News From The Long War, Thread 2

Various | 2/13/06 | Knitting a Conundrum and others

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Thread 2

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, our nation has fought a global war against violent extremists who use terrorism as their weapon of choice, and who seek to destroy our free way of life. Our enemies seek weapons of mass destruction and, if they are successful, will likely attempt to use them in their conflict with free people everywhere. Currently, the struggle is centered in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we will need to be prepared and arranged to successfully defend our nation and its interests around the globe for years to come. DOD

Our enemies include all the Muslims who dream of knocking Western Civilization off its perch atop humanity’s dung heap. Islam is fractured into any number of sects, tribes and ethnic groups, but the dream of destroying us cuts across all the fault lines. Islamic terrorists are merely the tip of a very large spear.

J. Peter Mulhern, the American Thinker, September 18

The determination behind that fight is real, the hatred is real, and the excuses for doing this are very real in the minds of those who have decided to walk that path. We can respond in two ways: Try to ignore or negotiate with people who do not want to negotiate in good faith, because what they want is our destruction, or to stand up against the darkness of those who see all of us, our way of life, our culture and our aspirations as something worth eliminating.

Either: "And God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Or: "With vigilance, determination, courage, we will defeat the enemies of freedom, and we will leave behind a more peaceful world for our children and our grandchildren." GW Bush.

Here's where I will post news and info about the Long War. Let me know if you're interested.

Thread 1

[Bahbah]

It's beginning to look like the sentiment of the "unofficial" state department is becoming the official position.

What ever happened to "stick to your guns", a good phrase both literally and figuratively.

[Uncle Ike]

" a good phrase both literally and figuratively "

But, oh, so politically incorrect...... ;~(

[Bahbah]

Here are a few words from Sgt. Dave Thul, currently deployed in Iraq.

"There can be no compromises in Iraq, no negotiated peace. The enemy here is radical Islam, whether in the sectarian violence in Baghdad that seeks to draw all of the Middle East into open war, or the terrorists of Al-Qaida here in the Anbar province who are looking for a new home base since we kicked them out of Afghanistan. If we pull out before the job is done, we will face not only the same chaos and genocide that we saw after pulling out of Vietnam, but we will leave Iraq in a power vacuum with greedy and ambitious neighbors on all sides.

I've now been deployed 2½ years of the 3½ years since my daughter was born. I would love nothing more than to be at home sharing in her young life and enjoying a Minnesota summer. But I want to come home with honor, knowing that I have helped to make the world she will live in a little safer."

More at the link: http://powerlineblog.com/archives/017069.php

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Mornin folks.

"French President Jacques Chirac told Israel at the start of the war in Lebanon that France would support an Israeli assault on Syria, it was reported on Sunday."

I wouldn't fall for this one with someone else's country, let alone mine. Chirac is too obvious in his manipulations.

[Bahbah]

Good morning, Workerbee.

We are needing some "on the bright side" things this morning, it seems to me. So how great is it to learn that our guys in Iraq know all about the Gathering of Eagles and what happened in DC on Saturday.

"Dave posts on the Forum from Iraq:

Thank you and God bless to all the pro war supporters in DC yesterday. The anti war protesters getting their butts kicked (figuratively of course) is the topic of the morning here in Iraq. One of my young soldiers pointed out that you can easily tell which pictures show pro and which show anti-the pro war guys are the ones holding Old Glory."

Thanks to all who participated. The message was delivered to those to whom it matters the most.

Link: http://powerlineblog.com/archives/017068.php

[Uncle Ike]

" We are needing some "on the bright side" things this morning, it seems to me. "

Yes, indeed-y!!!

Thank you, Bahbah!!

(That was almost better'n coffee.... ;~) )

[Bahbah]

We can use some good news.

I think it is interesting that the knowledge of the "real story" of what happened there on Saturday would simply not be known were it not for the internet.

Very dangerous, all of these facts flashing around the world. Some might be worried about that sort of thing.

[Uncle Ike]

" Very dangerous, all of these facts flashing around the world. "

Not to worry -- I don't think it'll catch on... With the possible exception of a few of us misfits, "facts" are inconsequential and easily trumped by "feelings"....

[Bahbah]

Trumped by feelings and by the agenda of whoever happens to be writing.

I have read for I think the 15th time that General Pace called homosexuality immoral when he said no such thing.

[Bahbah]

Assad: Olmert's gov't weakest in history
By JPOST.COM STAFF


Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Monday that the current Israeli government was the weakest in Israel's history and that he was not optimistic about peace talks between the two.

In an interview with the Saudi newspaper Al Jazeera, Assad said that a slew of European, American and Arab envoys had come to Syria in an attempt to mediate between Israel and Damascus, but that no serious contacts had taken place.

Nonetheless, Assad said, "You can't completely lose hope for peace. Otherwise, you have to go the way of war, whether you want to or not."

Assad has repeatedly made overtures of peace in the past few months, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rejected them as long as the Syrian regime continues to support terror, particularly Hizbullah in Lebanon.

Link: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879120143&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Bahbah]

Mar. 19, 2007 12:52 | Updated Mar. 19, 2007 13:22
Explosion in Gaza kills Jihad operative
By ASSOCIATED PRESS


An explosion went off Monday in the home of an Islamic Jihad operative, killing him and wounding 20 others, including children, Palestinian security officials said.

Palestinian security officials identified the dead man as 30-year-old Alla al-Hesi.

The blast took place in the crowded Shati refugee camp on the outskirts of Gaza City.

The officials said the cause of the blast wasn't immediately known, but raised the possibility that the operative had mishandled explosives.

The blast went off near the UN's food distribution warehouse

Link: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879119746&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Bahbah]

Wives blame Israel, Turkey for Iranian official's 'kidnapping'

By Reuters

The wives of an Iranian ex-deputy defense minister who disappeared in Turkey last month blamed Turkey for his disappearance, saying Turkish security forces handed the official over to Israel, media reported.

Iran's police chief has suggested that Ali Reza Asgari, who disappeared after checking into an Istanbul hotel on February 7, was kidnapped by Western intelligence. Israel and the United States have denied any involvement in his disappearance.

"We only know that Turkish security forces have handed him over to Israel," Asgari's wife Ziba Ahmadi was quoted as saying on Monday by the ILNA news agency.


More at the link: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/839441.html

[Uncle Ike]

****trail of breadcrumbs****

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

"Trumped by feelings and by the agenda of whoever happens to be writing."

Didn't make it to Washington (Just "No Excuse, Sir"....da**it), but have to think that one of the unintended consequences of the TraitorMedia's largely half arsed job of censoring GOE out of existence is going to be the even more dramatic and immediate loss of credibility and circulation.

Then again, if the only people left reading the NYSlime or WaPo are the grossest Moonbats around, the only place their "journalistic integrity" has to go is deeper into the sewer.

....just how low CAN they go is the real question....

[Bahbah]

just how low CAN they go is the real question....

I doubt that we have seen the worst of it yet.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

This has always been a weakness with our foreign policy. I used to get soooooo mad at DOS when I was young because we had backed so many bad governments because of the stability they had to get things accomplished during the cold war. The truth is expediency and willingness to work with us counts more than ideology -- and long as Mubarak is willing to do that, we are not going to work to bring him down.

But it is the existance of bad, corrupt, unfree, unjust governments which are the continual breeding ground of those who hate us, who embrace the various political movements like the Muslim Brotherhood.

There is a price you pay for expediency.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

News Roundup, 3/19/07

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Haaretz News Tracker

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17:02	Syrian President Assad says supports Lebanese unity government (Reuters)
16:59	U.S. grants Iranian president visa for address to Security Council (AP)
16:49	State Department: U.S. plans some contact with new PA government (Reuters)
16:48	Iran tells foreign envoys it won`t budge on nuclear issue (Reuters)
16:16	Hamas slams Abbas` choice of Dahlan as security chief (Reuters)
16:15	Hezbollah accuses U.S. of obstructing solution to Lebanon crisis (DPA)
16:08	Hooters restaurant chain to open branch in Tel Aviv (Reuters)
16:06	Egypt arrests Palestinian suicide bomber waiting to cross border into Israel (AP)
16:05	Italy: New PA unity government should not be shunned (Reuters)
15:33	Remand extended for Holon man, 73, in connection with his wife`s death (Haaretz)
15:31	Palestinian tries to attack female soldier at checkpoint near Nablus (Israel Radio)
14:58	Father of abducted BBC journalist pleads for his release (Haaretz)
14:55	Man hurt by horse startled by ATV to be compensated as road accident victim (Haaretz)
14:28	New Palestinian information minister says sanctions no longer justified (DPA)
13:39	2 wives of Iranian ex-deputy defense minister blame Turkey for `kidnapping` (Reuters)
13:18	Norwegian deputy foreign minister meets Palestinian prime minister (AP)
13:04	BBC says it has received assurances kidnapped correspondent is `okay` (AP)
13:04	Northern resident given 14 years in jail for raping, killing prostitute (Haaretz)
12:47	Assad: Olmert`s government is the weakest in the history of Israel (Israel Radio)
12:42	Gaza security officials say explosion in activist`s home kills one, wounds 10 (AP)
12:39	Palestinian security officials: Explosion heard in Gaza home of Jihad activist (AP)
12:06	Israeli moderately wounded in shooting attack at gas station near Gaza (Haaretz)
11:48	Syrian court sentences three human rights activists to jail (DPA)
11:47	Five people, including baby, hurt in road accident in northern Galilee (Haaretz)
11:39	UN chief: Formation of PA unity government is positive development (Israel Radio)
11:31	Three youths arrested for allegedly molesting 20-year-old woman (Israel Radio)
11:10	Two-year-old child in Egypt tests positive for bird flu (DPA)
10:54	Ministerial committee unanimously agrees to call Lebanon conflict a `war` (Haaretz)
10:18	Histadrut chair rejects treasury proposal to pay all but 650 council workers (Haaretz)
10:08	Poll: More than half of Israelis support contact with new PA gov`t (AP)
09:42	Industry Ministry to crack down on labor-law violations (Haaretz)
09:37	Egyptian envoy to urge gov`t to probe charges IDF killed POWs in `67 (Israel Radio)
09:34	Parents ask Defense Min. to postpone Aug. recruitment due to school strikes (Haaretz)
08:58	Two-day civil defense exercise to begin Tuesday (Israel Radio)
08:32	Histadrut: All workers must get back pay if strike is to be averted (Israel Radio)
08:06	Medical Assn. report slams health system performance during war (Israel Radio)
07:32	Court to discuss matching students` rights to those of yeshiva students (Army Radio)
07:28	Jordan`s PM: Arab states did not market peace initiative to Israel well (Israel Radio)
07:11	Jordanian press: U.S. stance towards Palestinian cabinet `disappointing` (DPA)
07:02	Histadrut labor federation maintains threat of general strike on Wed. (Israel Radio)
06:45	2 soldiers killed, 12 wounded in attack by Tamil Rebels in Sri Lanka (AP)
05:38	Witnesses: 2 dead, 16 wounded as Somali insurgents mortar seaport (AP)
04:59	Coalition demands delay of rabbinical judge appointments (Haaretz)
04:18	Peretz says will focus on Arab sector in Labor primaries (Haaretz)
03:44	Iran to open first stretch of Armenian gas pipeline (AP)
03:13	U.S. announces frozen N. Korean money to be released for humanitarian use (AP)
02:30	Sources: Israel will not falter on PA economic embargo (Haaretz)
02:21	High Court rejects petition to dismiss finance cmte. chair Yakov Litzman (Israel Radio)
01:41	Despite mounting tensions, Livni says not planning to openly battle PM (Haaretz)
01:32	Netanyahu: Gov`t doing too little too late in regard to dangerous Mecca deal (Haaretz)
00:48	Swastikas, anti-Semitic graffiti spray painted on synagogue in s. Russia (Israel Radio)
00:32	93 people killed in car accidents since beginning of 2007 (Army Radio)
00:29	After meeting with finance min., Histadrut sticks with decision to strike (Army Radio)
00:04	Netanyahu: Public will pressure MKs to overthrow current government (Israel Radio)

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Ynet News Tracker

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Government sources: Gaza shooting shows Hamas' true intentions
(16:50 , 03.19.07)
Egyptian authorities arrest Palestinian planning suicide attack in Israel
(16:38 , 03.19.07)
MK Hanegbi: Gaza confrontation impending
(15:29 , 03.19.07)
Soldiers thwart stabbing attack at Nablus checkpoint
(15:23 , 03.19.07)
Peretz: Israel must take political initiative
(15:03 , 03.19.07)
Russia's international uranium enrichment center to begin work soon, deputy premier says, EU
(14:41 , 03.19.07)
Hamas claims responsibility for shooting Israeli
(14:19 , 03.19.07)
Quartet to discuss approach to new Palestinian government
(14:02 , 03.19.07)
Iranian official's two wives blame Turkey for his 'kidnap'
(13:45 , 03.19.07)
Israel to help Austrialia deal with drought
(13:19 , 03.19.07)
18 killed in Kirkuk blasts
(13:09 , 03.19.07)
Islamic Jihad explosives expert killed, 18 wounded in Gaza
(13:03 , 03.19.07)
Egyptian boy, 2, tests positive for bird flu
(12:47 , 03.19.07)
Islamic Jihad activist killed in Gaza blast
(12:39 , 03.19.07)
State to compensate Palestinian injured by IDF
(12:07 , 03.19.07)
Israeli moderately injured in Gaza border shooting attack
(12:03 , 03.19.07)
Assad says Saudi ties have been 'cloudy'
(11:49 , 03.19.07)
Bank of Israel: National growth projected at 5.1 percent
(11:33 , 03.19.07)
Government: 2006 Lebanon conflict – a war
(10:59 , 03.19.07)
BBC calls for more help to free journalist in Gaza
(10:41 , 03.19.07)
Bird flu strikes again in northern Thailand
(10:14 , 03.19.07)
Poll shows 18 percent of Iraqis trust US forces
(09:42 , 03.19.07)
US embassy vehicle hit by roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan
(09:04 , 03.19.07)
Ahmadinejad to open first stretch of Armenian gas pipeline from Iran
(08:42 , 03.19.07)
2 Palestinian thieves wounded in car chase
(08:36 , 03.19.07)
Japan, UN sign $4.2 million food deal for Palestinian refugees
(07:53 , 03.19.07)
Report: 2 soldiers killed, 12 wounded in Tamil rebel attack in Sri Lanka
(07:22 , 03.19.07)
IDF arrests 13 wanted Palestinians
(06:07 , 03.19.07)
2 soldiers killed, 12 wounded in Tamil rebel attack in Sri Lanka
(05:09 , 03.19.07)
8 bodies found after cargo ships collide in East China Sea
(04:10 , 03.19.07)
US, North Korea resolve Macau bank dispute
(03:10 , 03.19.07)
Hundreds protest in Bangkok ahead of coup’s 6-month anniversary
(02:13 , 03.19.07)
Afghan leaders urge Germany to do more
(01:01 , 03.19.07)
Iraqi security forces raid Sunni lawmaker's home
(00:08 , 03.19.07)

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Wire Reports via Yahoo News

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• 
  Hamas militants wound Israeli civilian AP - 15 minutes ago

  KARNI CROSSING, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants shot and wounded an Israeli civilian near the main cargo crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Monday, embarrassing the Palestinians' new government and laying bare internal friction that could tear it apart.

• 
  Hamas shoots Israeli despite truce Reuters - 1 hour, 8 minutes ago

  GAZA (Reuters) - The armed wing of Hamas said it carried out its first attacks on Monday against Israel since a shaky November truce in the Gaza Strip, shooting a utility worker near the border and firing two mortar bombs at soldiers.

• 
  Belgian FM urges direct Mideast talks AFP - 1 hour, 14 minutes ago

  CAIRO (AFP) - Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht called on Monday for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to keep the situation in the region from getting any worse.

• 
  Norwegian official meets Hamas PM in diplomatic overture AFP - 1 hour, 29 minutes ago

  GAZA CITY (AFP) - A year-long Western diplomatic boycott of the Palestinian government showed some signs of easing on Monday when a junior Norwegian minister met Ismail Haniya, the head of the new unity cabinet.

• 
  Militant killed in Gaza blast AFP - 2 hours, 34 minutes ago

  GAZA CITY (AFP) - A Palestinian militant was killed in Gaza on Monday when a bomb he was preparing went off prematurely, setting off a blast that wounded nine other people, including two children, officials said.

• 
  Israel declares Lebanon conflict a 'war' AFP - Mon Mar 19, 6:37 AM ET

  JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli ministerial commission on Monday decided to officially declare last year's conflict in Lebanon a "war," after the government had previously refused to use the term.

• 
  Egyptians killed Israeli PoWs in 1973: veterans AFP - Mon Mar 19, 6:05 AM ET

  JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli veterans of the 1973 Middle East war on Monday backed claims aired in an Israeli documentary that Egyptian soldiers had killed Israeli prisoners of war in the conflict.

• 
  Hamas-Iran links full of contradictions AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:23 AM ET

  BEIRUT, Lebanon - When Iraq hanged Saddam Hussein, furious Sunni Muslims in the militant group Hamas held mourning ceremonies. That did not sit well with Shiite Muslim Iran, one of Hamas' key backers but also a strong Saddam foe.

• 
  Jewish grandmothers patrol West Bank checkpoints Reuters - Sun Mar 18, 7:42 PM ET

  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Hanna Barag remembers the day an Israeli soldier called her a Palestinian whore. She was 67 and had just joined Machsomwatch, an all-woman group set up to curb human rights abuses at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

• 
  Abbas appoints long-time Hamas foe to security post Reuters - Sun Mar 18, 12:04 PM ET

  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in his first decree after joining a unity government with Hamas, appointed on Sunday the Islamist group's long-time foe to oversee the divided security forces.

• 
  Bomb kills 8 at Baghdad Shiite mosque AP - 51 minutes ago

  BAGHDAD - An explosion at a Shiite mosque in Baghdad killed at least eight worshippers Monday, the fourth anniversary of the start of the war, while a series of car bombs struck the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, killing 12, police said.

• 
  Poll: Fear, anger, stress grip Iraqis AP - Mon Mar 19, 8:09 AM ET

  WASHINGTON - The optimism that helped sustain Iraqis during the first few years of the war has dissolved into widespread fear, anger and distress amid unrelenting violence, a survey found.

• 2 car bombs explode in Kirkuk; 12 dead AP - Mon Mar 19, 7:18 AM ET

  BAGHDAD - Two car bombs exploded in different parts of the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk on Monday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 37, police said.

• 
  Suicide bomber kills 8 in Baghdad mosque AP - Mon Mar 19, 7:17 AM ET

  BAGHDAD - A bomb exploded during prayers at a Shiite mosque in the capital Monday, killing at least eight worshippers and wounding nearly three dozen on the eve of the war's fourth anniversary, police said.

• 
  Gunmen kidnap and kill Iraqi mayor AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:57 AM ET

  BAGHDAD - The mayor of a small Shiite village south of Baghdad was kidnapped on his way to work Monday, and his bullet-riddled body was later found dumped along a highway, police and morgue officials said.

• 
  Hamas-Iran links full of contradictions AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:23 AM ET

  BEIRUT, Lebanon - When Iraq hanged Saddam Hussein, furious Sunni Muslims in the militant group Hamas held mourning ceremonies. That did not sit well with Shiite Muslim Iran, one of Hamas' key backers but also a strong Saddam foe.

• 
  Iraqi forces get on-the-job training AP - Mon Mar 19, 3:49 AM ET

  BAGHDAD - The Iraqi patrol walked quickly through the dark and empty streets of Sadr City — too quickly for the soldiers to spot signs of trouble. An American sergeant whistles for the patrol to stop. A few Arabic phrases, followed by hand gestures and the patrol moves on, slower this time and with more care.

• 
  Iraq war crimes trial session canceled AP - Sun Mar 18, 7:26 PM ET

  BAGHDAD, Iraq - A session of the war crimes trial of six former officials in Saddam Hussein's government was canceled Sunday after a defense attorney who had been ejected last week made an unexpected appearance, court officials said.

• 
  Iraqis raid Sunni lawmaker's home AP - Sun Mar 18, 7:24 PM ET

  BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces raided the home of a prominent Sunni lawmaker earlier this month, seizing four vehicles and weapons and detaining seven suspects, an Iraqi military spokesman said Sunday.

• 
  U.S. military deaths in Iraq at 3,217 AP - Sun Mar 18, 6:45 PM ET

  As of Sunday, March 18, 2007, at least 3,217 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,581 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

• 
  Terror closes in on 2 Iraq booksellers AP - Sun Mar 18, 6:40 PM ET

  BAGHDAD - In the beginning, with Saddam Hussein gone, the two booksellers dreamed of expanding their business and vacationing abroad.

• Iran says fugitive businessman arrested AP - Sun Mar 18, 4:36 PM ET

  TEHRAN, Iran - A fugitive Iranian businessman was arrested outside the country after escaping from authorities last month, Iran's justice ministry said Sunday.

• Egyptian opposition boycotts debate AP - Sun Mar 18, 4:27 PM ET

  CAIRO, Egypt - Opposition lawmakers boycotted the start of a parliamentary debate Sunday on constitutional amendments they say will further tighten Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's grip on power.

• 
  Some Baghdad regions returning to normal AP - Sun Mar 18, 4:20 PM ET

  BAGHDAD - Black-clad women shuffle past sidewalk clothing racks in front of shops in a commercial district of central Baghdad. Elsewhere, black flags flutter from lampposts — marking areas of Shiite control.

• 
  Israel, U.S. test missile defense AP - Sun Mar 18, 1:26 PM ET

  JERUSALEM - Thousands of American and Israeli troops conducted an operation Sunday to test new ways of intercepting missiles able to carry nuclear, chemical and biological warheads, American and Israeli military officials said.

• 
  Zimbabwean fuel prices skyrocket 200 percent in March AFP - 1 hour, 39 minutes ago

  HARARE (AFP) - Fuel prices in Zimbabwe have skyrocketed by up to 200 percent in the last fortnight amid fresh shortages brought on by inflation and a devalued currency, analysts said Monday.

• 
  Zimbabwe sees decline in malaria cases AFP - 1 hour, 42 minutes ago

  HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe has recorded a significant decline in malaria prevalance with recorded cases dropping from three million to 1.8 million in the past year, a state-run daily reported Monday.

• 
  Zimbabwe says it buried slain militant AP - 2 minutes ago

  HARARE, Zimbabwe - Government opponents said Monday the family of an opposition militant killed by police was forced to bury him at their rural home because the administration feared demonstrations at a planned ceremony in the capital.

• 
  Somali, AU troops secure Mogadishu port ahead of deployment AFP - Mon Mar 19, 7:20 AM ET

  MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somali and Ugandan troops on Monday secured Mogadishu seaport ahead of the arrival of military hardware for African Union peacekeepers deployed in the volatile Somali capital.

• Deported Nigerian prisoners arrive from Libya AFP - Mon Mar 19, 7:16 AM ET

  LAGOS (AFP) - One hundred and thirteen Nigerians serving various jail terms in Libya have been brought home to complete their sentences, an airport official said Monday.

• 
  Zimbabwe faces fresh criticism over opposition crackdown AFP - Mon Mar 19, 7:13 AM ET

  HARARE (AFP) - The Zimbabwe government brushed off fresh criticism Monday over its crackdown on the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, dismissing it as further evidence of mischief-making by the West.

• 
  Zimbabwe bars arrested opposition members from leaving Reuters - Mon Mar 19, 5:56 AM ET

  HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and others arrested for defying a government ban on rallies will be prevented from leaving the country until they appear in court, a police spokesman said on Monday.

• 3 people kidnapped in central Nigeria AP - Mon Mar 19, 5:50 AM ET

  LAGOS, Nigeria - Two Asians and one Nigerian were kidnapped in central Nigeria over the weekend, police officials said Monday, raising fears that a spate of abductions in the country's volatile but oil-rich south was spreading to other areas.

• 
  Some Arabs join rebels in Darfur fight AP - Sun Mar 18, 7:13 PM ET

  WADI ANKA, Sudan - Ahmad Salaheddin is an Arab who has crossed the ethnic divide in Darfur's bloody war to fight alongside ethnic African rebels. His fellow rebels jokingly call him a "janjaweed" — one of the Arab militiamen who are their fiercest enemy.

• 
  Nigerians fear for ailing presidential front-runner AFP - Sun Mar 18, 6:50 PM ET

  LAGOS (AFP) - One month ahead of a crucial presidential vote, Nigerians are worried over the prospect of electing an ailing candidate who may be unable to perform his official duties.

• 
  Nigerian military steps up raids on Niger Delta militants AFP - Sun Mar 18, 4:13 PM ET

  LAGOS (AFP) - The special joint military force set up to rid Nigeria's volatile Niger Delta of militants accused of violent acts has stepped up its campaign in the region, a military spokesman said Sunday.

• 
  Zimbabwe steps up efforts to block opposition from travelling AFP - Sun Mar 18, 4:13 PM ET

  HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's security forces on Sunday stopped an opposition activist from leaving the country at Harare airport and beat him up so badly he was undergoing surgery in hospital, his colleagues reported.

• 
  Trial of Algerian accused of European kidnapping postponed AFP - Sun Mar 18, 1:30 PM ET

  ALGIERS (AFP) - The trial of an Algerian Islamist fighter known as Abderrazak El-Para charged with the kidnapping of 32 European tourists in 2003 has been postponed for several months, the court president said Sunday.

• 
  Egypt Islamist MPs in parliament walk-out over laws Reuters - Sun Mar 18, 1:26 PM ET

  CAIRO (Reuters) - Over 100 mainly Islamist lawmakers walked out of Egypt's parliament on Sunday to protest government moves to push through constitutional laws that opponents fear will entrench the ruling party's grip on power.

• 
  Sudan archeology flourishes before the flood AFP - Sun Mar 18, 1:17 PM ET

  MEROWE, Sudan (AFP) - Sudan's archaeology is finally stepping out of Egypt's shadow as teams work against the clock to rescue an entire swathe of Nile Valley heritage from the rising waters of a Chinese-built dam.

• 
  Suicide attack on US embassy convoy in Kabul AFP - 26 minutes ago

  KABUL (AFP) - A suicide attacker rammed an explosives-filled car into a US embassy convoy in the Afghan capital Kabul, wounding five embassy staff and guards and at least three passers-by, officials said Monday.

• 
  US, NKorea reach sanctions deal as nuclear talks begin AFP - 27 minutes ago

  BEIJING (AFP) - The United States said Monday it has struck a deal to release 25 million dollars of frozen North Korean assets, paving the way for progress in talks on ending the regime's nuclear weapons program.

• 
  Italian journalist freed in Afghanistan AFP - 32 minutes ago

  ROME (AFP) - Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, held hostage in Afghanistan for two weeks, has been freed, the Italian foreign ministry said Monday.

• 
  Italy: Kidnapped journalist freed AP - 34 minutes ago

  ROME - An Italian journalist who was kidnapped two weeks ago in Afghanistan's dangerous south has been released, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

• 
  Sanyo's high-flying chairwoman resigns amid accounting probe AFP - 59 minutes ago

  TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Sanyo Electric announced Monday the resignation of its chairwoman Tomoyo Nonaka, one of Japan's top female executives, as it grapples with big losses and allegations of window dressing.

• China bank to boost rates by 0.27 pct. AP - 1 hour, 20 minutes ago

  BEIJING - In a March 17 story about China's central bank raising one-year benchmark deposit and lending rates, The Associated Press reported erroneously that it was the fourth rate hike in a year. It was the third rate hike in a year.

• Correction: China-Interest-Rates story AP - 1 hour, 22 minutes ago

  BEIJING - In a March 17 story about China's central bank raising one-year benchmark deposit and lending rates, The Associated Press reported erroneously that it was the fourth rate hike in a year. It was the third rate hike in a year.

• 
  1 dies in attack on U.S. convoy in Kabul AP - 1 hour, 36 minutes ago

  KABUL, Afghanistan - A suicide car bomber attacked a three-vehicle U.S. Embassy convoy on a notoriously dangerous road in the Afghan capital on Monday, killing an Afghan teenager and wounding five embassy security personnel, officials said.

• 
  Pearl murder convict to appeal after confession Reuters - 1 hour, 36 minutes ago

  KARACHI (Reuters) - The lawyer of an Islamist militant sentenced to hang in Pakistan for his role in the 2002 murder of U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl said on Monday he would use a top al Qaeda militant's confession to support an appeal.

• 
  Bomb hits U.S. Embassy convoy in Kabul AP - 1 hour, 53 minutes ago

  KABUL, Afghanistan - A car bomb exploded near a three-vehicle U.S. Embassy convoy on a busy road in Kabul on Monday, wounding several people, one seriously, officials said.

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  3 Buddhist women slain in Thailand AP - Mon Mar 19, 6:08 AM ET

  SABAYOI, Thailand - Suspected Muslim separatists shot and killed three Buddhist women involved with a project for victims of Thailand's insurgency Monday, just two days after three Muslim children were killed in an attack on a boarding school.

• $2M in gold stolen from Japanese museum AP - Mon Mar 19, 5:10 AM ET

  TOKYO - Three masked men stole a massive block of gold worth more than $2 million from a Japanese museum in a heist police said Monday could have been prevented — if only the curators hadn't left its showcases wide open.

• Cambodian prince charged with adultery AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:50 AM ET

  PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Prince Norodom Ranariddh has been charged with adultery for having a mistress while still being legally married to his wife, a Cambodian court official said Monday.

• 8 killed in China Sea ship collision AP - Mon Mar 19, 4:00 AM ET

  BEIJING - Two cargo ships collided in the East China Sea, killing at least eight people, state media reported Monday.

• Bangladeshi ex-PM's son faces charges AP - Sun Mar 18, 1:20 PM ET

  DHAKA, Bangladesh - Bangladeshi police filed extortion charges on Sunday against a former prime minister's son who had been a powerful political leader in a country that ranks among the world's most corrupt.

This will be the last news roundup posted on this thread. Tommorow I will flip the thread when I post the news to the News from the Long War Thread III But that won't be until tomorrow morning. All of today's updates will be here.