October 31, 2005

Bush to Nominate Judge Samuel Alito for SCOTUS

CNN and MSNBC are reporting that President Bush will formally nominate 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court. Judge Alito has a strong conservative record and is often compared to Justice Antonin Scalia. Expect a battle from liberals during confirmation.

[Update 0700 EST]

According to this report, President Bush will make the announcement of his nominee at 8am EST.

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New Delhi Bombings - Update

(New Delhi) The number of dead from yesterday's three near-simultaneous bombings at locations (map) in New Delhi has grown to over 60 with around 200 injured, some seriously. Investigators have detained over 20 suspects in raids of small hotels around New Delhi. It is now known that two of the bombs exploded amid large shopping crowds at Paharganj and Sarojini Nagar. The third bomb, however, was on a bus at the market of Govindpuri.

Police said they were looking for a man in his 20s who refused to buy a ticket on a bus and got off in the Govindpuri neighbourhood, leaving behind a large black bag. When some of the 40 passengers raised an alarm, the driver and bus conductor examined it and threw it out just as the blast occurred, injuring them both.
The media are in almost universal agreement that those responsible belong to a little-known small terrorist group.
A man saying he represented the terrorist group "Islamic Inquilab Mahaz," or "Front for Islamic Uprising," took responsibility for the bombings in a call to the Kashmir News Service in Jammu and Kashmir. The little-known group is tied to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the most feared terrorist group in Kashmir, police said.

The caller, who identified himself as Ahmed Yaar Ghaznavi, said the attack "was meant as a rebuff to the claims of Indian security groups" that terrorist fighters had been wiped out by military crackdowns and the October 8 South Asian earthquake.

Not everyone, though, agrees that Islamic Inquilab Mahaz (IIM) is a little known group as indicated by this report from The Times of India.
The group that has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s serial blasts in Delhi -- Islami Inqilabi Mahaz -- is neither unknown nor unfamiliar in India. According to terrorism analyst Ajai Sahni, it is just another name for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is based in Pakistan under the influence of ISI and is the best known successor organisation of Al-Qaida.
The ISI is Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence agency. A rogue element in the Pakistani government, ISI has strong links to Wahabism and radical Islamic political and military groups. Even so, a Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman stated that "the attack in a crowded market place is a criminal act of terrorism."

From the Mumbai Mirror:

A day after the deadly blasts shook the Capital, the security brass indicated it had reasons to believe it was the handiwork of familiar jehadi module -- Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence operatives.

[ ... ]

Notwithstanding Islamabad's prompt denouncement of Delhi's serial blast, the government agencies said they have compelling evidence to prove that ISI modules are working with official Pak patronage. "We had the information that three or four modules -- each module consisting of a group three or four men -- had entered the country some time ago."

A massive search and destroy effort was undertaken to stop the ISI modules. Unfortunately, the effort hasn't been entirely successful.

Although the investigations of the bombings in New Delhi are ongoing, I believe some certainties have surfaced:

- The bombings were terrorist acts by a radical Islamic group,
- The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency is linked to the bombings,
- The ISI wields power largely independent of President Musharraf,
- The Indians are restless and expect a forceful government response, and
- By calling the group responsible for the bombings as 'little-known' or 'unknown,' the media demonstrate that they didn't do their homework.
In a directly-related development, the trial of Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq, believed to be a triggering circumstance for the New Delhi bombings, has concluded. Ashfaq was sentenced to death by a Delhi court.

Companion at Interested-Participant.

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October 29, 2005

Christian Schoolgirls Beheaded

(Poso, Indonesia) Three Christian girls walking to school were beheaded earlier today by men in black clothes and masks near the Muslim town of Poso. The town lies about 1,000 miles northeast of Jakarta and is in a region of considerable Muslim-Christian strife. This story makes me sick.

From TheStar.com:

National police spokesman Aryanto Budiharjo said up to six men in black clothes and masks attacked the students in Bukit Bambu village, on the eastern island of Sulawesi.

"The perpetrators wore black attire and veils and they used machetes to slash (the victims)," he told reporters in Jakarta.

The three headless bodies of the high school students, dressed in brown uniforms, were left at the site of the attack. Three heads were found at separate locations two hours later by residents.

Earlier, a police official in Poso gave a different account, saying two men wearing helmets on a motorcycle attacked the 16-year-old students.

He said the student who escaped said the attackers wore helmets and carried a two-way radio.

The killings have been condemned by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who called the murders "sadist and inhuman crimes."

Also covering: In The Bullpen

Companion at Interested-Participant.

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Bomb Blasts in New Delhi, Scores Killed

(New Delhi, India) Three powerful bombs were detonated today in crowded shopping areas (map) of the capital city. The first blast occurred about 5:40pm IST at the main market in Paharganj, a popular meeting area for foreign tourists and backpackers. Another explosion followed in Sarojini Nagar, a busy shopping area popular among the middle class and foreigners. Soon after, the teeming market of Govindpuri was attacked. Police, fire brigades, bomb disposal teams, and anti-terror squads rushed to the scene as the whole city was placed on security alert.

Thus far, reports on the number of casualties have been sketchy. The dead and injured are expected to be numerous. Most places were unusually crowded due to the upcoming Diwali festival, a major Hindu holiday during which families exchange gifts, light candles and celebrate with fireworks.

It's unclear who is responsible for the blasts, but Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal stated that the attacks were "handiwork of those who were backed by anti-India elements."

"From preliminary observations, it can be said the explosives were kept in a cycle rickshaw or a motorcycle. At least 40 are injured and six to eight people have expired," Delhi Police Commissioner KK Paul told reporters in Paharganj.
According to Home Secretary V.K. Duggal, an alert was sounded in all states for possible terrorist attacks during the Diwali season.

The Guardian reports that a bus was bombed in addition to the shopping areas.

Rediff India reports that 50 people are dead and 70 are injured. Also, the blasts are suspected to be the handiwork of banned Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba outfit.

HindustanTimes.com reports that:

- 48 are confirmed dead,
- Police raid hotels in Paharganj,
- Home Ministry says RDX was used in blasts,
- Two suspects arrested at New Delhi Railway Station,
- Blasts being blamed on an intelligence failure.
A top advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the bombings were surely the work of terrorists but which group is unknown at present. Opposition from numerous terrorist groups constantly faces India. From fringe organizations to militarized Kashmiri rebels, India has its enemies.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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October 28, 2005

A Quick Look At The Indictment

I just got done listening to Fitzgerald's press conference.

I believe that in addition to Scooter Libby, the following people should be forced to resign in the wake of this scandal:

Ari Fleischer
John Ashcroft
Colin Powell
Paul O'Neill
My mailman
The grumpy lady at the social security office
The entire staff of the Internal Revenue Service

One final thought. Now that he has copious amounts of free time, perhaps Mr. Libby can track down the person who nicknamed him "Scooter" and kick his ass.

Ok, I gotta go back to work now.

UPDATE:

Howie says his parents nicknamed him. Well then, that explains how he turned into such a hardened criminal.

And while we're on the subject, I must announce that I am asking Rusty to refer to a special prosecutor in order to investigate WHO LEAKED MY EMAIL TO FILTHY ALLAH! Who, btw, is cooking beef stew today.

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Danes Arrest Muslims in Terror Plot

(Copenhagen, Denmark) Four male Middle Eastern Muslims, aged 16 to 20, have been arrested in Denmark on suspicion of planning a suicide terror attack in Europe.

From the BBC:

The arrests were linked to a recent inquiry in the Balkans in which arrests were made and large quantities of explosives were found, police said.

No details were given of the intended target of the group's alleged plot.

"We suspect the four young men of being participants in preparation of terrorist acts somewhere in Europe," said police spokesman Joern Bro.

The suspects are closely linked to three men arrested previously in the Balkans for planning an attack on the British or American embassies in Sarajevo. A tipster in an unnamed Balkan nation led to the arrests.

Notably, most of the reporting on this story is referring to the suspected terrorists as 'men.' In my opinion, 16-year-old boys are not men and at least one of the suspects is 16. The thought of having boys running around Europe with terrorism on their minds is frightening. Boys usually can mingle anonymously in society since they are not old enough to have graduated from school, nor to have a work history, nor to have been in the government or military. Typically, there are no photographs nor fingerprints. Spooky.

Companion at Interested-Participant.

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October 27, 2005

Miers Withdraws as Supreme Court Nominee

President Bush announced the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. The President reluctantly accepted her letter of withdrawal. No links yet. Developing ...


[Update 0950 EDT]

It's being reported that Miers talked to President Bush last night and asked if she could withdraw.

From the Chicago Tribune:

President Bush said he reluctantly accepted her decision to withdraw, after weeks of insisting that he did not want her to step down. He blamed her withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of internal White House documents that the administration has insisted were protected by executive privilege.

"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House -- disclosures that would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush said. "Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the constitutional separation of powers -- and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her."

Washington is stunned by the news since the withdrawal of a nominee is quite unusual. It has occurred with only seven of 150 nominees in the history of the Supreme Court.

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Judge Orders Release of Gitmo Records

Lawyers representing hunger-striking Guantanamo Bay detainees have convinced U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler to order the government to inform detainees' defense lawyers at least 24 hours before any force-feeding and to provide the lawyers with medical records weekly.

Julia Tarver, a lawyer for three of the detainees, asserted in court papers that when she visited her clients she found them weak and sometimes able to speak only with difficulty because of throat lesions they said were caused by having the feeding tubes forced in. Ms. Tarver said one detainee, Yousef Al-Shehri, told her that a feeding tube had been roughly inserted through his nose into his throat, causing him to spit up blood.
Notably, without the forced-feeding, the detainees likely would have died and, according to the government, none have.

Judge Kessler acted on an emergency petition because it was "deeply troubling" that detainees had feeding tubes inserted without sedatives or anesthesia.

"If the allegations are true - and they are all explicitly, specifically and vigorously denied by the government - they describe the conduct of which the United States can hardly be proud," the judge wrote.
Although Kessler directed the government to provide notifications and records, she denied the request for the lawyers to have immediate telephone access to the detainees.

It seems that Judge Kessler's decision is based exclusively on the adequacy of the medication administered to the detainees prior to inserting the feeding tubes. Her ruling indicates that the detainees are not sufficiently drugged before having a tube shoved up their noses and down their esophaguses. I must assume that there have been past cases where judges have determined the amount medication to be administered. I'm personally uncomfortable with the idea. In my estimation, no amount of legal training and experience prepares a judge to practice medicine.

Nevertheless, ordering the release of medical documents will surely prompt the detainees' lawyers to start searching for other issues to litigate. The latest wrangling over the medication issue is part of an ongoing campaign by human rights advocates to force the government into giving the detainees more legal rights.

It's unknown whether the government will appeal.

Companion at Interested-Participant.

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October 26, 2005

Wal-Mart Attacked

In an effort to reduce employee health care costs and enhance profitability, a memo recommending the hiring of more part-time workers and discouraging the hiring of unhealthy people was drafted for submittal to the Wal-Mart Board of Directors. In draft form, the memo was intercepted and anonymously sent to Wal-Mart Watch, a union-backed activist group, which claims that a 'secret memo' was uncovered. On the other hand, it appears that Wal-Mart just considered the memo to be an internal document which was freely released in updated form when it was asked for.

Nonetheless, the union-backed team at Wal-Mart Watch is attempting to demonize Wal-Mart in its seemingly reasonable attempt to develop ideas and methods to reduce health care costs. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see anything wrong with part-time workers or discouraging the hiring of unhealthy workers. Nor do I see anything wrong with trying to enhance profitability.

Without scrutinizing the Wal-Mart memo, it's impossible to determine the reasonableness of the proposed changes. On the surface, it appears to reflect nothing more than a day in the operation and administration of a business. Unfortunately, and I've witnessed it already, the mainstream media have been characterizing the memo as an indication of a sinister and evil conspiracy to discriminate and subjugate. more...

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October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks

Passed away, aged 92.

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October 23, 2005

Nigerian Plane Crashes, 116 Aboard, 50+ Survivors

(Lagos, Nigeria) A Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 took off in bad weather from Lagos for the capital Abuja at 7:50pm local time (1450EDT) and quickly vanished from the radar. The flight carried 110 passengers and six crew members.

Hours later, the wreckage was found near the small community of Kishi, about 400km north of Lagos and on the flight path to Abuja. Military search and rescue teams were dispatched to the crash site. Initial reports indicate that 50 or more people survived the crash.

Notably, the plane carried several senior Nigerian officials and officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). No names will be released until the next of kin are notified.


[Update 1500EDT]

Update - NO SURVIVORS

It's now reported that nobody survived. According to Abilola Oloko, spokesman for Oyo state, all the people on board died. Confusion caused earlier inaccurate reports.

From Forbes.com:

No-one could have survived the impact when the Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 hit the ground at such speed that the wreckage was 'completely buried under ground,' NEMA [National Emergency Management Agency] spokesman Ibrahim Farinloye said.

The statement followed a similar report by the Nigerian Red Cross, which was working with NEMA on the ground at the crash site in Lissa village, a short distance north of Lagos near the farming town of Otta.

'No survivors have been identified so far ... The plane is actually beyond recognition,' Abiodun Orebiyi, secretary general of the Nigerian Red Cross, told Agence France-Presse.

The number of people onboard was revised upward to 117, 111 passengers and six crew.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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October 21, 2005

Gunmakers Granted Immunity

(Washington) By a vote of 283 to 144, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday that gives gun makers and dealers immunity from civil lawsuits. Considered a major victory for the National Rifle Association and its allies, the measure is supported by President Bush who only needs to sign for it to become law since the Senate previously passed it.

The bill will stifle frivolous lawsuits from groups that believe the manufacture and sale of firearms drives violence in communities. The measure excludes from liability protection those that knowingly sell firearms for the commission of crimes. And, although child safety locks will be required under the new law, gun control advocates are displeased and have vowed to challenge the law's constitutionality.

Across the pond, the Brits have weighed in with the opinion that President Bush succeeds only at protecting big business while stumbling through every other effort. I think that Britain needs a Bill of Rights. Maybe then they wouldn't be so quick to criticize what they don't understand.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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Hariri Killing Called Terrorist Act

Released yesterday, the UN report of the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri indicates that it was a terrorist act planned by high-ranking Syrian and Lebanese intelligence officers. Frankly, the report only voiced what everyone knew or strongly suspected. Hariri and 15 others died when a six-car convoy was bombed in downtown Beirut. It wasn't an accident nor a suicide.

Chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis identified several Syrian and Lebanese suspects;

Syrian Major General Asef Shawkat,
Syrian Lt. General Rustom Ghazali,
Syrian former Presidential Aide Farouq Al-Sahraa,
Lebanese Major General Jamil al-Sayyed,
Lebanese Brigadier General Mustapha Hamdan, and
Lebanese Major General Ali Hajj.
Each of the suspects has a history of high-level political and military nefariousness. And, one particularly damning entry in the report, Brigadier General Hamdan accused Hariri of being pro-Israel and is quoted as stating, "We are going to send him on a trip -- bye, bye Hariri." Belligerent? I'd say.

In response, Syrian Information Minister Mehdi Dakhlallah stated that the UN report was "politicized," "false," and "far from professional." Damascas is obviously embarrassed and expects the investigation results will lead to increased international pressure on Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to cooperate with the inquiry, to quit helping Palestinian terrorists, and to stop supporting instability in Lebanon and Iraq.

Four pro-Syrian security chiefs in Lebanon have been arrested and charged with murder on the recommendation of UN investigator Detlev Mehlis. Already, an anti-Syrian member of the Lebanese Parliament, Jibran Tueini, has called for President Emile Lahoud to step down.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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October 18, 2005

Baltimore's McHenry and Harbor Tunnels Closed

A terrorist threat against tunnels along I-95 has prompted closing of said tunnels. Developing....

ABCNEWS:

Information about a potential attack, ABC News has learned, came from a previously reliable source two or three days ago. The city of Baltimore is in the process of taking some additional security precautions, while the federal government is analyzing the credibility of the threat.

We'll see, the terrorists like to spread threats. Threats are effective as a tool to upset the population. That is after you actually blow stuff up. Better safe than sorry eh.. In fact I'm so shaken I'm going to go eat and fill up my car or is that just Dave's lunch doing me that way.

Updated: I'm full as a tick and the tunnels have been reopened.

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October 15, 2005

Nazi Rally Turns Violent

(Toledo, Ohio) Before the start of a planned neo-Nazi rally in north Toledo, racial tension caused rioting to break out with baseball-sized rocks being thrown at police and vehicles being vandalized. According to Police Chief Mike Navarre, six people have been arrested. The march by the white supremacist group was canceled and over 100 police officers flooded the neighborhoods.

Live coverage on FoxNews shows some houses being looted with one building on fire. The live video from WJBK-TV shows the streets now crowded with police officers. The situation has calmed and the fire department has arrived to extinguish the fire in what is thought to be a tavern.

Police Chief Navarre stated that he believes that all the Nazis have now left the city.

So, in summary, the white supremacists organize a march to ostensibly protest black criminal gangs and the black community responds by rioting, looting, and setting at least one building on fire -- in their own neighborhood. The logic escapes me.

[Update 2030 EDT, 10/15/05]

Toledo Mayor Jack Ford declared a state of emergency and instituted a citywide curfew starting at 8PM tonight, tomorrow, and possibly Monday.

From ToledoBlade.com:

Mr. Ford said those protesting were mainly male gang members in their 20s. He said the protests were not triggered by race relations but by gang members with grievances.

"We went to talk to them. Most of them were gang members (picture) in full colors," the mayor said. "Their anger was based on some long-standing things but also that we had allowed the [Nazi] walk to occur in the first place."

Police Chief Navarre said several dozen people were arrested and a few officers and firefighters were injured, none serious. In total, a mob of 500 were involved in the rioting and looting. Although the streets quieted down by late afternoon, there is concern that violence may erupt in the darkness.

Interestingly, local media coverage of the rioting was prevented by the mobs attacking and disabling the mobile news vehicles first. Scheduled celebrations for Start High School Homecoming and Central Catholic High School Homecoming were canceled.

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October 14, 2005

Woman Cuts Up Pregnant Neighbor for Unborn Baby

(Ford City, Pennsylvania) This is not a typical criminal case. The perpetrator, described as calm and amiable, is a stay-at-home mother with children aged 11, 14, and 16.

From Post-Gazette.com:

An Armstrong County woman who told friends and family she was expecting a child was charged yesterday with beating her pregnant neighbor over the head with a baseball bat, driving her to a remote rural road and attempting to cut the woman's baby out of her abdomen. The attack was thwarted by a boy on an all-terrain vehicle and police took the suspect into custody.

The victim, identified as Valerie Oskin, 30, of Ford City, was flown by helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital and was in critical condition yesterday. Doctors delivered her baby by emergency Caesarean section and the baby was healthy, officials said.

Confronted with evidence by investigators, the suspect, Peggy Jo Conner, 38, made a statement to state police that confirmed their suspicions.

Conner is in the Armstrong County Jail and faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated assault on an unborn child. According to police, Conner abducted and took Oskin to a remote area where she waited several hours for her to die so she could take the baby. At some point, Conner slit open Oskin's belly with a razor knife and, not long after, a local teenager tooling around on his ATV saw what was happening and reported it to his father who alerted the police. Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi remarked,
"I don't think there was any question that her goal was to get that child out of there. If this kid had not come on the scene, she would have finished the job."
This case is strange and unusual, but not unheard of. Just a few months ago, something similar happened in the midwest. Why women would want to slice and dice pregnant neighbors and strangers is beyond me. Only one thing seems certain, though, somewhere there is a political psychologist conjuring up an alphabetized syndrome or disorder that lays the blame squarely on President Bush.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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October 09, 2005

Pakistan Quake Tolls More Than 18,000 Dead

(Islamabad, Pakistan) According to officials, it's estimated that more than 18,300 people have died as a result of Saturday's earthquake. Communications have been cut off and landslides have made roads impassable. Current need is for helicopter transportation to carry relief supplies to remote areas.

From CNN.com:

"In certain areas, the entire villages -- they have collapsed. In certain areas, almost entire towns, they have vanished from the scene," Pakistan's military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, told CNN. The country, he said, has launched its largest relief operation.

He estimated at least 18,000 people have died in Pakistan alone, and 41,000 are injured. The majority of those deaths are thought to have occurred in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. Another military spokesman, Brig. Shah Jahan, said relief and rescue workers have yet to access 30 to 40 percent of the affected areas.

CNN can confirm more than 10,000 deaths in Pakistan, most in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. The dead include 230 Pakistani soldiers and 250 school girls whose bodies were recovered from a school at Gari Habi Ullaha between Manshera and Muzaffarabad.

Eyewitnesses report the city of Balakot, in the North-West Frontier province, is destroyed. "It is likely the ground zero," Sultan told CNN.

Also, 250 students died when a school building collapsed 40 miles from Islamabad and the collapse of three school buildings in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir killed an estimated 200 more students. Only one person has been reported killed in Afghanistan, a young girl who died when her house in Jalalabad collapsed.

From Aljazeera.net:

The estimated toll of the South Asian earthquake on Saturday has hit 30,000, Pakistan-administered Kashmir's works and communication minister says.

"Our rough estimates say more than 30,000 people have died in the earthquake in Kashmir," minister Tariq Farooq said on Sunday.

"There are cities, there are towns which have been completely destroyed. Muzaffarabad is devastated," he added, referring to the capital of Pakistan's sector of disputed Kashmir.

Within 24 hours of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey recorded 22 aftershocks, including one that measured 6.2 on the Richter Scale. An eight-man UN Disaster Coordination team is due to arrive in Islamabad today.

According to a CNN cable broadcast and Xinhua, rescue teams from the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Russia, and the U.S. are due to arrive in hours. Medical relief centers have been set up by the Pakistan military. Confirmed dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir is 355. Frantic efforts are underway to rescue people out of collapsed apartment buildings in Islamabad.

Companion at Interested-Participant.

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October 08, 2005

Major Earthquake in Kashmir

(Islamabad, Pakistan) A massive earthquake, 7.6 on the Richter Scale, struck Kashmir around midnight EDT and was felt across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The center is reported at approximately 50 miles northeast of Islamabad (map).

From the BBC:

Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman, said: "Casualties will be high... they could be well over 1,000."

Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told local television: "We have reports that several entire villages have been wiped out."

Details are unavailable since telephone networks are damaged and mobile systems are overwhelmed. Scores of people are feared trapped or killed in buildings reduced to rubble.

From HindustanTimes.com:

The quake killed at least 10 people in Jammu and Kashmir and 40 in Pakistan, initial reports said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh quickly moved out of a building in Chandigarh where he was meeting Congress chief ministers.

Another report said that Jammu and Kashmir bore the brunt where over 30 people, including 15 army personnel, were killed, hundreds injured and more than 400 houses flattened.

[ ... ]

A 10-storey apartment building in Islamabad collapsed like a pack of cards, entombing several sleeping people. In the F-10 sector of Islamabad, a portion of the building known as Margallah Towers collapsed. Most victims were still asleep. In the Valley, Uri market was completely flattened due to the quake and Uri-Rampur Highway blocked due to landslides.

The quake is described as "major" and occurred at 09:20:38 India Time at a depth of 10 kilometers. According to Mohammad Hanif of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, "We can say that it was one of the strongest earthquakes (ever) felt in Islamabad."

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October 06, 2005

NYC Subway Terror Alert

ABCNEWS:

According to sources in intelligence, emergency services and police headquarters, when three Iraqi insurgents were arrested several days ago during a raid by a joint FBI-CIA team, one of those caught disclosed the threat. .

This is a breaking story. While there is a lot of doubt precautions are being taken.

Department of Homeland Security sources told ABC News they are very doubtful the threat information is credible, though NYPD sources said the information continues to come in and is disturbing.

Also FOXNEWS:

Confederate Yankee has live coverage of the breaking news. Also GOP & The City , Counterterrorism blog, Terrorism Unveiled live-blogging. Chad at ITB following.

Updated: It now appears the same intelligence that led to the NYC subway alert today also resulted in a raid South of Baghdad.

CNN:The highly classified operation involving the U.S. intelligence community and the U.S. military was carried out against suspected al Qaeda operatives south of Baghdad, CNN has learned from a well-placed U.S. military official. "Significant intelligence was also gathered in this raid, along with al Qaeda operatives who were rounded up," CNN's Jamie McIntyre reported... ...But the official said the raid was the result of the same intelligence about the threat to New York's subway system.

To this story, there will be more.

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October 02, 2005

Tour Boat Sinks in Lake George, 19 Die

(Lake George, New York) Dozens of senior citizens were onboard a 40-foot Shoreline Cruises tour boat when it flipped over on Lake George, about 50 miles north of Albany. The weather was clear, with the temperature in the 70s. Eyewitnesses say the glass-enclosed boat sank.

From PostStar.com:

Nineteen people were killed in a tour boat accident on Lake George today, according to Warren County Sheriff Larry Cleveland.

The Ethan Allen, a small cruise boat on the lake, was carrying 47 passengers this afternoon when the accident happened about 3 p.m. today.

According to Cleveland, the wake from the Mohican, a boat owned by Lake George Steamboat Company, swamped and flipped the glass-enclosed Ethan Allen.

The Glens Falls hospital declared a Code Yellow disaster alert to handle the injured. As of 5pm EDT, all passengers had been accounted for.


[Update 2030EDT]

Twenty-one people are now listed as having died when the Ethan Allen sank in approximately 70 feet of water. The only crew member onboard, Captain Richard Paris, survived. The estimated number of passengers was increased to 49 and it's reported that none pulled from the water were wearing life vests. Also, since those onboard were senior citizens, a number were in wheelchairs or required walkers.

The incident occurred about 200 yards from shore. An unconfirmed report states that it capsized after it hit the wake of a larger cruise boat. In my opinion, before this tragedy is history, some serious liability will be assigned for negligence or malfeasance.

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