WOW! Thanks Jill!
Chechen leader survives blast
VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia (AP) -- Chechnya's acting president escaped injury in the Chechen capital Tuesday when an explosion hit his motorcade, but one person was killed and three were wounded, officials and news reports said.
Sergei Abramov took over administration of the violence-plagued region when President Akhmad Kadyrov was assassinated in May.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/13/chechnya.fighting.ap/
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/localnews/stories/lo071304s2.shtml
(NB: The Poughkeepsie Urinal is a Gannet Publication, which means that we can't post the actual article).
A good friend of mine was a close friend of Keith Idema back in the 1980's/early 1990's, and as a result, I met the guy on several occassions and even tipped a beer or two with him. And while he probably doesn't remember me, this guy was one of the most intense people I've ever met in my life and I have no doubt, he's the real deal, and that he's in Afghanastan for two important reasons. First, he's a true patriot who thinks (and can) make a difference in the war against terrorism. Second, he wants to collect the bounty. At the time I met him he was running a security training company, which specialized among other things in anti-terrorism training. I know nothing about his background, although Special Ops and CIA was the prinary rumor. I haven't heard anything about the guy in over ten years, but everytime I hear the name "Idema" I wondered where he was and what he was doing.