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kramadas

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  1. WTF is this??? ANyone who knows me on here can attest to the fact that I'm more on the Palestinian side than Israel's, but this shit is pure anti-semetism! Deal with the facts and not make blanket statements about a whole people. Whats the latest on here? Been a while. hehe
  2. THis airstrike is completely unacceptable. An airstrike against a sovereign nation that is actually an ally, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians (no matter if a few militants were killed) - completely nuts! I am for getting these guys wherever they are, but not this way.
  3. haha - was just coming to post this! Regarding Sharon - I migth have disliked him in the past but now he really seems committed to peace, and is the only person who is strong enough to go through with certain difficult steps that are necessary. I can't see who else will replace him. And with the latest news of additional bleeding in his brain, I highly doubt he will be able to resume PM duties once (if) he recovers.
  4. If this is true then its definitely crossing the line. Role playing a religion to learn about it is way too much!
  5. Tell you what though - he'll probably be able to nail all the hot girls in school!
  6. Damn! http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/29/teen.iraq.ap.ap/index.html Florida teen skips school, sneaks to Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Maybe it was the time the taxi dumped him at the Iraq-Kuwait border, leaving him alone in the middle of the desert. Or when he drew a crowd at a Baghdad food stand after using an Arabic phrase book to order. Or the moment a Kuwaiti cab driver almost punched him in the face when he balked at the $100 fare. But at some point, Farris Hassan, a 16-year-old from Florida, realized that traveling to Iraq by himself was not the safest thing he could have done with his Christmas vacation. And he didn't even tell his parents. Hassan's dangerous adventure winds down with the 101st Airborne delivering the Fort Lauderdale teen to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which had been on the lookout for him and promises to see him back to the United States this weekend. It begins with a high school class on "immersion journalism" and one overly eager -- or naively idealistic -- student who's lucky to be alive after going way beyond what any teacher would ask. As a junior this year at a Pine Crest School, a prep academy of about 700 students in Fort Lauderdale, Hassan studied writers like John McPhee in the book "The New Journalism," an introduction to immersion journalism -- a writer who lives the life of his subject in order to better understand it. Diving headfirst into an assignment, Hassan, whose parents were born in Iraq but have lived in the United States for about 35 years, hung out at a local mosque. The teen, who says he has no religious affiliation, added that he even spent an entire night until 6 a.m. talking politics with a group of Muslim men, a level of "immersion" his teacher characterized as dangerous and irresponsible. The next trimester his class was assigned to choose an international topic and write editorials about it, Hassan said. He chose the Iraq war and decided to practice immersion journalism there, too, though he knows his school in no way endorses his travels. "I thought I'd go the extra mile for that, or rather, a few thousand miles," he told The Associated Press. His plan Using money his parents had given him at one point, he bought a $900 plane ticket and took off from school a week before Christmas vacation started, skipping classes and leaving the country on December 11. His goal: Baghdad. Those privy to his plans: two high school buddies. Given his heritage, Hassan could almost pass as Iraqi. His father's background helped him secure an entry visa, and native Arabs would see in his face Iraqi features and a familiar skin tone. His wispy beard was meant to help him blend in. But underneath that Mideast veneer was full-blooded American teen, a born-and-bred Floridian sporting white Nike tennis shoes and trendy jeans. And as soon as the lanky, 6-foot teenager opened his mouth -- he speaks no Arabic -- his true nationality would have betrayed him. Traveling on his own in a land where insurgents and jihadists have kidnapped more than 400 foreigners, killing at least 39 of them, Hassan walked straight into a death zone. On Monday, his first full day in Iraq, six vehicle bombs exploded in Baghdad, killing five people and wounding more than 40. The State Department strongly advises U.S. citizens against traveling to Iraq, saying it "remains very dangerous." Forty American citizens have been kidnapped since the war started in March 2003, of which 10 have been killed, a U.S. official said. About 15 remain missing. "Travel warnings are issued for countries that are considered especially dangerous for Americans, and one of the strongest warnings covers travel to Iraq," said Elizabeth Colton, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Colton said the embassy's consular section can provide only limited help to Americans in Iraq, though once officials learn of a potentially dangerous situation every effort is made to assist. Inside the safety of Baghdad's Green Zone, an Embassy official from the Hostage Working Group talked to Hassan about how risky travel is in Iraq. "This place is incredibly dangerous to individual private American citizens, especially minors, and all of us, especially the military, went to extraordinary lengths to ensure this youth's safety, even if he doesn't acknowledge it or even understand it," a U.S. official who wasn't authorized to speak to the media said on condition of anonymity. Hassan's extra-mile attitude took him east through eight time zones, from Fort Lauderdale to Kuwait City. His plan was to take a taxi across the border and ultimately to Baghdad -- an unconventional, expensive and utterly dangerous route. The teen calls home It was in Kuwait City that he first called his parents to tell them of his plans -- and that he was now in the Middle East. His mother, Shatha Atiya, a psychologist, said she was "shocked and terrified." She had told him she would take him to Iraq, but only after the country stabilizes. "He thinks he can be an ambassador for democracy around the world. It's admirable but also agony for a parent," Atiya said. Attempting to get into Iraq, Hassan took a taxi from Kuwait City to the border 55 miles away. He spoke English at the border and was soon surrounded by about 15 men, a scene he wanted no part of. On the drive back to Kuwait City, a taxi driver almost punched him when he balked at the fee. "In one day I probably spent like $250 on taxis," he said. "And they're so evil too, because they ripped me off, and when I wouldn't pay the ripped-off price they started threatening me. It was bad." It could have been worse -- the border could have been open. As luck would have it, the teenager found himself at the Iraq-Kuwait line sometime on December 13, and the border security was extra tight because of Iraq's December 15 parliamentary elections. The timing saved him from a dangerous trip. "If they'd let me in from Kuwait, I probably would have died," he acknowledged. "That would have been a bad idea." He again called his father, who told him to come home. But the teen insisted on going to Baghdad. His father advised him to stay with family friends in Beirut, Lebanon, so he flew there, spending 10 days before flying to Baghdad on Christmas. His ride at Baghdad International Airport, arranged by the family friends in Lebanon, dropped him off at an international hotel where Americans were staying. He says he only strayed far from that hotel once, in search of food. He walked into a nearby shop and asked for a menu. When no menu appeared, he pulled out his Arabic phrase book, and after fumbling around found the word "menu." The stand didn't have one. Then a worker tried to read some of the English phrases. "And I'm like, 'Well, I should probably be going.' It was not a safe place. The way they were looking at me kind of freaked me out," he said. It was mid-afternoon on Tuesday, after his second night in Baghdad, that he sought out editors at The Associated Press and announced he was in Iraq to do research and humanitarian work. AP staffers had never seen an unaccompanied teenage American walk into their war zone office. ("I would have been less surprised if little green men had walked in," said editor Patrick Quinn.) Wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt in addition to his jeans and sneakers, Hassan appeared eager and outgoing but slightly sheepish about his situation. The AP quickly called the U.S. embassy. Returning home Embassy officials had been on the lookout for Hassan, at the request of his parents, who still weren't sure exactly where he was. One U.S. military officer said he was shocked the teen was still alive. The 101st Airborne lieutenant who picked him up from the hotel said it was the wildest story he'd ever heard. Hassan accepted being turned over to authorities as the safest thing to do, but seemed to accept the idea more readily over time. Most of Hassan's wild tale could not be corroborated, but his larger story arc was in line with details provided by friends and family members back home. Dangerous and dramatic, Hassan's trip has also been educational. He had tea with Kuwaitis under a tent in the middle of a desert. He says he interviewed Christians in south Lebanon. And he said he spoke with U.S. soldiers guarding his Baghdad hotel who told him they are treated better by Sunni Arabs -- the minority population that enjoyed a high standing under Saddam Hussein and are now thought to fuel the insurgency -- than by the majority Shiites. His father, Redha Hassan, a doctor, said his son is an idealist, principled and moral. Aside from the research he wanted to accomplish, he also wrote in an essay saying he wanted to volunteer in Iraq. He said he wrote half the essay while in the United States, half in Kuwait, and e-mailed it to his teachers December 15 while in the Kuwait City airport. "There is a struggle in Iraq between good and evil, between those striving for freedom and liberty and those striving for death and destruction," he wrote. "Those terrorists are not human but pure evil. For their goals to be thwarted, decent individuals must answer justice's call for help. Unfortunately altruism is always in short supply. Not enough are willing to set aside the material ambitions of this transient world, put morality first, and risk their lives for the cause of humanity. So I will." "I want to experience during my Christmas the same hardships ordinary Iraqis experience everyday, so that I may better empathize with their distress," he wrote. Farris Hassan says he thinks a trip to the Middle East is a healthy vacation compared with a trip to Colorado for holiday skiing. "You go to, like, the worst place in the world and things are terrible," he said. "When you go back home you have such a new appreciation for all the blessing you have there, and I'm just going to be, like, ecstatic for life." His mother, however, sees things differently. "I don't think I will ever leave him in the house alone again," she said. "He showed a lack of judgment." Hassan may not mind, at least for a while. He now understands how dangerous his trip was, that he was only a whisker away from death. His plans on his return to Florida: "Kiss the ground and hug everyone."
  7. Yeah, I read this. Its sick that this shit still happens. These very rural areas in Pakistan (and in India too for that matter) are still some 100 years backward in terms of tribal/religious law. Its good to see that more of this becoming public though. I feel really bad for the wife, who will essentially have to point the finger and give him the death penalty.
  8. To be fair, we really don't know how much the family members have actually contributed. Of course, they would have to be anonymous for fear of reprisal, so we won't really know. Also, at this point, after so many years apart, it would be a surprise if his family members actually knew anything more than the US government.
  9. She's terrorist Binny's half brother's daughter. I read an interview with her - Californian born, and completely against terrorist Binny. I think she's pretty hot. Didn't the bin Laden family officially disown terrorist Binny?
  10. Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays to you all (thought I'd change it around a bit )! Have a safe and fun holiday weekend. And Happy Hannukah to any Jewish people on this board.
  11. Yeah man I agree with you on being sick of everyone. The shit there seems like it will NEVER end, and at this point there is so much distrust between the two sides a two state solution is the only solution with neither side interacting with each other AT ALL (at least for the next 100 years). Regarding the article. I think there is a distinction. If quassams are fired from civilian areas and shelling these areas can directly stop these attacks then I'm with you on being in the grey. HOwever, what I took from the article was that they were going to shell the area in order to make life so miserable for the residents that they are forced to "confront" the terrorists (like they really have the power to??). That in my opinion is just terrorism (terrorize innocents in order to achieve a goal). However, I might have misread the article. Isn't Islamc Jihad funded by Iran or the Hezbollah? In that case, their only aim to keep this conflict going. One thing I noticed (at least on the surface) - there have not been any recent attacks by Hamas. This might be a good sign that they are becoming a bit more moderate. Or maybe they're just waiting for the elections to end.
  12. This can definitely be classified as terrorism. http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/661722.html Defense officials: IDF should target civilian areas in Gaza By Amos Harel, Aluf Benn and Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent The Israel Defense Forces should target civilian areas in the Gaza Strip as part of its attempt to halt Qassam rocket fire on Israeli targets, current and former defense officials said Friday. The comments came a day after Israel decided to step up its targeted killings of senior Islamic Jihad officials in response to recent Qassam fire. The IDF has also decided to impose an "aerial siege" aimed at keeping Palestinians from entering the ruins of three settlements in northern Gaza that are frequently used as launch sites for the rockets. Most of the Qassam attacks have been carried out by the Islamic Jihad. Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim told Army Radio on Friday that Israel might fire artillery shells toward populated areas of the Gaza Strip as opposed to open fields, as the IDF has been doing until now in response to Qassam rocket fire. "We need to tell the residents of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and the suburbs of Jabaliya: 'In 12 hours, artillery will land in the area, evacuate these areas,'" he said. "I think one operation of this sort can solve the problem." MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud), chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said Friday that he would not rule out cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip for an hour following each rocket attack, or a full day following an attack that causes casualties. "It can't be that they fire at us from there and we provide electricity," he told Israel Radio. Former IDF chief of staff Dan Shomron dismissed potential complaints against collective punishment, saying Israel has no other choice. "We must tell residents of the Strip that anywhere where there is preparation for firing Qassams, including logistical preparation, automatically constitutes a target for the IDF, and we suggest that the residents get away from these places because we will attack them," Shomron told Israel Radio on Friday. IDF unleashes artillery barrage The IDF on Thursday unleashed a massive artillery barrage in response to a Qassam rocket attack earlier in the day that lightly wounded four IDF soldiers at an army base near the Gaza border. The IDF shelling killed one person - Ibrahim Na'ama, 21, of Jabalya, according to Palestinian sources. Prior to the hit on the army base, another Qassam landed near the Ashkelon industrial zone, but caused neither casualties nor property damage. This is the third time a Qassam has landed near Ashkelon in the last week, and the second time this week that one has hit an army base. The rocket that hit the base, which serves infantry and armored forces patrolling the Israel-Gaza border, landed near the mess hall at about 9:30 A.M. A battalion commander and three soldiers who has just come out of a nearby building were lightly wounded by shrapnel and were taken to hospital for treatment. A fifth soldier, who suffered from shock, was also taken to hospital. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. In response, the government and the defense establishment decided Thursday to impose the "aerial siege" on the ruins of the three northern Gaza settlements, via both aerial bombing and artillery shelling. However, no ground operation in Gaza is currently under consideration. Over the past two days, senior political and security officials have also devoted several hours to discussing the idea of cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip for a few hours in response to the escalating Qassam barrages. According to a government source, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was "wavering" over the idea during a meeting on Wednesday, but senior IDF officials strongly opposed it, arguing that it constituted collective punishment and would be hard to justify. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz also opposes the idea. As a result, it has been rejected for now, but will be discussed again if the escalation continues, the officials said. The main reason that Israel is thus far keeping its response to the Qassams relatively mild is next month's parliamentary elections in the Palestinian Authority: Israel fears that harsh measures, such as a major ground operation, would endanger PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' continued rule and could even push him to resign - something that some Israeli intelligence agencies believe he is close to doing anyway. However, IDF sources admitted that the current measures are unlikely to stop the Qassams completely, because Islamic Jihad, unlike Hamas, is not running in the elections and is therefore relatively immune to pressure from the Palestinian public.
  13. Shit that sucks man! Is this the first US plane crash with fatalities this whole year? Also saw this on the same site...men drag croc to death behind pick-up truck. What kind of sick fucks actually do this kind of shit??? http://www.local10.com/news/5555391/detail.html
  14. I don't know man, this is a tough one. The fact that this is top secret and under wraps of course makes it impossible to get numbers on how many innocents have been tagged. So, obviously you're not going to know how many are affected except for those reports of infants being on the no-fly list. I would not mind people evesdropping on my convos as long as there is an abosolute guarantee that some analyst does not fuck up and has me on some sort of terrorist watch list. On the other hand, this is probably one of the best ways to catch people who would harm this country ( I better be careful how often I use the "t" , "b", etc words in case this is being monitored). Besides, this was still operational before 9/11, and there was information available about the activities of the t's. All agencies concerned just fucked up in a massive intelligence failure. What good is the information if no-one acts on it?
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