Posted on 08/21/2005 4:25:56 PM PDT by Gucho
Monday, August 22, 2005 at 07:28 JST
BAGHDAD — Iraq said Sunday it may seek a second extension to the constitution deadline as its leaders remain divided over crucial issues amid rising international pressure to finish the charter.
"If the text is not handed to the national assembly by the deadline... one choice is to ask for another one-week extension or the other is to dissolve the parliament," Leith Kubba, spokesman for Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, told reporters.
After missing the original Aug 15 deadline to submit the first post-Saddam Hussein charter to parliament, Iraq's leaders secured an extension allowing them to postpone an agreement until Aug 22.
But sharp differences remained Sunday on issues including a federal structure for Iraq, the role of Islam and the sharing of national oil wealth, raising the prospect of another parliamentary vote to extend for a fresh date.
"We have a problem here... there is one group who wants a 21st century constitution and there is another group who wants a seventh century constitution," said an Iraqi source close to negotiations.
"Unfortunately, America is looking at both the groups with the same eye. They just want the draft to be ready on time."
Washington sees the charter as key to Iraq's political transition in the face of a deadly insurgency threatening to engulf the country.
Negotiators reported that U.S. officials were pressuring Kurds to give up their demands of self-determination and oil ownership in a bid to reach a deal with the majority Shiites.
"The U.S. is pressuring the Kurds to give up these two demands," said one source, while others said U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad had personally persuaded Kurdish groups to soften their stance.
Kurdish leaders on Saturday offered a compromise on self-determination, a demand which would effectively give their de facto autonomous northern region the chance to secede from Iraq at a later date.
But Kurdish ambitions to have the oil center of Kirkuk included within their territory and to seek a degree of control over the region's oil reserves could be more difficult to assuage.
Installing Islam as the country's main source of legislation and allowing clerics a political role, as demanded by the conservative Shiite bloc, are also stumbling blocks.
The United States on Saturday dropped its opposition to enshrining Islam as "the" main source of legislation and not just "a" main source in an effort to please the majority Shiites.
But the secular Kurds strongly oppose the move, arguing that it contravenes women's rights and the country's secularist traditions.
"We will oppose this as much as we can," Kurdish negotiator Mahmud Othman said.
Observers speculate that the Shiites and Kurds, who enjoy a majority in parliament, could forge a compromise deal over the heads of Sunni negotiators.
Iraq's Sunnis reject any notion of federalism, although their negotiating position is weak since they hold few parliamentary seats after largely boycotting January's elections.
But the Sunni members have warned that if they are sidelined in any constitution deal, the charter could well be defeated in the scheduled mid-October referendum.
Under Iraq's interim law, the charter will fail if two-thirds of voters in any three provinces reject it.
Sunni Arabs form a majority in at least three provinces: Al-Anbar, Ninevah and Salaheddin. (Wire reports)
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Sunday, August 21, 2005
Iraq, August 21, 2005
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers rescued a hostage being held by terrorists, captured the kidnappers, and seized weapons from a terrorist safe-house during a cordon and search operation Aug. 18.
The Soldiers conducted the raid at 8 p.m. in the Muthana Zayuna district of central Baghdad.
Within 45 minutes, the unit surrounded the house, entered, detained three kidnappers and freed the hostage. The Soldiers also seized two pistols and an AK-47 assault rifle.
Later, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers patrolling in northeast Baghdad pulled over three men in a vehicle shortly after midnight Aug. 19 for violating curfew. When the patrol searched the vehicle they found one of the occupants had $4,600 in U.S. currency in his possession.
The Soldiers questioned the vehicle occupants to find out where they lived. When U.S. forces searched the house, they found bomb-making materials and more U.S. currency. The three suspects were taken into custody for questioning.
In other combat operations, Coalition Forces captured 12 more terror suspects in an early-morning raid carried out in south Baghdad just after 1:30 a.m. Aug. 19.
Three hours later, a Task Force Baghdad unit acting on a tip conducted a precision operation to seize a suspected terrorist in west Baghdad. The suspect is believed to have participated in a bomb attack against Iraqi civilians and Coalition Forces.
By Task Force Baghdad PAO
August 21, 2005
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida -- The Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery successfully landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Discovery, riding piggy-back on the modified Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), made a sweep of the Brevard County beaches as it circled for a landing, giving residents a birds-eye view of the duo.
Cheers from media and Kennedy Space Center employees erupted when the 747's wheels touched down. Landing on Runway 15, the vehicle came to a stop where it was then towed to the Mate/Demate Device (MDD) at the SLF. During the next few hours Discovery will be lifted off the 747. The vehicle will be backed-out and the orbiter will be gently lowered to the runway on its landing gear.
On Monday, the Discovery will be towed by a diesel-powered tractor to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) via a two-mile tow-way strip from the SLF. Once inside the OPF the payload bay doors will be opened and the materials brought back from the International Space Station will be unloaded. After Discovery is inside the processing facility, Mission STS-114 will be completed.
Space Shuttle Discovery is slated for Mission STS-121 in March, 2006.
+ Discovery's Homecoming Photo Gallery
+ Latest from Dryden | + Media Advisory
+ Previous Ferry Flights From the Dryden Photo Gallery
+ Landing Photo Gallery | + Archived Landing Coverage
NASA announced that the next Space Shuttle mission, STS-121, is now targeted for March 2006. This will be the second test flight to the International Space Station in the Shuttle Return to Flight series. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Gerstenmaeir made the announcement at a briefing on August 18th.
"We are giving ourselves what we hope is plenty of time to evaluate where we are," said Administrator Griffin. "We don't see the tasks remaining before us being as difficult as the path behind us."
+ View Transcript (53 Kb PDF) | + Read Press Release
A pair of "Tiger Teams" continues to investigate the External Tank foam loss during Discovery's launch on July 26. Gerstenmaier says the teams have identified the major areas of concern and are making good progress on dealing with the problems.
Discovery will be used for STS-121 instead of Atlantis, putting NASA in a better position for future missions to the Space Station. Atlantis will fly the following mission, STS-115, carrying Space Station truss segments which are too heavy to be carried by Discovery. By changing the lineup, the program won't have to fly back to back missions with Atlantis, as was previously scheduled.
Source : NASA
August 21, 2005
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq -- It was a star-studded day for Task Force Baghdad Soldiers.
Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brought an unforgettable USO Show to Soldiers on Camp Liberty Aug. 17. NBC-TV’s "Today Show" co-host Matt Lauer also broadcast live from the Tigerland Dining Facility.
Myers was accompanied by Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq; Leeann Tweeden, from Fox-TV’s "The Best Damn Sports Show Period;" comedians Jeffrey Ross and Colin Quinn; and NFL Chicago Bears football Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers.
"One reason I do this is to thank you," Myers told the troops. "I know it’s tough. We’ve lost a lot of really good men and women, and we’re grateful for their sacrifice."
Myers singled out the reservists, and recognized the lives they left behind in the United States.
"You left jobs, schools, families, and both you and your families are making great sacrifices," he said.
Tweeden, acting as the Mistress of Ceremonies, told the Soldiers how the USO always made a great impact on her life, even as a small child. She said her father was an Air Force pilot in Vietnam, and when she was a little girl she found an autographed photo of Raquel Welch made out to her father. He told Tweeden he met Welch when she visited the troops on a USO tour.
"My dad told me that for one afternoon, she made him feel like he was normal again," Tweeden reflected. "When I got invited a few years ago to be part of the tour, I felt like my life had come full circle."
This is Tweeden’s seventh tour with the USO, and she hopes she is making a difference in the lives of the troops.
"My father still talks about meeting Raquel Welch, and maybe 20 years from now, one of you will be telling your children about me, and I’ll know I’ve made an impact," she said.
Tweeden also took the opportunity to thank the female Soldiers for their service. She said she admires their perseverance and dedication and said they make her proud to be a woman.
Actress Leeann Tweeden on her seventh USO tour, stops at the Tigerland Dining Facility Aug. 17 to boost the morale of troops stationed at Camp Liberty, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Benoit, 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
In addition to two comedy routines by Jeffrey Ross and Colin Quinn, Sayers spoke on the value of teamwork and counting on your fellow man.
"You can’t do it by yourself, you have to rely on your team members," said the former Chicago Bears running back and current motivational speaker. Sayers told the Soldiers to put everything they could into this experience and hold onto it for all that it’s worth.
"Winston Churchill once said, ‘You make a living by what you make, but you make a life by what you give,’" he said. "You Soldiers are making a life right now. Life is measured by donation, not duration."
As the USO events took place, Lauer interviewed Soldiers from Task Force Baghdad, including Spc. Steven Tschiderer of the 256th Brigade Combat Team.
Nearly two months ago, a sniper shot Tschiderer in the chest, but he survived thanks to his armored vest. After a chase which resulted in a few gunshot wounds to the shooter, the terrorist was captured by Tschiderer and his unit. Tschiderer, a medic, started giving medical care to the very terrorist who had tried to take his life
Lauer interviewed Tschiderer about his story and asked him to explain the functions and aspects of the body armor. Because Tschiderer wore his ballistic vest and helmet the day of the attack, he only sustained a large bruise on his chest, rather than the fatal alternative.
Tschiderer, a native of Mendon, N.Y., with E Troop, 101st Cavalry attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th BCT, said meeting Casey was a highlight in his day.
The feeling seemed to be reciprocal.
"You’re not just a hero, you’re my hero," Casey told the overwhelmed Soldier.
Lauer also interviewed Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Wells, from Newark, Ohio, about his two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Wells, a platoon sergeant with 4th Battalion, 64th Armor, 4th Brigade Combat Team, conducted operations during OIF 1 and said over the course of the last two years, the situation greatly changed.
Matt Lauer interviews Chief Warrant Officer Randy Kirgiss from Hector, Minn., with C Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Assault Helicopter). Kirgiss founded "Operation Teddy Drop" in his Baghdad area of operations. (U. S. Army photo by Spc. Erin Robicheaux, 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
"It’s a complete difference in the way we conduct combat operations," he said. "Before, if you saw the enemy, you shot the enemy, but now it’s so hard to tell who the enemy even is."
Capt. Sherman Powell from Newport, R.I., agreed with Wells’ assessment. He was also interviewed about his experiences during OIF 1. During his last tour in Iraq, as a company commander with 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, Powell and his troops fought in central Baghdad and captured what is now the International Zone. Today, he conducts operations in southeast Baghdad and said the focus right now is building up the Iraqi Army, and essentially, the Iraqi government.
"The last time we were here, the government and the military basically collapsed, and this time around, the country is getting back on its feet," he said.
Powell said he is a first-hand witness to the progress Iraq has made in the time since the war began. He said one large improvement is the presence of the Iraqi Security Forces.
"When we were here before, there were no Iraqi Police or Iraqi Army Soldiers, there wasn’t even anyone to collect the trash," he said. "This time instead of being the government, which we were before, we’re helping build it."
Lauer also interviewed Chief Warrant Officer Randy Kirgiss from Hector, Minn., with C Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Assault Helicopter). Kirgiss founded Operation Teddy Drop, which has brought more than 5,000 teddy bears to children in the Baghdad area. A recent donation of 15,000 are still awaiting distribution. Kirgiss and his crew receive donations of teddy bears and parachute material from people throughout the U.S. The bears are rigged with parachutes and dropped out of aircraft during routine missions.
"We began taking donations in January and made our first drop in April," he said. The idea was based on humanitarian missions he performed while deployed to Bosnia.
"We do this just about each time we fly, as long as it’s not a combat mission," Kirgiss said. "We can get into areas a lot of the ground troops don’t get to, but we do try to stay out of the urban areas so the kids don’t run into streets."
Task Force Baghdad Soldiers enjoyed the day’s events, and Tweeden had a few parting words for them just prior to leaving the dining facility: "I know that there’s a lot of negativity in the media and the message you guys are getting probably isn’t the greatest, but please know that the people back home love you and support you. You are our heroes."
By Spc. Erin Robicheaux - 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
Spc. Steven Tschiderer from Mendon, N.Y. of E Troop, 101st Cavalry, attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, shows Matt Lauer a picture of his chest injury after he was shot by a sniper. (U. S. Army photo by Spc. Erin Robicheaux, 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
Louisiana Soldiers from the 256th Brigade Combat Team hold up a sign for the "Today Show" cameras during a USO tour at the Tigerland Dining Facility Aug. 17. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Benoit, 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
August 21, 2005
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi students will be hitting the books this fall thanks to West Point cadets.
Hundreds of boxes containing thousands of textbooks donated by cadets at the United States Military Academy were delivered to the University of Baghdad’s Women’s College recently in a humanitarian aid effort between cadets and professors at West Point and the U.S. Army and Air Force.
What began as merely a "what if" idea became a coordinated logistical mission between the military academy, Charleston Air Force Base, Sather Air Base (Baghdad International Airport) and the University of Baghdad.
Professor Tom Lainis, Associate Dean of Plans and Resources at West Point, coordinated the collection effort at the academy. Cadets who normally sell their textbooks back to campus bookstores donated them to a humanitarian relief program to help the students at the University of Baghdad.
The Denton program is a Department of Defense logistics program that transports State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development-approved, privately-donated humanitarian cargo worldwide by land, sea and air on a space-available basis within the Defense Transportation System.
Historically, the most common cargo has been medical and dental supplies, school supplies, furniture, vehicles, agricultural supplies, clothing, machinery, and vocational training equipment. These items are used to support on-going relief and development projects in underdeveloped regions of the world.
"The (Denton) humanitarian relief program is a great opportunity to provide relief and to assist in the reconstruction for the locals here in Baghdad," said Staff Sgt. Jason Stonehocker, 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Aerial Port Flight, Cargo. Stonehocker works at BIAP and hails from Sumter, S.C. "It is a privilege to assist in getting the supplies and materials to the local communities."
Hundreds of boxes of college textbooks collected from cadets and professors at West Point are unloaded from two military trucks and delivered to the University of Baghdad. The books covered most college topics including English, sociology, biology, physics, economics and management. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ken Walker, Task Force Baghdad PAO)
The textbook delivery isn’t the first humanitarian relief that Baghdad has received, and it certainly won’t be the last. The 3rd Infantry Division is providing support to the mission by picking up supplies and materials.
"We greatly appreciate the initiative that the 3ID has had," Stonehocker said. "The 3ID makes sure that the cargo gets in the right hands."
Ken Hundemer, with the Denton program, coordinated the operational aspects at Charleston AFB. As the project gained momentum, he contacted Sgt. 1st Class Brian Rauschuber, of Task Force Baghdad Civil Affairs last June and told him the books were being collected, palletized, and shipped to BIAP.
The military contacted Dr. Saadi Shakir Hammoudi, Dean of the Women’s College at the University of Baghdad; and Assistant Professor Shatha Alsaadi, Head of the Department of English at the Women’s College of Education to arrange delivery.
When the Task Force Baghdad trucks arrived, Shakir and Shatha were on hand to greet and thank the Soldiers for their efforts to make the delivery possible.
"We are grateful," said Shatha. "We thank them (Soldiers, cadets and professors) for thinking of us, but to give us books because they’re thinking of us is great. It’s just wonderful!"
The donated books came from all subject areas, including English, chemistry, physics, economics, sociology, and psychology.
"Our books need to be updated," said Shakir. "For students and professors who care about us and our future, this means a lot. This will help so many departments. Our students need books on education and teaching, literature, English language, and linguistics."
By Sgt. 1st Class Ken Walker - Task Force Baghdad PAO
August 21, 2005
David Leppard and Robert Winnett
SCOTLAND YARD believes it has thwarted an Al-Qaeda gas attack aimed at ministers and MPs in parliament. The plot, hatched last year, is understood to have been discovered in coded e-mails on computers seized from terror suspects in Britain and Pakistan.
Police and MI5 then identified an Al-Qaeda cell that had carried out extensive research and video-recorded reconnaissance missions in preparation for the attack.
The encrypted e-mails are said to have been decoded with the help of an Al-Qaeda “supergrass”. By revealing the terrorists’ code he was also able to help MI5 and GCHQ, the government’s eavesdropping centre at Cheltenham, to crack several more plots.
The discovery of the suspected Commons nerve gas plot was behind the decision to increase security around parliament this summer.
A senior officer said that the scheme had led to the intervention of Eliza Manningham-Buller, head of MI5, to assess parliament’s security.
The operation to deter the sarin gas attack is referred to in an internal police document obtained by The Sunday Times.
It is a minute of a meeting of senior police officers held last month at Specialist Operations 17 (SO17), the unit responsible for protecting parliament, and reveals that the team were waiting to be briefed on the plot.
This weekend a senior officer disclosed that the thwarted plot mentioned in the document involved a gas or chemical “dirty bomb” attack against parliament. “The House of Commons was one of their targets as well as the Tube,” he said.
“They were planning to use chemicals, a dirty bomb and sarin gas. They looked at all sorts of ways of delivering it.”
But despite the successful police operation and upgraded security measures, senior officers are worried that security at the houses of parliament remains “unacceptable”.
The police security memo, drawn up after the July 7 attacks, reveals high-level fears that suicide terrorists could use a black cab or a visit to an exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the gunpowder plot.
It discloses that a military unit — said to have been special forces — recently carried out a secret examination of security at the House of Commons. It is believed that the exercise highlighted the ease with which terrorists could kill dozens of MPs in the debating chamber.
“(It was) felt all SO17 contingency plans should be reviewed against the new threat — a plan for a Kratos (suicide bomber) incident was required,” the minutes record. A senior officer said that he “felt particular attention should be paid to cabs entering the (parliamentary) estate”.
The memo records: “(A senior official) expressed grave concern at the shortage of security officers. He was worried that commitments such as the forthcoming exhibition on the gunpowder plot just could not be covered. He felt that an unacceptable number of posts were being closed down.”
Updated: Aug 21, 2005 - 5:03pm
The threat came in just before 1:30 Sunday afternoon, and within minutes downtown Crawford was sealed off. Investigators searched for about an hour and didn't find anything, and things are back to normal -- or as normal things get there lately.
Early Sunday afternoon, the intersection of Highways 185 and 317 was bustling with activity. Around 1:20, Jean Hale, the manager of the Yellow Rose Gift Shop, received a phone call. She says a man with a deep voice said "the building is going up in smoke" and "get out."
She says her first reaction was to panic; but because she had customers at the counter, she didn't want to scare them. She politely asked them to leave, and then called the police.
Police evacuated the surrounding businesses and blocked off two roads, including the one that leads to President Bush's ranch.
Again, investigators did not find anything, but Hale believes the threat was related to all the protests going on here.
4 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
Four U.S. soldiers were killed in a bomb attack in Zabul, southeast Afghanistan.
By DANIEL COONEY, Associated Press Writer
Sun Aug 21, 2005 - 6:31 PM ET
KABUL, Afghanistan - A massive bomb exploded under a wooden bridge as a convoy of armored Humvees was crossing it Sunday, killing four U.S. soldiers and wounding three others in the deadliest assault on American forces in Afghanistan in nearly two months.
The troops were part of a major offensive against militants who have vowed to subvert legislative elections on Sept. 18 — the next step toward democracy after more than two decades of war and civil strife.
Rebels also stepped up attacks elsewhere, wounding two U.S. Embassy staff in a roadside bombing in the capital and killing a senior pro-government cleric and a colleague in the country's south.
Though the U.S. military operation has left dozens of suspected rebels dead or captured, a number of American troops also have been killed, including 13 this month. U.S. and Afghan officials have warned violence may worsen ahead of the polls.
The bomb tied to the bottom of the small bridge exploded as the last of three Humvees was slowly crossing it, said Bashir Ahmad Khan, the government chief in Zabul province's Daychopan district.
"It was an enormous remote-controlled bomb. The American vehicle was tossed into the air and off the bridge. It's totally destroyed, as is the bridge," he told The Associated Press.
The three wounded troops were hit by shrapnel from secondary explosions as they tried to pull the four soldiers out of the burning Humvee, the military statement said. The three were evacuated to a nearby base and were in stable condition.
Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya, the U.S.-led coalition's operational commander, said the blast would "strengthen, not weaken, the resolve" of the troops to safeguard the polls.
It was the deadliest attack on American forces since June 28, when 19 service members were killed in eastern Kunar province when a Navy SEAL team was ambushed and a helicopter shot down.
Some 187 U.S. service members have been killed in and around Afghanistan since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001 — including 64 during a rash of insurgent attacks in the last six months, which have left about 1,000 other people dead as well.
The bloodshed has led the military to rush in an airborne infantry battalion of about 700 troops on standby in Fort Bragg, N.C., boosting the number of American troops in Afghanistan to about 20,000. Some 3,100 soldiers from 19 other nations also are members of the U.S.-led coalition.
A separate NATO-led peacekeeping force also has brought in reinforcements ahead of the polls and now numbers about 10,500.
A helicopter carrying NATO peacekeepers crashed in a western Afghan desert and another flying with it made an emergency landing Tuesday, killing 17 Spanish troops and wounding five, although investigators have so far found no evidence that the helicopters were downed by hostile fire.
The Spanish soldiers were part of the NATO-led security force preparing for the elections, and their deaths marked the alliance's largest single loss of life in Afghanistan.
The recent violence in Afghanistan pales next to the casualties suffered in Iraq but it has dampened some of the optimism that prevailed after the country's inaugural presidential election passed off peacefully last fall and insurgent attacks dropped off during the winter.
The roadside bomb that exploded near a convoy of U.S. Embassy vehicles on the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, lightly wounded two American staff members, embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said.
The blast smashed the front of an armored four-wheel-drive vehicle but did not shatter its windows, footage obtained by Associated Press Television News showed. Such bombings are relatively unusual in the capital. Local police officer Nazir Ahmad blamed the Taliban for the attack, saying it was part of their campaign to intimidate people ahead of the polls.
In the southern Kandahar province, gunmen riding a motorbike killed cleric Mawlawi Abdullah — the latest in a string of attacks on religious leaders who have openly condemned the Taliban and other extremists.
Abdullah — a senior figure in the Islamic Ulama Council — and a colleague were killed as they walked out of a mosque after praying at dawn Sunday, said Interior Ministry official Dad Mohammed Rasa. Police set up roadblocks around the area, but no one was arrested.
Two roadside bombs also exploded near police convoys in the southern provinces of Zabul and Uruzgan late Saturday, each killing two officers, officials said.
Gunmen also opened fire on a senior cleric in southern Spin Boldak district Sunday, but he fled into his house and was unhurt, local police chief Abdul Wasai Khan said.
In the eastern province of Kunar, rebels ambushed two tanker trucks hauling fuel to a U.S. military base, burning the vehicles but letting the drivers go, officials said.
Associated Press correspondent Noor Khan in Kandahar contributed to this report.
Ex-Taliban commander killed
Monday, August 22, 2005
KABUL: A former Taliban commander, who was loyal to the government of President Hamid Karzai, was killed in Kabul, officials said on Saturday.
Karim Qarabaghi and his nephew were killed in their car by assailants firing from a passing vehicle in the city’s northern suburb on Friday, they said. “We do not know whether it (the assassination) was because of personal enmity or because he once had joined the Taliban,” said Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal.
Before joining the Taliban in 1996, Qarabaghi served as a military commander for ex-Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who like the Taliban remnants, is leading an insurgency against the current government and foreign forces.
After the fall of the Taliban, Qarabaghi joined factions supporting US forces and stayed in Kabul, but had no government position. Qarabaghi’s killing comes during a slow-paced government amnesty for rank and file Taliban fighters. reuters
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_21-8-2005_pg7_36
Monday, August 22, 2005
Staff Report
PESHAWAR: Security forces on Friday afternoon conducted an operation in the Dewer Saidgai area, about 15 kilometres from the Afghan border, in search for suspected militants.
Local sources told Daily Times via phone on Saturday that security forces cordoned off the area and searched six houses for foreign and local militants, but found no one.
Sources also said five rockets were fired on Saturday from a hilly area that landed in an open field near Miranshah, causing no damage to life and property. Online adds: Security forces on Saturday launched a massive search operation to hunt suspected Al Qaeda remnants in Roi Sidgi in the Datakhel area of North Waziristan Agency.
Security forces cordoned off the area from 9 am to 2 pm.
August 21, 2005
TIKRIT, Iraq -- Task Force Liberty Soldiers detained eight individuals, including four suspected members of an improvised explosive device cell, during a raid in Tikrit at 4:20 a.m. Aug. 21. One of the detainees is suspected of being the cell leader.
Task Force Liberty soldiers also seized a number of weapons and various explosives during the raid. No Task Force Liberty Soldiers were injured in the operation.
By 42ND Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
August 21, 2005:
Bob Salsberg - Canadian Press
Sunday, August 21, 2005
BOSTON (AP) - The Rolling Stones launched into"Start Me Up" to kick off their latest North American tour at Boston's historic Fenway Park, a fitting venue and fitting opening song for the aging but irrepressible rockers.
Mick Jagger appeared as spry as ever, strutting across the giant stage.
"It's great to be back in Boston," the 62-year-old lead singer told the crowd Sunday night.
It's been 43 years since the Stones first took shape and three years since they launched their Forty Licks world tour, which many mistakenly believed would be the last for Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the crew.
On Sunday, fans across the age spectrum converged on the stadium, many in T-shirts emblazoned with the band's trademark lips and tongue logo.
"I tease them about geezer rock and now they're seeing it themselves," said Richard Tucker, of Chatham, Mass., who brought his son, 19, and daughter, 15.
The Stones opened with classics Start Me Up, You Got Me Rocking, Shattered and Tumbling Dice, before playing Rough Justice, a song from their soon-to-be-released album, A Bigger Bang.
The 37-city tour gives the Stones' new album, A Bigger Bang, plenty of exposure. It hits U.S. stores Sept. 6, and with 16 tracks, it's their longest studio album since the 18-song Exile on Main Street in 1972.
A Bigger Bang has a stripped down, back to basics sound, returning the band to its hard-driving, bluesy roots.
One song, Sweet Neo-Con, is already generating noise for its overt political tone. While controversy is hardly new for the Stones, the band has only sporadically dabbled in politics or current affairs during its long history.
The tour may well test the band's stamina. The three remaining original Stones - Jagger, Richards and drummer Charlie Watts - are 62, 61 and 64 respectively. Guitarist Ron Wood, now going on 30 years touring with the band, is the baby of the bunch at 58.
Sixty-somethings or not, the Stones aren't having trouble selling tickets, even with prices ranging up to $400 US in some venues.
At Fenway, they're playing one of the biggest stages in rock and roll. According to a publicist for the band, it took about 70 trucks to bring it piece by piece from Toronto, where the band rehearsed for the tour.
In Canada, the Stones will be playing shows in Ottawa, Moncton, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
While the Stones rocked the stadium Sunday night, the noise police stood guard outside Fenway - noise meters in hand.
If the music surpassed 70 decibels on surrounding streets, the city was prepared to tell concert producers to turn down the volume.
About a dozen California nurses also stood outside protesting California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with signs reading: "Sticky Fingers for corrupt corporate cash," a reference to the classic 1971 Stones album, Sticky Fingers.
The Republican governor had a fund-raiser planned during the concert, with guests contributing $100,000 apiece invited to watch with Schwarzenegger from a luxury box.
Stephen Ingerson, a critical care nurse at the University of California-San Francisco, said the protesters oppose the governor's efforts to halt the state's mandatory 5-to-1 patient-to-nurse ratio.
Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger sings at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005, where the Rolling Stones opened their 'A Bigger Bang' world tour. Some fans were seated on the the stage at the rear and on the side. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
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