From deep within the Colombian jungle, this documentary tells the story of three American defense contractors held hostage since their plane crashed in 2003.
Showing posts with label Terrorism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terrorism. Show all posts
July 1, 2008
Spotlight: Held Hostage in Colombia (2008)
March 9, 2008
The Most-Wanted List
On Feb. 13, Imad Mughniyeh, of Hizbollah, was assassinated in Damascus. "The world is a better place without this man in it," State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said: "one way or the other he was brought to justice."
Joy was unconstrained in Israel too, as "one of the U.S. and Israel's most wanted men" was brought to justice, the London Financial Times reported.
Under the heading, "A militant wanted the world over," an accompanying story reported that he was "superseded on the most-wanted list by Osama bin Laden" after 9/11 and so ranked only second among "the most wanted."
The terminology is accurate enough, according to the rules of Anglo-American discourse, which defines "the world" as the political class in Washington and London (and whoever happens to agree with them on specific matters).
Following the Terror Trail
In the present case, if "the world" were extended to the world, we might find some other candidates for the honor of most hated arch-criminal.
The Financial Times reports that most of the charges against Moughniyeh are unsubstantiated, but "one of the very few times when his involvement can be ascertained with certainty [is in] the hijacking of a TWA plane in 1985."
Car Bomb
the 1985 Tunis bombing was a severe terrorist crime, or the crime for which Moughniyeh's "involvement can be ascertained with certainty". But even the Tunis bombing had competitors for the prize for worst terrorist atrocity.
One challenger was a car-bombing in Beirut right outside a mosque, timed to go off as worshippers were leaving Friday prayers. It killed 80 people and wounded 256. Most of the dead were girls and women, who had been leaving the mosque, though the ferocity of the blast "burned babies in their beds," and "blew away three children as they walked home from the mosque."
The intended target had been the Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, who escaped. The bombing was carried out by Reagan's CIA and his Saudi allies, with Britain's help, and was specifically authorized by CIA Director William Casey, according to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward's account in his book Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987.
Killing without Intent
Another allegation is that Moughniyeh "masterminded" the bombing of Israel's embassy in Buenos Aires on March 17, 1992, killing 29 people, in response to Israel's "assassination of former Hizbollah leader Abbas Al-Mussawi in an air attack in southern Lebanon." Israel proudly took credit for it.
The world might have some interest in the rest of the story. Al-Mussawi was murdered with a U.S.-supplied helicopter, well north of Israel's illegal "security zone" in southern Lebanon. He was on his way to Sidon from the village of Jibshit, where he had spoken at the memorial for another Imam murdered by Israeli forces. The helicopter attack also killed his wife and five-year old child.
This is only a small sample of facts that the world might find of interest in connection with the alleged responsibility of Moughniyeh for the retaliatory terrorist act in Buenos Aires. The more vulgar apologists for U.S. and Israeli crimes solemnly explain that, while Arabs purposely kill people, the U.S. and Israel, being democratic societies, do not intend to do so.
"Terrorist Villagers"
A third competitor for the Mideast terrorism prize was Prime Minister Peres' "Iron Fist" operations in southern Lebanese territories then occupied by Israel. The targets were what the Israeli high command called "terrorist villagers."
Peres's crimes in this case sank to new depths of "calculated brutality and arbitrary murder" in the words of a Western diplomat familiar with the area, an assessment amply supported by direct coverage.
To repeat once again, we can distinguish three categories of crimes: murder with intent, accidental killing, and murder with foreknowledge but without specific intent. Israeli and U.S. atrocities typically fall into the third category.
Thus, when Israel destroys Gaza's power supply or sets up barriers to travel in the West Bank, it does not specifically intend to murder the particular people who will die from polluted water or in ambulances that cannot reach hospitals.
If, for a moment, we can adopt the perspective of the world, we might ask which criminals are "wanted the world over."
Adapted via Chomsky.info
February 9, 2008
Terror-Storm
Seen on: YouTube
Alex-Jones provides evidence pointing towards the involvement of the British government in the 7/7 London Bombings in this extract from Terror-Storm.
February 8, 2008
January 21, 2008
Brown in India
Britain and India should step up cooperation in the fight against terrorism and work together to isolate militants, prime-minister Gordon-Brown said on Sunday.Brown, on his first visit to India as prime minister, said he would like to see India join an international body that fights money laundering and terrorist financing, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force.
"What I would like to see is greater contact between our two countries in winning the battle of hearts and minds, isolating extremist ideologies who try to poison young people," Brown told a news conference.
Aid-Pledge
Brown arrived bearing promises of hundreds of millions of dollars of development aid to combat poverty in India, where 400 million people live on less than $1 a day despite the country's rapid economic-growth.
Britain said that over the next three years it will give India £825 million in development aid, with more than half spent on health and education.
Via Box-UK
January 19, 2008
Benazir Bhutto - Experts Reflect - Part one
Seen on: YouTube
After a look at recent NewsHour interviews with Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan experts and former colleagues of the late prime minister reflect on her political career, including her election as the first female prime-minister in 1988.
Spain foils terror-threat
Bomb-related material was found during raids in Barcelona which led to the arrest of 14 people suspected of links to terrorism.
Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said, suspects included 12 from Pakistan and two from India. The Civil Guard detained the suspects in Barcelona as part of a joint operation with Spain's National Intelligence Centre (CNI).
Election issue
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that it was too early to arrive at any conclusions as to what the suspects might have been planning.
"Let's be as cautious as is advisable in these cases, with regard to the scope, intentions and what this group of radical activists represent," he said.
Via BBC
Teen Arrested in Bhutto Plot
A 15-year-old detained near the Afghan border has confessed to joining a team of assassins sent to kill Benazir-Bhutto, officials said on Saturday.Police also announced they had foiled new suicide attacks against the country's Shiite-minority.
In the southern city of Karachi, meanwhile, the police chief said officers detained five men with explosives, detonators and a small quantity of cyanide intended for attacks on this week's Shiite Muslim festival of Ashura.
Via Time-Magazine
Osama bin-Laden: Son seeks peace
Osama bin-Laden's son has said he wants to become an "ambassador for peace" between Muslims and the West.
Omar 'Osama bin-Laden', 26, said that he was planning a horse race across North-Africa to promote peace between nations.
"A lot of people think Arabs - especially the bin-Ladens - are all terrorists. This is not the truth," Omar told AP in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Via BBC
January 17, 2008
Pakistan's Shia-Sunni divide
Differences between Pakistan's Sunni-majority and Shia-minority go back to the schism following the prophet's death. But in the past two decades those differences have been manifest in repeated-violence.
Related-Verse >
Those who split up their Religion, and become (mere) Sects,- each party rejoicing in that which is with itself! (The Romans - Verse 32)
Zia's legacy >Most sectarian violence in Pakistan takes place in the province of Punjab and the country's commercial capital, Karachi.
There have also been outbreaks in Quetta.
Musharraf is not the only Pakistani leader to have such-problems. Most analysts agree it began in 1979, when Zia ul-Haq began Islamicising Pakistani politics.
Via In2Verses
Next-Terror Threat
Homeland Security Secretary Michael-Chertoff said yesterday that one of the biggest threats to American security may now come from Europe.
"One of the things we have become concerned about lately is the possibility of Europe becoming a platform for a threat against the United-States," Chertoff said.
In an interview with BBC, Chertoff said that American authorities were becoming increasingly aware of a real risk of Europe becoming a "platform for terrorists."
Via NY-Post
January 15, 2008
Taleban storm luxury-hotel in Kabul
Taleban militants stormed Kabul's leading luxury-hotel last night, killing seven people in a significant escalation of insurgent tactics against foreign civilians in Afghanistan.UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said Norway's foreign minister, Støre, was the target of the assault, where the Norwegian embassy was holding a meeting.A Taleban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility shortly after the attack.
Via Guardian-Unlimited/AFP
January 13, 2008
Iraq-Offensive: Clear out militants
US forces are solidifying control over some of the most persistent militant strongholds of Al-Qaeda in Iraq northeast of Baghdad, drawing on a new counterinsurgency model.
Via CS-MonitorIn Kuwait, President-Bush conceded that until last year, "our strategy simply wasn't working," with Iraq riven by sectarian violence and Sunni and Shiite militants strengthening their grip.
"Al-Qaeda ... will continue to target the innocent with violence," Mr. Bush said. "But we've dealt Al Qaeda in Iraq heavy blows, and it now faces a growing uprising of ordinary Iraqis who want to live peaceful lives."
January 2, 2008
War on Terror
Seen on: YouTube
America and the War on Terror, what Bush did to get your mind of the War.
Related Link : War on Terror Widget
January 1, 2008
India on Pakistan Crisis
In the six decades since an independent India and Pakistan rose from the flames of the bloody partition of the subcontinent, the South Asian rivals have stared at each other across heavily armed frontiers with implacable hostility, fought three wars.
It's not that India is no longer worried about Pakistan — it is, deeply. But a decade of sustained economic growth — pegged at about 9 percent this year — has transformed India into a global economic player, giving it self-assurance.
Perhaps India's greatest problem is that while its relations with Pakistan have improved, it may not know whom to deal with there in the future.
Via Talk-Desi
India put its troops on a higher state of alert after the emergency was declared and again after the Bhutto-killing. India's stock market dipped slightly the morning after the killing with investors concerned about instability in the region. By the afternoon, it had resumed its climb. News reports focused equally on the Cricket team's performance against Australia.
It's not that India is no longer worried about Pakistan — it is, deeply. But a decade of sustained economic growth — pegged at about 9 percent this year — has transformed India into a global economic player, giving it self-assurance.
"The general confidence level in India is much higher," said C. Uday Bhaskar, a prominent New Delhi-based defense analyst.A continuing peace process between India and Pakistan since 2004 also done much to reduce India's anxiety over the possibility of a Pakistani attack.
"Our greatest fear is the large scale movement of terrorist activities through Pakistan," said retired Gen. Ashok Mehta, a strategic analyst in New Delhi.In an attempt to strengthen democracy and stability in Afghanistan, India has donated some $750 million to reconstruction efforts since the Taleban fell, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, making it the third-largest donor.
Perhaps India's greatest problem is that while its relations with Pakistan have improved, it may not know whom to deal with there in the future.
Via Talk-Desi
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