http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=886 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:13:56 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=886 Mon, 13 May 2013 06:33:31 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0ef_1368441070 FB-RAMBO Seismic activity has increased at the Popocatepetl volcano near Mexico City, leading authorities to alert towns in two central states and the capital. Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Center says the white-capped volcano spewed a plume of steam more than a half mile (1 kilometer) into the sky. The volcano shook during Saturday night, sometimes emitting glowing rock over the crater. The government deployed soldiers and federal police to the area Sunday in the event of a bigger eruption, and officials closed off a seven-square-mile (18-square-kilometer) zone around the cone of the 17,886-foot (5,450-meter) volcano. State authorities prepared shelters. Popocatepetl has put out small eruptions of ash almost daily since a round of activity began in 1994. The eruptions started strengthening two weeks ago and have increased even more this weekend. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0ef_1368441070 FB-RAMBO Mexico Readies Shelters As Volcano Shakes, Spews Ash mexico city Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:40:40 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3c6_1331609904 agh420 poor lady she didn't want a surprise anal http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3c6_1331609904 agh420 how not to pickup a lady on a bike Changhua City,Changhua County,Taiwan,ROC,886, accident, scooter,lady,lady on bike,woman biker,wtf,pay attention,surprise anal,bottles,fuck china Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:33:01 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e71_1325517910 agh420 Happy new year 2012 from Taiwan! Taiwan is an independent, democratic country and not part of the People's Republic of China. On January 14, 2012, the 23 million people of Taiwan (also called the Republic of China) will freely elect their president and parliament. Do not fall for propaganda from the authoritarian regime in Beijing! The Taiwanese people overwhelmingly value their democracy, do not desire to be ruled by the People's Republic and want to be the masters of their own fate. This is not a question of "independence" or "separatism", but of basic human rights. With a height of 509 meters, Taipei 101 officially was the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010. Every year, the new year's fireworks draw huge crowds. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e71_1325517910 agh420 TAIPEI 101 NYE FIREWORKS Fireworks,Republic Of China,New Year,Taiwan,Taipei,886,Taipei 101,2011,New Year's Eve, Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:54:02 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=696_1358318924 aja9910 Massacres continue in Damascus and Aleppo, Rebels say all Iranians must leave Syria Today's Top Stories -Regime forces killed 147 people, mainly in Aleppo and Damascus. -Commander of rebel forces demanded all Iranian citizens should leave Syria within 24 hours. -Rebel fighters seized control of the Meteorological Services Base near Damascus. Today's Top Videos East Ghouta, Damascus Suburb : Rebel fighters storm the Meteorological Services Base, P2 , P3 Moadamiyat al-Sham, Damascus Suburb : Airstrike kills and injures dozens of civilians including many children, P2 Haydariya, Aleppo : Regime shelling leaves dozens of people dead and wounded, P2 Today's Statistics Total Death Toll : 175 Opposition Death Toll : 147 including 19 children, 4 women and 17 rebel fighters (Damascus and Suburbs: 70, Aleppo: 29, Daraa: 14, Homs: 10, Hama: 8, Idlib: 6, Deir Azzour: 4, Suweidaa: 1) Regime Soldiers & Militiamen Death Toll : +28 Number of areas shelled : +329 Number of People Wounded : +80 Number of People Detained : +110 FSA Key Operations : Seized control of the Meteorological Services Base in the suburb of Damascus. Destroyed 5 military tanks in the suburbs of Damascus. Resumed attacks on airbases in Aleppo and Deir Azzour. Detained a number of regime soldiers including high-ranking officers in Daraa and Deir Azzour. Summary of Events The country has seen another bloody day as regime forces intensified their aerial raids on civilian areas, leaving dozens of people dead and wounded as the rebels gave a 24-hour ultimatum to all Iranian citizens to leave Syria. The Chief-of-Staff of the Joint Military Command of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Salim Idris, issued a statement, demanding "all Iranian citizens in Syria should leave the country within 24 hours or else, the rebels should not be held liable for their safety." This came as Idris confirmed that 'the Iranian and Russian support to the Assad regime is increasing instead of decreasing as some may think". Idris, also said that they have intelligence confirming that some security apparatus in Syria are being run by Russian and Iranian experts. He also said that some of the rebels who were released based on the recent prisoner exchange deal, confirmed that they were interrogated by Iranian investigators. The rebels seized control of the Meteorological Services Base located between the towns of Herran Awamid and Otayba in the East Ghouta district and few kilometres away from the Damascus International Airport. The rebels said that this base was used by Iranian experts to cause interference to pro-opposition TV channels. Heavy fighting also erupted throughout the Damascus suburbs of Daraya, Mleiha, Sokhna, Dukhaniya and Aqraba where the rebels destroyed at least five military tanks in addition to killing and injuring a number of regime soldiers and militiamen. In the south, the rebels seized control of the Daraa suburb of Masaken Sayda after fierce clashes that left many rebels and regime forces dead.In the nearby town of Baser Harir, heavy clashes continued for the 19th consecutive day, with the rebels repelling the regime's ground assault and heavy aerial bombardment on the town. Regime forces shelled as many as 374 different locations across the country using all sort of heavy weaponry, including cluster, phosphorus,thermobaric and explosive bombs. Some 134 locations were shelled by mortar shells and 170 others were pounded by artillery. More than 54 locations came under rocket shelling while fighter jets and helicopter gunships struck 24 more. The continued violence left at least 175 people dead today. Some 147 people were killed by regime forces including 19 children, four women and 17 rebel fighters, whereas more than 28 regime soldiers and militiamen were killed by the rebels. Using cluster and thermobaric bombs, regime forces killed more than 70 people in Damascus and its suburbs, including ten children and three women, the majority of whom died due to the aerial raids on the provincial towns of Moadamiyat al-Sham, Hosh Arab, Otayba, Mleiha. Meanwhile, 29 people died in Aleppo, 11 of whom were killed due to the heavy aerial and artillery shelling in the neighborhood of Haydariya, while many others were also killed due to the indiscriminate airstrikes on the neighborhoods of Maskana and Sukhna. Some eight people were killed in Hama, including four children that died in an airstrike on the provincial town of Latamana. Meanwhile, dozens of civilians and rebel fighters were killed due to the heavy fight fighting, shelling and summary executions and that took place throughout Daraa, Idlib, Homs and Deir Azzour. Revolution Statistics Syrians killed: 61,886 Children killed: 4,103 Females killed: 3,988 Soldiers killed: 6,477 Protesters killed under torture: 1,407 Missing: +60,000 Protesters currently incarcerated: +140,000 Syrians injured: +137,000 Syrian refugees since March: +623,497 Refugees in Turkey: +153,307 Refugees in Lebanon: +203,480 Refugees in Jordan: +182,687 Refugees in Iraq: +70,535 Refugees in Egypt: +13,684 International Reactions HRW accuses Syria regime of spreading cluster bombs Russia : UN considering international observers dispatch to Syria WFP : Syria Refugees Need More Aid Selected Media Coverage Asharq Alawsat : Intervention in Mali but not in Syria Asharq Alawsat : China's donation to Syria The Independent : 'It's only fit for rats': Syrian refugees on brink of disaster Irish Times : Reports of Syria sexual violence CNN : 'Humanitarian emergency' as Syria runs low on medical care, food Washington Post : Violence continues in Syria Christian Science Monitor : War crimes in Syria: Time to appeal to International Criminal Court? The Guardian : Pilgrim's tale: identity of Iranians kidnapped in Syria begins to emerge CNN : Mission impossible? Creating the 'Syria of the future' right now Aljazeera : Making heads or tails of Bashar al-Assad Upcoming Events January 19: Global Sit-in to demand the international community to act toward ending the Syrian crisis Videos Armed Resistance Aleppo Suburb : Rebel fighters destroy a helicopter gunship while attacking the Menneg airbase Idlib : Rebel fighters destroy a military tank Khan Asal, Aleppo Suburb : Rebel fighters storm a military checkpoint Baser Harir, Daraa : Rebel fighters repel the regime's ground assault Masaken Sayda, Daraa : Rebel fighters seize control of the town Karnaz, Hama : Rebel fighters attack military outposts using rocket launchers Deir Azzour : Rebel fighters say they killed and detained a number of regime soldiers Damascus Barzeh : Regime snipers fire randomly on pedestrians Qaboun : Residents discover a body that carries signs of torture Damascus suburb Bait Sahem : Smoke billows from the town due to the indiscriminate shelling Daraya : Regime warplane launches airstrikes on the town Nashabiya : Clouds of smoke billow from the town due to the heavy shelling Saqba : Regime warplanes use thermobaric bombs against civilians Aleppo Karm Jabal : Lifeless body of fallen hero Abudl-Razaq Hadi Farafra : The devastating aftermath of the heavy shelling Bustan Basha : The neighborhood comes under heavy artillery shelling Aleppo suburb Maskana : Regime forces use cluster bombs against civilian areas Menneg : Regime forces bombard the town using cluster bombs Safeera : Tanks stationed on one of the mountains bombard the town Tal Refaat : Funeral procession of one of the rebel fighters Homs Talbisa : Regime forces use phosphorous bombs against civilians Khalidiya : Mass destruction caused by the indiscriminate shelling Jobar : Regime snipers fire randomly on civilians Ghanto : Smoke billows from the residential buildings due to the indiscriminate shelling Daraa Sayda : A man executed by regime forces Central Daraa : Found an unidentified body Tafas : Mass destruction caused by the heavy shelling Basr Harir : The town comes under heavy bombardment Hama Latamna : Regime shelling leaves many people dead and wounded, P2 Kaferzeita : Regime forces bombard the town Halab road : Protesters chant their support for the areas under attack Idlib Ta'oum : The town comes under heavy shelling Sermeen : Dozens people killed and injured due to the indiscriminate shelling, P2 Deir Sunbol : Regime warplane carries out an airstrike on the town Sarmada : A rebel fighter killed during clashes with regime forces Deir Azzour Howayqa : Regime forces bombard the neighborhood Jubeila : Heavy smoke billows from the neighborhood due to the violent shelling Mowathafeen : Buildings set ablaze due to the indiscriminate shelling Raqa Tal abyad : Protesters chant their support for the areas under attack Latakia Tabiyat : Demonstrators demand the overthrow of the regime Salma : Regime forces bombard the area Demonstrations and Activities Abroad Egypt : Demonstration in solidarity with the Syrian revolution Syrian children pulled from the rubble in the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyat al-sham today http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=696_1358318924 aja9910 Syrian Revolution Daily Round-up Day 672: Mon. 14-Jan-13 Syrian Revolution Daily Round-up Day 672 War Uprising FSA SAA Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:49:25 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=610_1357818184 aplaktr An asteroid named Apophis will be making a relatively close encounter on Wednesday night, when it's expected to pass within 9 million miles of Earth. That may not sound terribly nearby, but NASA scientists are keeping a watchful eye on the 886-foot-wide astronomical object as it makes its closest approach of the year. Their interest stems in part from a 2004 prediction, later deemed extremely remote, that Apophis was on track to slam into Earth in 2036. NASA remains intrigued and is considering Apophis "as a potential target for both robotic and crewed spacecraft missions." Actually, we're kind of intrigued now, http://m.now.msn.com/asteroid-apophis-to-pass-close-to-earth-tonight http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=610_1357818184 aplaktr Apophis Asteroid Missed Us By ___ That Much asteriod, planet, killer, apophis Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:09:53 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=840_1346278075 104JebackaBrigada Russia remains America's foremost "geopolitical foe," top foreign policy advisors for Mitt Romney have stressed. They also blasted the Obama administration for, they say, cozying up to Moscow in the wake of the so-called "reset" in relations. " Russia is a significant geopolitical foe. Governor Romney recognizes that ," Richard S. Williamson, America's Special Envoy to Sudan and the Romney campaign's foreign policy advisor, told reporters at a panel organized by the right-wing Foreign Policy Initiative. Williamson contended that the " reset " in relations with Moscow, which had been announced by the Obama administration in 2009, had been a failure. " They are crowding out civil society, they are trampling human rights, and they are opposed to us in a number of interests, " Williamson was quoted by Foreign Policy as saying. " We have to reset the failed reset policy. " Another senior foreign policy advisor for Romney, former ambassador-at-large Pierre-Richard Prosper, also expressed his support for the former Massachusetts Governor's stance on Russia. " They are our foe ," Prosper stressed. "They have chosen a path of confrontation, not cooperation, and I think the governor was correct in that, even though there are some voices in Washington that find that uncomfortable." He also attacked Romney's critics for saying the Republican candidate's remarks on Russia ignored history. "Those who think liberal ideas of engagement will bend actions also don't understand history," Prosper noted. "We're better to be frank and honest." The former envoy also suggested that Russia was never " on the side of peace " or " humanity ," and said it was " not behaving like a democracy " despite claiming to be one. Also present on the panel, which was held by the University of Tampa, were Russian opposition figure and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, as well as Pavel Khodorkovsky, president of the Institute of Modern Russia and son of jailed former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In the meantime, Republicans nominated Romney to take on President Obama come November at the party's convention, held nearby. In March, Romney stated that Russia was America's " number one geopolitical foe " after a live microphone caught Obama telling Russian then-President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more " flexibility " on the disputed European missile defense system in his second term. "This is without question our number one geopolitical foe; they fight for every cause for the world's worst actors. The idea that he has more flexibility in mind for Russia is very, very troubling indeed," Romney said. http://rt.com/news/romney-camp-russia-us-geopolitical-foe-886/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=840_1346278075 104JebackaBrigada Romney camp: Russia - top geopolitical foe, reset failed Russia, Politics, History, USA Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:57:05 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f92_1335578018 Galen On November 26, 1939, the Soviets faked the Finnish shelling of the Russian town of Mainila. In the aftermath of the shelling, they demanded that the Finns apologize and withdraw their forces 25km from the border. Denying responsibility, the Finns refused. Four days later, 450,000 Soviet troops crossed the border. They were met by the small Finnish army which initially numbered only 180,000. The Finns were badly outnumbered in all areas during the conflict with the Soviets also possessing superiority in armor (6,541 to 30) and aircraft (3,800 to 130). The Winter War proved a costly victory for the Soviets. In the fighting, they lost approximately 126,875 dead or missing, 264,908 wounded, and 5,600 captured. In addition, they lost around 2,268 tanks and armored cars. Casualties for the Finns numbered around 26,662 dead and 39,886 wounded. The Soviet's poor performance in the Winter War led Hitler to believe that Stalin's military could be quickly defeated if attacked. He attempted to put this to the test when German forces launched Operation Barbarossa in 1941. The Finns renewed their conflict with the Soviets in June 1941, with their forces operating in conjunction with, but not allied to, the Germans. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f92_1335578018 Galen Battlefield Scandinavia the Forgotten Front Finnish Winter War Battlefield Scandinavia Forgotten Front Finnish Winter War Snow Finland russian Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:17:31 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=824_1330405997 dcmfox The history of Islam in southern Italy begins with the Islamic conquest and subsequent rule of Sicily and Malta , a process that started in the 9th century. Islamic rule over Sicily was effective from 902, and the complete rule of the island lasted from 965 until 1061. Though Sicily was the primary Muslim stronghold in Italy temporary footholds were established on the mainland peninsula. Much of the Apulia region was conquered with attempted Muslim invasions as far north as Rome and Piedmont . The Muslim conquests were not strictly part of a Muslim-versus-Christian campaign, but rather part of a larger struggle for power in Italy and Europe with Byzantine Christian forces competing against Frankish and Norman Christian forces for control. The Muslim Sicilians were in fact sought as allies by the various Christian factions against other factions. By 1091 the Muslims had been completely evicted, following the Norman conquest of southern Italy. This marked the final chapter of this period. The conquests of the Normans established Roman Catholicism firmly in the region, where Eastern Christianity had been prominent during the time of Byzantine rule and even under the Muslim overlords. Widespread conversion ensued, which, coupled with the re-latinisation of the inhabitants, led to the disappearance of Islam in Sicily by the 1280s. The Muslim Ottoman Empire later made its own attempts to gain a foothold in Italy with little success. Contents hide ] 1 First Islamic attacks on Sicily (652-827) 2 Sicily 2.1 Conquest of Sicily (827-902) 2.1.1 Euphemius and Asad 2.1.2 Abu Fihr Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah 2.1.3 Abbas ibn Fadhl 2.1.4 Jafar ibn Muhammad 2.2 Aghlabid Sicily (827-909) 2.3 Fatimid Sicily (909-965) 2.4 Independent emirate of Sicily (965-1091) 2.5 Decline (1037-1061) and Norman First Islamic attacks on Sicily (652-827) The first attacks from Islamic ships on Sicily, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire , occurred in 652. These were Arabic Mujahideen directed by the Caliph of Syria , Muawiyah I , and lead by Mu'`auia ibn-Hodeig (Mu`awiyah ibn Hudayj) of the Kindah tribe, and they remained on the island for several years. Olympius , the Byzantine exarch of Ravenna , came to Sicily to oust the invaders, but failed to do so. Soon after, the Arabs returned to Syria after collecting a sufficiently large amount of booty. A second Arabic expedition to Sicily occurred in 669. This time, a strong, ravaging force consisting of 200 ships from Alexandria attacked the island. They sacked Syracuse and returned to Egypt after a month of pillaging. After the Umayyad conquest of Africa (complete around 700), attacks from Muslim fleets repeated in 703, 728, 729, 730, 731, 733 and 734. The last two Arab assaults were met with substantial Byzantine resistance. The first true conquest expedition was launched in 740. In that year, the Muslim Prince Habib , who had participated in the 728 attack, successfully captured Syracuse. Though ready to conquer the whole island, they were forced to return to Tunisia by a Berber revolt. A second attack in 752 aimed only to sack the same city. In 805, the imperial patrician of Sicily, Constantine, signed a ten year truce with Ibrahim I ibn al-Aghlab , Emir of Ifriqiya , but this did not prevent other Muslim fleets from other areas of Africa and Spain from attacking Sardinia and Corsica in 806-821. In 812, Ibrahim's son, Abdallah I, sent an invasion force to conquer Sicily. His ships were first harassed by the intervention of Gaeta and Amalfi and later destroyed in great number by a tempest. However, they managed to conquer the island of Lampedusa and to ravage Ponza and Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea . A further agreement between the new patrician Gregorius and the emir established the freedom of commerce between southern Italy and Ifriqiya. After a further attack in 819 by Mohammed ibn-Adballad, cousin of Emir Ziyadat Allah I , no subsequent Muslim attacks on Sicily are mentioned by sources until 827. edit ] Sicily edit ] Conquest of Sicily (827-902) Later conflic Euphemius and Asad The Muslim conquest of Sicily and parts of southern Italy lasted 75 years. According to some sources, the conquest was spurred by Euphemius , the Byzantine commander who feared punishment by Emperor Michael II for a sexual indiscretion. After a short-lived conquest of Syracuse, he was proclaimed emperor but was compelled by loyal forces to flee to Africa to the court of Ziyadat Allah. The latter agreed to conquer Sicily, with the promise to leave it to Euphemius in exchange for a yearly tribute, and entrusted its conquest to the 70 year old qadi Asad ibn al-Furat . The Muslim force counted 10,000 infantry, 700 cavalry and 100 ships reinforced by Euphemius's ships and, after the landing at Mazara del Vallo , knights. The first battle against Byzantine troops occurred on July 15, 827, near Mazara, resulting in an Aghlabid victory. Asad subsequently conquered the southern shore of the island and laid siege to Syracuse. After a year of siege and an attempted mutiny, his troops were able to defeat a large army sent from Palermo backed by a Venetian fleet led by doge Giustiniano Participazio . However, the Muslims retreated to the castle of Mineo when a plague killed many of the Muslim troops as well as Asad himself. They later returned to the offensive but failed to conquer Castrogiovanni (the modern Enna, where Euphemius died) and retreated back to Mazara. In 830, they received a strong reinforcement of 30,000 African and Spanish troops. The Spanish Muslims defeated the Byzantine commander Theodotus in July and August of that year, but a plague once again forced them to return to Mazara and then to Africa. The African Berber units which had been sent to besiege Palermo managed to capture it after a year-long siege in September 831. Palermo, renamed al-Madinah, became the Muslim capital of Sicily. edit ] Abu Fihr Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah In February 832, Ziyadat Allah sent his cousin Abu Fihr Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah to the island and appointed him as the wali of Sicily. The Byzantines were defeated in early 834, and in the following year his troops reached as far as Taormina . The war dragged on for several years with minor Ahglabid victories while the Byzantines resisted in their strongholds of Castrogiovanni and Cefal`u . New troops arrived in the island from the new Emir Al-Aghlab Abu Affan and occupied Platani , Caltabellotta , Corleone , Marineo and Geraci , granting the Muslims total control of western Sicily. In 836, Muslim ships helped Andrew II of Naples , their ally, when he was besieged by Beneventan troops, and with Neapolitan support Messina was also conquered in 842. In 845, Modica also fell, and the Byzantines suffered a crushing defeat near Butera , losing about 10,000 men. Lentini was conquered in 846, and Ragusa followed in 848. edit ] Abbas ibn Fadhl In 851, the governor and general Al-Aghlab Abu Ibrahim, whose rule had been highly appreciated by his new Palermitan and Sicilian subjects, especially when compared to the former Byzantine vexations, died. He was succeeded by Abbas ibn Fadhl, the ferocious victor of Butera, Sicily . He started a campaign of ravages against the lands still in Byzantine hands, capturing Butera, Gagliano , Cefal`u and, most of all, Castrogiovanni (winter 859). All the Christian survivors from that fortress were executed; children and women were sold as slaves in Palermo. The fall of the most important fortress in the island pushed the emperor to send a large army in 859-860, but this, as well as the fleet which had carried it, was defeated by Abbas. The Byzantines' reinforcements led many of the cities subjugated by the Muslims to revolt, and Abbas devoted the years 860-861 to reduce them. Abbas died in 861, replaced by his uncle Ahmed ibn Yaqub and, from February 862, by Abdallah, son of Abbas; the latter was in turn replaced by the Aghlabids with Khafagia ibn Sofian, who captured Noto , Scicli and Troina . edit ] Jafar ibn Muhammad In the summer of 868, the Byzantines were defeated for the first time near Syracuse. Hostilities resumed in the early summer of 877 by the new sultan , Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Tamini, who besieged Syracuse . The city fell on May 21, 878. The Byzantines now maintained the control of a short stretch of coast around Taormina while the Muslim fleet attacked Greece and Malta. The latter fleet was, however, destroyed in a naval battle in 880. For a while, it seemed that the Byzantines could regain Sicily, but new land victories for the Muslims re-established the situation. A revolt in Palermo against Governor Seu`ada ibn Muhammad was crushed in 887. The death of the strong Emperor Basil I in 886 also encouraged the Muslims to attack Calabria where the imperial army was defeated in the summer of 888. However, the first inner revolt was followed by another in 890, mostly spurred by the hostility between Arabs and Berbers. In 892 an emir was sent from Ifriqiya by Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad to Palermo but was ousted again a few months later. The prince did not relent and sent to Sicily another powerful army under his son, Abu l-Abbas Abdallah , in 900. The Sicilians were defeated at Trapani (August 22) and outside Palermo (September 8), the latter city resisting for another ten days. Abu l-Abbas moved against the remaining Byzantine strongholds and was also able to capture Reggio Calabria on the mainland on June 10, 901. As Ibrahim was forced to abdicate in Tunis, he decided to lead in person the operations in southern Italy. Taormina, the last main Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, fell on August 1, 902. Messina and other cities opened their gates to avoid a similar massacre. Ibrahim's army also marched on southern Calabria, besieging Cosenza . Ibrahim died of dysentery on October 24. His grandson stopped the military campaign and returned to Sicily. edit ] Aghlabid Sicily (827-909) At this point, Sicily was almost entirely in control of the Aghlabids with the exception of some minor strongholds in the rugged interior. The population had been increased by the immigration of Muslims from Africa , Asia and Spain , as well as Berbers who were mostly concentrated in the south of the island. The emir in Palermo nominated the governors of the main cities (qadi) and those of the less important ones (hakim) along with the other functionaries. Each city had a council called gema, composed of the most eminent members of the local society, which was entrusted with the care of the public works and of the social order. The conquered Sicilian population lived as dhimmi or converted to Islam. The Arabs initiated land reforms which increased productivity and encouraged the growth of smallholdings, a dent to the dominance of the landed estates. The Arabs further improved irrigation systems. With about 300,000 inhabitants, Palermo in the 10th century was the most populous city in Italy. A description of the city was given by Ibn Hawqal, a Baghdad merchant who visited Sicily in 950. A walled suburb called the Kasr (the citadel) was (and remains) the center of Palermo, and the great Friday mosque stood on the site of the later Roman cathedral. The suburb of Al-Khalisa ( Kalsa ) contained the sultan's palace, baths, a mosque, government offices and a private prison. Ibn Hawqal reckoned 7,000 individual butchers trading in 150 shops. edit ] Fatimid Sicily (909-965) In 909, the African Aghlabid dynasty was replaced by the Shiite Fatimids . Four years later, the Fatimid governor was ousted from Palermo when the island declared its independence under Emir Ahmed ibn-Kohrob. His first deed was a failed siege of Taormina, which had been rebuilt by the Christians; he was more successful in 914 when a Sicilian fleet under his son Mohammed destroyed the Fatimid fleet sent to recover the island. The following year, the destruction of another fleet sent against Calabria and the unrest caused by ibn-Kohrob's reforms led to a revolt of the Berbers. The Berbers captured and hanged ibn-Kohrob, allegedly in the name of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mahdi , hoping he would leave them freedom of rule in Sicily. Al-Madhi instead sent an army which sacked Palermo in 917. The island was governed by a Fatimid emir for the following 20 years. In 937, the Berbers of Agrigento revolted again but after two resounding successes were decisively beaten at the gates of Palermo. An army was then sent by the new Caliph al-Qa'im to besiege Agrigento twice until it fell on November 20, 940. The revolt was totally suppressed in 941 with many of the prisoners sold as slaves and Governor Khalil boasting to have killed 600,000 people in his campaigns. edit ] Independent emirate of Sicily (965-1091) Main article: Emirate of Sicily Southern Italy circa 1000, showing the Kalbid emirate before its collapse. After suppressing another revolt in 948, the Fatimid Caliph Ismail al-Mansur named Hassan al-Kalbi as emir of the island. As his charge soon became hereditary, his emirate became de facto independent from the African government. In 950, Hassan waged war against the Byzantines in southern Italy, reaching up to Gerace and Cassano allo Ionio . A second Calabrian campaign in 952 resulted in the defeat of the Byzantine army; Gerace was again besieged, but in the end Emperor Constantine VII was forced to accept having the Calabrian cities pay a tribute to Sicily. In 956, the Byzantines reconquered Reggio and invaded Sicily. A truce was signed in 960. Two years later a revolt in Taormina was bloodily suppressed, but the heroic resistance of the Christians in Rametta led the new Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas to send an army of 40,000 Armenians, Thracians and Slavs under his nephew Manuel who captured Messina in October 964. On 25 October, a fierce battle between the Byzantines and the Kalbids resulted in a defeat for the former. Manuel, along with 10,000 of his men, was killed in the fray. The new Emir Abu al-Qasim (964-982) launched a series of attacks against Calabria in the 970s while the fleet under his brother attacked the coasts of Apulia , capturing some strongholds. As the Byzantines were busy against the Fatimids in Syria and the Bulgars in Macedon , the German Emperor Otto II decided to intervene, and the allied German-Lombard army was defeated in 982 at the Battle of Stilo . However, as al-Qasim himself had been killed, his son Jabir al-Kalbi prudently retreated to Sicily without exploiting the victory. The emirate reached its cultural peak under the emirs Jafar (983-985) and Yusuf al-Kalbi (990-998), both patrons of the arts. The latter's son Ja'far was instead a cruel and violent lord who expelled the Berbers from the island after an unsuccessful revolt against him. In 1019, another uprising in Palermo was successful, and Ja'far was exiled to Africa and replaced by his brother al-Akhal (1019-1037). Southern Italy in 1084, showing the remains of the Kalbid emirate, then fought over by multiple claimants, on the eve of the final Norman conquest. With the support of the Fatimids, al-Akhal defeated two Byzantine expeditions in 1026 and 1031. His attempt to raise a heavy tax to pay his mercenaries caused a civil war. Al-Akhal asked the Byzantines for support while his brother abu-Hafs, leader of the rebels, received troops from the Zirid Emir of Ifriqiya , al-Muizz ibn Badis , which were commanded by his son Abdallah. edit ] Decline (1037-1061) and Norman conquest of Sicily (1061-1091) Main articles: Norman conquest of southern Italy and Muslim settlement of Lucera In 1038, a Byzantine army under George Maniaces crossed the strait of Messina. This included a corps of Normans which saved the situation in the first clash against the Muslims from Messina. After another decisive victory in the summer of 1040, Maniaces halted his march to lay siege to Syracuse. Despite his conquest of the latter, Maniaces was removed from his position, and the subsequent Muslim counter-offensive reconquered all the cities captured by the Byzantines. The Norman Robert Guiscard, son of Tancred, invaded Sicily in 1060. The island was split between three Arab emirs, and the majority Christian population rose up against the ruling Muslims. One year later, Messina fell, and in 1072, Palermo was taken by the Normans. The loss of the cities, each with a splendid harbor, dealt a severe blow to Muslim power on the island. Eventually all of Sicily was taken. In 1091, Noto in the southern tip of Sicily and the island of Malta, the last Arab stongholds, fell to the Christians. By the 11th century, Muslim power in the Mediterranean had begun to wane. Many repressive measures were introduced by Frederick II to please the popes who were intolerant of Islam in the heart of Christendom . This resulted in a rebellion by Sicilian Muslims, which in turn triggered organized resistance and systematic reprisals and marked the final chapter of Islam in Sicily. The Muslim problem characterized Hohenstaufen rule in Sicily under Henry VI and his son Frederick II. The annihilation of Islam in Sicily was completed by the late 1240s when the final deportations to Lucera took place. edit ] Other edit ] Emirate of Bari (847-871) Main article: Emirate of Bari The joint capture of Bari by Byzantine and Franco-Lombard troops led by the Emperor Louis II in 871. The port city of Bari , in the Apulia region of southern Italy, was captured by a Muslim army in 847, then remained under Muslim control for the next 25 years. It became the capital of a small independent Islamic state with an emir and a mosque of its own. The first ruler of Bari was Khalfun, a Berber leader who had probably come from Sicily. After his death in 852, he was succeeded by Mufarrag ibn Sallam who strengthened the Muslim conquest and enlarged its boundaries. He also asked for official recognition from Baghdad Caliph al-Mutawakkil 's governor in Egypt as wali (i.e., prefect ruling over a province of the Abbasid empire). The third, and last, emir of Bari was Sawdan who came to power around 857 after the murder of Mufarraq. He invaded the lands of the Lombard Duchy of Benevento forcing duke Adelchis to pay a tribute. In 864, he obtained the official investiture asked by Mufarrag. The town was embellished with a mosque, palaces and public works. edit ] Latium and Campania Throughout the ninth century, Arab ships dominated the Tyrrhenian Sea. Their pirates prowled the Italian coast launching hit and run attacks against the cities of Amalfi , Gaeta , Naples , and Salerno . During this period, as the cities took command of their own defences, the Duchies of Gaeta and Amalfi gained their independence from the Duchy of Naples . The Christian states of the Campania were not yet prepared, however, to ally against the new "pagan" threat. Amalfi and Gaeta regularly teamed up with the Saracens and Naples was hardly better, all much to the chagrin of the Papacy. In fact, it was Naples that first brought Saracen troops to the south Italian mainland when Duke Andrew II hired them as mercenaries during his war with Sicard , Prince of Benevento, in 836. Sicard immediately responded with his own Saracen mercenaries and the usage soon became a tradition. In 880 or 881, Pope John VIII , who encouraged a vigorous policy against the Muslim pirates and raiders, rescinded his grant of Traetto to Docibilis I of Gaeta and gave it instead to Pandenulf of Capua . As Patricia Skinner relates: began to attack Gaeta's territory, and in retaliation against the pope Docibilis unleashed a group of Arabs from Agropoli near Salerno on the area around Fondi. The pope was "filled with shame" and restored Traetto to Docibilis. Their agreement seems to have sparked off a Saracen attack on Gaeta itself, in which many Gaetans were killed or captured. Eventually peace was restored and the Saracens made a permanent settlement on the mouth of the Garigliano river. The Saracen camp at Minturno (in modern day Lazio ) by the Garigliano River became a perennial thorn in the side for the Papacy and many expeditions were sought to get rid of them. In 915, Pope John X organised a vast alliance of southern powers, including Gaeta and Naples, the Lombard princes and the Byzantines; though, the Amalfitans stood aloof. The subsequent Battle of the Garigliano was successful, and the Saracens were ousted from any presence in Lazio or Campania permanently; though, raiding would be a continuous problem for another century. In 897 the Abbey of Farfa was sacked by "Saracens", who used it as a barracks until it was accidentally destroyed by fire (apparently started by locals) in 898. Abbot Peter of Farfa managed to organise the community's escape and salvaged its library and archives. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=824_1330405997 dcmfox History of Islam in southern Italy with a twist. History, of, Islam, southern Italy, clip, true, romance, dcmfox Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:48:15 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=155_1321382323 Plox Dear Friend, Click the image below to see a video on Iran's nuclear program and why we must enact sanctions now. Iran is Winning Saturday, November 12, 2011 Iran may soon be able to build a nuclear bomb. There isn't much doubt of Tehran's intention to break and enter the nuclear club. A nuclear Iran is likely to spur crash programs in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and possibly Turkey, setting in motion a nuclear arms race in the world's most volatile region. That's the upshot of the new International Atomic Energy Agency report about Iran 's mushrooming nuclear program. The West has three options: Launch a last-ditch effort to damage Iran 's economy so grievously that its leaders scrap their nuke program, try to delay that program with pinpoint military strikes, or surrender to the imminent reality of a nuclear Iran. Iran 's leaders insist they won't try to build a weapon. Much of the world is convinced they will. The IAEA report, drawing on documents, satellite photographs and intelligence from more than 10 nations, provides compelling evidence. Iranian scientists sought to miniaturize a nuclear weapon design to fit on ballistic missiles. They created computer models of nuclear explosions. They conducted experiments on nuclear detonators. There's only one reason to do all that. The report doesn't say how long it would take for Iran to produce enough nuclear fuel for a weapon. But experts say that Tehran could manage that feat in six months or so, once the decision is made. This is a sobering moment in a long-running international diplomatic crisis. Multiple rounds of United Nations sanctions against Iran , followed by increasingly stringent U.S. and European Union measures, have taken a financial toll in Tehran. In recent days, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad admitted that the sanctions were hobbling Iran 's financial institutions. "Our banks cannot make international transactions anymore," he complained. But that financial pain hasn't halted Iran 's nuclear march. Will more economic pain do the trick? We should find out quickly. The best way is with a formidable economic assault championed by U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk: Target Iran 's central bank. Deliver an ultimatum to foreign financial institutions and companies. If you do business with Iran, you won't do business with the U.S. Take your pick. That could stop Iran's economy in its tracks if the U.S. and its allies make it stick. "It's in America's interest to use all non-military means available to cripple Iran 's currency and collapse their central bank," Kirk told us. That would allow "one last round of diplomacy, based on Iran 's crippled economy." The Obama administration has turned thumbs down on the idea, arguing that it would create economic havoc, in part by driving up oil prices. Yes, there is a risk of economic upheaval. But squeezing Iran 's central bank remains the best diplomatic option on the table. The failure to take that risk, though, increases the odds of a military strike against Iran 's nuclear sites by an increasingly nervous Israel. Iran has been preparing for that by moving some of its enrichment facilities deep underground. That increases the complexity of an air strike and reduces the chance that it would cripple the nuclear program. A military strike would isolate Israel and create upheaval around the world. To avoid a planes-and-missiles war, we have to declare economic war. The grim truth: Iran is winning. Please feel free to contact me at (312) 886-3506 or reach me online at http://www.kirk.senate.gov whenever an issue of concern to you comes before the Congress. For updates on my work on your behalf in Illinois and in Washington, "Like" my Facebook page and "Follow" me on Twitter . It is an honor to represent you and your family in the Senate. Sincerely, Mark Kirk U.S. Senate Chicago 230 South Dearborn, Suite 3900 Chicago, IL 60604 Phone: 312-886-3506 Fax: 312-886-2117 Springfield 607 East Adams, Suite 1520 Springfield, IL 62701 Phone: 217-492-5089 Fax: 217-492-5099 Washington, DC 524 Hart Office Building Washington DC, 20510 Phone: 202-224-2854 Fax: 202-228-461 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=155_1321382323 Plox The best way to avoid conflict with Iran is to enact crippling sanctions now! Senator, Mark Kirk, Illinois, Republican, Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:16:49 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=872_1319649127 jbpnw Police released surveillance video Monday from last week's bank robbery at North Shore Bank, 4923 Washington Ave. As of Monday evening, no one had been arrested for the robbery. In a press release sent out Monday afternoon, police said if you see the suspect do not approach him. Contact the Racine County Dispatch Center at (262) 886-2300. At about 11 a.m. Friday, a lone suspect entered the bank, demanded money and fled, according to Racine police. It was the second reported bank robbery that week in Racine County. The U.S. Bank branch at 2953 Wisconsin St., Sturtevant, was robbed on Thursday. The suspect in the Racine robbery is described as a black male approximately 25-30 years old with facial hair. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and is approximately 6 feet, 3 inches tall. The pickup truck the suspect drove away is described as a black Dodge with reflective lamps on the top of the cab. Anyone with information is urged to call the Racine Police Department at (262) 635-7700 and ask for the Investigations Unit, or Crime Stoppers at (262) 636-9330, or by texting to CRIMES (274637) and referring to Tipsoft I.D. #TIP417 with your text message. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=872_1319649127 jbpnw Bank Robber Couldn't Look More Suspicious If He Tried caught on tape, raw video, cctv, security camera, surveillance, armed robbery, bank Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:06:50 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c1c_1314121577 menderman Shovel ready boats? I know some of these boats, we fish the same waters from time to time. I don't know any of the Captains personally. This sucks: From the Carolina Journal http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=8032 By Don Carrington RALEIGH - "Bite Me," a charter fishing boat based at the Hatteras Harbor Marina in Dare County, was one of 14 fishing boats on the North Carolina coast to receive thousands of dollars to replace their diesel engines under President Obama's stimulus program. The purpose of the funds, administered by the state's Marine Diesel Equipment Repower program, was to improve air quality by reducing diesel emissions, though the boats operate in an area of the state not known for air-quality problems. In addition to the colorfully named "Bite Me," also receiving funds for engine replacement under the 2009 stimulus program were "Harper's Folly," "Endless Pursuit," "Net Results," "Hopeful," and nine other fishing vessels. (See chart below for all grant recipients.) "Bite Me" owner Jay Kavanagh received $65,886 in public funds for a new diesel motor for the 51-foot charter boat based at the Hatteras Harbor Marina in Dare County. Kavanagh's award amounted to one-half the cost of purchasing and installing a new Caterpillar 2009 model year motor. The new motor ran cleaner than the 2000 version that had powered his boat. The largest Marine Diesel grant was $93,000 to replace the engine in Bald Eagle II, a commercial fishing vessel owned by the Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant in Wanchese. New information about the use of stimulus funding comes as the White House and congressional leaders are deadlocked over proposals to avoid a potential default on more than $14 trillion in government debt. The Marine Diesel program required each grant recipient both to provide half the funds for the engine swaps and - like the multibillion-dollar "Cash for Clunkers" program that paid drivers to retire and then destroy used cars - to guarantee that the old engine was scrapped instead of being rebuilt or reused snip Kavanagh told CJ he learned of the grant program from Curles. Curles said he knew many boat owners in the region and distributed about 200 grant applications to those he thought might need a new motor. "I knew people who needed this money," he said. "They are going to continue to waste money. I think this money went to a good place." Go to the link to get the rest of the story and list of winners in the engine give away. Menderman http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c1c_1314121577 menderman 'Bite Me' Benefits From Obama Stimulus Funds Bite Me, boat, charter fisherman, hatteras, stimulus, Menderman Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:37:26 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c02_1312597404 Donovan301 The Awesome Monster Tajima doin' what he does Best.....Eat Up Roads 2011: The overall fastest time on the mountain was achieved by Nobuhiro Tajima at 9:51.278. He was in a Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special of Monster Racing while racing the Unlimited category. He beat the previous record set by himself in 2007.A distance of 19.99 km (12.42 miles) over 156 turns, climbing 1,439 meters (4,721 ft) from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway at 2,862 meters (9,390 ft) on grades averaging 7% over both gravel and paved sections .Car specs: V6 Twin Turbo 3100cc; 910 CV ; 90.5kg-m of torque (886.9 Nm) ; weight 1100kg . 900 Horsepower ! ! ! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c02_1312597404 Donovan301 Monster Tajima Pikes Peak Record Sub 10 minutes 2011 Pikes Peak,2011,Monster Tajima,Record,Freakin Awesome Drive