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(IsraelNN.com) Israel successfully fired the new RAFAEL-manufactured Blue Sparrow medium-range Ballistic Target system Tuesday morning. The system simulates trajectory thermal images and radar cross-section signatures of threats. Military sources said the system will be used in future Arrow Missile systems tests but did not release details as to when or in what context either would be deployed.

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Militant supporters of President Robert Mugabe targeted whites Monday, forcing about a dozen ranchers and farmers off their land as Zimbabwe's longtime ruler fanned racial tensions amid fears he will turn to violence to hold on to power. Mugabe's opponents pressed a lawsuit seeking to compel the publication of results of the March 29 presidential election that they say Morgan Tsvangirai won. The opposition leader urged the international community to persuade Mugabe to step down. "Major powers here, such as South Africa, the U.S. and Britain, must act to remove the white-knuckle grip of Mugabe's suicidal reign...

The tallest building in the world and still growing Last updated at 15:21pm on 6th April 2008 It is the tallest man-made structure in the world – and it is still growing. When complete next year the Burj Dubai will stretch half a mile into the sky over the United Arab Emirates, taller than three Canary Wharf towers balanced on top of each other. Already 2,200ft tall, and the result of 22million man hours of labour, the Burj is the pinnacle of skyscraper engineering. Scroll down for more... When complete next year the Burj Dubai will be taller than three...

Lance Cpl. Jeff Lutz, left, Sgt. Dameon Lyon, center, and Lance Cpl. Michael Janeiro load an AIM-9M 'sidewinder' missile onto an F/A-18 Hornet before a combat mission. The Marines are aviation ordnance technicians with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115. Photo by 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) Public Affairs. AL ASAD — The current role of an F/A-18 Hornet in Operation Iraqi Freedom is close air support and the pilots of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, the ‘Silver Eagles’, must always be prepared to deliver a lethal payload on enemy targets. Providing the firepower to the aircraft is the role of...

BAGHDAD - Warning sirens wail and within seconds rockets and mortars strike — sometimes one or two, other times 10 or more. The Green Zone is again a prime target as American and British diplomats, Iraqi politicians, contractors and others struggle to go about their business — always aware that any time they are outside the most fortified buildings there is a chance to be injured or killed. The danger has temporarily reshaped life: Green Zone traffic is minimal, few people venture out on the streets and security precautions — always high — have been boosted. Many diplomats and others...

MANSEHRA, Pakistan - Long-haired gunmen burst into the white stone building and killed four charity workers helping earthquake victims, then wrecked the office with grenades and set it on fire. Police came, but did not intervene. In a tactic reminiscent of neighboring Afghanistan, Islamic militants are attacking aid groups in the Pakistan's volatile northwest, and local authorities appear incapable — or unwilling — to stop them. The threat has forced several foreign agencies to scale back assistance to survivors of the October 2005 earthquake that killed at least 78,000 people and left 3 million homeless — risking the region's recovery...

Russia may have to retarget some of its rockets at the missile defenses that the U.S. is planning to deploy in Central Europe, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. "Our experts believe the system threatens our national security," Putin said at his final annual news conference in the Kremlin echoing comments he made on Tuesday. "If it appears, we will be forced to respond appropriately - we will have to retarget part of our systems against those missiles." He also said Russia could be forced to redirect its missiles at Ukraine if NATO bases are deployed in the country. "We...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2008 – Al Qaeda remains the most dangerous terror group in Iraq, and coalition and Iraqi security forces continue to attack it, Navy Rear Adm. Greg Smith, a spokesman for Multinational Forces Iraq, said today in Baghdad. Smith gave an update on Operation Phantom Phoenix and a short history of al Qaeda’s operations in the country. He also spoke about Iran’s influence in Iraq. The effects of Operation Phantom Phoenix have been substantial, Smith said. “Since January 1, Operation Phantom Phoenix has conducted 18 battalion-level operations, detained 1,023 terrorists and killed 121 terrorists,” Smith said during a...

REDZIKOWO, Poland - Among the people living around this disused Polish air base, there is little enthusiasm for the missile interceptor station likely to be built here as part of a U.S. missile defense system. Poland's new government is sounding increasingly skeptical about the plan, arguing that it won't boost Polish security, and that sentiment is echoed throughout this farming region near the Baltic Sea coast. The main fear is that the area will become a target for retaliation by Russia, which vigorously opposes President Bush's plan. "If they build the missile defense base here, it'll be a magnet and...

Target department stores apparently haven't gotten the memo that dissing the Internet and bloggers can be a dangerous game for a retailer these days. And, Target isn't just dissing blogges and "non-traditional media" they might be claiming they won't even interact with them. All this over a new advertisement that shows a woman in Winter clothing, spread-eagled atop the Target logo, the center of which appears right between the model's spread legs. Just what the "target" here is, can be a pertinent question to ask and several consumer advocates are asking just that question. Amy Jussel of the organization Shaping...

It was supposed to be a Target Christmas. Buffeted by high energy costs and a slowing housing market, consumers were expected to trade down from mid-priced department stores, like Macy's and Nordstrom, to discount retailers with designer cachet - Target's undisputed terrain. But instead of dominating this holiday season, Target is muddling through it, perplexing rival merchants and Wall Street analysts, who consider the chain a bellwether and are scrutinizing its performance for clues on the health of the economy. In two of the past three months - September and November - Target's sales growth has slipped below 1.5 percent,...

A judge rules that the retailer needs to stand trial for having a Web site that is insufficiently accessible. When a federal court judge issued rulings Oct. 2 that the $60 billion retailer Target needed to stand trial on charges that its Web site is not sufficiently accessible to visually-impaired shoppers, it sent a strong signal to much of the e-commerce space.

Target Corp. is learning the hard way that life in the blogosphere can put you right in the bullseye. The Minneapolis-based discount retailer is being outed in online blogs and discussed in college ethics classes after students allied with the company were told to "keep it like a secret" while singing the company's praises on the social network site Facebook.com. "Keep it a secret? That sounds unethical," said Rosie Siman, 21, a senior at the University of Georgia and a member of the Target Rounders. The group of mostly college students gets discounts, CDs and other prizes for marketing Target...

I get all these AFA alerts about stores that ban Christmas. How about a list or a link to a list of shopping alternatives who do not ban Christmas? Here's a few examples of web sites who were not so ashamed to allow the word Christmas to appear on their front page. (Searching the page for text does not always work, e.g. Starbucks mentions Christmas on their front page, but it's in an image.): http://www.gifts.com/ http://www.walmart.com/ http://www.target.com/ (Surpise!) http://www.ftd.com/ http://www.lenox.com/ http://www.winebasket.com http://www.starbucks.com/

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2007 – Coalition forces detained 10 suspects today during operations targeting al Qaeda networks along Iraq’s Tigris River Valley. The forces conducted several operations targeting associates of al Qaeda in Iraq leaders, including foreign terrorist facilitators and planners of car-bombing attacks. During the operations, coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and detained eight suspects. During one of the operations, information gathered from local citizens indicated that terrorists were using a school as a meeting location and safe house. Coalition forces briefly entered the school, but did not do any damage and left the school as it was...

Gays challenge traditional marriage supporters: put up or shut up Homosexual group calls for boycott of Wal-Mart, shopping at Target instead If Wal-Mart sales go down, gays will claim victory in support of same-sex "marriage" benefits The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest homosexual organization, has issued a challenge to pro-traditional marriage supporters saying in essence: "Put up or shut up." They have called for a boycott of Wal-Mart while urging their supporters to buy from Target. The reason? Wal-Mart refuses to offer "domestic benefits" (benefits given to married couples) to homosexual partners. The homosexual organization also urged individuals...

A disappointing October sales report Thursday sent a clear signal to retailers that they’ll have to pull out all the stops to get shoppers into their stores this holiday as declining home values, tighter credit terms and rising gas prices appear to have left consumers feeling spent. The nation’s biggest chain stores posted the second consecutive month of weak sales results, underscoring their concerns that sales growth this holiday season could be the slowest in five years. “Consumers are exerting a lot of caution,” said Mandy Putnam, vice president at TNS Retail Forward Inc., a Columbus, Ohio-based market research and...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2007 – Though memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks may fade with time, President Bush today said that the U.S. remains a top target and urged lawmakers to take measures he sees as vital to countering terrorism. During a speech at the Heritage Foundation here, Bush vowed that during his remaining 14 months as president his administration will remember lessons learned from the attacks, which claimed almost 3,000 victims. “I fully understand that after six years, the sense of imminent danger has passed for some,” he said. “I just want to assure you that...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2007 – Coalition forces detained 12 suspects during operations early today targeting al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq. Surveillance elements led coalition forces to a location in Mosul, where they captured a wanted individual and three suspected terrorists. The wanted individual reportedly is an associate of al Qaeda members involved in foreign terrorist facilitation, to include one who was captured in a coalition operation in Bayji on Oct. 26. Reports indicate one of the suspect's associates, a senior facilitator residing outside of Iraq, is attempting to communicate with terrorist leaders in the country. During the...

Al-Qa'eda target west from Horn of Africa By David Blair in Addis Ababa Last Updated: 3:04am BST 22/10/2007 Special report In the rapidly changing battleground against international terrorism, the arid plains of the Horn of Africa are becoming a steadily more significant base from which al-Qa'eda's followers can launch their attacks. An armed and disguised Somali woman demonstrates her support for the Union of Islamic Courts last December The Horn now ranks alongside the Middle East as the area of greatest concern to British counter-terrorism officials, coming second only to Pakistan, where al-Qa'eda's core leaders are ensconced. Al-Qa'eda operatives based...

Two Texas Target stores have served as scenes of embarrassment for the brick-and-mortar retail chain after an angry mother discovered rocks inside the box that was supposed to contain a shiny new $350 iPod. The box, which weighed as much as the iPod it was supposed to contain, was destined as a birthday gift to her teenage daughter. Upon returning to the store, Target employees believed the story but said they were sold out of that particular iPod model and that the woman was not allowed a refund in cash because she had purchased the device on her Target card....

New York (AP) -- A federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging that Target Corp. is breaking California and federal law by failing to make its Web site usable for the blind. The plaintiffs fault Target for not adopting technology used by other companies to make Web sites accessible to the blind. The technology allows reading software to vocalize invisible code embedded in computer graphics and describe content on a Web page. Granting class-action status allows blind people throughout the country who have tried to access Target.com to become plaintiffs in the suit, which alleges violations of the...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2007 – Coalition forces killed seven terrorists and detained eight suspected terrorists today during operations targeting al Qaeda leaders in the central part of Iraq. Coalition forces targeted a senior leader of al Qaeda during an operation in Mahmudiyah in continued efforts to boost security in the southern belt around Baghdad. After several hours of monitoring a known terrorist group, ground forces returned to the area where terrorists had engaged them with small-arms fire during previous operations. As coalition forces arrived at the target area, they identified hostile intent from the group of men they were monitoring...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2007 – Coalition forces killed six terrorists and detained 21 suspects during operations over the past two days in Iraq’s Tarmiyah area and Tigris River Valley to disrupt al Qaeda senior leadership. Several synchronized raids in Tarmiyah targeted the al Qaeda network operating in the northern belt around Baghdad, including its leaders. The network is responsible for car bombings, kidnappings, publishing extremist propaganda and operating an illegal court system in the area. As coalition forces cleared a building, three men inside reached for weapons in the room. Coalition forces engaged and killed them. A related assault force...

NEW YORK, July 26, 2007 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Charles Merrill, the artist who recently edited the Holy Bible with a black marker and pair of scissors, has lately burned a rare Islamic Holy Book, The Koran, valued at $60,000.00, in an undisclosed Chicago location. "The purpose of editing and burning Abrahamic Holy Books is to eliminate homophobic hate," Merrill stated. "Both ancient books are terrorist manuals."..."Airplanes are flown into buildings because of words, and hate crimes against gays," Merrill said.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured a suspected terrorist with close ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) in a raid Thursday in Kharnabat near Baqubah. No shots were fired when Coalition Forces conducted a raid to capture or kill a highly-sought operative with connections to senior leaders of the IRGC-QF. The captured terrorist is suspected of facilitating the transport of weapons and personnel from Iran into Iraq. The captured terrorist is also believed to have facilitated the flow of deadly Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) into Iraq from Iran to be used against Coalition Forces. During the raid,...

JISR DIYALA, Iraq -- Newly arrived U.S. troops southeast of Baghdad are destroying boats on the Tigris River and targeting networks believed to be bringing powerful roadside bombs from Iran as the military cracks down on extremists from all directions, military officials said. But a top U.S. commander warned on Monday that three or four times more Iraqi security forces are needed to sustain the progress in clearing the area and stanching the flow of arms and makeshift bombs into the capital. Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, whose command covers the southern rim of Baghdad and mostly Shiite areas to the...

A jury ordered Target Corporation to pay nearly $1 million to an Oregon National Guardsman who claimed he was fired for seeking his old job back after returning from active service. James Patton sued Target in 2003 under a federal law that prohibits employers from discriminating against military personnel and under state common law for wrongful discharge. "We're pleased with the outcome and the message it sends to employees of service people," said Mark A. Turner, Patton's Portland attorney. A Target official said the company would appeal. "We believe this entire case is completely without merit and no award of...

UNITED NATIONS - Not a single country in sub-Saharan Africa is on target to meet U.N. goals of cutting extreme poverty by half, ensuring universal primary education, and stemming the AIDS pandemic by 2015, a new U.N. report said Wednesday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to ask leaders of the world's richest countries meeting in Germany this week to step up aid to Africa so the targets can be achieved. "Despite faster growth and strengthened institutions, the continent remains off track to meeting the world's shared goals for fighting poverty in all its forms," Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told a news...

Caption this picture http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070519/capt.eaec2cb99df94cd79d1f7a2c2fa55c97.film_cannes_sicko_photo_call_drb109.jpg

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2007 – Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists today, including an alleged cell leader, during operations in southeastern Baghdad, U.S. military officials reported. Those captured are suspected of being part of a terrorist cell network known for its use of explosive devices and for bringing weapons and militants into Iraq from Iran. The suspected cell leader is believed to have personally coordinated and implemented the use of bombs, officials said. One terrorist was killed during the operation, officials reported. “We continue to target the secret cell network, diminishing their capability to conduct attacks against innocent Iraqis...

Hundreds of police officers have launched a Europe-wide crackdown on animal rights extremists. Hundreds of officers were involved The operation has been described by police as one of the largest of its type. David Leppard, Assistant Chief Constable of Kent Police, told a press conference the two-year investigation had targeted "criminals involved in animal extremism". "The impact of these personalised campaigns on individuals is deeply distressing and often involves criminal activity," he said. "It is not targeting lawful campaigners." Offences being investigated include conspiracy to blackmail and burglary.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A former Target employee who was turned down for a private security license and planned to "cause havoc" was identified Monday as the man who killed two people in a crowded mall parking lot before he was shot by police.

It may be the most important action taken by state pollution regulators all year--as important as the implementation of last year's landmark greenhouse-gas legislation. The vote carries a potential price tag being measured in billions, and yet the state Air Resources Board's upcoming vote has gone virtually unnoticed by all but industry insiders. California's air pollution regulators are poised to vote on new rules to curb emissions from some 180,000 unregistered diesel machines--the earth movers, backhoes, tractors, scrapers and other heavy equipment used to build highways, dams, housing developments, skyscrapers and other big projects, public and private. The state ARB...

TIKRIT, Iraq – At approximately 3 p.m. Monday, a Coalition Forces’ patrol base in As Sadah, Iraq, was attacked by two suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, killing nine Soldiers and wounding 20 Soldiers and one Iraqi civilian. Twelve Soldiers were returned to duty after initial medical care, and eight Soldiers and the Iraqi civilian were evacuated to a Coalition Forces’ medical treatment facility for further care. Three of those Soldiers were later returned to duty. "My thoughts and prayers remain with the families of the brave Soldiers who were killed and wounded during this vicious attack,” said Col. David W....

SOUTHEAST Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiah has formed an assassination squad to attack police, prosecutors and judges, a Singapore newspaper said today, citing an Indonesian official. Ansyaad Mbai, head of the anti-terrorism division at Indonesia's security ministry, said the group planned to target a list of "infidels" including the rector of a Christian University and an official at the Attorney-General's Office in central Java, the Straits Times reported.

CHESAPEAKE - Two Marines in their dress uniforms - the ones with white hats, khaki shirts and blue trousers with red stripe - say they were accused of recruiting at a Target department store here and told to leave. "We weren't recruiting," according to Cpl. Carlos Rodriguez, 22, who said he returned in October from his second combat tour in Iraq. "I just popped in to say hi to a guy I went to high school with. He works there." But an assistant manager who saw Rodriguez and the other Marine apparently thought otherwise and showed them the door, according...

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces captured 12 suspected terrorists today, and bombers continued to target Iraqis over the last few days, military officials reported. In Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood, Iraqi and coalition forces captured a suspected criminal tied to explosively-formed projectile facilitation networks. The suspect is believed to be involved with several violent extremist groups responsible for attacks against the Iraqi people and coalition Forces and facilitating the movement of EFPs into Iraq, officials said. Near the Syrian border, coalition forces captured six suspected terrorists with alleged links to al-Qaeda and the smuggling of foreign...

KEYPORT, Wash. - Critics of a Navy plan to use dolphins and sea lions to guard waters off the coast of a major submarine base say the ocean is too cold for the plan to work. Other critics who showed up at a public open house Tuesday questioned the use of live animals rather than sophisticated technology at Hood Canal, home of the West Coast Trident submarine base. The animals are trained to alert a handler when they detect anyone in the water. The handler, in a small boat, then places a strobe light on the nose of the animal,...

In the wake of community criticism, Target Corp. is reassigning its Muslim cashiers who refuse to ring up pork products for religious reasons to other jobs at the stores. Target received a wave of criticism earlier this week after the Star Tribune reported in a front-page article that some Muslim cashiers at Target declined to scan bacon and other pork products. They would call over another cashier to ring up the products, or in some cases, ask customers to do it themselves. Some customers called and wrote Target to complain about the practice; a few called for a general boycott...

SACRAMENTO – Targeting truckers, contractors and others, Senate Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond the landmark global warming law that took effect this year. The package of bills would ban methane releases from garbage dumps, reduce exhaust emissions from trucks, construction equipment and school buses, and force utilities to increase energy from renewable sources. Other lawmakers, including some Democrats, and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger immediately criticized the legislative package. They said it would overwhelm state regulators who are still trying to decide how to implement last year's global warming law. That law imposes the country's...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2007 – In operations throughout Afghanistan in the past two days, coalition forces destroyed the wreckage from a helicopter crash, Afghan and coalition forces conducted an air strike against the Taliban, and a suicide bomber injured seven NATO troops. Coalition forces completed crash site inspections and recovery and have destroyed the remnants of a helicopter that crashed Feb. 18 in northern Zabul province, near the border with neighboring Ghazni province in eastern Afghanistan, military officials said. The U.S. Army Chinook helicopter was damaged beyond repair and could not be moved from the crash site, near Highway...

She had gone to Target with her brother and sister-in-law to buy a DVD player for their new house, and had decided to go off on her own. She was looking over women's blouses when a young girl brushed past her. The girl angrily demanded an apology. The woman was taken aback and refused, according to her account, and tried to turn her attention back to the rack of clothes. [snip] Sanchez said some store employees were present when the fight began and didn't try to intervene. "They didn't do nothing, nothing whatsoever," Sanchez said. "The manager didn't respond when...

BOSTON - A 10-year-old girl charged with kicking a woman who had bumped her at a discount store was released without bail yesterday while police pursued charges against three other girls who allegedly hit the victim and tore off her pants. The girl, whose identity was not released because of her age, was charged with assault and battery for kicking the 22-year-old woman in the head and stomach on Sunday inside a Target store in the city's Dorchester section, police said.

Target Iran: US able to strike in the spring Despite denials, Pentagon plans for possible attack on nuclear sites are well advanced Ewen MacAskill in Washington Saturday February 10, 2007 The Guardian (UK) A second battle group has been ordered to the Gulf and extra missiles have already been sent out. Meanwhile oil is being stockpiled. Photograph: Reuters US preparations for an air strike against Iran are at an advanced stage, in spite of repeated public denials by the Bush administration, according to informed sources in Washington. The present military build-up in the Gulf would allow the US to mount...

Until yesterday Christmas shoppers at Target department stores could purchase a 24-CD carrying case decorated with the image of Che Guevara. When I heard about it, I wondered why the retailer would want to promote the memory of a mass murderer. What's next, I asked, when I spoke with a representative of the company on Wednesday, Pol Pot pajamas? Late Wednesday evening Target sent me this statement: "It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry. We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves and we sincerely apologize for...

Below is the letter I got from Target regarding thier CHE cd case - I told them that I would start a boycott of the stores if they continued to sell this communistic item. ========================================== Dear xxx: Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings about the Che Guevara CD case. We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves. It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry and we sincerely apologize for any discomfort this situation may have caused our guests. We appreciate the time you’ve taken to write...

TARGET IS SELLING CD CASES WITH CHE GUEVARA ON THEM. Is Target management ignorant of the fact that: 1. Che was in charge of execution squads in Cuba that murdered over 1,000 people. 2. Che wanted to launch nuclear weapons at America during the Cuban missile crisis. 3. Che advocated Communism—a system that has resulted in the death of over 100,000,000 people worldwide. I encourage you to: 1. Tell everyone about Target by e-mail and blog, contact talk radio hosts and national TV news magazine programs. 2. Boycott Target 3. Write to their management and demand that: A. they fire...

Business Ethics: Target, the retailer that distinguished itself last year by banning Salvation Army bell-ringers, has topped itself this yuletide by selling Che Guevara CD cases for a little tyrant-chic right under your tree. The big box retailer has jumped onto the Guevara bandwagon, selling the murderous revolutionary's image as if it had just turned its stores into Marxist rally stalls. What next? Hitler backpacks? Pol Pot cookware? Pinochet pantyhose? Target gives this monster a pass, while using common sense on almost everything else it sells. We can only guess it's because Alberto Korda took one glamorous snapshot of Guevara...

"The Salvation Army represents the best of American generosity. They forget about their own comfort; they stand out in the cold, all to raise money to help those less fortunate. They represent what my administration hopes to accomplish: lending a helping hand to those in need," Codey said in a statement Friday. The red kettles, icons of the Christmas season, were shooed away from Target stores this year when the retail giant said that allowing the Salvation Army to seek donations outside its stores would be unfair to other charities wanting to solicit shoppers. Responding to Target's decision, Codey earlier...