Iraqi Court Sentences Ten Soldiers of Heaven to Death

An Iraqi court has handed down sentencing for the Najaf Riots case. Ten so-called “Soldiers of Heaven” who followed a false Mahdi, or messiah, were sentenced to death, and 390 others were sent to jail for fifteen years or more.

An Iraqi court has handed down sentencing for the Najaf Riots case. Ten so-called “Soldiers of Heaven” who followed a false Mahdi, or messiah, were sentenced to death, and 390 others were sent to jail for fifteen years or more.

The Najaf riots came about as the soldiers of heaven attempted to assassinate most of the top Shiite clerics in the city of Najaf. Their “mahdi” could not have been real for he is dead, and they are now in jail. There were masses of evidence presented, and many witnesses who testified at the trial, but in the end it appears that the court has meted out even-handed justice as some were completely set free due to lack of evidence.

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Palestinians Attack Day-Care Center With Rockets

Parents rushed to save their children in Sderot as Palestians rained seven rockets into the Israeli town this morning. Islamic Jihad, or Harkut-al-Jihad-Islami has claimed credit. They are Syrian and Iranian backed, but in the past have also received funding from Florida via Sami Al Arian who pled guilty to doing so.

 From the New York Times:

A Palestinian rocket landed in a courtyard next to a crowded day care center on Monday, sending panicked mothers scrambling to take their screaming toddlers to safety and bringing warnings of retribution from Israeli leaders.

None of the 15 children at the center was hurt. But frantic parents in Sderot — already furious over the government’s failure to protect them and their children from the near-daily rocket fire — pulled their children out of schools on the second day of the academic year. It was unclear when studies would resume.

The army said seven rockets were fired Monday morning at Sderot, a frequently targeted city just a mile from the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad, a radical Palestinian militant group that has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel in recent years, claimed responsibility.

Final Musharraf-Bhutto Talks?

In the frontiers up to 150 Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army troops are either captured as hostage, or blockaded by the Taliban forces of Baitullah Mehsud (Mahsud tribe.) This puts the question of uniform, or “Wardi” issue, into contrast.

In a last ditch effort to salvage a possible deal there is a “secret” meeting taking place in Abu Dhabi between the two political camps. At the root is when and how Musharraf will announce that he is giving up the uniform.

In the frontiers up to 150 Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army troops are either captured as hostage, or blockaded by the Taliban forces of Baitullah Mehsud (Mahsud tribe.) This puts the question of uniform, or “Wardi” issue, into contrast.

Continue reading “Final Musharraf-Bhutto Talks?”

President Bush Makes Front-Line Assessment in Iraq

President Bush is on a surprise trip to Iraq ahead of the coming report to Congress by General Petraeus. He is meeting with the government and front-line commanders to assess both the effectiveness of the surge, and the recent gains towards political unity within the country.

bush-in-anbar.jpgPresident Bush is on a surprise trip to Iraq ahead of the coming report to Congress by General Petraeus. He is meeting with the government and front-line commanders to assess both the effectiveness of the surge, and the recent gains towards political unity within the country.

He met with Prime Minister Al Maliki in Anbar province in the heart of Sunni country to demonstrate that the new unity is not an illusion.

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Why is North Korea Now Cooperative?

What’s behind this change? Critics of President Bush’s six party talks diplomatic process will certainly need to eat a lot of crow if this does work, so is there weight behind it?

There has been a breakthrough in talks with North Korea Sunday, as reported by CNN here. The devil however will be in the details, and this could be false accomodation to get them through until the next US election cycle is over, that’s happened in the past.

What’s behind this change? Critics of President Bush’s six party talks diplomatic process will certainly need to eat a lot of crow if this does work, so is there weight behind it? Continue reading “Why is North Korea Now Cooperative?”

Iran Has 3,000 Centrifuges Running

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced today that they’ve reached their goal of running 3,000 simultaneous centrifuges to enrich uranium for their nuclear program.

iranian-nuke.jpgPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced today that they’ve reached their goal of running 3,000 simultaneous centrifuges to enrich uranium for their nuclear program. From the AP

Iran has reached its long-sought goal of running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Sunday, in a report on state media. [editor: this program is carried out at Iran’s nuclear facility, Natanz, overhead view here.]

The U.N. Security Council had threatened a third round of sanctions against the country if it did not freeze the uranium enrichment program – which Iran maintains is for peaceful energy purposes, but the U.S. says is to hide a weapons program.

“The West thought the Iranian nation would give in after just a resolution, but now we have taken another step in the nuclear progress and launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines, installing a new cascade every week,” the state television Web site quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

 At the same time the head of the Iranian Revolution guards has been suddenly replaced byIran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s Revolutionary guards is now designated as a terrorist group by the US for support of Hamas, Hezb’allah, Sadrists in Iraq, and Al Qaeda in Iraq. This is a rare and sudden shake-up. Continue reading “Iran Has 3,000 Centrifuges Running”

Karachi Bridge Collapse

While the Benazir Bhutto / Musharraf talks have stalled, a brand-new overpass collapsed in Karachi, killing four people. Designed to alleviate the crushing traffic jams that last for hours in Karachi, the overpass bridge and the Northern Bypass are now not usuable.

karachi-bypass-bridge.jpgWhile the Benazir Bhutto / Musharraf talks have stalled, a brand-new overpass collapsed in Karachi, killing four people. Designed to alleviate the crushing traffic jams that last for hours in Karachi, the overpass bridge and the Northern Bypass are now not usuable.

This was contracted out to Army firms, and not only will the design and architecture come under fire, but also the materials, and construction process. This is bound to raise some cries against the government and in one of the few areas where Musharraf still has reasonably strong support. The cry of corruption will undoubtably ring through the city.

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A Successful Operation in Afghanistan

70 Taliban have been killed in Afghanistan, three miles from the Pakistan border in a village near a crossing spot. A bomb making factory was destroyed along with armaments.

 The AP report gets this right, but their exaggerations of the Taliban’s failed offensive this year — calling this the “worst since…” etc. are getting old. Looking back at their own reports they can verify that US and Nato forces were averaging 1500 to 3500 Taliban killed per month last year. It was not unusual to read about 50-70 Taliban killed two to four times per week last July through September. Continue reading “A Successful Operation in Afghanistan”

Beslan Remembered

Sometime in the far future the name of Beslan will be forgotten; but not today; not while parents still mourn for their children murdered three years ago today. A tragedy is a tragedy, but for some it’s an opportunity for propaganda and politics

beslan-memorial.jpgSometime in the far future the name of Beslan will be forgotten; but not today; not while parents still mourn for their children murdered three years ago today. A tragedy is a tragedy, but for some it’s an opportunity for propaganda and politics.

Just as we have our “truthers”, in Russia there are those would rather blame the authorities than the evildoers. Continue reading “Beslan Remembered”