Posted on 05/01/2008 3:06:29 PM PDT by nwctwx
ADDING photo links and links to post no. 945:
http://www.bnp.org.uk/2008/05/the-plymouth-mosque-the-plymouth-labour-party-hq-nicky-reilly/
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http://www.bnp.org.uk/images/graffitii1.jpg
http://www.bnp.org.uk/images/graffitii2.jpg
Note: The following text SNIPPET is a quote:
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/080523sandiego.htm
May 23, 2008
More than 900 criminal aliens, immigration fugitives, and immigration violators have been removed from the United States or are facing deportation today following a three-week enforcement surge by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Teams in California.
Three-week enforcement surge results in 137 arrests in San Diego area
SAN DIEGO - More than 900 criminal aliens, immigration fugitives, and immigration violators have been removed from the United States or are facing deportation today following a three-week enforcement surge by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Teams in California.
During the special operation, which concluded late yesterday, ICE officers located and arrested a total of 905 immigration violators throughout the state, including 137 here in the San Diego area. Of those arrested locally, 73 were immigration fugitives, aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation or who returned to the United States illegally after being removed. More than 40 percent of the aliens taken into custody in this area had criminal histories in addition to being in the country illegally.
Among those arrested by the Fugitive Operations Teams locally was a 30-year-old Mexican national who was convicted in 1997 for robbery and sentenced to four years in state prison. Last year, Cesar Hernandez-Gallardo lost his appeal to remain in the United States and failed to depart after being ordered deported by an immigration judge. ICE officers also arrested a 37-year-old Mexican national at his residence in Escondido, whose criminal record includes a prior conviction for burglary. He was ordered deported last June and lost his appeal to remain in the United States last month. The other criminal arrests included violent crimes for assault with a deadly weapon, carjacking, domestic violence and sexual assault.
In addition to the local Fugitive Operations Teams, ICE officers from the agency’s teams in Los Angeles and San Francisco were temporarily deployed to the area to assist with this enforcement action.
ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams are tasked with identifying and arresting foreign nationals who have ignored final orders of deportation or have returned to the United States illegally after being removed. The teams prioritize cases involving immigration violators who pose a threat to national security and community safety. These include child sexual exploiters, suspected gang members, and those who have convictions for violent crimes.
“ICE is committed to restoring integrity to this country’s immigration system and that means ensuring that the removal orders handed down by the nation’s immigration courts are carried out,” said Robin Baker, field officer director for ICE detention and removal operations in San Diego. “As a country, we welcome law-abiding immigrants, but foreign nationals who violate our laws and commit crimes in our communities should be on notice that ICE is going to use all of the tools at its disposal to find you and send you home.”
Since many of these individuals have already been ordered deported, they are subject to immediate removal from the United States. More than half of those arrested during the statewide operation have already been removed to their home countries. The remaining aliens are in ICE custody and are awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge, or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future.
The Fugitive Operations Program was established in 2003 to eliminate the nation’s backlog of immigration fugitives. Today, ICE has 75 teams deployed across the country, including 13 here in California.
Last year, the nation’s fugitive alien population declined for the first time in history and continues to do so - in large part due to the work of the Fugitive Operations Teams. Estimates now place the number of immigration fugitives in the United States at slightly under 573,000, a decrease of more than 59,000 since October 2006. Given the success of the fugitive operations effort, Congress has authorized ICE to add 29 more Fugitive Operations Teams in fiscal year 2008.
ICE’s Fugitive Operations Program is an integral part of the comprehensive multi-year plan launched by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America’s borders and reduce illegal migration. That strategy seeks to gain operational control of both the northern and southern borders, while re-engineering the detention and removal system to ensure that illegal aliens are removed from the country quickly and efficiently.
Note: The following news brief is a quote:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3547098,00.html
Qassam rocket lands in Negev; no injuries reported
Published: 05.24.08, 07:15 / Israel News
A Qassam rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip and landed in open spaces in the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported. (Yael Branovsky)
Fyi Only.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjocCPmhqj7ENiUdwTNUWWYvym6AD90RH7S81
“Plane crashes into Mont. building, kills pilot”
10 hours ago
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) —
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Duane Demars, who lives nearby, said he heard two loud explosions and four smaller ones.
“It sounded excruciating,” he said. “When I got here, flames were at a length of 200 to 300 feet and 20 feet high in the air.””
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Alpine Air confirmed the plane was carrying mail bound for Great Falls and Havre.
Mail scattered as far as two miles away, Postal Service spokeswoman Lisa Blomquist said. Workers were gathering what remained of more than 4,000 pounds of mail loaded on the plane.”
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http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=104&sid=1298350
“Plane crashes into Mont. building, kills pilot”
May 24, 2008 - 1:05am
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The construction materials building and plane were destroyed by the blaze, and a nearby United Rentals building was damaged by debris, Fergus said.
Fire officials confirmed the pilot’s body was found in the wreckage. A representative of the company that operated the flight, Utah-based Alpine Air Express, identified the pilot as 40-year-old Kelly Lynch of Billings.
Alpine Air CEO Gene Mallette said the airline is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause of the crash.”
Off Topic, but interesting.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/assassination
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020600/posts
Skip to comments.
“Hillary’s RFK/Obama Assassination Comments Go Worldwide [Japan]—My Translations”
Sankei Shimbun News (Translated to English by Freeper), etc. ^ | 24 May 2008 | AmericanInTokyo (from wide variety of Japanese news sources 24 May 2008)
Posted on May 23, 2008 10:17:12 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3547107,00.html
Qassam lands in Negev; no injuries reported
Published: 05.24.08, 08:29 / Israel News
A Qassam rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip and landed in open spaces in Sdot Negev Regional Council. No injuries or damage were reported. (Yael Barnovsky)
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/syria
http://www.memri.org/syria.html
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/site/html/search.asp?isSearch=yes&isT8=yes&searchText=T91&pid=109&sid=13&preview=
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1211434091432&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
(AP)
JPost.com » Middle East » Article
May 24, 2008 11:36
“Syria rejects Israeli FM call to cut ties with Iran and Arab militant groups”
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAMASCUS, Syria
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3547076,00.html
“Diplomats: Syria hesitant to grant IAEA access”
SNIPPET: “Damascus has yet to accept request from UN nuclear watchdog to visit site where Washington says Syria covertly built atomic reactor, and has demanded more details about proposed trip, diplomats familiar with matter say”
Reuters
Published: 05.23.08, 23:34 / Israel News
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mexico/
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http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200805/NAT20080523f.html
“U.S. Report Says 128 Americans Murdered in Mexico in 3 Years”
By Penny Starr
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
May 23, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “(CNSNews.com) - A U.S State Department report on “non-natural deaths” of U.S. citizens abroad says that 128 Americans were victims of homicides or “executions” in Mexico between Jan. 1, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2007, and that a majority of these murders took place in Mexican cities located on the southern border of the United States.
All told, during the period in question, 667 Americans were killed in Mexico by “non-natural” causes, including by drowning, auto accidents, and suicides, according to the report.
It is unclear how accurate these numbers are, however, because the State Department says the report “is based solely on cases reported by American citizens to our posts abroad.”
Sixty-eight of the 128 murders and executions of Americans cited in the report took place in Mexican cities immediately on the U.S. border. Another 12 took place in other locations within Mexican states that border the United States.
Thirty-one Americans were reportedly murdered in Tijuana; 21 in Nueva Laredo; six in Ciudad Juarez; four in Matamoros; two in a Mexicali, and one each in Reynosa, Tecate, Puerto Palomas and Nogales.
Two Americans were murdered in San Felipe, Baja California Norte; two in Rosarito, Baja California Norte; two in Ensenada, Baja California Norte, and two in Magdalena, Sonora. One American was murdered in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon; one in Bahia Kino, Sonora; one in Agualeguas, Nuevo Leon; and one in San Quintin, Baja California Norte. Each of these towns is in a Mexican state that borders the U.S.
The two deaths described in the State Department report as “executions” both occurred in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, which borders the United States. One of those executions was reported to have taken place on Jan. 21, 2007 in Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas.
No specific city was listed for the other execution, which was reported to have occurred on March 27, 2007.”
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Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020567/posts
Mexican homicides jump 47 pct.; 1,378 die in ‘08
Houston Chronicle/AP ^ | May 23, 2008 | E. EDUARDO CASTILLO
Posted on May 23, 2008 7:56:34 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
MEXICO CITY — Homicides related to organized crime jumped 47 percent in 2008, Mexico’s attorney general said Friday in a rare confirmation of how bad violence has become.
Police later made two gruesome discoveries in northern Mexico. Five bodies — two of them decapitated — were found wrapped in blankets in a city on the border with Texas, along with two heads in sacks. In another state, police found four severed heads in ice chests along a highway.
Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora told Radio Formula that 1,378 people have been killed so far this year, compared with 940 in the same period last year.
The statistic reflected what many in Mexico already knew: Drug-related killings have soared in recent months.
But the details were the first official snapshot on the rise in killings. The Mexican government has been reluctant to release homicide statistics, leaving the public to rely on informal tallies by the news media.
Medina Mora broke that silence, saying 4,152 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and declared war on drug cartels that controlled entire regions of Mexico. About 450 of those were police, soldiers, prosecutors or investigators.
Medina Mora said many of the recent killings have been concentrated along the U.S. border, while homicides in the central part of the nation have subsided.
The government says the violence reflects drug gangs’ desperation amid the nationwide crackdown, carried out by more than 20,000 soldiers and federal police.
“Evidently when they are cornered and weakened, they have to respond with violence,” Medina Mora said.
Analysts say recent arrests have created a power vacuum and gangs are battling for valuable drug routes and territory.
One of the hardest-hit cities is Ciudad Juarez, where the five wrapped bodies were found on a street corner. A message found with the corpses read “this is what happens to traitors who align themselves with Chapo Guzman,” a reference to reputed Sinaloa drug cartel chief Joaquin Guzman.
A recent e-mail warning of a weekend bloodbath has alarmed many residents of the city across from El Paso, Texas.
Nobody seems to know who wrote the e-mail, which says gunmen will fire at malls, restaurants and other public places in “killings all over the city.” But many people have forwarded it to friends.
Juarez Police Chief Roberto Orduna said the threats must be taken seriously and issued a news release Thursday assuring residents that police would be more vigilant.
More than 200 people have been killed so far this year in Juarez.
Police found the four severed heads in ice chests outside a highway convenience store in the northern state of Durango, along with unspecified threatening messages, the state government said. The bodies were not found, and the victims were not identified.
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html
Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
This information is current as of today, Sat May 24 2008 02:53:00 GMT-0700 (PDT).
Mexico
April 14, 2008
Ding Dong. Ding Dong. We have STUCK ON STUPID award winners today. They are:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200805/POL20080522b.html
“Democrats Unaware of US Warning About Border Violence”
By Penny Starr
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
May 22, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “(CNSNews.com) - Three Democratic lawmakers who spoke Wednesday about alleged anti-immigrant coverage by conservative media outlets were not aware of a recent State Department travel alert warning Americans about military-like “combat” along the southern U.S. border in Mexico, where Americans are being kidnapped and murdered.”
(ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Speakers at the briefing said that CNN and Fox News Channel should be held accountable for television personalities who have “played major roles in creating this anti-immigrant hysteria,” specifically Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck on CNN and Bill O’Reilly on Fox.”
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080522-13.html
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 22, 2008
Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
On Memorial Day, we honor the heroes who have laid down their lives in the cause of freedom, resolve that they will forever be remembered by a grateful Nation, and pray that our country may always prove worthy of the sacrifices they have made.
Throughout our Nation’s history, our course has been secured by brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. These courageous and selfless warriors have stepped forward to protect the Nation they love, fight for America’s highest ideals, and show millions that a future of liberty is possible. Freedoms come at great costs, yet the world has been transformed in unimaginable ways because of the noble service and devotion to duty of these brave individuals. Our country honors the sacrifice made by those who have given their lives to spread the blessings of liberty and lay the foundations of peace, and we mourn their loss.
Today, our service men and women continue to inspire and strengthen our Nation, going above and beyond the call of duty as part of the greatest military the world has ever known. Americans are grateful to all those who have put on our Nation’s uniform and to their families, and we will always remember their service and sacrifice for our freedoms.
On this solemn day our country unites to pay tribute to the fallen, who demonstrated the strength of their convictions and paid the cost of freedom. We pray for the members of our Armed Forces and their families, and we ask for God’s continued guidance of our country.
In respect for their devotion to America, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved on May 11, 1950, as amended (64 Stat. 158), has requested the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated the minute beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 26, 2008, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day. I encourage the media to participate in these observances. I also request the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States, and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19705&Itemid=21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080524-01
May 24, 2008
IA seize weapons cache at schoolhouse in Sadr City
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army Soldiers discovered a weapons cache hidden in a schoolhouse in Sadr City May 23.
At approximately 8 a.m., IA Soldiers from the 34th Brigade, 9 IA Division, discovered a weapons cache consisting of a remote-controlled improvised explosive device, six 155 mm artillery rounds, an artillery warhead, an anti-tank mine, four hand grenades, an unknown grenade, two PKC light machine guns, 450 PKC rounds, a 92 mm charge, a Katusha rocket launcher, two bottles of chlorine poison, eight Tamoud brand radios and five radio chargers.
“Criminal elements are trying to destabilize Iraqi society through indiscriminate violence and criminal activity,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, MND-B and 4th Infantry Division spokesman. “By taking these weapons off the streets, we are making Baghdad safer.”
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Note:The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19699&Itemid=21
Suspected al-Qaeda senior leader captured
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured six wanted men and detained an additional 15 suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq Thursday and Friday from Baghdad to Mosul along the Tigris River Valley.
Coalition forces conducted several operations in Mosul Friday and captured four wanted men, one of whom is allegedly a senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader. Information from an operation April 21 led Coalition forces to the alleged terrorist leader, who is believed to orchestrate bombing attacks against Coalition forces and oversee various terrorist operations. The other three wanted men are believed to be associated with him and other senior AQI leaders. Four additional suspected terrorists were detained in the operations.
Two coordinated operations Friday in the Tigris River Valley targeted an AQI bombing network. Coalition forces captured an alleged bombing facilitator and an additional suspect during an operation in Tikrit, about 160 kilometers north of Baghdad. In the target building, the force discovered bomb-making materials and a washing machine rigged with explosives. After moving civilians away from the area, Coalition forces safely destroyed the bombing materials. Farther north, Coalition forces detained six more suspects believed to be associated with the network during operations Thursday and Friday.
Using information from an operation May 20, Coalition forces targeted AQI leaders in Baghdad Friday and detained two suspected terrorists. In a Thursday operation, Coalition forces captured an alleged AQI leader in Baghdad believed to be tied to the terrorist propaganda network. Two additional suspected terrorists were detained.
“We are continuing our relentless pursuit of al-Qaeda across Iraq in places like Mosul and Baghdad.” said Maj. John Hall, MNF-I spokesman.
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More details...
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19707&Itemid=21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080524-A
May 24, 2008
“Iraqi Special Operations Forces capture mid-level terrorist cell leader in Mosul”
Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO
BALAD, Iraq
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
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http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19710&Itemid=21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080524-05
May 24, 2008
National Police seize weapons cache
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Iraqi National Policemen with the 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, uncovered a weapons cache during an operation in eastern Baghdad, May 22.
The National Police found the cache while patrolling New Baghdad to clear the area of illegal weapons and bomb-making materials.
The cache included more than 20 AK-47 assault rifles and a long rifle. Additionally, NPs detained one suspect and seized an Iranian passport belonging to the detainee’s brother.
Following the operation, NPs detained three suspected IED emplacers. The Iraqi men were dumping trash and concrete along streets in New Baghdad.
“Operations such as these are occurring every day in Baghdad, and they attest to the professionalism and commitment of the National Police to go after militants and to protect Iraqi citizens,” said Maj. Joey Sullinger, a spokesman for 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/taliban
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/taleban
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BLOG:
Note: Photos included.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/05/pakistani_taliban_le.php
“Pakistani Taliban leader vows to conduct attacks in Afghanistan”
By BILL ROGGIO
May 23, 2008 2:10 PM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “With two peace deals signed between the Taliban and the Pakistani government in the northern areas of the Northwest Frontier Province, and progress being made with negotiations in South Waziristan, the Pakistani government is touting its three-point plan to “end militancy.” The Taliban, meanwhile, say they will continue to attack NATO and allied forces in Afghanistan.
During a funeral for a slain local journalist today in the Bajaur tribal agency, Faqir Mohammed said the Taliban would continue to strike at NATO and allied forces inside Afghanistan, as is their religious duty.”
Posted here for archival purposes. Sounded a bit like the female version of Hugo Chavez in my opinion.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niJAkR_6tKQ
“Maxine Waters Wants To “Socialize” Oil Companies”
(Added May 23, 2008)
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/zimbabwe/
#
https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=85150
YOU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
Warden Message: Zimbabwe Demonstration May 24
CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS
Sub-Saharan Africa - Zimbabwe
23 May 2008
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/syria
http://www.memri.org/syria.html
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/site/html/search.asp?isSearch=yes&isT8=yes&searchText=T91&pid=109&sid=13&preview=
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Note: The following news brief is a quote:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3547157,00.html
Syrian defense minister to visit Iran
Published: 05.24.08, 13:15 / Israel News
Syrian Defense minister Gen. Hassan Turkemani is scheduled to arrive in Iran Saturday evening. The visit was initiated by his Iranian counterpart, Mustafa Muhammad Najar.
According to a statement made by the Iranian Defense Ministry, the two will discuss common defense agreements and ways to expand cooperation between the two countries. (Dudi Cohen)
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/afghan/articles/20080523.aspx
Bad Guys Battle Bad Numbers
May 23, 2008: This year, it’s NATO and the U.S. which is conducting a Spring Offensive. The troops are raiding known safe houses and villages where the Taliban have been detected. The spread of cell phones, more UAVs and growing unpopularity of the Taliban has brought in a flood of information on where the Taliban are and what they are up to. The Spring raids are wiping out most of the Taliban in many districts (Afghanistan has 398 districts in 34 provinces, with each district capital usually the largest town in a region containing 40,000-100,000 people).
Afghanistan only has 34,000 kilometers of roads (most of them unpaved). Most Afghans want more roads. While foreign donors have contributed lots of money to build more roads, corruption and poor management in the contracting process result in costs of up to a million dollars a kilometer, compared to $250,000 a kilometer in actual costs (to build the road). Afghanistan is very poorly equipped with roads. In the United States, there are 21 kilometers of roads (most of them paved) per thousand people (or 687 kilometers of roads per thousand square kilometers). In Afghanistan there are 1.2 kilometers of roads per thousand people (or 53 kilometers of roads per thousand square kilometers). The Taliban have concentrated on attacking road projects, causing up to a quarter of their cost to be for security. This costs the Taliban a lot of popular support, because most Afghans want more roads, especially paved roads. These make it possible to ship goods to markets, and get there to shop yourself. With better roads, you have a better chance of getting friend or family medical care before they die. Road building is a major source of jobs, and the Taliban are not well liked when they shut down this work and deprive thousands of local men of wages.
The Taliban have, for several years, waged a violent campaign against women appearing on television. Recently, a 22 year old female TV news reader was stabbed, and earlier, another female news reader had been killed. Women being used to present news on TV and radio is condemned by the Taliban, and a significant minority of the population. But the majority prefer it, and the Taliban losses more support with this kind of violence.
The Taliban shift to suicide bombs is not going well. As in Iraq, most of the casualties are civilians, which turns the population more hostile to the terrorists. Then there is the shortage of suicide bombers. Arabs are into self-destruction more than Afghans, so it’s more difficult for the Taliban to get people to carry the bombs. Recently, a ten year old boy was used. The child was not able to carry the attack out effectively, killing himself, but no one else. In the capital, two recent suicide bombs caused no casualties, and one of them were discovered, seized and defused before it could explode.
The U.S. is building a new prison, in Afghanistan, for up to 1100 terrorists and terrorism suspects. The existing prison, in Bagram air base, holds 610 inmates. Apparently, the U.S. wants to transfer the 270 prisoners held at the at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba prison.
Heavier losses while crossing the border have caused the Taliban to shift tactics in how they get from Pakistan to Afghanistan. Taliban gunmen are now trying to pass as family members of family groups that travel into Afghanistan every day. The families go along because of bribes or threats. Gunrunners from Iran bring in weapons to equip these young men, who cross the border unarmed. Afghan police are now questioning young men crossing the border more closely. Even that is safer than trying to sneak across, where better NATO and U.S. surveillance catch these groups, and often wipe them out. Recruiting gunmen inside Afghanistan is getting more difficult, and higher wages have to be offered. Many Taliban leaders are offering to pay more than twice what a cop or soldier gets. Even that is not enough, because the annual death rate among Taliban fighters is over a third, while it’s only a few percent for police or soldiers. Most Afghans may be illiterate, but they can count.
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