Palestinian groups end Gaza infighting

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party and the Hamas have ordered their gunmen off the streets in Gaza to end inflighting that left 13 people wounded. At a press conference late on Tuesday evening, Nizar Rayyan, a Hamas spokesman and Sufyan Abu Zaidai, Palestinian minister for Prisoners, announced that all gunmen had been ordered to return to their homes, after the two sides reached an agreement to stop the fighting. "Nothing is better than our unity against our enemy (Israel)," said senior Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan.

Earlier on Tuesday, clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, especially in northern Gaza, which left at least 13 people wounded. It was the worst Palestinian infighting in several years.

Given Hamas' demonstrated record in adhering to such agreements, I doubt it'll last long.

Turkey Says US Ordered Arrest of PKK Leaders

The Turkish Army said yesterday the United States had ordered the capture of commanders of the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, where most of the group’s members are based, warning of an incursion into Iraq if Baghdad fails to curb the rebels.

Don't do that. You wouldn't like what would happen.

The United States “have issued a direct order for the capture of the leaders” of the PKK, Gen. Ilker Basbug, the army No. 2, told a group of journalists, Anatolia news agency reported. The PKK retreated to neighboring northern Iraq in 1999 following a unilateral cease-fire it declared after its 15-year campaign for self-rule which has left some 37,000 people dead. The rebels began sneaking back after they called off the truce on June 1, 2004, saying that Ankara had failed to respond in kind. Basbug said Turkey had the right to make a military incursion into Iraq to pursue the PKK if Baghdad failed to curb the group, Anatolia reported. Before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, when the Kurdish-held north was outside Baghdad’s control, the Turkish Army made incursions into the region to hunt down PKK militants, with tacit US approval and ground support from the local Iraqi Kurds.

Imams Who Preach Violence Will Lose French Nationality: Sarkozy

France’s tough-talking Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy promised “zero tolerance” yesterday for Muslim leaders who encourage attacks such as the bombings in London on July 7 and said he would strip them of their French nationality.

"You can go back to being Moroccans or Samoans or whatever the hell you used to
be..."

“We have to be much stricter against those who indoctrinate young suicide bombers,” he told Liberation newspaper. Intelligence officials told AFP that “around 10” imams have been identified and are being monitored in Paris, Lyon and Marseille. “Most are from north Africa, but there are also some Turks,” an official said.

Send 'em back. Replace 'em with honest French Apache dancers and such...

“It is going to be zero tolerance,” said Sarkozy, 50, who is also head of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party and a likely candidate in presidential elections in 2007. “I am going to launch proceedings to deprive French imams who preach violence and fundamentalism of their nationality; systematically expel those who do not respect our values and are not French; and step up monitoring of places of worship where extremist activities have taken root,” he said.

Good idea. The Fritzies are going to be doing the same thing. The Brits
would be well served to emulate the idea. I'd say something about having reached a tipping point in allowing wild-eyed Arabs and skulking Paks to turn Europeans into cadavers, but the Dutchies were gung-ho to bring their problem under control after Theo van Gogh was slaughtered, too. Briefly.

KUNA's hosed...

I don't feel too bad about Rantburg being down. I'm looking through KUNA and all I can read is Page 1. The rest of it gives me an .aspx error.

police seals seven offices of Al-Rashid Trust in Karachi

Police Tuesday sealed seven offices of Karachi-based Al-Rashid Trust (ART), one of the 27 groups and organizations listed by the US State Department on September 22, 2001, for involvement in financing and supporting network of international Islamist terrorist groups, said an official.As a part of President Pervez Musharraf's countrywide campaign against extremist organizations and militants, a team of police raided seven offices of ART in the Karachi port city and sealed them, a police source told KUNA.After the US banned ART, founded in 1996 in Karachi, the State Bank of Pakistan froze the accounts of the Trust. It had been secretly carrying out its activities.The organization was described as a "welfare organization," but it reportedly had become one of Osama Bin Laden's many sources of income. It is closely linked with the Taliban as also with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other terrorist outfits active in Indian-Held Kashmir.

They haven't shot anybody, at least not that I've seen, and the coppers
certainly knew where to go to find the offices. Tony or G.W. really must have hollered "frog," though. It's been awhile since we saw so much determined effort coming out of Perv.

Taliban denies reports of arrested senior leaders in Pakistan

Taliban has denied reports, suggesting arrest of senior Taliban leader Maulvi Mohammad Kabir in Pakistan along with seven others, said a news report on Tuesday.A Taliban spokesman, Abdul Haye Motmaee, talking to Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), said that Kabir was somewhere inside Afghanistan and he himself had talked to him."Reports that Maulvi Mohammad Kabir, the head of Taliban political committee has been arrested by security agencies in Pakistan are absolutely false," he said adding that he never visited Pakistan and is now commanding Taliban forces in Paktika province.Police sources on Monday said that they have arrested eight Taliban suspects including two former leaders, Maulvi Abdul Kabir and Maulvi Abdul Qadeer.

Could be another Talib of the same name, or they could be lying through
their teeth.

Police raids Mosque in Islamabad, five arrested, 40 female students wounded

A team of police here Tuesday night raided Red Mosque and its adjoining two Madrassahas and arrested five, while anti-President Pervez Musharraf protest left at least 40 female students wounded.

"Mahmoud! Let's get some wimmin out there to get thumped!"
"Hokay, boss!"

The raid on Lal Mosque (Red Mosque) and its adjoining two Madrassahas, Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia, in search of the Mosque head Abdul Rashid Ghazi, sparked anti-government and anti-Musharraf protest by over a 100 students. Ghazi is wanted in connection with Al Qaeda-linked plots for suicide attacks on President Musharraf. An official of Jamia Hafsa told KUNA while declining to divulge her name that the police team raided the mosque and Madrassahas and tortured students.

Put gents' underwear on their heads, did they? Somehow, my sympathy meter hasn't budged.

She said at least 40 female students were wounded in baton charge.

Pakistan in swoop on 'militants' for possible links with July 7 bombing

In a new crackdown on hardline Islamists, police, Law-Enforcement and Intelligence agencies are raiding different Madarssahas, collecting information about prayer leaders and have arrested over 50 militants beside sealing seven offices of Osama-linked welfare trust, said officials on Tuesday.

My guess would be it's all temporary, but it does make a good show. I don't see
an awful lot of beturbanned corpses.

A team of Police and Law-Enforcement agencies (LEA) in raids have arrested over 50 militants of two outlawed extremist groups from eastern cities of Lahore, Multan, Faislabad, Khushab, and Southwestern Quetta and Southern Karachi cities, police officials told KUNA. On Tuesday morning, forces arrested four militants of Harkat-ul-Mujhaideen (HM) near Gulistan-i-Johar area of Karachi, while six managed to escape. Police also seized arms and bombing-making explosive of two kilograms in weight, adding that they also have links with Al-Qaeda terror group and received training of sectarian violence near Pak-Afghan border.

My guess is that would be on the Pak side of the border.

Two militants of Lashkar-i-Jhanngvi (LJ) group were arrested on Monday night in Lahore, and on Tuesday 17 from Lahore, three from Khushab, and eighteen from Quetta. Police said they recovered pistols, bearing "Weapons are the ornaments of the faithful" and "Jihad long live" slogans, and dangerous explosive from the militants arrested in Lahore.

I think this is from the report we had from Pak Daily Times yesterday...

Meanwhile, Police today sealed seven offices of Karachi-based Al-Rashid Trust (ART), one of the 27 groups and organizations listed by the US State Department on September 22, 2001, for involvement infinancing and supporting network of international Islamist terrorist groups, said a police source. After the US banned ART, founded in 1996 in Karachi, the State Bank of Pakistan froze the accounts of the Trust. It had been secretly carrying out its activities, said the source.

Yeah. And nobody noticed...

The organization was described as a welfare organization, but it reportedly to had become one of Osama Bin Laden many sources of income. It is closely linked with the Taliban as also with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other terrorist outfits active in Indian-held Kashmir.The crackdown has been clamped, particularly, in the Punjab province after the federal government gave a list of 136 most wanted militants to LEAs with strict directions to arrest them "in a few days".

"How few, boss?"
"Very few!"

President Musharraf on July 15 ordered LEA to launch a countrywide campaign against extremist organizations and people inciting sectarianism through the sale of books and Compact Disks (CDs). He announced to end religious extremism by December this year.

It'll be fun to watch him try and shut down Qazi. The gummint can't even bring
Dear Old P.U. under control.

LEAs are also raiding the offices and mosques of different militant organizations in Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad, confiscating their records and collecting information of prayer leaders of almost all mosques. Authorities here said the crack has also encircled Madrassahas in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A team of intelligence agencies and LEA raided Madrassah of Lal Mosque in Islamabad and arrested five militants. The authorities have also suspended publications of three religious magazines, Zarb-e-Islam (Strike of Faith), Friday Special and Wajood (Existence), in Karachi.

It's starting to sound like Blair gave Perv the same sort of talking to
Bush did immediately following 9-11. I'd wager the results will be just as
transitory, but it's fun to watch.

UK jails Afghan leader for 20 years

A British judge has sentenced a former Afghan militia leader to 20 years in jail for torturing and terrorising civilians in his homeland for more than four years.

That's not nearly as long as his victims will be dead, but I guess it's better
than nothing.

Prosecutors have said the case was the first of its kind in Britain. Farayadi Sarwar Zardad, 42, was convicted on Monday of running a private army that brutalised Afghans in the Sarobi district east of Kabul which he commanded in the 1990s before he was ousted by the Taliban.

I think the Afghans were going to hang "Zardad's Dog."

Egypt opposition parties to boycott poll

Two of Egypt's opposition parties have announced they will boycott presidential elections in September, accusing the government of despotism and obstructing political reforms. Aljazeera's correspondent in Cairo reported on Tuesday that the leftist Tagammu party and the Arab Nasiri party decided to boycott the Egyptian presidential election scheduled for 17 September.

While the boycott decision by the Tagammu party includes both the nomination of candidates and voting, the leader of the Arab Nasiri party said the group will not get involved in an election process that it calls a "sordid hoax". Rifaat el-Said, secretary-general of the Tagammu Party, told a news conference: "We don't want to be bit actors in a play the outcome of which is known in advance."

Dumb move on their part. I don't quite get this Middle Eastern penchant for boycotting elections. If you don't play, you don't win. Even if you lose, you still get points, and you might find you can play the points later.

Lebanese leader forms cabinet

Lebanon's Prime minister-designate Fuad Siniora has announced a cabinet of 24 ministers, and the lineup for the first time includes a member of the Hizb Allah movement. The formation of the cabinet brings to an end almost three weeks of political upheaval by politicians over key posts and what shape the cabinet should take.Siniora's government, which was approved by President Emile Lahoud after three draft line-ups had been rejected, is the first since May-June elections gave opposition groups a majority in parliament for the first time since the civil war.

"We have reached agreement on a 24-member government," Siniora said after mandatory consultations on the cabinet with the head of state. The new cabinet did not include associates of Christian leader and former army general Michel Aoun, who returned to Lebanon after 14 years of exile in France.He had insisted on the justice portfolio but was refused, and as a result he has declined to join the government.

Aoun missed his chance on that one, but given the Byzantine nature of Leb politix it's probably not over yet.

Rantburg's down...

We got hacked again, again from a German IP address. I'm going to use this as backup until we're back online, which'll probably be first thing in the morning.