Via Instapundit;
The good news is I’ve safely landed in Kabul. The somewhat bad news is the UN flight to Kandahar is booked, so I will head down there on Monday. But there is plenty to do in Kabul, and I’ve already dug around a little bit about the violence in the city yesterday after a US vehicle killed 1 to 3 Afghans during a traffic accident. The consensus among the folks I spoke to is the protests after the accident were staged by groups waiting for such an event to happen. I made the comparison to the reaction by some Islamist groups in Afghanistan (and elsewhere) after the Muhammad Cartoon riots, where the “spontaneous protests” were anything but. there was agreement on this point. I will likely post about this tonight or tomorrow.
I drove through the city twice today, and it is an interesting place. The city is scarred from decades of combat, however you can see people are working to rebuild. Shops are open, people and traffic are on the streets, and there are signs of new construction and rebuilding/repair projects. I saw several “land/title offices,” as well as signs for rooms for rent. Security is tight, and it seemed as if police were on every corner, no doubt a reaction to yesterday’s events. Unfortunately my camera was packed away, but I’ll get some shots tomorrow.
I’ve seen photos of new housing developments going up in Kabul. Bill’s comments remind me that I intended to get copies of those (and others) for you.
..of new housing developments going up in Kabul..
Unfortunately, there is more to Afghanistan than its notional capital – Kabul.
Securing Kabul means squat if the Taleban can roam free in the South/Southwest parts of Afghanistan (as they are now doing), and warlords control the rest of the country.
Peter M. had it right yesterday. Nobody knows how long that mission will take … Afghanistan has never really known peace and tranquility.
Not a good time for Bill to be there. Things look like they are heating up. Taking pictures would make him a target, but the police would warn him and tell him to go.
Whether the riot was staged or not is beside the point. The point is they had a riot and everyone came. My friends and I could go to an urban centre in Canada and “stage” a riot and guess what, we would look like fools. So the riot preconditions have to be there. We don’t have riots occur after traffic accidents anywhere I know of.
I am glad there are “signs” of reconstruction five years after the American arrival and promise to rebuild Afghanistan. Signs are a good thing. Probably not near enough though to keep it from falling back into the 19th century existence they call normal, Islamic fundamentalism and all.
Based on what hasn’t happened in the last five years and the insurgency that is erupting now I think what I see is another Iraq developing albeit in slow motion.
…without sounding like a leftist…why are we in Afghanistan again?
Staged riot or not, people are still throwing rocks at us.
So we build these elaborate western homes, what is there to say the locals won’t destroy them like we see happening to new homes built on our reserves?
steved did make a good point, where is the “line” to prevent that society from falling back into tribal mentality?
I’d say a generation or 20 years worth.
Anecdotal but I heard this story a long time ago.
I have a friend who was in Kabul in the 70’s and she hit a child while driving.
She went to pull over but her Afghani friend in the car stopped her and told her to drive away and drive away fast.
She said a hostile crowd quickly gathered and would have attacked them if they could not pay money to the childs family right then and there.
One of these days I’m going to write a lefties-only post asking a question to which only a single word is allowed in response:
“Do you want to see American/coalition efforts to succeed in Afghanistan and Iraq?”
[ ] yes
[ ] no
****
“So we build these elaborate western homes,”
They weren’t elaborate western homes. They were decidedly “Afghan” homes, though very nicely designed and modern.
Steve D,
Someone did stage a riot in an urban centre and they were successful. The rioters did, however, look like fools.
http://tinyurl.com/q25e7
The point is, trumped-up riots are not the reality of the majority of the people. I would suggest that most of the people there simply want to continue their lives in peace, but there is a small hardened core who seek something else.
Kate, how about another one for the other side:
“Would you like to see a terrorist attack of some sort in Canada so that the moonbats wake up and realize that we must join with all vigour (vigor?) the global war on terror?”
[] yes
[] no
While I’m not a leftie, count me in for yes. As for how we do it…well that should be open for discussion. Do we have enough troops there? Are they protected enough? Are we building new schools and hospitals?
While some hope is shining through, there seems to be a lack of re-educating the common guy.
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/the-long-road-ahead.htm
As for the new homes, I guess I shouldn’t say “western” but elaborate fits, meaning I can’t see Joe Iraqi being able to afford one of these:
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/003849.html
More pictures half way down:
http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001126.html
Here’s a question for the Righties(are there any out there ;).
Are we going to follow the Americans into all their conflicts until “the enemies” cannot differentiate between Canada and the USA, and we begin to look over our shoulders wherever we are in the world as well as at home? yes or no?
I would rather be like Switzerland. When was the last time they had a terrorist attack?
Virtually all the warring nations have had terrorist attacks. Looks like we are now a warring nation. Just great.
My understanding was that the Taliban were not themselves terrorists they merely housed one. Further, they did not even have control over the entire country. Remember, the several independent tribes and the Northern Alliance? But the US decided to take out the entire country including the Taliban instead of going after the terrorists. The bull cannot simply walk in to the china shop and take out a simple piece of china. No it has to go in and destroy the entire shop.
steve d
bend over, stick your head in the sand and we’ll paint a burka on your butt so you can travel to Europe.
Switerland’s neutrality comes at a high price. 10% of GDP spent on the military, conscription for every man and service in the Reserves until age 55.
Oh and guns, in every home. Military guns. I am not making this up.
Are you sure you lefties are willing to pay that high a price?
Also, regarding the story by concrete about not stopping if you hit a kid, I spent 4 months in Jamaica last year, and the situation was the same.
If you hit anyone in Jamaica, keep driving, as a mob will likely lynch you on the spot, ability to pay compensation or not.
Enough of your stupidity Steve.
Another riot last week in Caledonia.
You understand little and make less sense. Go crawl in your hole. You want Canada to retreat from the world stage and we will all just get along.
Switzerland survived WW2 because they were bankers for the stolen loot of the nazis. What should Canadas role be? Summer homes of the terrorists?
The Taliban provided a safe haven and bases for terrorists. They virtually enslaved women and removed most freedoms from the men. Where do you come to the line in the sand? As long as it ain’t american it is anything goes?
You can’t stop yapping about your discredited theories on Conservative blogs. And you expect Canada to do much the same on the world stage.
Go on, blah, blah, blah about evil americans. A broken record.
enough
Some people have the mentality of the TV remote,
Seen enough of that, click.Sent our troops to the Afghan, click.
Some things take longer to fix than others!
http://www.unficyp.org/Facts+figures/facts+fig.htm
Why wake moonbats?
It would be like sobering up a bunch of pot heads in the hope that they are actually a cream of the crop commando brigade.
Grasshopper
I would like to see the moonbats wake up and support the “war on terror” without an attack on Canada.
9/11, 3/11, Bali, the London bombings, how many attacks will it take?
Does Toronto need to go up in a mushroon cloud before the left will wake up to the threat that Islamofascism poses to our way of life?
Oh a lot of tough guys out there. grrr.
Enough-I don’t want Canadians to be viewing the world from fox holes. I hear tell that in certain places of the world you make it clear that you are Canadian as opposed to American to ensure your safety. Americans claim to be Canadian for the same reason. I kinda like that. That sort of pisses you off though doesn’t it. Too bad.
So Switzerland did what it had to do to stay out of the slaughter. Pathetic, but alive. Like the concentration camp survivors, they too did what they had to do to survive. Survival takes wit and strength, but not necessarily the muscle or military kind.
The Taliban were not in charge of all of the country. There are tribes that control different sections. The Taliban had still not defeated the Northern Alliance. The Taliban made offers to try Bin Laden under Islamic law. America was chafing at the bit to fight, or should I say the chickenhawks in charge couldn’t wait to send in others to fight, they merely gave macho speeches.
The Taliban may not have been a modern liberal democratic government but Afghanistan is of the Middle Ages developmentally so I don’t think we can judge the Afghans or the Taliban by our standards. I think that is called ethnocentrism. The inability to see others outside of your own reality. Your reality is the only reality. Or the only one that matters.
I have never said America is evil. They are poorly governed presently. Their policies are too ethnocentric. But Americans are good people and I like to visit America once in a while. They will learn from these times and be better for it. Right now though they are making a lot of stupid mistakes. Most Americans would agree with me by the way. They have learned a lot since 9/11.
Don’t forget through all your tough talk and war mongering ways we have not been attacked once by terrorists. Terrorists would rather put a bomb in their car and drive across Canada to cross the border in B.C. to set it off in L.A. Airport than ingnite it in Canada. America has had several terrorist attacks as far back as 1992. We have had haven’t had any.
It is easy to take our life for granted, stick our heads in the sand and hope we won’t get noticed, that worked well for Poland and Czechoslovakia not!
Britain came to the aid of France in WW2 nad with the help of the dreaded USA they were ultimately able to defeat Hitler and his bullies
Sometimes standing up is not easy and we should be thankfull that there are other human being who will take on that job!
Canadian soldiers stood up in WW1 and WW2 and they are standing up for us today!
“I have never said America is evil. They are poorly governed presently. Their policies are too ethnocentric.”
Ethnocentric????
“We have had haven’t had any.”
Yet, stevie. Canadian troops are in Afghanistan. You think AQ hasn’t noticed? In the most likely decades long scenerio for the WOT, do you really think you are immune in Canada from terrorist attacks?
stevie, as others before me have pointed out, you are a broken record. It’s boring. You need new material.
Penny
I know we are determined to get that attack you are so eager for. I can almost see you guys salivating through cyberspace.
Me, I can wait and wait. I am in no hurry for terror. I don’t even want to wave any red flags in front of their faces. I am not tempted to say, “Bring it on!”
My humble understanding of war and warlike violence is that is is like hell on earth. I don’t think I want to go to foreign lands playing chicken and tough guy or “bring it on” games. I don’t want to see innocents killed. There have been thousands of innocents killed already. That’s right I am old fashioned I don’t believe in pre-emptive attacks. I haven’t seen them turn out too well in my limited experience. You know, Hilter went into Russia because he just didn’t like or trust those commies. Then Bush went in to Iraq, well, just cause he could. No other BS stands close scrutiny.
I am of the opinion that trouble will find you soon enough without you going out looking for it.
Not very macho I know. But I don’t usually get angry enough to retaliate until someone actually does something to get me angry. So you go, if you want. I think the Americans would love to have Canadians join them. Be a Marine, then you could go get those bad guys, before they get you, or even make a plan. Just go get em just cause they’re there but don’t tell them your Canadian I would rather live in peace until trouble finds me. Don’t get me wrong. I am not passive. I believe we should be actively involved in gathering intelligence about possible internal threats.
If you find it boring to talk about peace and exciting to talk about war then I do feel sorry for you, because you have no clue what slaughter of humans is. If you want blood lust. There are web sites that specialize in showing the remains of human beings that have been killed by modern weaponry. You may want to go and see how some of your tax dollars are being spent. They usually give warnings before they show slaughtered children so you don’t even have to look at those. But you should. These things are being done by the good guys too. They are mostly “accidents” of course, except when they are caught(Haditha). War is hell and it brings the savage out in everyone involved.
What is beyond my understanding is why we would want to expose even one Canadian to that savagery one moment before we absolutely had to.
steve d.,
2 words for your consideration.
Neville Chamberlain.
PS. Does the “d” stand for “dhimmi”?
I certainly don’t know what steved has been drinking (or smoking) but is he old enough?
Seriously folks, I thought we were not supposed to feed the trolls.
In regards to this thread, it is a known fact that schools, building and the return to some semblance of normalcy will not make the 6 o’clock news. If you want a different view of what is actually happening then read something from the bloggers that are actually in the field.
steve d. :
And just where, exactly, is your “absolutely had to”
line?
How many people without Canadian passports have to die before you care? 100,000 Iraqis? 6,000,000 Jews? 230 Aussies? 250,000 Rwandans? Or is it just Canadians who have to be murdered? 26 of 3000 at the WTC is not enough? OK, how many Canadians? 100? 200? 1,000,000?
Maybe even more insular? How about you “absolutely had to”, but only east of Sask?
C’mon, give us an idea of where your line is…
shawn
When the terrorists start blitzkreiging countries you tell me okay.
Until then what we are dealing with are small groups of individuals trying not to be discovered while planning single events. This sounds like a case for intelligence officers not B52’s. But hey, maybe you know different. Maybe Bin Laden has caves full of em.
texas canuk- there has been a bit of a problem getting news. It seems the reporters keep getting blown up. In Iraq they get killed when they leave the green zone, so does anyone else who leaves the green zone, including their own members of government. In Afghanistan, the same thing could happen when you leave Kabul or Kandahar. So unless you have military escort it is difficult to see how the people are enjoying their new freedoms. There is one guy who just reported back from Kabul. Apparently, five years later, there are SIGNS of construction in the major city. Your probably right, its reporters with agendas that keep the real story from getting out. I think you should go there and show us wimps how a real man reporter can go into the schools etc.
Mad Mike-It is hard to speak in the abstract. However, if I had been president of the USA after 9/11 I would have spent a month going over all the best evidence of what happened, why it happened, who did it, and planned to prevent it happening again. I would have sent special forces or cruise missles or both and tracked down any and all members of this group. I would have hunted them the way the Israelis did with the Munich Terrorists. Methodically, incessantly until Al Queada was history.
If terrorists struck Canada I would want the government to do the same. Hunt them down, all of them. Kill them in their caves or homes or offices, wherever.
steve d: I’m only recently familiarized with the phrase “chicken hawk”. Do you mean if the US president or Cdn Prime Minister don’t themselves actually physically fight, they’re “chicken hawks”. That reminds me of a moonbat ex-friend who asked me “would you send your daughters into battle in Iraq?” (they’re 36 and 33). I realize that’s a very common question on the left, one that they find frightfully clever and debate-cynching but I find it moronic. They’re adults. I can’t “send them” anywhere even to the fridge to get me a beer. I basically replied that if they were in the military they would have to make their choice of going or de-enlisting. If they were under my legal control they would be too young to enlist. Is there any such thing as “sending your child into battle”?
Let me put two birds in the final sentence: Why don’t you stop “parroting” the “chicken-shit”.
Hmm…from the footage I’ve seen of the incident, it looks like it happened on Jalalabad Road, toward the eastern end of the city. It was (is) the most attack-prone part of town, with houses coming right up to the edge of the road, and also the location of ISAF, American, Italian and other camps…
Everyone in ISAF drove fast, out of a sense of self-preservation. Accidents happened on a regular basis…
I am truly appalled that in your fervor to argue with each other you have shamefully dismissed the 329,mostly fellow Canadians,MURDERED in 1986 on Air India flight 182 by a TERRORIST’S bomb put aboard in Vancouver!!
I do thank the Prime Minister for calling an inquiry into the fiasco of justice that followed.
Anyone who wants news from Afghanistan and/or Iraq has a myriad of bloggers to read. That is the joy of the blogsphere, you don’t have to hear 20 MSM outlets quote the same Reuters reporter. To those who can’t figure out how to do it I suggest you google for Michael Yon or Bill Roggio or Michael Totten or or hundreds of military bloggers or grab a link or three from SDA or any of the many other blogs. The truth is out there (I wish I’d coined that phrase).
Damn, did it again. I will not feed the trolls, I will not feed the trolls…
steve d.:
So, your “line” is the Canadian borders. To hell with the rest of the world, eh? Not your problem. In your view, human beings have less value if they’re not Canadian? Genocides, murderous regimes, fascist dictatorships, starving people under a tribal conflict, none of this is important enough for you to stand up to. Cool. Now we know a lot more about you. 😉
Ever heard of NATO? Or the Allied powers in WWII? Even the UN articles would be a good read.
May I respectfully suggest you study some history. And think about it for a while. You seem quite intelligent, but I suspect you suffer from a bad case of intellectual sloth; i.e. you are only regurgitating the superficial thoughts that feel good, or that you have heard from the media or a prof somewhere, rather than taking the time and effort to really look and think about things.
Oh, and by-the-by, it would be incorrect of you to insinuate that I/we are some sort of warmongers. The exact opposite is true. As a serving member of the CF, I’m a lot more likely to have to face these horrors than you are, and it’s the last thing I want to do.
Ever.
Because if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.
Nobody knows how long that mission will take … Afghanistan has never really known peace and tranquility.Posted by: Anon at May 30, 2006 01:31 PM
Oh my! Such clarity, insight and wisdom from someone afraid to reveal himself.
TC,it is indeed easier said than done,we all have buttons just aching to be pushed.However,I commend you for at least trying,others here could at least make an effort.
For what it’s worth,I finally learned my lesson while back-and-forthing with the now exiled bcl.It just suddenly hit me that I was being played the fool and dancing for his entertainment.No more!!
IMHO,there are some left leaners who visit here(agitfact comes to mind)who,if treated fairly,have a perspective worth debating.
Keep up the good fight!
The sandcastle is starting to crumble.
US Marines to face trial over killings at Haditha
By Oliver Duff and Jerome Taylor
Published: 31 May 2006
US Marines will be court-martialled over the massacre of 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Haditha, it was reported last night.
The BBC said it had learnt that American soldiers would stand trial over the killings, on 19 November last year. The Pentagon is close to ending its inquiries into the deaths and seems likely to conclude that its troops have a case to answer.
The dead included women and children said to be as young as two.
The Wall St Journal quoted officials close to the investigation as saying several Marines will likely be charged with murder. A separate investigation is examining claims of a cover-up by senior officers.
Full Story
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article622118.ece
Is this what we want our troops to be linked to?
Still many more of these coming up.
Live interviews with the generals and others involved here.
http://www.democracynow.org/
Plus the massacre of 3000+ afghanis.
The best thing for our troops is to protect the rights of all the people over there. Protect them from the Americans if need be but killing people with their hands tied is not good for anyones image.
Mad Mike
It would be nice to be superman and fly around the world saving everyone but that is not going to happen. If the UN got its act together and the security council started to act in something other than self interest then I would say send Canadians as part of a peace keeping mission. But there is so much national economic self interest involved in foreign “aid” and peace keeping(keep the peace in economically important areas but Zimbabwe, not so much.
Nato -dominated by the USA. The American will use it when they mess up or become over extended(Afghanistan). American foreign involvement is very much an extension of their economic foreign policy. So should I get excited about supporting American economic imperialism. I honestly find it hard to get excited about supporting imperialism of any sort. However, sometimes it is necessary(USA vs Japan). In the future it may happen that another asian superpower locks horns with the America Inc. and yes, the Americans are our natural ally and neighbour. Our destiny’s are tied together rather intimately. BUT we are still a sovereign country and should not, must not get involved every time the US attacks someone. Actually, that is our history I am happy to say. We didn’t go to Granada, Panama, Cuba, Vietnam or Iraq(yet).
I am very well read thanx. However, because I basically read all day I am always looking for new information. Left, Right and Centre. I love all flavours. So if you want to give me a reading list, or a blog list, or a web site list, bring it on!(I love that Bushism). One can never have too much information.
“The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.” – H.L. Mencken
neutralsam and the Arab and Euro press and the US Demo Rats have already tried and convicted the American Marines.
Who here remembers the second intifada?
It started with a faked film from “Paliwood” of a young boy being shot by soldiers while his father tried to protect him with his own body.
It looks like the propagandists have given up on another Tet scenario in Iraq so now they are hoping for another Mai Lai.
I will wait for the final report as the American Marines are innocent until PROVEN GUILTY.
I don’t believe the marines killed innocent citizens. Remember the cdn who was attcked with an axe while visiting with innocent afgans. It really is time for Bush and the rest to make a very strong stmt. We have tried to help you and give you a better life. Unless you start to prove you want it, and are willing to make the sacrifices to achieve it, we will leave in 60 days. Turn in the insurgents, turn in the weapons, turn in the bombers. If you are not willing to fight for your country, why should we.
Same goes for Iraq.
One of the marines in Haditha that day, Lance Cpl Roel Ryan Briones of Hanford, California, told the Los Angeles Times he had taken photos and carried bodies out of homes as part of a clean-up crew:
“They ranged from little babies to adult males and females. I’ll never be able to get that out of my head. I can still smell the blood.”
So why would this marine lie?
steve d.:
“everytime the US attacks someone”? Sorry, the US was attacked first, remember? (Etc., etc.)
Demolishing your arguments would continue to be a tiresome chore. If you wish, I would consider taking our debate off Kates’ bandwith. Only because I choose to believe that you, like Afghanistan, are NOT hopeless.
“Hope springs eternal” 😉
What say you?
Maybe nobody had to be in Afghanistan
Remember this?
Thought you might be interested in this forgotten bit of information……….
It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news video of Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.
There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree, but what he said was stunning!
He was being drilled by a senator; “Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?”
Ollie replied, “Yes, I did, Sir.”
The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, “Isn’t that just a little excessive?”
“No, sir,” continued Ollie.
“No? And why not?” the senator asked.
“Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir.”
“Threatened? By whom?” the senator questioned.
“By a terrorist, sir” Ollie answered.
“Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?”
“His name is Osama bin Laden, sir” Ollie replied.
At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn’t pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn’t. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. Why are you so afraid of this man?” the senator asked.
“Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of”, Ollie answered.
“And what do you recommend we do about him?” asked the senator.
“Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth.”
The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown of the clip.
By the way, that senator was Al Gore!
Also:
Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called “political prisoners.”
However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands. The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, “insisted” that all prisoners be released.
Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified.
It was censored in the US from all later reports.
Western Canadian, thanks for the great information! God help us all if a Democrat gets into the White House next time around!!
Western Canadian:
– That Ollie North dialogue didn’t happen. It was Abu Nidal that Col. North spoke about. I watched those hearings live.
– That was a different terrorist with the similar name.
Try going to this site and seeing how you’ve been “had”: http://www.snopes.com/rumors/north.asp
Almost your entire post is a word-for-word copy of that hoax email.
That pisses me off if it was.
CERDIP: Thanks. I’ve sent a quick note to a couple people I sent it to, heading them off at the pass. Wetern Canadian: absolutely no need to feel bad about that. I’m thinking: some people criticize the internet for hoaxes, but look how quickly it has been corrected.
Question: Is the Atta part at the bottom true? That’s what I found the most interesting.
CERDIP,
thank you for providing the proof that there is an active propaganda war underway, with dis- and misinformation deliberately being used on the internet to influence minds and win support. And, son of a gun, the perpetrators this time do not even seem to be Socialists.
Note of caution to all: if something looks too pat, it isn’t. Tone down the rhetoric if not supported by verifiable grounds, not just your own or other opinions – unless you are in the business of spreading propaganda, of course.
It’s a good hoax tho, meaning believable. Now I’m recalling the bad hoax that Canada Post was engineering “secret legislation” to start charging 5 cents for each e-mail. That was a bad hoax because dismissible on its very face.
Agitfact: good thing to remember when info moves so fast and is so easily retailed to others, unlike the old days, of paper, envelopes, and where the hell are the stamps ….
Agitfact: does your handle suggest you are in the biz of agitprop? 🙂
I’ve bookmarked that Snopes site. I’m blushing ‘cos I’m normally very good at spotting a hoax. Good lesson. Blush.
Me No Dhimmi,
No need to feel badly abou the mix up. Easily done.
From wikipedia,
“Abu Nidal -May 1937–August 16, 2002, born Sabri Khalil al-Banna also known as Amin al-Sirr and Sabri Khalil Abd Al Qadir, was a Palestinian political leader and the founder of Fatah – the Revolutionary Council or FRC, (Fatah al-Majles al-Thawry), also known as the Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), Black June, the Arab Revolutionary Brigades, the Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims, and sometimes operating as Black September.
Before the rise of Osama bin Laden, Abu Nidal, or “father of struggle,” was regarded as one of the world’s most ruthless terrorist leaders.
Abu Nidal died of between one and four gunshot wounds in Baghdad in August 2002, believed by Palestinian sources to have been killed on the orders of Saddam Hussein, but said by the Iraqi government to have committed suicide.”
Also, the bozos at The Guardian upon his death wrote he was “a patriot turned psychopath” which is really pathetic phrasing, IMO.
Me No Dhimmi: Different terrorists named Atta in 1986 and 2001.
re: Abu Nidal. I believe that Abu Nidal was one of the goons behind Leon Klinghoffer’s horrible demise, but I might be mistaken.
Me No Dhimmi, I am definitely not in the business of “agitprop.” I try to counter propaganda with facts (or at least reasonable questions) as a duty to the truth and small service to humanity.
The Toronto Star has a good article on Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan. Via Michael Yon’s site.
http://michaelyon-online.com/media/pdf/war_canadian_style_toronto_star.pdf
agitfact: There was a smiley after that question.
Yeah, I knew about Abu Nidal (Klinghoffer, “suicide in Iraq”). In fact, I believe he was invited to Iraq by Saddam — a point often cited when referring to Saddam and the shadowy world of terrorism, i.e, a world not quite as cut and dried as the cookie-cutter world of folks who can’t imagine a “secular” and a islamist killing together, or a Shiite and Sunni killing together, but yet who remember the US and Osama killing Russian infidels together.
Western Canadian, thanks for the great information!
Too bad it’s all BS – check the Urban Legends site snopes.com for verification.
C’mon, let’s be careful with the quality of information we share – why give the moonbats ammo?