Trolling, trolling, trolling...

The Bout at Belmarsh: Happy Boxing Day, Mates. THREE lags routed terror suspects in a jail battle triggered by a row over Christmas celebrations. Nine Muslims were PUNCHED, BOOTED and WHACKED with snooker cues. Others fled to their cells to escape. British prisoners accused Muslim inmates of a “lack of respect”. An insider said: “It was a battle royal. Three of the most violent criminals in the jail took them on and gave them a real pasting. It was definitely nine-nil to the lags.” The fight flared in the maximum-security unit at London’s Belmarsh jail — where some of Britain’s most high-profile terrorist suspects are being held while awaiting trials. The source said: “Some inmates took great exception to the Muslims’ reaction to the Christmas period."

I like the sound of this: Somali Troops Close In on 3 Wanted for U.S. Embassy Bombings "...Somalia's interim government and its Ethiopian allies have long accused Islamic militias harboring Al Qaeda, and the U.S. government has said the 1998 bombers have become leaders in the Islamic movement in Africa. "We would like to capture or kill these guys at any cost," Gedi told the AP. "They are the root of the problem." Islamic movement leaders deny Al Qaeda links, but in a recorded message posted on the Internet on Saturday, deputy Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Somalia's Muslims and other Muslims worldwide to continue the fight against "infidels and crusaders."


Paging Dr. Sanity. Paging Dr. Sanity: Saad al-Bazzaz: An Insider's View of Iraq Read this 1995 interview with one of Saddam's old buddies to get a fascinating look at Saddam, up close and personal. A sampling: "MEQ: What finally pushed Saddam to invade Kuwait? Bazzaz: In large part, he did it out of anger. When Deputy Prime Minister Sa`dun Hammadi, Saddam's representative, came back from talks with the Kuwaitis in June 1990, he felt that the emir of Kuwait hadn't been deferential enough. He told Saddam that "the emir didn't respect me, and by that he didn't respect you for I was representing you." That was enough for Saddam to opt for the military alternative. So those people who turn to the disasters for such silly reasons, they base their policy on conspiracy theories."

Happy Haj 3: Food shortage disrupts haj "Thousands of Indonesian Muslims performing rituals as part of their haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia had no food after a local caterer stopped delivering their meals. More than 3,000 pilgrims who were performing wukuf rituals had to make do with dates and instant noodles after the caterer stopped the service Thursday night. "The responsibility for catering had been given to the Religious Affairs Ministry by the Saudi Arabian government. But we haven't had any deliveries from Thursday night until Friday morning," Thamrinuddin, an Indonesia pilgrim, told Antara from Mount Arafat. He said food was no problem for pilgrims until officials from the ministry tried to bargain over the price of catering services offered by ANA-Arafah, a local catering company who supplied food to Indonesian pilgrims."

Counterterrorism has this report on the Somalia situation up. Interesting. Islamic Courts Abandon Kismayo, Establish "Shadow Governments" "I spoke with a military intelligence officer this morning about the situation in Somalia. He reported that the radical Islamic Courts Union (ICU) has abandoned Kismayo and dispersed. Kismayo is one of Somalia's strategic port cities: after abandoning Kismayo, the ICU seemingly no longer controls any strategic cities. However, the group does control a sizeable geographic area, both in the north and south of the country. The ICU primarily controls smaller towns and villages."

Wife of SE Asia's most wanted terrorist released after 27 months in jail : "The wife of one of Southeast Asia's most wanted terror suspects left prison Monday after serving 27 months in jail for helping hide her still-at-large husband,... Noordin Top, a Malaysian accused of being a key leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional terror network blamed for a string of suicide bombings in Indonesia, the most deadly being 2002 nightclub bombings on Bali island that killed 202 people."

How London refused to return gem to Pakistan: We've got it, we're keeping it: "That was the essence of the British government's attitude in responding to Pakistan's request for the return of the fabled Koh- i-noor diamond 30 years ago, according to confidential papers released Friday.