April 08, 2005
A US citizen has died from wounds sustained in Thursday's bomb blast in Cairo, the US in Egypt announced.No indication? Right. Might I go way out on a limb and name a few likely suspects??According to the BBC, a French woman and another person were killed in the blast from a bomb attack in the historic heart of Cairo.
French, American and Italian tourists were among 18 people wounded when the bomb was thrown into a crowded market in the Egyptian capital.
The attack, in a part of Cairo popular with tourists, is the first in the city for seven years.
There is no indication yet of who might have been behind the bombing.
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April 07, 2005
What is so interesting about the video is it reveals just how ineffective the terrorist organization was at penetrating Abu Ghraib. Abu Ghraib is a sprawling complex, and the terrorist fire at it from a very far distance. It's a wonder that 2 of the 7 suicide bombers were able to get any where near the walls of the prison.
For instance, as far as I can tell, this is as close as the film maker ever got to the prison. You can see the lights of Abu Ghraib in the distance. (Click images to enlarge) more...
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You know, you've got to have your priorities.
He tells me via e-mail that he's working on it. Keep. Fingers. Crossed.
In the meantime why not give 'til it hurts to The Spirit of America?
Expect any of the good photos to be posted at Totten's place.
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April 06, 2005
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I didnt even notice!What is almost as troubling is that few moderate Muslims embrace liberal notions of religious freedom. At best, they renounce the death penalty in favor of other penalties--such as fines or jail.
Christians in Iran have expressed great fears for the life of pastor Hamid Pourmand, a lay leader in a church and a convert from Islam, who will appear before an Islamic court next week to face charges of apostasy. If found guilty he is likely to face the death penalty.more...
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April 05, 2005
Via Chad at In the Bullpen who has more analysis here. Sifi (Indian website):
Pakistani scientists Abdul Qadeer Khan and Sultan Bashiruddin Mehmood had held meetings with Osama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders, exchanged letters with militant organisations like the Lashkar-e-Toiba and attended their gatherings and rallies, a media report said.
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My own opinion is that Totten is just there to pick up on one of those hot protester babes. I mean, check out the Spirit of America page right now and tell me that wasn't Totten's underlying motive? Perv.
Anyway, perv or no, Totten and Hake have the right idea. This is an extrememly important cause if we want to see the Middle East come out of the political Dark Ages and join modernity. Give a little or give a lot. Every penny counts.
Totten will be blogging from Lebanon for the next couple of weeks. Would you do us all a favor Mike? How about some more hot protester babe pics!!
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According to the news reported by the pro-Israeli government newspaper Haaretz, the garbage, which is collected particularly from Tel Aviv and Saron Valley, will be dumped at the Abu Susha region in the north of the West Bank. The news highlighted that this unprecedented decision, except for the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, is against international law and would cause environmental pollution. Experts are also warning that the garbage would pollute Palestinian water source. The paper informed that Israeli bulldozers and trucks have been recently begun working to dig in order to create a place for the garbage. Israel's decision to turn Abu Susha into a "garbage dump" has been linked to financial issues, "it will be cheaper". It is said that to transfer a ton of garbage picked up from Tel Aviv to the dump in Israel would cost three or four times higher than the West Bank.It's funny because it's true.
Reminder: Today is day 8 of Jawa-Googlegate.
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Suspected Islamic militants opened fire on a man in a crowded bazaar in this tribal town on Monday, killing him before fleeing, an intelligence official said.And here is the shocker.No one claimed responsibility for the shooting in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. The official, on condition of anonymity, said that authorities found some evidence suggesting the man may have been killed on suspicion that he was spying for the United States on militants in the area.
The 35-year-old local tribesman, identified as Fazal Rahman, was shot twice in the head by fire from an AK-47 rifle. No one was arrested and a probe into the shooting has been started, he saidMaybe they ought to set up a blue-ribbon commission to tackle the incredibly difficult question of who was behind this?
UPDATE: The small minority of extremists are at it again in Pakistan. This time they're pissed because a few women decided to run in public.
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April 04, 2005
Saudi troops have killed eight gunmen and wounded another in a protracted siege in the northern town of Al-Ras, where fierce gunbattles raged for a second day with suspected militants, security sources said Monday.
A local hospital official said 51 security personnel had been treated by midday (0900 GMT) Monday in one of the longest and bloodiest battles in Saudi Arabia's two-year confrontation with al Qaeda supporters. Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier-General Mansour al-Turki said he could not verify casualty figures but confirmed the operation in Al-Ras, 180 miles northwest of Riyadh, was continuing more than 24 hours after it broke out.Turki said the suspected militants, holed up in a complex in the town's Jawazat neighborhood, had hurled hand grenades at security forces.
The battle erupted early Sunday when security forces tried to raid a house where the suspects were staying. Witnesses said the house was secured by Monday morning but gunfire had erupted from a nearby building.
"They were asked to surrender, but those people are known not to listen," local governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdul-Aziz told state television Sunday, describing the gunmen as "terrorists."
Saudi Arabia has been battling supporters of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, who have targeted Westerners and security forces in the world's biggest oil exporter in a wave of violence since May 2003....
The town of Al-Ras is in the conservative Qassim province, the heartland of Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi doctrine which some critics say has fueled intolerance and anti-Western violence.
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The 50 year old al-Hassani, earned a Ph. D. from the University of Connecticut in Agricultural and Resource Economics in 1990. He also lived in my hometown of Los Angeles for 12 years. After returning to Iraq following the U.S. led liberation he became the Minister of Industry and Minerals.
It is also interesting to note that al-Hassani was against the war, initially, and that he was part of a Sunni Islamist party. When that party called for a boycott of the election, however, he broke with party ranks.
The Iraqi National Assembly appointed a speaker and two deputy speakers on Sunday, taking the first step, though a largely symbolic one, in installing a new government.In last-minute deal making on Saturday and Sunday morning, the leaders of the top political parties settled on Hajim al-Hassani, a prominent Sunni Arab and the minister of industry in the interim government, as speaker. They selected Hussain Shahristani, a nuclear physicist and leading Shiite Arab, and Aref Taifour, a Kurd, as the two deputies...
During the formal U.S. occupation and the start of the interim government, al-Hassani was a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a religious Sunni group. But last November, when that party called for withdrawal from the interim government over the government's support for the U.S. invasion of Fallujah, al- Hassani decided to leave the party and continue in his ministerial role.
To Western reporters, al-Hassani puts forth a secular appearance and underscores his time in the United States. But his former ties to the Iraqi Islamic Party indicate that he could support conservative Islamic policies for the new government.
In recent weeks, the main Shiite and Kurdish blocs, which together have more than two-thirds of the assembly seats, have said they want to ensure that prominent Sunni Arabs get significant roles in the new government. Al- Hassani's appointment was a nod in that direction. The Sunnis, who held the bulk of political power in Saddam Hussein's government, make up a fifth of the population and lead the insurgency.
"I think he's well accepted personally, and this acceptance will give him a broad base among the Sunnis, but this does not rule out that there will be opposition among some Sunnis," said Jawad al-Maliki, a deputy leader of the Dawa Islamic Party, a powerful Shiite group whose leader, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, is the top candidate for prime minister.
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April 01, 2005
What I want to know is if Jordanian prisons are anything like Turkish prisons? Anyway, I've seen enough video of Zarqawi to know that he was somebody's bitch.
Long-time Jawa readers know that Zarqawi is public enemy number one. You'll have to excuse the editorializing below, but the man does like to cut off the heads of infidels.
"Abu Musab cried constantly. He was very emotional, almost like a child," said 35-year-old Yousef Rababaa as he recalled the young militant.Hey bitch, you need a towel for that?
He dreamed of an Islamic utopia where people would relive the puritanical lifestyle of the faith's early founders.Wait, so you're saying he cuts off people's f*cking heads because he's religious?
"Abu Musab would be as preoccupied with writing letter after letter to his old mother as spending long hours reciting the Koran," said Rababaa.No shit?It was piety of an extreme nature that moulded Zarqawi's militancy, according to Islamists and experts who follow many of the young adherents of the Salafi brand of Islamist jihadis.
Another cellmate, Khaled Abu Doma, 36, recalled the young Zarqawi's long days spent kneeling with another inmate on a mat in the prison courtyard ...Ok, I had to cut that sentence off, because, well, you get it. Here is the full quote.
Another cellmate, Khaled Abu Doma, 36, recalled the young Zarqawi's long days spent kneeling with another inmate on a mat in the prison courtyard as he patiently helped him memorise verse after verse from the Koran.Why is it that the biggest pieces of shit on earth are always described as pretty nice guys? Like, have you ever heard of a serial mass-murderer or terrorist who wasn't soft-spoken and loved kitties?
Zarqawi would also wash other prisoner's clothes and scrub and clean prison lavatories, chores which other prisoners usually shunned, Abu Doma said.Heh, heh. See. I told you . BITCH.
"Those prison years were critical in shaping Zarqawi's leadership qualities among his circle of followers that prepared him for his future role in Afghanistan and later Iraq."Ah, so that's what this is all about!!!! Zarqawi is just lashing out at a society that unjustly imprisoned him by, um, you know, CUTTING OFF PEOPLE'S F*CKING HEADS!!!
Anyway, just knowing that Zarqawi had to spend time in an Arab prison makes me smile a little. The day he dies, though, well I'm gonna party like it's 1999.
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I have a better word for him: traitor.
I can think of no better candidate for extraordinary rendition. After every last ounce of information is gently extracted for him then I say we send him to Saudi Arabia. I hear they have a most fitting form of execution.
U.S. forces in Iraq are holding an associate of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who holds joint American-Jordanian citizenship, defense officials said yesterday.Let me note, though, that dozens of Europeans have been captured fighting for the terrorists. However, all of them have been Muslim immigrants or the children of immigrants.
The man was snared in a raid by U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq late in 2004, according to a Pentagon spokesman, who said weapons and bomb-making materials were in his residence.The man was described as a personal associate of Zarqawi and an emissary to insurgent groups in several cities in Iraq.
The officials said that the man holds joint U.S.-Jordanian citizenship, but declined to provide his hometown or otherwise identify him.
After his capture, a panel of three U.S. officers determined that he was an enemy combatant and therefore not entitled to prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Convention, the spokesman said.
He is still being held as a security threat but has been visited by representatives of the International Committee on the Red Cross.
He is the first American known to be captured fighting for the insurgency in Iraq.
He is being held at an internment facility in Iraq," said Lieutenant Colonel Guy Rudisill, spokesman for detainee affairs. "He's being held along with other detainees."Rudisill said he had no details on the man's age or where he was from in the United States. He said he was born in Jordan and received U.S. citizenship later, but it was not known when. He has been interrogated by U.S. forces.
"We do know from interrogation that he has strong ties to the al-Zarqawi network," Rudisill said.
Legal action against the detainee will be taken in coordination with the Iraqi government, he added, leaving open the possibility that he could be handed over to the U.S. Justice Department.
Rudisill said the fact an American had been held in connection with the insurgency was only emerging now because no one had asked about it previously.
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March 30, 2005
There is both much hope and much fear coming out of the Middle East today. On the one hand democracy and freedom seems to loom imminently on the horizon. On the other hand, those same democratic forces may unleash radical Islamist elements long suppressed by totalitarian tyranny.
Recently I was skimming through files uploaded by users at an Arabic forum. The images found at the website offer insight into the promise and perils of democracy in the Middle East. These images show that major differences exist within Arab societies in attitudes towards the West and modernism.
Posted below you will find some of the most interesting images. They show the hopeful side of the Arab world and the not so good side. more...
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So you truly believe that the objective behind this middle-eastern adventure is the 'Democratisation' of the region? Well I guess there's a sucker born every minute.
My relatives are not 'a bunch of rag heads'. They are earning a rather good living there and are deeply ashamed of what we are doing to the region.
Ever read General Smedley Butler's 'War is a Racket'?
Check it out:
http://lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm
The motives of warmongers has not changed since.
Always remember that America was never under threat, let alone under attack. This was straightforward bullying. In fact it's not even a war because to have a war you need TWO warring armies. Here we have the biggest military on earth battering a starving nation.
I guess things may calm down in the end. But, as Smedley points out, it will only happen when the US has secured it's energy interests from the region.
This has nothing to do with 'Democracy'. And no ... the Iraqi people do not want Western troops there. You can fantasise all you like.
Ciao
DEBKAfile exclusive military sources report complete collapse of pro-Syrian political and intelligence structure in Lebanon and abrupt withdrawal of all Syrian commands including key figure military intelligence chief General Ghazaleh.Lebanese secret service chief Gen. Raymond Azar has fled to Paris. Internal Security Forces head Gen. Ali al-Hajj about to quit.
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March 29, 2005
The American Forces Press Service quotes Abizaid as saying, "The terrorist groups such as that led by Abu Musab al Zarqawi continue to be very dangerous."
However, “Many of the former Baathist criminals, who know they won’t have an opportunity to participate in the political future of the country, are continuing to fight,” the general said. (AFPS)
The elections of Jan. 30, though, has encouraged Iraqis and the performance of the Iraqi security forces in those elections also is a cause for hope.
“Certainly it’s better since the election,” Abizaid said. “I think continued military operations and continuing strengthening of the Iraqi security forces will make it better still.” (AFPS)
Abizaid then pointed the finger of blame squarely at Syria and Iran.
“Their security services can find those facilitation cells; they can dismantle them,” Abizaid said. “And they can certainly go after the people we have identified by name that are former members of the regime that are coordinating actions inside Syria. I won’t go so far as to say that these groups have the active support of the Syrian government, but the Syrians certainly aren’t doing enough to shut off their support for the insurgency.” (AFPS)
"We know that Iranian intelligence services people were involved with Muqtada al-Sadr during the uprisings back in April,” he said, “and then again in November (Iranian operatives) showed themselves in the Najaf area.” (AFPS)
Unsurprisingly, Arabic news sources have spun the General's words to mean that the absolute number of foreign fighters have increased. A clear sign that the strength of the insurgency is growing.
However, the General clearly indicated that the overall strength of the insurgency has fallen since the election.
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The Sofia News Agency reports the Interior Minister as saying, "He is surrounded in a certain area, and we hope for the best. This operation is ongoing. We hope that the situation will be completely different in Iraq at the end of this year."
Al-Nakib said al-Zarqawi was moving in "more than one area," but declined to provide more details, reports BNN.
Fingers. Crossed.
UPDATE: Novinite, which is the official foreign news agency of Bulgaria, was where this story first appeared. Later, the AP picked up the story and clarified that al-Nakib's remarks were much more general than the Novinite story.
Apparently what al-Nakib meant was that Zarqawi would eventually be captured because the Iraqi security forces are gradually taking control of the streets and winning the war.
An interesting fact bolsters his argument from the Zarqawi produced murder video released Sunday that we posted images from here. For the first time, Zarqawi uses a silenced pistol to murder the hostage victim.
As reader Eric J. notes:
The silenced pistol says to me that they are:Indeed.A. In an urban area where neighbors may hear them. (No surprise, the hostage takers seem to mostly have kept their hostages in urban areas, rather than taking them out somewhere in the countryside.)
B. Do not want to attract attention to themselves - do not control their surroundings.
It seems to indicate that random gunfire is something that would be noticed and investigated, where that was probably not the case a few months ago.
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March 26, 2005
Lebanon's Christian population has overwhelmingly supported mass demostrations aimed at forcing Syria to withdraw. Counter-demonstrations in support of Syria's long-time occupation were reported as consisting mainly of Palestinian refugees and supporters of the Islamic terrorist group Hizballah.
ITV reports that five people were wounded in the blast. The AP reports that at least two of the wounded were Asian born foreigners.
CNN:
A blast rocked Beirut on Saturday night, and Lebanese television broadcast stark images of severely damaged structures engulfed in flames.Related: Bomb in Beirut Mall Kills 3Security officials reportedly think a car bomb caused the blast.
Casualties cannot yet be confirmed in the blast, which is said to have occurred in eastern Beirut, a predominantly Christian area.
Ambulances raced to the scene, reportedly in an industrial district, but it is not known whether people were trapped in the buildings.
A print shop and possibly a timber yard were said to be affected, which would account for the extensive flames and smoke.
News footage showed firefighters attempting to extinguish the fierce flames, which were shooting out of many windows.
The explosion was the latest in a series of blasts in the Christian areas of Lebanon. It occurred on the eve of the Christian holy day of Easter.
Four days ago, a bomb ripped through a shopping mall in a predominantly Christian area north of Beirut, killing three people and wounding at least two others, police said.
Just a few days earlier, a car bomb exploded in another Christian area of Beirut, shearing off part of a multistory office building. Nobody was killed.
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Ever since we began our efforts in Iraq those on the left have been using Vietnam as an analagous war. Trying to shame us in the same way they shamed us then. It turns out they are right to compare Iraq to Vietnam. Only this time, it's our enemies who are beating a hasty retreat and seeking peace with honor.
Thanks to Mark for sending me this FT piece:
Many of Iraq's predominantly Sunni Arab insurgents would lay down their arms and join the political process in exchange for guarantees of their safety and that of their co-religionists, according to a prominent Sunni politician.Let me just add that I've seen hundreds of videos produced by various insurgent groups for propaganda value. The most recent trend in these videos seem to be roadside bombs detonated at some distance. In fact, after the bomb goes off these people rarely continue taping. They split real fast like.
Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein, who heads Iraq's main monarchist movement and is in contact with guerrilla leaders, said many insurgents including former officials of the ruling Ba'ath party, army officers, and Islamists have been searching for a way to end their campaign against US troops and Iraqi government forces since the January 30 election.“Firstly, they want to ensure their own security,” says Sharif Ali, who last week hosted a pan-Sunni conference attended by tribal sheikhs and other local leaders speaking on behalf of the insurgents.
Insurgent leaders fear coming out into the open to talk for fear of being targeted by US military or Iraqi security forces' raids, he said.
Sharif Ali distinguishes many Sunni insurgents, whom he says took up arms in reaction to the invasive raids in search of Ba'athist leaders and other “humiliations” soon after the 2003 war, from the radical jihadist branch associated with Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Unlike Mr Zarqawi's followers, who are thought to be responsible for the big suicide bomb attacks on Iraqi civilian targets, the other Sunni insurgents are more likely to plant bombs and carry out ambushes against security forces and US troops active near their homes.
Sharif Ali said the success of Iraq's elections dealt the insurgents a demoralising blow, prompting them to consider the need to enter the political process.
These people are not nearly as daring as they would have you believe.
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Schultz!!!
Good thing Colonel Klink wasn't running the camp, eh? Then again, I guess Kos, Michael Moore, Ward Churchill, and ilk, already believe the Nazis are running the joint......
UPDATE: I forgot to link this awesome-o photoshop by Confederate Yankee yesterday. Tim Robbins, indeed!!
So many metaphors, so little time. This article, cited below, goes with the Shawshank Redemption metaphor, while OpiniPundit sees more of the 'Great Escape' angle. more...
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