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Politics : Middle East Politics -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (5319)	12/19/2003 3:24:24 PM
From: rrufff	Respond to of 6945

We've both seen how your illogical assertions lead to killing of innocent children and justifying that because they might be an army unit in 20 years. Pretty bizarre - imagine if someone killed homosexuals because they might prevent procreation. same type of logic.

To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (5319)	12/19/2003 6:01:55 PM
From: lorne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6945

I think your side is losing Len. Saudi Columnist: 'America is a Liberator and not an Occupier... Bush will Go Down in Arab History as the Liberator of Baghdad' December 19, 2003 No.631 memri.org In a column in the Saudi daily Arab News, columnist Dr. Muhammad Al-Rasheed praised the American capture of Saddam Hussein, and hailed President Bush as a liberator. The following are excerpts from his column: [1] "Beware the march of history or the ides of March, whichever appeals to you. Those who have eyes and ears will learn from the demise of Saddam Hussein and the pathetic pictures shown to the world. Gone are the palaces, the swagger, the mindless ruthlessness, the endless resources of money and men. Nothing is left but a shabby old man, who is now as pathetic as his rise and fall had been tragic and murderous. "Dictators and murderers are a breed apart. The lucky ones die in office. The majority live to suffer the humiliation and anger of their victims and those who survived them. Count with me and fill in the blanks as you wish: The Shah, Bokassa, Idi Amin, Ceausescu, Sese Seko of Zaire, Hitler, Mussolini, the Soviet apparatus, and last but not least, Saddam, the son of Hussein. The most notable of this lot were the most courageous: Nero and Hitler. At least Nero had the courage to fall on his sword and lament that Rome was losing a 'great artist.' I wonder who is next. "The jubilation in Baghdad put the Arab media to shame. America, for this brief moment at least… is a liberator and not an occupier. I can't help being smug, since what I saw gave me back some confidence in the possibility of justice in this world. I had almost lost hope. It took George Bush to give me that back. I don't agree with him on many things, and while many Americans share my stand, I'll give the man his due. He will go down in Arab history as the liberator of Baghdad, even if the whole mission in Iraq comes to nothing more than this. "… The reality we have to face is the fact that it took Americans to relieve Baghdad of its dictator. Arab impotence recorded a new low. I might sound naive but I would like to ask where the 'freedom fighters,' 'the resistance,' 'the strugglers for the freedom of Iraq' were when that man ran amok. Having delivered Saddam, the Americans will have to deliver Iraq. Shouldn't we now be wise enough to give them at least a chance, if not a real helping hand? "We started this business of post-September 11th by jousting with the Americans loudly and virulently. We could not believe that any of our sort would behave in such barbaric ways. The truth became clearer with time. Regardless of the reason for the American intervention in Iraq, the end result couldn't have been happier for the Iraqis or more loaded with hope for other Arabs. "Dare we say Carpe Diem and actually seize the day?"

To: Elmer Flugum who wrote (5319)	12/20/2003 10:48:51 AM
From: rrufff	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6945

Maybe your buddy Arafart can add hashish dealing to other billion dollar enterprises. Or maybe he's too "religious?" S.D. ship makes big bust in Persian Gulf By James W. Crawley UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER December 20, 2003 The crew of a San Diego-based destroyer captured three suspected al-Qaeda operatives and seized nearly 2 tons of hashish aboard a small trading vessel in the Persian Gulf earlier this week, Navy officials said. The Decatur made the seizure Monday morning, but the U.S. Central Command didn't release information about the incident until yesterday. "This is the first empirical evidence I've seen that conclusively links al-Qaeda with the drug trade," said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at RAND Corp., a think tank that often does work for the Pentagon. Armed Decatur crew members using small boats intercepted the 40-foot wooden vessel, called a dhow, near the Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the Persian Gulf, and searched it as part of ongoing maritime interdiction operations seeking possible terrorists and smugglers. "This capture is indicative of the need for continuing maritime patrol of the gulf in order to stop the movement of terrorists, drugs and weapons," said Navy Rear Adm. Jim Stavridis, who oversaw the seizure as commander of the Enterprise carrier strike group. "This is a vital part of winning the global war on terror," he said. Few details were provided because the investigation is continuing, the Navy said. An extensive search was conducted because the dhow's 12-man crew lacked proper identification and cargo manifests, the Navy said. Sailors discovered 54 70-pound bales of hashish in the boat's hold. The drugs are worth between $8 million and $10 million, the Navy said. Dhows are small vessels, traditionally sail-powered but often equipped with engines, that carry cargo between ports along the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Further investigation uncovered "clear ties" between the smuggling operation and al-Qaeda, according to a Navy news release. Of the dozen crewmen, three are suspected of having al-Qaeda links. Military officials would not say yesterday why they believed the boat and its crew is connected to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, and they declined to disclose the men's nationalities or the boat's route. The suspects and vessel are being taken to an unnamed port for further investigation. The capture means Decatur crew members "will have something to write home about," said Carolyn Schelin, the ship's ombudsman, who serves as a liaison for the crew's families. The destroyer left San Diego on Aug. 22 for an anticipated eight-month deployment as part of Expeditionary Strike Group 1, which is centered on the amphibious assault ship Peleliu. The Decatur, which has a crew of 350 officers and enlisted personnel, is scheduled to return in April. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Associated Press contributed to this report. James W. Crawley: (619) 542-4559; jim.crawley@uniontrib.com