to derail U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s chances at re-election through their attacks in Iraq (news - web sites).

"I consider the activities of terrorists in Iraq are not as much aimed at coalition forces but more personally against President Bush (news - web sites)," Putin said at a news conference after a regional summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

"International terrorism has as its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term," he said. "If they achieve that goal, then that will give international terrorism a new impulse and extra power."

--Putin for Bush in '04.

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of Edward Said

2004-10-18T23:58:00.000-04:00

Holocaust Revision

Secretary-General of the Egyptian Labor Party: 'Those Who Bomb Fallujah Cannot Prevent Me from Bombing Los Angeles' (MEMRI)

2004-10-18T17:06:00.000-04:00

Magdi Ahmad Hussein, the Secretary-General of the Egyptian Labor (Islamist) Party, recently appeared on Al-Jazeera TV, declaring that attacks against U.S. troops and civilians in Iraq are legitimate, and that hostage taking is permitted by Islam. He also called for clerics and fighters to go to fight in Iraq, defended the bombings in Taba, andargued that the American attack on Fallujah legitimizes a future terror attack in Los Angeles. To view the MEMRI TV clip of Hussein's statements, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=292. The following are excerpts from the program: [1]

'Legitimate Violence' in Iraq and the Taba Attacks

"The violence is currently directed at the occupation. This is legitimate violence. This is Jihad against occupiers. 99% of the violent operations target the foreign occupation of the Arab and Islamic nation. Therefore, they are not included in the conflict with the [Arab] rulers.

"From the strategic perspective, the vast majority of operations are proper. As for Taba, as I've said, the entire Egyptian nation demands that tourists be banned from entering Egypt. It is inconceivable that Egypt has become a resort for the Israeli army.

"The Israeli army kills in Palestine in the morning and then comes to relax and gamble in Taba. Abominations that are forbidden in Israel, such as gambling, are allowed in Egypt. But the main issue is that Egypt has become a resort for the Zionist army."

--I can't wait for this guy to speak at my temple...(sarcasm).

Andrew B.

Iraq Said to Decline Muslim Peacekeepers (AP)

2004-10-18T16:42:00.000-04:00

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Iraqi government officials and commanders of the U.S.-led military coalition killed a proposal by Saudi Arabia for a Muslim peacekeeping force in Iraq (news - web sites), the White House said Monday, citing concerns over who would be in charge.

Responding to reports in two newspapers, spokesman Scott McClellan said the interim Iraqi government in Baghdad had "some real concerns" about having troops from a neighboring country inside Iraq.

"The multinational force commanders also had some concerns about forces operating outside the chain of command," the White House spokesman said. Most of the multinational force commanders are Americans, as are the majority of forces.

--I am glad they decided this. Who would have been in charge of these Muslim armies from various countries? Would they have taken orders from American or British commanders? Questions I guess...will never be answered.

Andrew B.

Zarqawi Movement Vows al-Qaida Allegiance (AP)

2004-10-18T09:35:00.000-04:00

By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The militant group led by terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, believed to be behind many deadly attacks in Iraq (news - web sites), has declared its allegiance to Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), citing the need for unity against "the enemies of Islam."

The declaration, which appeared Sunday on a Web site used as a clearinghouse for statements by militant groups, said al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group and al-Qaida had been in communication eight months ago and "viewpoints were exchanged" before the dialogue was interrupted.

"God soon blessed us with a resumption in communication, and the dignified brothers in al-Qaida understood the strategy of Tawhid and Jihad," said the statement, whose authenticity could not be confirmed.

The statement ran a Quranic verse encouraging Muslim unity and said al-Zarqawi considered bin Laden "the best leader for Islam's armies against all infidels and apostates."

--Oh but I thought John Kerry said that there is no connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda?

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of the Associated Press

2004-10-17T23:45:00.000-04:00

About Palestine

Top Kerry Donor Faces Allegations About Iranian Propaganda (NewsMax)

2004-10-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

(Hat tip: Teri)

Marc Morano, CNSNews.com
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004
A pro-democracy Iranian group based in the United States accuses a top fund-raiser for Democrat presidential nominee John Kerry of aiding radical Iranian clerics.

The Kerry fund-raiser is scheduled to be deposed in a civil lawsuit next week involving accusations that he has served as an agent for the Islamic government of Iran. A group of Iranian expatriates, Student Movement Coordinating Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI), and two American authors plan to hold a press conference this week to discuss the Iranian regime's influence on Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign. The event will take place Thursday at the National Press Club.

SMCCDI has alleged that Kerry presidential campaign fund-raiser Hassan Nemazee, a New York-based investment banker, has used his position to advance the agenda of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

That agenda includes normalizing relations between Iran and the United States and opening trade and investment, according to SMCCDI. The group has called Nemazee one of "Iran's American propagandists."

--Is anyone looking into this? You would think that this is a MAJOR charge against an individual...regardless if it is Bush, Cheney, Edwards or Kerry. If there are charges of this size...then a federal investigation should take place.

Andrew B.

The Lucky Cities That Get to View 'Stolen Honor' (NewsMax)

2004-10-17T11:30:00.000-04:00

Readers have been eager not only to know which anti-choice Democrat senators are fighting Sinclair Broadcast Group's First Amendment right to show "Stolen Honor," they also have been asking which cities have Sinclair's TV stations.

Click the link above and see if your city is listed.

Abdurhman Alamoudi sentenced to 23 years in prison in terror financing case (ice.gov)

2004-10-17T11:04:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A U.S. citizen has been sentenced to 23 years in jail on charges related to his activities in the United States and abroad with nations and organizations that have ties to terrorism, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security announced today. Abdurahman M. Alamoudi, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Eritrea, was sentenced to 276 months in jail by District Judge Claude M. Hilton in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, this morning.

On July 30, 2004, Alamoudi pleaded guilty to three federal offenses: one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which imposes terrorism-related sanctions prohibiting unlicensed travel to and commerce with Libya; one count of false statements made in his application for naturalization; and a tax offense involving a long-term scheme to conceal from the IRS his financial transactions with Libya and his foreign bank accounts and to omit material information from the tax returns filed by his charities.

As part of a plea agreement, Alamoudi agreed to cooperate fully and truthfully in any and all investigations, including an ongoing investigation into a plot to assassinate an ally in the war against terrorism. Under the terms of that plea agreement, Alamoudi also agreed that he should be sentenced under the terrorism provision of the federal sentencing guidelines, and he agreed to forfeit all proceeds from his illegal dealings with Libya, which total at least $910,000, including $340,000 seized from him in the United Kingdom.

--23 years isn't enough for this terrorist enabler and supporter.

Andrew B.

PA to hang man for 'collaborating' with Israel (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

A Palestinian man was sentenced to death by hanging on Saturday after being found guilty of "collaborating" with Israel. Another three Palestinians were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three years to 10 years on the same charges.

Yusef Hassan Sinwar, 31, of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, was convicted by a Palestinian Authority civil court of assisting the IDF in tracking down and killing wanted activists. In passing the death sentence, the first by the PA in two and a half years, the judges noted that he had "undermined the power of resistance of the Palestinian people by serving as a collaborator with the enemy."

Sinwar was arrested in October 2001 by the PA's General Intelligence Force in the Gaza Strip. This is the first time that a Palestinian accused of collaboration with Israel is sentenced to death by hanging. In the past, Palestinians convicted of the same charges were sentenced to death by a firing squad.

--Lovely people. This is how they treat themselves...let alone the Israelis. One can only imagine if an Israeli found him/herself in a "Palestinian" town.

Andrew B.

Cox + Forkum Cartoon: 10/13/04 - Grave Evidence

2004-10-17T10:49:00.000-04:00

Switzerland Deports Lebanese Hijacker (AP)

2004-10-17T10:39:00.000-04:00

BERN, Switzerland - A Lebanese hijacker who served 17 years in a Swiss prison for killing a passenger and seriously wounding a flight attendant in 1987 has been released and deported to Lebanon, officials said Sunday.

Hussein Hariri agreed to immediate deportation and was sent to Beirut Tuesday on a chartered plane with two other Lebanese who had been living in Switzerland illegally, said Dominique Boillat, spokesman for the Federal Refugee Office, confirming a report in the weekly Le Matin Dimanche.

Hariri was sentenced to life in prison after he commandeered an Air Afrique DC-10 flying from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, to Paris on July 23, 1987. He demanded the release of Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners held by France, West Germany and Israel.

--Why let this animal out in the open? The Socialist mentality is that these kinds of "people", if you want to call them that, can be rehabilitated and let back into society. The worst thing about this whole thing is that he is going back to Lebanon where he can contribute to terrorism on a full time basis.

Andrew B.

Jordan Indicts Al-Zarqawi in Conspiracy (AP)

2004-10-17T10:37:00.000-04:00

By JAMAL HALABY, Associated Press Writer

AMMAN, Jordan - Jordan's military prosecutor indicted Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, one of the most wanted insurgents in Iraq (news - web sites), and 12 other alleged Muslim militants Sunday for an alleged al-Qaida linked plot to attack the U.S. Embassy in Amman and Jordanian government targets with chemical and conventional weapons, government officials said.

The foiled plot was first revealed by Jordan in April.

Lt. Col. Mahmoud Obeidat summoned nine of the 13 terror suspects who are already in custody and read them the charges in the indictment, the officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Four suspects, including al-Zarqawi, are still at large and will be tried in absentia, the officials said. The trial was expected to begin in early to mid November.

--One of the main things the coaltion NEED to accomplish is...get Zarqawi as soon as possible. He is not the end all to the problems in Iraq, but it would be a huge victory for the coalition.

Andrew B.

Annan: Iraq War Hasn't Made World Safer (AP)

2004-10-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

LONDON - The U.S.-led war in Iraq (news - web sites) hasn't made the world any safer, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) said in a British TV interview aired Sunday.

"I cannot say the world is safer when you consider the violence around us, when you look around you and see the terrorist attacks around the world and you see what is going on in Iraq," Annan told the ITV network.

"We have a lot of work to do as an international community to try and make the world safer," he said.

Annan has previously described the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam Hussien (news - web sites) as "illegal."

--This is coming from the guy that headed an organization that allowed the largest case of fraud and funding of world terrorism. I am talking about the "Oil for Food" Program. Documents that have emerged tell a story of lies and fraud and the secret world of terrorism. Money that was supposed to go to the Iraqi people wound up in the hands of Saddam Hussien. Saddam paid the families of "genocide bombers". After the fall of Saddam...money from his accounts were used to fund the insurgents and other terrorists.

So when Annan says that the world isn't safer...he's full of shit. The world is better off without Saddam Hussien. Period. What is wrong with these people? All this Monday morning quaterbacking is making me sick to my stomach.

Andrew B.

Got a bunch in Saudi Arabia :: Saudi Forces Arrest 4 Suspected Militants (AP)

2004-10-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

By DONNA ABU-NASR, Associated Press Writer

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Security forces have captured four suspected militants, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Sunday, the latest detentions in a Saudi crackdown on Islamic extremists in the kingdom.

Brig. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said all four men were arrested before dawn Saturday. Two of them were detained in Temair, a village about 85 miles northwest of Riyadh, he said.

"The men did not resist arrest," al-Turki said of those two, adding they were arrested at different locations in the village.

Al-Turki refused to identify the men. However, local newspapers gave their names as Mohammed al-Abdullah and Rayess al-Rayess.

Okaz daily newspaper, which is close to the Interior Ministry, said al-Abdullah works as a teacher and was arrested in a mountainous area. The paper said al-Rayess was fleeing in a red car when he was caught.

--Interrogate and then kill them.

Andrew B.

Newly-Trained Iraqi Police Die in Ambush (AP)

2004-10-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

KARBALA, Iraq - Nine Iraqi policemen returning from a training course in Jordan were ambushed and killed on their way home to Karbala, police said Sunday.

The bus they were traveling in was attacked Saturday in the insurgent hotbed of Latifiyah, 25 miles south of Baghdad, said Karbala police spokesman Abdul-Rahman Mishawi.

He said the attackers escaped.

Insurgents have repeatedly attacked Iraqi security forces in an attempt to destabilize and hamper reconstruction.

Hundreds of police have been killed by mortars, roadside bombs, and car bombers in recent months.

--This is terrible. I feel aweful about this. My thoughts and prayers are with their families.

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of Afghanistan's first President: Hamid Karzai

2004-10-16T23:58:00.000-04:00

The Man

Conference at Duke University equates Zionism, apartheid (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

A weekend conference urging divestment from Israel got underway at Duke University on Friday and continued into Saturday with speakers equating Zionism with South African apartheid and some calling for an end to an exclusively Jewish state.

The gathering, the fourth organized by the Palestine Solidarity Movement, stirred up emotions in the Duke community, with many Jews outraged by the PSM's refusal to condemn Palestinian violence. As a result, some Jewish professors on campus refused to take part in the PSM's panels.

The Duke administration allowed the conference to take place because it said it was committed to free speech.

"We felt without a renunciation of violence, it's hard to have a conversation," said Eric Meyers, director of Judaic studies on campus.

As of late Saturday, the heavily guarded events were peaceful. Only a handful of local protesters gathered outside the main venue of the PSM conference, a campus gym, to demonstrate. But at least one busload of Jewish demonstrators was expected to arrive early Sunday morning and some PSM representatives warned of possibly violent confrontations.

--The ISM people are a disgusting bunch. They are terrorist enablers that will stop at nothing until Israel is destroyed.

Andrew B.

Iran Says It Won't Stop Enriching Uranium (AP)

2004-10-16T21:26:00.000-04:00

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said Saturday it would reject any proposal to stop uranium enrichment for nuclear fuel, the central part of a package Washington's European allies are proposing to avoid a showdown over Iran's nuclear program.

The European countries notified the United States on Friday that they intend to offer Iran a package of economic incentives next week in hopes of persuading the country to permanently give up uranium enrichment, a technology that can be used to make nuclear weapons.

While the U.S. administration did not endorse the offer to Tehran, they also did not try to stop the Europeans, said a U.S. official, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The U.S. is pushing for U.N. sanctions against Iran.

"Iran will not accept any proposal which deprives it of the legitimate right to the cycle of (nuclear) fuel," state-run television quoted Hossein Mousavian, a top nuclear official, as saying.

--Well, kids...it looks like we are going to war with Iran. Not right now...but I'd say in aout 8-9 months from now, when Iran finally brings the nuclear power plant ONLINE. It's painfully obvious that pandering and appeasement will get us nowhere with the Iranians. So what I suggest our authorities do is:

A. Beef up anti-missle defense systems in Israel and our allies in Europe...(i.e. - Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Azerbaijian [if possible]).

B. Prepare the country for the inevitable confrontation with Iran.

C. Work with student groups and other anti-Mullah groups within Iran via internet and organize protests and other forms of civil disobedience.

D. Take out the reactor before it goes online.

E. Pray that we take them out before they take us or Israel out.

Andrew B.

Israel Says Gaza Incursion Was a Success (AP)

2004-10-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip - Israel's military said Saturday that its 17-day incursion into the northern Gaza Strip (news - web sites) struck a heavy blow against Palestinian militants routinely firing makeshift rockets into the country's southern region.

Early Sunday the Israeli army moved elsewhere in the volatile territory, as 10 tanks and three bulldozers entered the Rafah refugee camp, near the Egyptian border. The army said the incursion was aimed at rooting out weapons smuggling tunnels in the area. No casualties were reported.

--It's too bad they ended the incursion, but what do I know...I live in NYC not Northern Gaza (thank g-d).

Andrew B.

Threats Scuttle Jordan Ramadan Broadcast (AP)

2004-10-16T21:09:00.000-04:00

By JAMAL HALABY, Associated Press Writer

AMMAN, Jordan - Despite a weeklong advertising blitz, Jordan canceled plans Saturday to broadcast a soap opera about Afghanistan (news - web sites) after an Internet threat against everyone from actors to TV executives if the show portrayed the Taliban in a negative light.

The series — "Al-Tareeq ila Kabul," Arabic for "The Road to Kabul" — chronicles life under Afghanistan's former Taliban rulers and was being aired during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began Friday in most Muslim countries.

The Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Corp., broadcast the first episode on Friday and went ahead with its scheduled programming to air the soap opera's second episode Saturday night.

Jordanian television had promised the series would begin in the early days of Ramadan.

--Looks like terrorism works. The terrorists wanted them to stop...so all they had to do was give some threats here and there and lo and behold, the station stopped dead in their tracks. So all the hard work that was put into making this is now for nothing.

You can't just STOP your business because of threats like this. This is how economies slow down or even stop. If you let the terrorists dictate the way business is run and also to an extent how people live their lives, you can't expect prosperity to come anytime soon.

Andrew B.

Erekat calls for probe of 'Gaza massacre' (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-16T15:42:00.000-04:00

Palestinian Authority Minister for Negotiations Saeb Erekat called for an international investigation into the "massacre" perpetrated by the IDF in the northern Gaza Strip.

In an interview with the PA's Voice of Palestine radio station, Erekat urged the Quartet to launch an investigation into the IDF operation and to dispatch international monitors to the Gaza Strip.

Erekat claimed that the operation was an excuse for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

Hamas reacted to the redeployment by announcing that the IDF had been defeated and that it would continue to launch rocket attacks on Israel.

The movement said 50 of its men were killed during the operation.

--Is this massacre like the "Jenin Massacre"? The massacre that never happened? Erakat can go fuck himself...for all I care. He has the audacity to say this kind of crap.

Andrew B.

Russia Wins Permanent Military Base in Tajikistan (Reuters)

2004-10-16T15:16:00.001-04:00

By Denis Dyomkin

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan on Saturday formally granted Russian forces in the Central Asian state a permanent military base in a move Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) hailed as a guarantee of regional security.

With some 7,000 soldiers, Moscow said the 201 Divisions's headquarters in Tajikistan would be Russia's largest military base on foreign soil.

"Our military presence in Tajikistan will not only guarantee our investment but will also guarantee stability in the region," Putin said after talks with Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov.

At a joint news conference, Putin also announced deals to invest $2 billion in the former Soviet state.

--Was this a contest I didn't hear about before? Wins? What do they mean by wins? Were there other countries trying to bid for this contract?

Andrew B.

AP spin...is making me dizzy :: Italian Minister: Coalition Can Be Cut (AP)

2004-10-16T15:16:00.000-04:00

ROME - Italy's defense minister said Saturday coalition forces in Iraq (news - web sites) can be "gradually" reduced after the January elections if Iraqi troops and police can stabilize the country.

Italy, with some 3,000 troops in Iraq, is one of the biggest contributors to the U.S.-led military contingent there.

"We have an Iraqi government which, after the January elections, will have full democratic legitimacy," Defense Minister Antonio Martino said in an interview on Sky TG24 TV.

Noting that Italian forces helped train Iraqi soldiers and police, Martino added: "If the Iraqis can handle stability by themselves, gradually, first the visibility, then the presence, of the coalition will be reduced." Sky broadcast excerpts of the interview, which will be shown in its entirety on Sunday.

In Hungary, another U.S. ally in the coalition, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said Saturday he did not believe in pre-emptive war. Gyurcsany, who was elected last month, has vowed to keep his country's troops in Iraq until at least the end of the year.

"Personally, as the father of four children, as a young man, as a working Hungarian who trusts in the future, and as head of government, I believe not in preventive war but in policies which prevent conflicts," Gyurcsany told a congress of his governing Socialist Party. "Those who believe in the power of violence will fail."

--The AP isn't biased at all...nahhhh. With titles like "coalition could be cut", it doesn't sound too negative. Nahhhhh... It's not like these terrorists love to hear this kind of DISinformation. It's not like it only embolden them to continue their terroristic ways. Oh but I forgot...this is "REAL" journalism...where you give EVERYONE's side...even KILLERS that would behead these VERY SAME JOURNALISTS and their families. Pathetic. Really pathetic. How low will they go? Get your shovel and flashlight...because the hole only gets deeper and wider from here.

Andrew B.

U.S. Allies to Offer Inducements to Iran (AP)

2004-10-16T13:50:00.000-04:00

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Three European allies notified the Bush administration on Friday they intend to offer Iran a package of inducements next week in hopes of persuading Iran to halt nuclear weapons development, but the administration withheld its approval of the overture.

The three allies, Britain, France and Germany, agreed with the administration at a three-hour State Department meeting that this would be Iran's final chance to avert the threat of U.N. economic sanctions, a U.S. official said.

Despite the administration's tepid response, it did not try to stop the Europeans from going ahead, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A European diplomat who attended the meeting said it was inconclusive, and no follow-up meeting was scheduled before the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations (news - web sites), reviews Iran's program next month.

--I think that is what we call appeasement here in America.

Andrew B.

Unit Refused Iraq Mission, Military Says (AP)

2004-10-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

By JOHN J. LUMPKIN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Relatives of soldiers who refused to deliver supplies in Iraq (news - web sites) say the troops considered the mission too dangerous, in part because their vehicles were in poor shape.

The Army is investigating up to 19 reservist members of a platoon that is part of the 343rd Quartermaster Company, based in Rock Hill, S.C. The unit delivers food, water and fuel on trucks in combat zones.

Convoys in Iraq are frequently subject to ambushes and roadside bombings.

Some of the troops' safety concerns were being addressed, military officials said. But a coalition spokesman in Baghdad said "a small number of the soldiers involved chose to express their concerns in an inappropriate manner, causing a temporary breakdown in discipline."

The coalition said in a statement Saturday that the troops are "not being guarded or detained. They are being interviewed. They're taking statements."

--Refusniks eh? I am going to take a wait and see approach with this story. I try not to jump to conclusions...

Andrew B.

Bahraini Activist Faces Trial for Dissent (AP)

2004-10-16T13:32:00.000-04:00

By ADNAN MALIK, Associated Press Writer

MANAMA, Bahrain - A human rights activist who publicly blamed Bahrain's prime minister for economic failures and rights violations pleaded not guilty Saturday to inciting hatred against the government and circulating false information about top officials.

Abdul-Hadi al-Khawajah's hearing was delayed for about 90 minutes when dozens of supporters jamming the courtroom became unruly, shouting "God is great!" and "Live, live Abdul-Hadi!" and waving signs with the activist's picture while they climbed on each other's shoulders to see him.

Al-Khawajah, executive director of the now-disbanded Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was arrested last month after criticizing Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa's economic and human rights record and demanding his resignation.

His arrest and the dissolution of his group underscored the limits still existing in the tiny Gulf nation despite steps toward democratic reforms. Bahrain is a largely Shiite Muslim country ruled by a Sunni royal family. Al-Khawajah and many of his supporters are Shiites.

--Well...it looks like you're not going to see this guy for a long, long time. Very fair people...the Bahrainis. I can't wait to book my flight there. (sarcasm?)

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of NPR (National Public Radio)

2004-10-15T23:58:00.000-04:00

PropaGandi

Rapper: Blacks 'cheered when 9-11 happened' (AZCentral)

2004-10-15T21:21:00.000-04:00

If Osama bin Laden ever buys a rap album, he'll probably start with a CD by KRS-One.

The hip-hop anarchist has declared his solidarity with al-Qaida by asserting that he and other African-Americans "cheered when 9-11 happened," reports the New York Daily News.

The rapper, real name Kris Parker, defiled the memory of those who died in the terrorist attacks as he spouted off at a recent New Yorker Festival panel discussion.

"I say that proudly," the Boogie Down Productions founder went on, insisting that, before the attack, security guards kept Blacks out of the World Trade Center "because of the way we talk and dress.

"So when the planes hit the building, we were like, 'Mmmm - justice.' "

The atrocity of 9-11 "doesn't affect us the hip-hop community," he said. "9-11 happened to them, not us," he added, explaining that by "them" he meant "the rich ... those who are oppressing us. RCA or BMG, Universal, the radio stations."

Parker also sneered at efforts by other rappers to get young people to vote.

"Voting in a corrupt society adds more corruption," he added. "America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place."

--And to think I used to listen to KRS-One when I was in high school...I feel sick to my stomach. I will NEVER EVER EVER buy another KRS-One album again. NEVER. I will put him in the same pile as "the Coup"...

Andrew B.

The making of the terror myth (The Guardian)

2004-10-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

(Hat tip: LGF)

Friday October 15, 2004
The Guardian

Since the attacks on the United States in September 2001, there have been more than a thousand references in British national newspapers, working out at almost one every single day, to the phrase "dirty bomb". There have been articles about how such a device can use ordinary explosives to spread lethal radiation; about how London would be evacuated in the event of such a detonation; about the Home Secretary David Blunkett's statement on terrorism in November 2002 that specifically raised the possibility of a dirty bomb being planted in Britain; and about the arrests of several groups of people, the latest only last month, for allegedly plotting exactly that.

Starting next Wednesday, BBC2 is to broadcast a three-part documentary series that will add further to what could be called the dirty bomb genre. But, as its title suggests, The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear takes a different view of the weapon's potential.

"I don't think it would kill anybody," says Dr Theodore Rockwell, an authority on radiation, in an interview for the series. "You'll have trouble finding a serious report that would claim otherwise." The American department of energy, Rockwell continues, has simulated a dirty bomb explosion, "and they calculated that the most exposed individual would get a fairly high dose [of radiation], not life-threatening." And even this minor threat is open to question. The test assumed that no one fled the explosion for one year.

During the three years in which the "war on terror" has been waged, high-profile challenges to its assumptions have been rare. The sheer number of incidents and warnings connected or attributed to the war has left little room, it seems, for heretical thoughts. In this context, the central theme of The Power of Nightmares is riskily counter-intuitive and provocative. Much of the currently perceived threat from international terrorism, the series argues, "is a fantasy that has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians. It is a dark illusion that has spread unquestioned through governments around the world, the security services, and the international media." The series' explanation for this is even bolder: "In an age when all the grand ideas have lost credibility, fear of a phantom enemy is all the politicians have left to maintain their power."

--Are these people on drugs or something? Whatever they are smoking...keep it away from me; far away.

Andrew B.

Armenia May Not Send Troops to Iraq (AP)

2004-10-15T20:13:00.000-04:00

YEREVAN, Armenia - Armenia's prime minister suggested Friday the Caucasus country might not send troops to Iraq (news - web sites), saying conditions there have changed since they were promised.

Prime Minister Andranik Markarian stressed that it was up to the Constitutional Court and the parliament to make the decision on sending the troops even though Armenia's president pledged the troops during a visit to Poland last month.

The 50 troops Armenia is considering sending — bomb disposal experts, doctors and transport teams — would work under Polish command in Iraq. Poland commands a multinational security force in central Iraq of about 6,000 troops, including more than 2,400 Polish soldiers.

"Let's not forget that ... there have been certain changes from the conditions under which we gave preliminary approval," Makarian said.

--This is typical bias in the Media to make you think that our coalition is fake, bribed and coerced.

Andrew B.

Got one in GERMANY: Germany Nabs Suspected al-Qaida Financier (AP)

2004-10-15T20:02:00.000-04:00

By MATT SURMAN, Associated Press Writer

BERLIN - Authorities on Friday arrested a Syrian-German businessman wanted by Spain on charges he helped fund the al-Qaida terrorist network for years and who is seen in a video at a mosque with some of the Sept. 11 hijackers, German officials said.

Mamoun Darkazanli, 46, was taken into custody in Hamburg on a Spanish warrant and is being held for possible extradition, city judicial spokeswoman Sabine Westphalen told The Associated Press.

German police questioned Darkazanli shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States once it emerged that three of the suicide hijackers lived and studied in Hamburg. He was freed for lack of evidence and continued to live in the port city.

The Bush administration has labeled his Hamburg-based trading company a front for terrorism. Darkazanli was one of the first people to appear on U.S. suspect lists after Sept. 11, but has denied any links to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) or the attacks.

--Shocker eh? I know I am...(sarcasm)...maybe this catch will help the Global 'War on Terror'. Then again...this is Germany, the same place where they let terror suspects go out on BAIL or even worse...fine the terrorists INNOCENT. Truly a BIZARRO place.

Andrew B.

Israel Ends Deadly Gaza Offensive (AP)

2004-10-15T19:52:00.000-04:00

By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip - Israel withdrew tanks and ground forces from populated areas in the northern Gaza Strip (news - web sites) on Friday, wrapping up its bloodiest offensive in the area in more than four years of fighting.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) ordered the pullback at the urging of Israeli military commanders, who argued the two-week offensive had played itself out, and after calls from the United States to wrap up the operation.

Since Israel launched the offensive Sept. 29, responding to a deadly rocket attack on the southern Israeli border town of Sderot, at least 109 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded.

Dozens of civilians, including 18 minors, died in the offensive. Five Israelis, including two preschoolers killed in the Sderot attack, also died.

--You have to love the LIBERAL BIAS in the title alone..."DEADLY OFFENSIVE". It really makes for great reading...don't you think?

Andrew B.

"P"MBCS Part XXXVII

2004-10-15T19:36:00.000-04:00

Shouldn't someone tell these freaks that the "Intifada" or better known as "INFANT-TADA" is over?

Ok who has to go to the bathroom?

Israeli Army Officer Cleared in Killing (AP)

2004-10-15T19:34:00.000-04:00

By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM - The Israeli army on Friday cleared an officer accused by comrades of repeatedly shooting a 13-year-old Palestinian girl to make sure she was dead, but upheld his suspension because of his poor relations with subordinates.

An army investigation also found no wrongdoing by soldiers who fired at the girl as she approached a military observation post near the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) on Oct. 5.

The investigation backed an earlier army account that soldiers opened fire because they suspected she was planting a bomb. The girl's family said she was on her way to school when she was shot.

Soldiers from the unit later told Israeli media that the commander approached the girl after she was shot and possibly killed, and then shot her with automatic fire as they pleaded with him to stop.

--Who knew that radical LEFTIES had infiltrated the IDF?

Andrew B.

Bloody Tactics Dismay Fallujah Residents (AP)

2004-10-15T19:21:00.000-04:00

By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - People in Fallujah, homegrown insurgents among them, are sounding increasingly dismayed by the beheadings and suicide bombings which some of them blame on foreign fighters.

It's hard to judge the extent of this sentiment, but U.S. and Iraqi officials hope an all-out assault can be avoided if foreign fighters are ousted from the city, chief among them Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian whom the Americans have branded an archenemy.

Iraqi officials had been in discussions with Fallujah leaders to restore government control, following a precedent set when Iraqi authorities cut deals to end fighting with Shiite militiamen in Najaf and a Baghdad neighborhood. But those talks broke down Thursday over government demands to hand over al-Zarqawi.

--The tide is starting to turn. Iraqis are increasingly growing tired of the terrorists and their tactics. Something tells me that this the beginning of the end for these terrorists...in Iraq.

Andrew B.

Leading Egyptian Government Editor's New Book: 'Hatred is a Western Export that has been Marked Return-to-Sender' (MEMRI)

2004-10-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

Ibrahim Nafi, editor of the Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram, has published a book based on articles he has written in Al-Ahram discussing issues of Jihad and terrorism, reform, and Arab-West relations. Titled 'The Road to Madness,' segments from the book were recently printed in Al-Ahram. The following are excerpts: [1]

'The West … are the Real Terrorists - it is they who have Unleashed Jihad'

"Barely a day goes by without news of the anti-Muslim hate campaign in the West. Opinion pundits have gone so far as to exhort the extermination of Muslims and the dropping of nuclear bombs on Mecca. Newspapers, radios, televisions, textbooks, and even some houses of worship are awash with proclamations equating Islam with terrorism and insinuations that Islam sanctions invasion, murder, and the perpetuation of untold other evils and that it is, therefore, a religion that cannot be tolerated…

"This latter-day crusade, a violent and coercive drive to compel Islamic nations to bow to values and systems that are inimical to their needs and history, constitutes the true terrorism of today. It is terrorism practiced by states and, as such, is qualitatively different to the terrorism practiced by individuals beneath the guise of Islam. The West, and specifically those that are at the helm of their empire of evil, are the real terrorists. It is they who have unleashed Jihad, or holy war, in its most horrific and lethal manifestations…

"In its most recent evolution, Western state terrorism has become a form of flagrant vandalism, as became obvious in the war that was unleashed against a country on the trumped up pretext that it possessed WMD, whereas the country that unleashed that war possesses the largest arsenal of WMD in the world and is the world's major supplier of this lethal weaponry. It is telling that the report Iraq submitted to the UN on the WMD question was filled with names of U.S. and European arms manufacturers and suppliers, which is why the U.S. hastened to suppress portions of the report."

--Can't wait to pick this nice pile of propaganda.

Andrew B.

Conn. Mosque Leader Says FBI Raided Home (AP)

2004-10-15T14:12:00.000-04:00

(Hat tip: LGF)

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer

WOLCOTT, Conn. - A Connecticut Islamic leader said Thursday that FBI (news - web sites) agents raided his home as part of an investigation into a Sudanese charity that federal officials have accused of supporting Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and other terrorists.

Majeed Sharif, president of United Muslim Mosque in Waterbury, would not discuss what investigators took from his Wolcott home on Wednesday. But he told The Associated Press that he did volunteer work for the Islamic African Relief Agency, a charity the Bush administration said Wednesday was financing terrorism.

--Finally...we're getting somewhere. Sorry guys...you can't hide behind your religion anymore. you can't hide in the mosques. you can't hide behind the ACLU and CAIR. We're coming after you...one at a time.

Andrew B.

Iran cracks down on blog protests (BBC)

2004-10-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

(Hat tip: LGF)

Six online journalists and webloggers have been arrested in Iran recently in a crackdown on dissent on the internet.

"People charged for having illegal internet sites... will be put on trial soon," said a judiciary spokesman.

The trials would be "open" and charges included "acting against national security, disturbing the public mind and insulting sanctities".

Web journals flourish in Iran where the youthful, reform-hungry population has gone online for news and entertainment.

The popularity of the internet has grown as hardline judges closed about 100 printed publications since 2000.

--When they take away one...there will be more to fill the place of the last. You can't stop the fever of freedom.

Andrew B.

Joke of the Day: Kawasmeh petitions court: Allow me to see lawyer (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-15T13:58:00.000-04:00

Imad Kawasmeh, commander of Hamas' military wing in Hebron, petitioned the High Court of Justice to allow him to meet with his lawyer, Israel Radio reported on Friday.

IDF troops arrested Kawasmeh in Hebron on Wednesday, and security forces are placing a high value on his capture.

Kawasmeh is responsible for sending two suicide bombers to Beersheba two months ago. The bombers blew up on two buses almost simultaneously and killed 17 Israelis.

Acting on intelligence information, Egoz and Nahal units surrounded a Hebron building Kawasmeh was hiding in on Tuesday night, and were told by locals that there was nobody inside. Troops were not convinced and IDF bulldozers began demolishing the building, at which stage Kawasmeh walked out waving a white flag.

The fact that he was taken alive could help Israel against the Hebron infrastructure, security officials said. Israel had difficulty penetrating the Hebron infrastructure, which was considered extremely secretive and lethal.

--Only one problem with his arguement...which is that he forgets he's a terrorist. Terrorists should not and WILL NOT be treated equally as other guilty parties. In other words...if you commit a petty crime, such as stealing or drug dealing, then justice applies in a more civil way. If you are a terrorist...then you should be treated as such.

Andrew B.

Lebanese newspaper: Al-Qaida claims Sinai attacks (Jerusalem Post)

2004-10-15T13:42:00.001-04:00

A statement purportedly signed by al-Qaida claimed responsibility for last week's deadly bombings which targeted Israeli tourists visiting Sinai, a Lebanese newspaper reported Friday. There was no way to verify its authenticity.

The attacks killed 34 people, among them 12 Israelis.

The statement, allegedly issued by al-Qaida's media office and signed "International Islamic Front," was emailed Thursday night to Sada al-Balad, a little-known independent newspaper. Sada al-Balad published it on the front page Friday.

It was the fifth claim of responsibility for the attacks on the Sinai Peninsula, just across the border from Israel, which killed at least 34 people. None of the claims have appeared particularly credible.

The statement said the attacks "are not al-Qaida's first response to the pulse of the holy intefadeh (Palestinian uprising) and will not be the last.

--Does this come a surprise to anyone?

Andrew B.

Bizarro Bit of the Day: France, U.S. Seek Syrian Withdrawal Plan (AP)

2004-10-15T13:42:00.000-04:00

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS - France and the United States introduced a U.N. resolution Thursday urging Syria for a second time in six weeks to withdraw from Lebanon and calling for quarterly reports from Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) on its progress.

The two countries decided to keep up their pressure after Algeria, Pakistan and other Security Council members opposed a presidential statement they introduced seeking the same action.

While presidential statements need approval from all 15 council members before they are read in the council chamber, resolutions are put to a vote.

--What is truly shocking is that FRANCE co-sponsered this UN resolution. That is BIZAARO.

Andrew B.

Green Zone Blasts Show Insurgent Tenacity (AP)

2004-10-15T13:19:00.001-04:00

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Deadly blasts Thursday inside the very heart of the American mission sends a message that no place is safe from resourceful militants who disguise themselves as police officers, use donkey carts to fire rockets and hide roadside bombs in garbage.

Last week, insurgents rocketed a hotel housing foreign reporters and contractors in downtown Baghdad, using a timer to fire three rockets from a launcher sitting on the back of an abandoned pickup.

They've flooded Iraq (news - web sites)'s burgeoning DVD market with footage of roadside bombs going off and engulfing U.S. military vehicles in flames. Even footage of the final moments of suicide bombers before they set off on their mission are for sale in the Iraqi capital.

Increasingly publicity savvy, insurgents have exploited the growing use of the Internet by posting their literature, claims of responsibility and the gruesome but fear-inspiring footage of beheadings of foreign hostages.

--That's funny...I thought the AP is supposed to be "neutral". This, HAMZA HENDAWI, has anyone did any background search on this guy? I mean does he WANT the terrorists to win? Oh right he's just "reporting" the "news". Hey Hamza, what side are you on? Obviously, not ours...in my opinion.

Andrew B.

Aaron @ Internet :: Haganah has been busy. VERY BUSY!!!

2004-10-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

Please check out his website and see how many terror websites are down because of his hard work and dedication.

Thank you Aaron for all your hard work!

P.S. - Please support INTERNET :: HAGANAH and donate some money to him. He helps fight terror.

Shells From Syria Fired at Troops in Iraq (AP)

2004-10-14T16:56:00.000-04:00

By FISNIK ABRASHI, Associated Press Writer

QAIM, Iraq - American troops stationed along Iraq (news - web sites)'s border with Syria are coming under increasing mortar attack from shells fired from Syrian territory, but it's unclear who's responsible, U.S. officers said Thursday.

The 82 mm mortar rounds have been fired at U.S. and Iraqi positions in and around Husaybah in the far west of Iraq's Anbar province, said Lt. Col. Chris Woodbridge, commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.

"Who exactly is firing these mortars, we do not know. But what we do know is that the point of origin of these rounds is on the Syrian side of the border," said Woodbridge, 39, of Brooklyn.

There has been no evidence linking the Syrian military to the attacks, he said. However, the Syrian military has the capability to determine who is launching the mortars and act against them, Woodbridge said.

"Syrian authorities should be the ones to go after them, no question about it," he said.

--The invasion of Syria is now all but inevitable. After the elections...we are going to see a big increase of military going to placed by the Syria border.

Andrew B.

Hamdi Says He's Not an Enemy Combatant (AP)

2004-10-14T16:15:00.000-04:00

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - A Saudi-American released after being held by the U.S. military for three years in solitary confinement without charge said in an interview broadcast Thursday that he cooperated with his jailers, calling himself "an innocent man."

Yaser Esam Hamdi, captured in Afghanistan (news - web sites) in late 2001 during the U.S. battle against the Taliban and classified as an "enemy combatant," returned to Saudi Arabia on Monday after negotiating a deal: his freedom in exchange for renouncing his U.S. citizenship and agreeing to live in Saudi Arabia for five years.

"I believe that I'm not an enemy combatant, and I am an innocent person, and I was proving that all the time for them," Hamdi told CNN. "I answered all the questions that they asked me very seriously ... and I was cooperative, and I give them all the details."

"To be locked down, then be given your freedom, you really know what the meaning of freedom (is)," he added. "They take it away from you, and they give it to you back, you feel it, and it's something real different."

--What would you know about FREEDOM? Your arrogance is only outweighed by your hate for the very freedom you're quoting and hiding behind. You make me sick.

Andrew B.

Police Fear Temple Mount Disaster (INN)

2004-10-14T15:44:00.000-04:00

Israeli officials fear that thousands of Arab worshippers could be buried alive if, as feared, the Temple Mount collapses under their weight when they arrive for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan tomorrow.

Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra warned, based on reports by experts in the Antiquities Authority and others, that allowing worshippers onto the southeastern corner of the Mount, known as Solomon's Stables, could lead to an "unimaginable disaster." The Waqf, the Muslim authority supervising the Temple Mount, says that this is merely an Israeli provocation, and that its own experts have assured it that there is no danger.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was to decide today whether to restrict Moslem worshippers from entering the main Temple Mount area tomorrow, if the Waqf does not close off entrance to Solomon's Stables. Israeli experts have warned that a large number of visitors could cause the fall of the floor supported by pillars weakened by the Waqf's illegal excavations.

--Israel is saying...pray at your own risk. We told you so...

Andrew B.

War Metaphor of the Day: Portrait of Jimmy Carter

2004-10-14T15:35:00.000-04:00

Habitat for Insanity

Sharon: Gaza Evacuation Will Begin in May (AP)

2004-10-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) told legislators Thursday that the evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) will begin in May 2005, and will last up to 12 weeks, Israel Radio reported.

Sharon presented the timetable at a closed-door session of parliament's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee.

--Mark the day on your calenders...because that is when the shit is going to hit the fan.

Andrew B.