An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Morning Coffee 9/01/07
2ND LD: Taliban commander insists S. Korea paid ransom for hostage release
A Taliban commander in Afghanistan said Saturday the militants received “a big amount of money” from the South Korean government to release 19 South Korean hostages, contradicting Seoul’s denial earlier in the day that any ransom was paid.
The commander, who declined to be named, told Kyodo News by telephone that the militants “will use this money to purchase military equipments to continue our fight against the invaders.”
So, the nations of kidnapped victims will be funding the terrorists? Shouldn’t every country who has paid a ransom be put on the ‘watch list’? Or whatever they call it? This tells me two things. One, there is no honor among the evil. And two, they aren’t getting much funding from their usual sources.
Ex-hostages sorry for ‘trouble’
Newly freed South Korean church workers apologized to their government yesterday for causing trouble in Afghanistan by being kidnapped by the Taliban and held for six weeks.
What on earth are they apologizing for? THEY didn’t cause the ‘trouble’!
RALEIGH — Gov. Mike Easley’s list of pending bills dwindled Friday when he signed another 14 into law, including legislation to phase out hog lagoons by shifting farmers to environmentally preferable methods of managing swine waste.
Don’t they use stuff like that in fertilizer?
The lagoon bill, passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, also creates a pilot program in which methane gas created from the waste would be trapped to generate electricity. The program also provides state grants to help hog farmers by paying for most of the switch to the cleaner technology.
So, who is going to stand behind the hogs to catch….umm….the ‘by products’?
19 bicyclists arrested after rally turns into melee
About 200 bicyclists were riding on La Salle Avenue, with two officers monitoring the protest that called for reduced reliance on automobile transportation. The ride was also linked with weekend protests of next year’s Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities.
When officers tried to arrest a rider they felt had been trying to provoke them, a scuffle broke out, said Minneapolis Police Lt. Marie Przynski.
These folks (on the bicycles) should take a good look inside their ranks.
60 Suspected Afghan Militants Killed
Afghan police and foreign forces killed around 60 suspected Taliban fighters, many in the region where the insurgents recently released a group of South Korean church workers they had been holding, authorities said Saturday.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s foreign minister defended direct negotiations with the Taliban to free the hostages amid concern the move violated international principles and could spur more abductions.
If all the bad guys are dead, the problem won’t be an issue. BOOM!
West Bank: Palestinians throw rocks at Israeli car; none wounded
Palestinians hurled rocks at an Israeli car traveling near Azun, east of Kalkilya, on Saturday afternoon. No casualties were reported but the vehicle sustained damages.
IDF troops arrested two Palestinians allegedly involved in the attack after searching the area. The two were transferred to security interrogations.
Question: Do Israelis throw rock at Palestinian cars?
Northwest reliability soars
Company concessions, rested pilots keep customers flying
Northwest Airlines pulled off a seamless August, with a minuscule number of cancellations at month’s end and an apparently well-rested crew of pilots.
Late Friday morning, the airline was posting a model 99.9 percent flight completion rate, a tiny smidgen above Thursday’s rate, which was also over 99 percent.
Excuse me while I have a heart attack! Have they turned into a different company?
Swiss deportation policy draws criticism
The campaign poster was blatant in its xenophobic symbolism: Three white sheep kicking out a black sheep over a caption that read “for more security.” The message was not from a fringe force in Switzerland’s political scene but from its largest party.
(…)
“We believe that parents are responsible for bringing up their children. If they can’t do it properly, they will have to bear the consequences,” Ueli Maurer, president of the People’s Party, told The Associated Press.
While I can understand the references to history and the Nazis’ policies, I can also understand the desire to get the criminal elements out of the country. I’m not sure what I think about the whole family being deported. Some kids just can’s be controlled. On the other hand, parents are responsible for their children.
Romney’s healthcare proposal inconsistent with his Massachusetts plan, says observer
Romney’s Massachusetts plan required universal coverage and threatened to fine people who did not purchase health insurance. The program was paid for by new taxes on employers and individuals. But now that he is running for the White House, Romney is backing away from that program and is promoting a more statist approach to healthcare.
I have a real hard time understanding why even a Republican thinks the government can do things better than the private sector. Let’s face it, anytime the gubmint gets involved, it turns into a giant bureaucracy and efficiency goes out the window.
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