Clipmarks | ratilfar's 'war on terror' clips

Pakistani Troops, Tribesmen Again Fire On US Helicopters

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:32:55 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Pakistani troops and tribesmen opened fire on two U.S. helicopters that crossed into the country from neighboring Afghanistan, intelligence officials said Monday.

The helicopters did not return fire and re-entered Afghan airspace without landing, the officials said.

A spate of suspected U.S. missile strikes into Pakistan's border region and a raid by U.S. commandos said to have killed 15 people have angered and embarrassed Pakistani leaders while signaling Washington's impatience with Pakistani efforts to clear out militant havens.

During a recent speech to Parliament, newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari, who is considered U.S.-friendly, warned that no country would be allowed to violate Pakistan's sovereignty in the name of the war on terror.

A Pakistani military spokesman said last week that troops had orders to open fire in case of another cross-border raid by foreign troops.

Tags: afghanistan, pakistan, war, war on terror, incursions, attack

War on Terror boardgame branded criminal by police

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:47:38 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Idiotic police. Sounds like a great game.

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

It may not be fun for all the family – well, not in the same way as Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit or Mousetrap, say. The themes of empire building and terrorist-style attacks on opponents would probably provoke an outbreak of spluttering over the Christmas sherry.

It is rare, however, for a board game to be seized by the police. This week that distinction befell War on Terror: The Boardgame; a set was confiscated from climate protesters in Kent.

Following a series of raids on the climate change camp near Kingsnorth power station, officers displayed an array of supposed weapons snatched from demonstrators: knives, chisels, bolt cutters, a throwing star – and a copy of the satirical game, which lampoons Washington's "war on terror".

For the game's creators, Andrew Sheerin and Andy Tompkins, web designers from Cambridge, the inclusion of their toy was a shock.

Tags: uk, police, idiots, war on terror, boardgame, fun for the whole family

Pakistanis Aided Attack in Kabul, U.S. Officials Say

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:27:16 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: With friends like these....

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Afghan and Indian officials removed a body from the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, after a bombing there on July 7.

WASHINGTON — American intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan’s powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to United States government officials.

The conclusion was based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack, the officials said, providing the clearest evidence to date that Pakistani intelligence officers are actively undermining American efforts to combat militants in the region.

The American officials also said there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

Tags: afghanistan, pakistan, india, war, war on terror, terrorism, isi

McCain: I Know How to Capture Bin Laden

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:56:39 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Really, well then, lets go John, let's get that bastard! You did tell the Preznit how to do it, right? And SOCOM and Central Command. I mean I am sure they would want to know, or are you keeping them out of the loop John?

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

As developments on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to undermine his campaign, Republican John McCain tried to play the Bin Laden card on Friday. Repeating his claim “I know how to win wars,” McCain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that “I know how” to capture Osama Bin Laden. Apparently, the McCain strategy, as he never tires of telling voters, is to follow Bin Laden to “the gates of hell.”

“I’m not going to telegraph a lot of the things that I’m going to do because then it might compromise our ability to do so. But, look, I know the area, I have been there, I know wars, I know how to win wars, and I know how to improve our capabilities so that we will capture Osama bin Laden — or put it this way, bring him to justice…We will do it, I know how to do it.”

Download | Play Download | Play

No doubt, McCain hasn’t been shy when it comes to explaining how he’ll bag Bin Laden.
(Read the rest of this story…)

Tags: osama, mccain, mclame, mcstupid, war on terror, afghanistan

McCain Attended Zero Afghanistan Hearings In Last Two Years

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:43:13 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: From the article:

"The American public believes the war in Afghanistan is far more essential to the war on terror than the war in Iraq: 51% believe the U.S. must win the war in Afghanistan to succeed in the war on terror, whereas only 34% feel the same about the Iraq war."

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

ABC News reports that McCain has attended zero of his Senate committee's six hearings on Afghanistan in the last two years:

It turns out that presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, has attended even fewer Afghanistan-related Senate hearings over the past two years than Obama's one. Which is a nice way of saying, McCain, R-Ariz., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee, has attended zero of his committee's six hearings on Afghanistan over the last two years...

...The findings are surprising given the fact that the McCain campaign loudly criticized Obama this week for failing to schedule any hearings on Afghanistan in the last year and a half. Obama chairs the European Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has oversight of military operations in Afghanistan.

Tags: afghanistan, war, war on terror, mccain, mcbush, mcsame, mcloser

US troops pull out of Afghan base after attack

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:54:33 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: The Forgotten War heats up! Talk about progress!

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. and Afghan troops have abandoned a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan where militants killed nine American soldiers this week, officials said Wednesday.

Compounding the military setback, insurgents quickly seized the village of Wanat in Nuristan province after driving out the handful of police left behind to defend government offices, Afghan officials said.

Some 50 officers were headed to the area to try to regain control, said Ghoolam Farouq, a senior provincial police official.

Sunday's attack by some 200 militants armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars was the deadliest for the U.S. military in Afghanistan in three years. Rebels fought their way into the newly established base, wounding another 15 Americans and suffering heavy casualties of their own, before the defenders and warplanes could drive them back.

Tags: afghanistan, war, war on terror, militants, military, insurgency, taliban

The Power of Nightmares-Part1

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:07:06 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Part 1 of a very good series from the BBC

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: bbc, neocons, films, power, fear, nightmares, war on terror

Prisoner's tortured at the hands of the guards in Afghanistan

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:08:08 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: www.mcclatchydc.com

KABUL, Afghanistan — American soldiers herded the detainees into holding pens of razor-sharp concertina wire, the kind that's used to corral livestock.

The guards kicked, kneed and punched many of the men until they collapsed in pain. U.S. troops shackled and dragged other detainees to small isolation rooms, then hung them by their wrists from chains dangling from the wire mesh ceiling.

Former guards and detainees whom McClatchy interviewed said Bagram was a center of systematic brutality for at least 20 months, starting in late 2001. Yet the soldiers responsible have escaped serious punishment.

This picture from a U.S. court martial file, drawn by military polygraph examiner George Chigi III, shows how Afghan detainee Dilawar was shackled by his wrists to the ceiling of an isolation cell at Bagram Air Base before being beaten to death in December 2002. | View larger image

Tags: terror, terrorism, torture, bagram, afghanistan, war, war on terror, war crimes

Bush, Rumsfeld, Powell all lied about Iraq

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:02:57 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: "We are not the United States of Israel".

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: iraq, war, war on terror, al-qaeda, lies

G.I. Tells of Ordering Unarmed Iraqi’s Death

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 15:10:12 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — A top Army sniper testified Friday in a military court that he had ordered a subordinate to kill an unarmed Iraqi man who wandered into their hiding position near Iskandariya, then planted an AK-47 rifle near the body to support his false report about the shooting.

Under a grant of immunity, the sniper, Sgt. Michael A. Hensley, an expert marksman and sniper trainer, testified in the court-martial of Sgt. Evan Vela. Sergeant Vela is accused of murder, impeding a military investigation and planting evidence to cover up an unjust shooting. An earlier charge of premeditated murder was dropped.

Sergeant Vela is the third soldier to be charged in the death of the Iraqi, Genei Nesir Khudair al-Janabi, last May. Sergeant Hensley and another soldier, Specialist Jorge G. Sandoval Jr., were acquitted of murder charges last year, but were convicted of planting evidence. As part of his sentence, Sergeant Hensley was demoted from staff sergeant.

Tags: war, war on terror, war crimes, iraq

19th March, 5th Anniversary Of The Iraq Invasion- Blogswarm

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:17:50 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: From the article:

"Q. How do I become involved?

Go to the swarm homeblog march19-blogswarm.blogspot.com and- Post a comment with your blog’s title and URL. If you join up by the fifth anniversary of mass actions against the war, February 15, 2008, you will be included in the listing of “Charter Blogs” displayed on the home blogs menu."

I already joined, you can do the same! Get involved!

Clip Source: tenpercent.wordpress.com

This March 19th will be 5 years of the Iraq war. Consequently the prescient GodlessLiberalHomo has come up with a blogswarm and inveigled me into helping getting it going. Neither he nor I own this, we’re just getting it going, this is everyone’s who wants to participate. So you may have questions, what is a blogswarm?

This blogswarm will promote blog postings opposing the war in Iraq and calling for a full withdrawal of foreign occupying forces in Iraq. Five years of an illegal and catastrophic war is five years too many. On the March 19 anniversary of the conquest of Iraq by the Bush Administration, there needs to be a loud volume of voices countering the pro-war propaganda from far too many politicians and corporate media outlets.

Q. How do I become involved?

Q. Hey, how about some badges? I’m glad you asked-

“Freedom of the press only applies to people who own printing presses. And now everyone with net access owns a printing press.”

Blogswarm!

Spread the Word.

Tags: war, war on terror, t.w.a.t., justice, peace, truth, iraq, blogs

Report: Military Not Ready for Attack on US soil

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:26:46 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: And the Pentagon came up with a half-hearted denial:

"n response, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, chief of U.S. Northern command, said the Pentagon is putting together a specialized military team that would be designed to respond to such catastrophic events.

"The capability for the Defense Department to respond to a chemical, biological event exists now," Renuart told the AP. "It, today, is not as robust as we would like because of the demand on the forces that we've placed across the country. ... I can do it today. It would be harder on the (military) services, but I could respond."

Way to go GOP! Defending the homeland against....what again?

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military isn't ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and National Guard forces don't have the equipment or training they need for the job, according to a report.

Even fewer Army National Guard units are combat-ready today than were nearly a year ago when the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves determined that 88 percent of the units were not prepared for the fight, the panel says in a new report released Thursday.

The independent commission is charged by Congress to recommend changes in law and policy concerning the Guard and Reserves.

The commission's 400-page report concludes that the nation "does not have sufficient trained, ready forces available" to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear weapons incident, "an appalling gap that places the nation and its citizens at greater risk."

Tags: war, war on terror, report, homeland security, defense, terrorism

Anti-war veterans' group: War crimes are 'encouraged'

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:32:03 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: rawstory.com

At an event in Watertown, New York on Saturday, members of Iraq Veterans Against War charged that war crimes against civilians were encouraged by unit commanders.

"The killing of innocent civilians is policy," said veteran Mike Blake. "It's unit policy and it's Army policy. It's not official policy, but it's what's happens on the ground everyday. It's what unit commanders individually encourage."

Veteran Matt Howard concurred: "These decisions are coming from the top down," Howard said. "The tactics that we use, the policies that the military engages, will create situations, create dynamics, create -- ultimately -- atrocity."

In Watertown, veteran Jon Turner blamed himself as well as the orders he was given. "It was my decision," Turner said. "I made it. Now I have to live with the fact I see someone's eyes screaming at me after I shot them."

Others have previously questioned US attacks that have killed civilians, though not as sharply.

Tags: war, war on terror, iraq, afghanistan, veterans, war crimes, atrocities

Canada puts U.S. on torture watch list: CTV

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:33:22 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: About time.

Clip Source: www.ctv.ca

Omar Khadr's lawyers say they can't understand why Canada is not doing more to help their client in light of new evidence that Ottawa has put the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on a watch list for torture.

Khadr -- a Canadian citizen who was just 15-years-old when he was captured in Afghanistan more than five years ago and taken to Guantanamo -- has claimed that he has been tortured at the prison. Now, CTV News has obtained documents that put Guantanamo Bay on a torture watch list.

Khadr's U.S. military lawyer says the new documents contradict Harper's assurances that his client is receiving fair treatment.

"These are countries where, sadly, the record is clear -- torture and ill treatment happens," said Neve.

A war crimes trial has never been held against anyone under the age of 18. International observers have questioned Ottawa's decision not to help Khadr, who many believe is no different than child soldiers victimized in Africa.

Tags: torture, war, war on terror, canada, u.s.

Bill O: No homeless veterans here.

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:09:58 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Dumbass!

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Last night on The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly repeated his ridiculous assertion that there are few, if any, homeless veterans in America:

[Video]

O'Reilly raised an important topic: the plight of homeless veterans. Too bad he got the facts wrong.

There are almost 200,000 homeless veterans in America. Let me introduce you to one:

Herald is not alone. Already, an estimated 1,500 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are homeless or at risk for homelessness. They are joining the increasing ranks of veterans who are homeless.

Click here to sign an open letter to Bill O'Reilly, telling him to set the record straight about the very real problem of homeless veterans in America. We also have a resource center where people can learn more, and find ways they can help.

Tags: truth, war, war on terror, veterans, lies, damned lies, liers, bill o'reilly