Archive for the ‘International’ Category

A Lack of Swordsmen May Lead Saudis to Abolish Beheadings

Is this what progress looks like in Saudi Arabia? The kingdom is considering ending execution by beheading in favor of firing squads, reports the Egyptian English-language news website Ahram Online. A committee consisting of representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Justice and Health says there are shortages in government swordsmen and argue that a change to execution by firing squad would not violate Islamic law, the Saudi daily newspaper al-Youm writes. According to an official statement from the committee, “This solution seems practical, especially in light of shortages in official swordsmen or their belated arrival to execution yards in some incidents.”

Afghan National Army (ANA) commandos with the 3rd Company, 7th Special Operations Kandak fire at targets to check the accuracy of their nighttime aiming devices March 11, 2013, in Washir district, Helmand province, Afghanistan. The ANA commandos and their coalition forces mentors trained together to increase combat effectiveness. (DoD photo by Sgt. Benjamin Tuck, U.S. Army/Released)

Let’s hope they aren’t going to be using their skills against US troops.

Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr has been transferred to Canada to serve out the remainder of an eight-year prison sentence for having killed an American soldier in a 2002 firefight in Afghanistan:

This is the same Khadr who pled guilty at a military commission trial in 2010 to killing one of those 2,000 troops, Army Sergeant First Class Christopher J. Speer.

Though outrageous, sending Mr. Khadr back to Canada is consistent with the fantasy-inspired worldview on radical Islam so prevalent in the Obama administration. This mindset results in things like U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice blaming the coordinated, well-armed Sept. 11 attacks on our diplomatic posts in the Middle East on an obscure, amateur video posted on YouTube.

Despite the fact that U.S. intelligence authorities believe almost one-third of the 600 detainees released from Guantanamo are confirmed or suspected of having returned to terrorism, Mr. Obama just named 55 more who are approved for departure.

It’s almost like they’re not serious about all this.

Via Elizabeth Price Foley at Instapundit.

Consulate attack in Libya said twin operation

BENGHAZI, Libya — Heavily armed militants used a protest of an anti-Islam film as a cover and may have had help from inside Libyan security in their deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate, a senior Libyan official said Thursday.

As Libya announced the first four arrests, the clearest picture yet emerged of a two-pronged assault with militants screaming “God is great!” as they scaled the consulate’s outer walls and descended on the compound’s main building…

The attacks were suspected to have been timed to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strike in the United States, el-Sharef added, with the militants using the film protest by Libyan civilians to mask their action.

U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens Killed in Consulate Attack in Benghazi

The U.S. ambassador to Libya died as Libya militants stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

The death of Christopher Stevens, 52, on Tuesday came as two American State Department employees were also killed in Benghazi as an 20 gun-wielding attackers stormed the U.S. consulate, angry about an American made film that depicts Prophet Mohammad as a fraud and womanizer.

This reminds Murdoc about all the deadly attacks when things like ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ and ‘Piss Jesus’ are made.

There were about 20 attackers with small arms who stormed the consulate. There was a firefight with Libyan security officers guarding the consulate, according to the U.S. official. One of the buildings was completely destroyed by fire set by the militants.

The group that attacked the consulate is called Ansar al Sharia, according to Libyan sources. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but did not mention the movie as motivation. The group is close to al Qaeda ideology and exists in east Libya.

Protesters in Cairo, Egypt, also mobbed, tearing down the US flag at the embassy.

No doubt we’re going to be hearing all about how insensitive Americans caused this.

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36), foreground, conducts tactical maneuvers with the Brazilian frigate BNS Greenhalgh (F-46). Underwood and Greenhalgh are group sailing to Key West, Fla. for UNITAS Atlantic 53-2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stuart Phillips/Released)

BNS Greenhalgh is a former British Type 22 frigate (the former HMS Broadsword) and a Falklands War veteran.