[NEWS.YAHOO] Myanmar's first international beauty queen has absconded with her $100,000 crown after being stripped of her title for being rude and dishonest, organizers said Friday.
May Myat Noe's photograph was blacked out on the Miss Asia Pacific World website, the word "dethroned" stamped alongside her name.
"She thinks as long as she keeps this crown she's the winner," said David Kim, director of media for the South Korea-based pageant. "She's not."
Organizers said Noe had "lied" and proved to be untrustworthy, but provided few details.
Noe was not immediately available for comment. "I can say no more!" She planned to hold a news conference at a later time, according to Eleven Media, a Myanmar newspaper.
Hla Nu Tun, who initially acted as her unofficial manager, said Noe and the organizers had disagreed over who should oversee her career. Noe's mother wanted control but so did the organizers, she said.
A half-century of military rule and self-imposed isolation kept Myanmar contestants off the stage of international beauty contests until 2012. When Noe was crowned in May, it was seen as a new beginning for young, talented beauties.
Following her victory, the organizers said they would arrange singing and video deals for her. But they also wanted to change the 172-centimeter (5-foot 7-inch) teen's looks, Kim said.
One of the pageant's primary goals, he said, is to turn winners into regional superstars: actresses, pop icons, and world-class models.
It was decided that Noe's boobies breasts were too small and could hold her back, and she accepted an offer of enhancements, he said.
"We thought she should be more beautiful ... so we sent her to the hospital to operate on her boobies breasts," Kim said, adding that sponsors picked up the $10,000 tab, as they had for previous winners.
"It's our responsibility," he said. "If she has no good nose, then maybe, if she likes, we can operate on her nose. If it's boobies breasts, then boobies breasts."
Kim said that troubles started from there, with the beauty queen bringing her mother to Seoul for what was supposed to be a 10-day visit but stretched into three months.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 10:51 ||
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#1
If it's boobies breast, then. It's boobies breast.
I must think on this.
[Tolo News] In the past two months the battle in Sangeen district of Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province has taken the lives of more than 900 people--Taliban, civilians and security forces--and injuring around 1,100 others, commander of the 215 battalion of Maiwand said.
Governor of Helmand, Muhammad Naeem, said that the casualties in the past two months are unprecedented compared to the past 10 years and in addition adds that alongside the lives lost, many families are now displaced and in search of safety.
"We are taking serious preparations. New forces are arriving to replace the forces that have been here for the past two months."
More than 400 Taliban bully boys, 270 security forces and 230 civilians have been killed in the Sangeen festivities and around 500 Taliban, 200 security forces and more than 400 civilians have been maimed, according to Gov. Naeem.
According to local officials in Helmand, the district is also facing attacks by illegal gangs creating scattered quarrels for the security forces as the battle continues with the Talibs.
Helmand is not the only province that has witnessed and faced attacks by the Taliban offense, the provinces of Kandahar, Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. , Kunduz, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Faryab and Nuristan have fallen victim to the intensive battles.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Caretaker Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni and his government have resigned to make way for fresh prime ministerial elections in the House of Representatives.
In a statement released today the outgoing government said its ministers had tendered their resignations in accordance with the county's constitutional declarations. It said the decision had been made out of the desire to bring stability through a new inclusive government of national unity.
Thinni's interim government reiterated that the House of Representatives was "the only legitimate authority in the country" and left with a parting shot to the General National Congress (GNC) which reinstated itself last week. Referring to the GNC's appointment of its own Prime Minister, Omar Al-Hassi, it called the act a "rebellion against the legitimacy of parliament which is recognised by the international community".
Thinni is one of five possible prime ministers put forward by the House of Representatives yesterday. Ashur Shwuail, a former Minister of the Interior, Omar Al-Habbasi, a lawyer and civil society activist, Ali Al-Tikbali, a member of parliament for Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... and Aref Al-Nayed, the Libyan ambassador to the Emirates, are also in the running.
Thinni was appointed by the former General National Congress (GNC) to replace Ali Zeidan in March and has served as Caretaker Prime Minister since then despite the short-lived election of Islamist-backed Prime Minister Ahmed Maetig.
The GNC and its rival government are yet to react to Thinni's resignation. The Hassi government has, however, selected seven of its own ministers including former GNC president Nuri Abu Sahmain.
There was confusion this week about the possible resignation of six government ministers over, allegedly, concerns for their safety and disagreements within the cabinet. The government denied the claims saying if ministers were to resign it would be dealt with through the official channels.
Justice Minister Salah Al-Marghani did however tender his resignation four days ago saying he could not perform his duties in the face of the violence in the country. It is not clear if Thinni ever accepted the resignation.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Egypt has said that is prepared to lead an international coalition under the umbrella of the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... to stabilise Libya, adding that it would also carry out military strikes if requested by the Libyan House of Representatives.
The Egyptian government says it will present the proposasl to the UN Security Council on 25 September.
Just last night, the UN voted unanimously to take action against those who threaten Libya's stability and democratic process. The resolution broadened the parameters of existing UN sanctions on the country to include both travel bans and financial penalties for those groups and individuals that supported acts that "threaten the peace, stability or security of Libya".
Egypt has welcomed the resolution, particularly the Security Council's ban on arms shipped to militias and its decision to instruct Libya's neighbouring countries -- including Egypt -- to inspect all cargoes to and from Libya to ensure they do not contain arms and munitions or any other illicit items.
In June, Egyptian authorities discovered a shipment headed toward Death Eaters on their side of the border containing more than 1,000 weapons, including grenades and machine guns. Officials believe that these militias have similar ambitions to those of ISIS in Iraq and that they want to overthrow Sisi and establish a Islamic state in Egypt.
Egypt, which has struggled to find stability since its own revolution, has a lot to lose should Libyan violence bleed over its border and weapons continue to flow freely.
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08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV] The United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... Security Council says the Yemeni Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is "God is Great, Death to Americaâ¢, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews" ... movement must end protests against the government.
On Friday, the 15-member world body accused the Houthis of attempts "to obstruct the political transition."
"The Houthis and others continue to stoke the conflict in the north in an attempt to obstruct the political transition," said the Security Council.
The members also demanded that the Houthis pull out their fighters from the al-Jawf region "and remove the camps and dismantle the checkpoints they have erected in and around Sana'a."
"The Security Council calls on the Houthis to withdraw their forces from Amran."
The world body has threatened to impose sanctions on anyone who endangers the stability of the Arab country.
Hundreds of thousands of the demonstrators have taken to the streets of the capital Sana'a, calling on the government to resign.
Yemen's northwestern city of Amran, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) north of Sana'a, has also been under the Houthis' control since early July.
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08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Bahrain has denied that it extended an invitation to US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Tom Malinowski to visit the country.
Ah, Champ, making more friends in the region?
The US official was asked to leave the country in July by Bahrain’s foreign ministry because of his interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs. These activities included holding meetings with opposition leaders.
Bahrain’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla, said in a statement on Thursday that Bahrain did not invite the US official. The Bahraini official said that current contacts between Bahrain and the United States aim to overcome the effects of Malinowski’s recent visit and to ensure that the deep-rooted ties of friendship between the two countries are not affected.
The undersecretary noted that the remarks made by the State Department spokesperson carried several inaccuracies regarding the kingdom, stressing that Bahrain is committed to moving forward with the reform initiative launched by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
He added that Bahrain does not prohibit freedom of expression in accordance with the law as it safeguards its security and stability and guarantees the welfare of its citizens at all times. He said that such an approach was well known to the United States as it faced incidents of vandalism and unrest recently.
The undersecretary stressed that the kingdom did not need “outside agitators observers” — as mentioned by the spokesperson — to assess its progress and policies.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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The British government has allegedly delayed reports from an investigation into Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood. Ministers are apparently concerned it could damage the UK's relationship with its Gulf state allies. I'm expecting it is pointing to uncomfortable funding flows... but I was wrong!
According to reports in the Financial Times, government officials may fear that the findings will contradict the position on the group taken by Britain's allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Not to mention Qatar and Iran...
The report, led by Britain's ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sir John Jenkins, said that the group should not be classified as a 'terrorist organization', in stark contrast with the beliefs of most of the Gulf States. they are still refusing to designate fascist Islamism, the political ideology, as the enemy. They don't care if you want to overthrow secular society and install a caliphate, as long as you're the political wing and preach it peacefully... and yet at the same time they complain they can't fight the spread and need to crush all civil liberties, the right to a fair trial etc. This is just a joke. a very unfunny joke. They are doing exactly the wrong thing on both counts. Target the ideology and leave the civil rights in place!
The Brits had trouble targeting fascists in the mid-1930s. Chamberlain and most of his fellow Tories preferred Hitler and Mussolini to Stalin and the Internationale. Yes, yes, the fascists were not very nice, they'd allow, but the alternatives -- either allying themselves with the Bolsheviks or (even worse) re-arming the country to make a stand for liberal democracy -- required them to tell uncomfortable truths, to the public and to themselves. So they didn't until Munich finally opened their eyes, at which point it was rather late. Remember Churchill was a pariah then for saying exactly what needed to be said.
Today we have trouble targeting Islamicists. Blair and Cameron and the rest are uncomfortable admitting to themselves that their policies of appeasement, multiculturalism and conscious disregard of history have failed. Flooding the country with 'Asian' -- that is, Pakistani, Arab and North African Muslims -- has been a disaster. Doing business with rich Arabs has not prevented the British economy from struggling. British influence around the world has waned as its military has atrophied. The British Navy is now no more than a flotilla; the army no more than a Home Guard. Christianity is under moral assault, Judaism is under physical assault, and the progressive seculars have yet to see that they're next. They're too busy riding the tiger.
As Mark Twain once noted, history may not repeat but it sure does rhyme.
The unpublished report also says that there is 'little evidence' to suggest Brotherhood members are involved in terrorist activity' according to reports from the Financial Times..
"Sir John will say that the Brotherhood is not a terrorist organization. The Saudis and Emiratis will then be very upset with us," the source told the paper.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron had initiated an inquiry into the political Islamist group in April this year, claiming that he wanted to divert people away from religious extremism.
"What I think is important about the Muslim Brotherhood is that we understand what this organization is, what it stands for, what its beliefs are in terms of the path of extremism and violent extremism, what its connections are with other groups, what its presence is here in the United Kingdom. Our policies should be informed by a complete picture of that knowledge," he told the British media.
According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the purpose of the report was to examine "the Muslim Brotherhood's origins, philosophy, activities, record in and out of government; its organization and activities in the UK and abroad which might put at risk, damage, or risk damaging UK national interests."
The PM launched the investigation after coming under heavy pressure to do so from allies in Middle East, a No.10 source told the Times.
The FCO has denied any deliberate move to delay the report, with a spokesperson telling RT that the review was still taking place.
"The review into the Muslim Brotherhood hasn't been delayed. The main findings were completed by July as requested by the prime minister and work is now underway across government to consider the implications of these findings," the spokesperson said.
[Iran Press TV] Nearly a dozen Americas who have traveled to Syria to fight for the ISIL terrorist organization have been identified by US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, according to a new report.
Senior American officials say the ISIL terror network has been successful in attracting more American and European fighters to Syria in recent months, The New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... reported on Thursday.
ISIL has attracted both men and women from different parts of the United States, US officials said. In Minnesota, for example, young Somali-American women were being recruited by violent groups to support the snuffies in Syria.
US intelligence agencies have been able to specifically identify Americans fighting for ISIL based on information collected from travel records, family members, intercepted electronic communications, social media postings and surveillance of Americans abroad who had expressed interest in going to Syria, the officials said.
The US government estimates that as many as 300 Americans are fighting alongside the brutal group in Iraq and Syria, prompting widespread concern in Washington that the snuffies may threaten the US upon their return.
Many more Europeans-- more than 1,000, according to many estimates-- have joined ISIL in Syria to fight against Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Terror of Aleppo ... . The British government has identified about 500 of its citizens who have gone to Syria.
US military officials say the savage bully boy group is growing in strength and is much more capable than the one US forces faced when the group was called "al Qaeda-Iraq" during the US war in Iraq from 2003-2011.
Since the beginning of the Syrian unrest in 2011, at least four Americans have died fighting for terror groups. Last week, Douglas McAuthur McCain, 33, was killed by a US-backed bully boy group battling ISIL.
On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that at least four Western hostages were waterboarded by ISIL, the same practice that was used by the George W. Bush administration on detainees during the so-called war on terrorism.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
US intelligence agencies have been able to specifically identify Americans fighting for ISIL based on information collected from travel records, family members, intercepted electronic communications, social media postings and surveillance of Americans abroad who had expressed interest in going to Syria, the officials said.
All no doubt, benefits of new technology and Tactics Techniques and Procedures which were little known or unavailable for last year's Boston Bombing.
Islamic terrorist groups are operating in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez and planning to attack the United States with car bombs or other vehicle born improvised explosive devices (VBIED). High-level federal law enforcement, intelligence and other sources have confirmed to Judicial Watch that a warning bulletin for an imminent terrorist attack on the border has been issued. Agents across a number of Homeland Security, Justice and Defense agencies have all been placed on alert and instructed to aggressively work all possible leads and sources concerning this imminent terrorist threat.
Specifically, Judicial Watch sources reveal that the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) is confirmed to now be operating in Juarez, a famously crime-infested narcotics hotbed situated across from El Paso, Texas. Violent crimes are so rampant in Juarez that the U.S. State Department has issued a number of travel warnings for anyone planning to go there. The last one was issued just a few days ago.
Intelligence officials have picked up radio talk and chatter indicating that the terrorist groups are going to "carry out an attack on the border," according to one JW source. "It's coming very soon," according to this high-level source, who clearly identified the groups planning the plots as "ISIS and Al Qaeda." An attack is so imminent that the commanding general at Ft. Bliss, the U.S. Army post in El Paso, is being briefed, another source confirms. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to multiple inquiries from Judicial Watch, both telephonic and in writing, about this information.
The disturbing inside intelligence comes on the heels of news reports revealing that U.S. intelligence has picked up increased chatter among Islamist terror networks approaching the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. While these terrorists reportedly plan their attack just outside the U.S., President Obama admits that "we don't have a strategy yet" to combat ISIS. "I don't want to put the cart before the horse," the commander-in-chief said this week during a White House press briefing. "I think what I've seen in some of the news reports suggest that folks are getting a little further ahead of what we're at than what we currently are."
The administration has also covered up, or at the very least downplayed, a serious epidemic of crime along the Mexican border even as heavily armed drug cartels have taken over portions of the region. Judicial Watch has reported that the U.S. Border Patrol actually ordered officers to avoid the most crime-infested stretches because they're "too dangerous" and patrolling them could result in an "international incident" of cross border shooting. In the meantime, who could forget the famous words of Obama's first Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano; the southern border is "as secure as it has ever been."
These new revelations are bound to impact the current debate about the border crisis and immigration policy.
#2
Update: Fox reports on a Texas Department of Public Safety bulletin on the threat.
“A review of ISIS social media messaging during the week ending August 26 shows that militants are expressing an increased interest in the notion that they could clandestinely infiltrate the southwest border of US, for terror attack,” warns the Texas Department of Public Safety “situational awareness” bulletin, obtained by FoxNews.com.
#3
In the history of the world most would consider the illegal immigration of 10 million as an attack. The people hired to protect the border decided to be the welcoming committee. We already lost the battle.
#4
Setting the stage for a terrorist incident which will herald the arrival of Martial Law and the establishment of FEMA regional governance. The people will demand Washington and the regime do something, and they will.
#5
(snark) An AlQuida team was found doubled over in the street after eating the carne asada at Romy's in Cuidad. When questioned, one terrorist said "Just let me die." (snark off)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
08/30/2014 9:12 Comments ||
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#7
There was a story over at Drudge. The opening paragraphs were as follows:
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has warned that the West will be the next target of the jihadists sweeping through Syria and Iraq, unless there is "rapid" action.
"If we ignore them, I am sure they will reach Europe in a month and America in another month," he said in remarks quoted on Saturday by Asharq al-Awsat daily and Saudi-backed Al-Arabiya television station.
Nothing is as seen with these guys. They are very duplicitous. Scare tactics at work? The King is probably afraid, ISIS will turn their collective sights on SA and upset the royal's cozy arrangement there. He is trying to get Europe and the U.S. to clean up the ISIS mess for him. If a few thousand Karfirs get killed in the process, it no skin off his arse. The House of Saud doesn't like to get their hands dirty.
#8
Maybe I'm paranoid but it occurred to me that little to nothing is being done by our current ruling politicians about controlling our southern border. The cartels have a tremendous amount of money. I thought what if a lot of cartel/Mideastern money finds its way into the pockets and coffers of our politicians in some money laundering arrangement. Maybe this is just my paranoid musings.
#10
The FBI’s most recent national threat assessment for domestic terrorism makes no reference to Islamist terror threats, despite last year’s Boston Marathon bombing and the 2009 Fort Hood shooting—both carried out by radical Muslim Americans.” HT Insty
This seems to contradict the idea that the "Feds" warned of this. The FBI not even mentioning Muslims as a threat seems right in line with this administration's leanings.
#11
I predict virtually nothing further will be done to secure the southern border, short of several thousand dead US civilians. And maybe not even then.
[ARABNEWS] Pakistain's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... said he would not cave in to protests demanding his resignation, striking a defiant note in his first major speech since the crisis erupted two weeks ago.
Sharif told Parliament his government would not be thrown off course by the demonstrations led by Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, and would-be dictator, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran and Pakistain Awami Tehrik. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... and Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who isn't your heaviest-duty thinker, maybe not even among the top five... -- who later called off talks with the government for a second time.
Sharif told politicians his Pakistain Moslem League-N (PML-N) government would stay the course. "We are not going to be diverted by these things," he said.
"The journey for the supremacy of constitution and law in Pakistain will continue with full determination and, God willing, there will not be any interruption in it."
An extensive new survey of public sentiment, released on Wednesday, reveals that the ongoing demonstrations are hardly reflective of the views of most Paks.
The annual Pew Research Center survey found that 64 percent of Paks have a favorable view of Sharif.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] After the military issued a statement saying it was playing the role of controller in the ongoing political crisis at the government's behest, the interior minister lamented over what he called the misunderstandings being created on the mediation to manage the deadlock in Islamabad.
"The statement released by the ISPR first came to me," Chaudhry Nisar said, adding that he showed to the statement to the prime minister who also approved it.
"ISPR's statement is echoing the government's view," he said.
Nisar went on to explain the government's decision of engaging the army and said: "We asked who the protesting parties trusted to which they said they trusted the army...on this the government gave the army the responsibility to facilitate the process within the constitutional and legal ambit."
Expressing exasperation over the protests by Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) and Pakistain Awami Tehrik (PAT), Nisar said the blame-game and accusations made by two groups against the government was unfortunate.
He also referred to the varying versions of who called whom and who sought the military's role to mediate the crisis, Nisar said there was no need for "this misunderstanding but it was created on purpose" by forces who wanted to use the army for their political gains.
No one had requested the government to be made a guarantor or an arbitrator in the crisis, he said, adding that having the army as a guarantor and an arbitrator would be unconstitutional.
The army is totally apolitical and is working within its legal perimeters, the interior minister said, adding that the word "facilitate" and it was constitutionally viable.
"The facilitation being done by the army has been allowed and authorised by the government," he read out from his notes in an attempt to dispel the impression that the government may have relinquished, if not lost, control of the situation.
The interior minister said that if anyone has any grievances with the government, the solution to that was not to seek the prime minister's resignation as was being done.
He referred to the FIR registered over Model Town saying that it was strange that while the tragic incident had taken place in Lahore, the insistence was on for nominating the prime ministers and even federal ministers in the complaint.
Lamenting that groups had adopted the culture of threats and hurling abuses at the government to push forward their agendas, Nisar said, adding that it was the government's accommodating nature that had ensured that the requisite FIR was registered.
Nisar made clear that the government would allow no red lines to be crossed, adding that it was the duty of the country's law enforcement agencies and its armed forces to ensure that these are not crossed so Pakistain does not become a Banana Republic.
"We have tried to make sure that there is no loss of life, adding that if the protesters wanted to put the country's armed forces to test by standing in their way, it would expose that they do not have Pakistain's interests at heart," he said.
The minister warned that if the protesters engaged in violence, the consequences of that situation would be up to them and not the government.
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08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] As Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... and Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, and would-be dictator, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran and Pakistain Awami Tehrik. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... left their containers for separate meetings with the army chief on Thursday night, leaders from across the political spectrum regretted that things had to come to this juncture, where the military would get involved in a political issue.
The most significant reaction came from a PTI leader.
Former PML-N stalwart Javed Hashmi, who is known for his outspoken opposition to military's involvement in politics, said "After this, we will not be able to hold our heads high. It is shameful time for all politicians who, despite having the time, could not resolve the crisis on their own".
Speaking to a TV channel, he said that real democracy would only flourish in the country when politicians were able to make their own decisions. The most one can expect from the army is the role of a guarantor between two parties, said Mr Hashmi.
When pressed, Mr Hashmi explained he was known as "Mr Naraaz" within the party for his propensity towards taking principled stand. He stressed that he would never accept martial law in the country.
"This is end of democracy, the Constitution and supremacy of the parliament in the country," said retired Justice Tariq Mehmood when he heard of General Raheel Sharif's intervention to defuse the ongoing crisis.
This is the same Justice Mehmood who was at the forefront of the lawyers' movement, which was brought to fruition by the intervention of another military chief, Gen Sharif's predecessor Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani ... four star general, current Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army. Kayani is the former Director General of ISI... .
"I feel no shame in admitting that military intervention was wrong then and it is wrong now. But considering that all political parties in the country were trying to resolve the impasse, having the army chief mediating between the quarrelling sides is something which will be remembered as a moment of collective disgrace for all politicians across the political spectrum," he said, adding that Gen Kayani's involvement wasn't as overt as Gen Sharif's has been.
"I wonder how, after succumbing to military pressure, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... will face parliament, which has been supporting him throughout," he mused.
JI Emir Sirajul Haq ...current head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. Siraj was born in 1962 and entered politics shortly after that... had a more cautious response. He told a TV channel that if the army could intercede and end this crisis, well and good, but the military had no role in politics.
JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai had a similar response. "It is a failure of the politicians who could not resolve the crisis. But I welcome any deal that remains within the spirit of democracy and the Constitution of Pakistain," he said.
PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah, who is also leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, said he would ask the prime minister why the army chief had to be asked to mediate when nearly all political parties were present in the house and had offered their services to them.
Former Punjab governor and PPP leader Latif Khosa put the onus of the military's involvement in this crisis squarely on the ruling PML-N's shoulders. "After killing 14 innocent PAT workers, the Sharif brothers were unwilling even to register their FIR," he said, adding that the government's delaying tactics in dealing with PAT and PTI further complicated the situation.
Talking to DawnNews, prominent lawyer and rights activist Asma Jahangir criticised both Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan, saying that, "Those who had wasted 15 days must be discouraged."
Nearly all parliamentary parties and politicians pleaded with them, but they did not heed anyone's advice, she said. "Now, on a single phone call, they rush to Army House."
She bitterly criticised military's blatant involvement in political affairs, and said instead of using their proxies to destabilise the system, why don't they impose direct military rule.
ANP's Haji Adeel said it is wrong to make the military a political guarantor; parliament is the supreme guarantor. "This is a major failure for all politicians," he said.
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08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Days after calling off talks with Pakistain, and two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan, India on Thursday signalled its willingness to discuss the Kashmire issue with Islamabad in a bilateral format.
India's disruption of this month's proposed foreign secretaries' talks had set off strong disapproval of Mr Modi's decision across world capitals, including in Washington where the Indian prime minister is due to meet President Barack Obama I inhaled. That was the point... next month.
Japan, due to host Mr Modi for five days from Saturday, is a staunch supporter of India-Pakistain dialogue. Reports said Mr Modi was hoping to clinch a hitherto elusive civil nuclear supplies deal with Japan during the visit.
Reports said the latest affirmation of discussions on Kashmire came from Indian Foreign Ministry front man Syed Akbaruddin, who was reacting to Pakistain government's remarks that the Indo-Pak dialogue without discussions on Kashmire was "unacceptable".
"As regards engagement with Pakistain, we have made it very clear that we will engage in the framework of Simla agreement and Lahore Declaration and both these provide for discussing all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmire. Our view is very clear, a bilateral framework to discuss all outstanding issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmire," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[DAWN] ISLAMABAD: Police personnel on security duty at the sites of the sit-ins staged by the PTI and PAT seem to be fed up with their long hours duties.
During the last three days, over 400 police personnel were found disappeared from their places of duty at the Red Zone. Besides, some of the senior coppers have either gone on leave or were found not available at their duty points.
A senior police official on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that over 400 personnel from the Punjab police had disappeared from the high security area.
When the in-charges of the coppers were asked about the whereabouts of the coppers, they claimed that the officials had fallen ill.
"However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... only about 100 of the coppers were actually ill and needed medical rest," the officer said, adding the remaining coppers had left for their stations in Punjab without informing the authorities concerned.
He said the office of the inspector general of the capital police had been approached with a request to contact the Punjab police to take action against the officials. He said action was also sought against the in-charges of the coppers in the capital city for their failure to stop the officials from leaving their duty spots.
Similarly, a deputy superintendent of the capital police was found absent from his duty point. "He has only been communicating with his senior officers through the official wireless set from his office or home since August 15."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Are there donuts in Islamabad?
Posted by: Steven ||
08/30/2014 3:37 Comments ||
Top||
[DAWN] PPP Punjab President Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo has asked Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab... to resign after the court's direction to register a murder case against him (Shahbaz) and others for their alleged involvement in killings at Model Town on June 17.
"The court has ordered registration of a case over the Model Town incident. Now Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should honour his commitment and resign forthwith," Wattoo told a news conference here on Thursday.
He said a peaceful procession was the fundamental right of people under democracy and it did not require any administrative action.
"The use of brutal force in Model Town against the unarmed Pakistain Awami Tehrik (PAT) workers was totally unjustified," he said, adding the Model Town incident had aggravated the already volatile situation in the country.
Mr Wattoo said it was the government's responsibility to take initiative in resolving the crisis in the wake of sit-ins by the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... and PAT. He said had the government responded to the demand of the PTI earlier by opening the four constituencies of Lahore for votes' verification the crisis would not have arisen.
The PPP leader said his party continued supporting democracy and it would oppose any move against the democratic process.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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That'd be Samiul Haq's madrassa. Remember he was the Pak govt negotiator with the Pak Talibs? [Tolo News] Deputy head of the largest Islamic training center, Darul Uloom Haqqania Madrassa located in Pakistain, called on the Taliban to fight against the Afghan government and foreign troops on Monday during an exclusive interview with TOLOnews.
Reports indicate that Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... , the notorious Taliban leader, has awarded the madrassa many times in training newcomers to fight.
"We call on the Afghan Taliban's and ask them what relations do the thousands of foreign troops have with Afghanistan?" asked Mawlana Hafiz-ul-Haq Haqqani, deputy head of the Darul Uloom Haqqania Madrassa. "They should fight against them [foreign troops] and the Afghan government."
More than 4,000 Afghan and Pakistain Taliban are currently being trained by the madrassa. Those who have completed their training join either willingly or forcefully are sent off to fight in Afghanistan targeting military and non-military personnel.
According to a number of Pak political experts, during the soviet invasion in Afghanistan many members of the Mujahidin were trained by the madrassa and sent out to defend the country.
"Those who fought against the soviet troops alongside the Mujahidin were trained by the Pak madrassas," Mohammad Jan Babur, Pak journalist, said.
Political analyst in Pakistain, Shamim Shahid, said the "Taliban regime in Afghanistan are graduates of Pakistain's madrassas."
The Haqqania Madrassa trains more than 4,000 students, but Pakistain has roughly 16,000 active madrassas in the country, of which almost 600,000 students are learning.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Ulema Islami
#1
just more proof that we are fighting pakistan in afghanistan.
Posted by: Paul D ||
08/30/2014 5:15 Comments ||
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Pakistan’s prime minister distanced himself from an army move to intervene in the crisis on Friday, saying he was not turning to the military for help to defuse the stand-off.
So Nawaz is finding it difficult to ride the tiger, is he?
But in an embarrassing twist for the prime minister, the army swiftly denied this, saying it had been specifically instructed by the government to step in.
Nawaz Sharif’s efforts to end the conflict have repeatedly failed in recent days, leaving Pakistan locked in a dangerous deadlock with thousands of protesters massing outside parliament for weeks in a country that has seen a string of military coups.
Opposition leaders Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri announced late on Thursday they would directly negotiate with army chief General Raheel Sharif. Both men later held talks with the general. Qadri has not commented on the discussions while Khan said the army would act as a guarantor on one of his key demands, for an investigation into his accusations of fraud in an election last year.
Addressing parliament on Friday, Sharif said he had nothing to do with the army’s decision to step into the conflict. “The army did not ask to play the role of mediator, neither have we requested them to play such a role,” he told the assembly where he enjoys a strong majority. Sharif added that he had not objected to both Khan and Qadri meeting the army chief. “If ... they want to meet the army chief then they should certainly meet,” he said.
However, the army’s Press wing quickly tweeted: “(The army chief) was asked by the Govt to play facilitative role for resolution of current impasse, in yesterday’s meeting, at (Sharif’s) House.”
The army’s involvement is likely to unnerve some Pakistanis but it also offers Khan and Qadri a face-saving solution to end their deadlocked protest as both are seen as close to the military.
Thousands of Qadri and Khan supporters have camped since August 15 in Islamabad’s so-called Red Zone. But as the protest movement began to lose steam following the army’s intervention, only about 1,000 people remained there on Friday compared with about 10,000 late on Thursday. When Khan turned up to make another speech on Friday afternoon, he addressed an almost empty site. “Freedom or death — those are my two choices. The jinn has left the lamp and can’t go back in,” he said from atop a shipping container.
Many protesters said they felt deflated after two weeks of rallying. “What was the point of sitting here for two weeks and saying we are here to find a peaceful, political solution if we were going to go running to the army?” said Sidra Faisal.
"I could have been studying for my board exams!"
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Pak troops have recovered a prominent academic held for four years by the Taliban in the country's troubled northwest, officials said on Friday.
The Pak Taliban kidnapped Ajmal Khan, vice-chancellor of Islamia College University Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. , the capital of northwestern troubled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... province, in September 2010.
A security bigshot in Peshawar told AFP that Khan was recovered from "an operational area in North Wazoo tribal district".
The Pak military has been waging a major assault against Taliban strongholds in North Waziristan since mid-June.
A statement from the Pakistain military said "security forces safely recovered Mr Ajmal Khan" but gave no details of how he came to be freed.
It said: "Security forces and intelligence agencies were trying to locate Ajmal Khan since 8 September 2010 when he was kidnapped in Peshawar while he was going to the university."
Ajmal had appeared in several video messages asking the government to negotiate his release with Pakistain's Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) movement, which began a bloody insurgency against the state in 2007.
Government officials said despite many rounds of back-channel talks in the past, Taliban had refused to release Khan, demanding the release of important Taliban capos held by security forces.
Pakistain rights activists, university teaching staff and students in the northwest had protested against Khan's kidnapping many times but all efforts to recover him were futile.
Northwest Pakistain suffers from chronic insecurity, largely connected to the semi-autonomous tribal belt near the Afghan border.
[ArutzSheva] Elite Israeli cyber-defenders repelled attack during Protective Edge; concerns hackers could seek to take control of armed drones.
The IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) prevented a major cyber attack on Israel during Operation Protective Edge, military officials say.
According to the IDF's official blog, the unprecedented attack was carried out by anti-Israel hackers "from all over the world", aided by the Iranian government. The coordinated attack was timed to coincide with Al Quds (Jerusalem) Day, the yearly anti-Israel event organised worldwide by the Iranian regime.
The IDF's cyber defense division was drafted in to mount a defense as hackers mounted a systematic attempt to take down Israeli websites. It was joined by the Shin Bet security services, which recently revealed it had set up an elite cyber-defense unit to defend against precisely such an eventuality.
The incident underscored how at the same time as Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, and Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... are improving their rocket and tunnel capabilities, Israeli cyberspace also faces a real threat from an increasingly innovative enemy.
"It wasn't like this in previous operations," said Col. N, who heads the army's cyber defense division. "For the first time, there was an organized cyber defense effort alongside combat operations in the field. This was a new reality."
While previous cyber attacks were either the work of lone individuals or relatively amateurish hacker collectives, this latest attempt was far more professional.
"Today, they're organizing much more quickly, and it takes them much less time to carry out powerful strikes," Col. N added. "During Operation Protective Edge, we saw attacks on a greater scale and on a more sophisticated level. A significant amount of thought and investment stood behind the attacks we saw."
And possibly indicating an even deeper level of coordination with terrorist networks on the ground, he described how the cyber escalation ebbed and flowed in-tandem with an increase in physical hostilities.
"There was a direct connection between the progression of the fighting and cyber attacks. Once the IDF began its ground operation, there was a surge in the number of attacks and their level of sophistication."
Ultimately, the attack was repelled by Israel's own elite units of cyber-defenders, but Col. N. warned this would certainly not be the last such attack.
He outlined several nightmare scenarios which the IDF was preparing for, including attempts to hack the military's computer system to gain control of its own armed drones and use them to attack Israel. Hackers could also seek to shut down or disrupt the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange or the Israeli electrical grid.
Major terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, together with Iran, were already showing an increasing interest in the field of cyber terror. And as the IDF becomes increasingly adept at dealing with physical threats such as rockets, its enemies are seeking new avenues of attack.
"There is a significant amount of development in the cyber field," Colonel N. explained. "This is a field that [these groups] are already involved in ... and all of these groups share information."
"I won't be surprised if, next time, we meet [terrorists] in the cyber dimension," he said.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
The rare and deadly COBOL end-0f-record attack.
[Iran Press TV] Iran has finished manufacturing a homegrown missile defense system, which is as powerful as the S-300 system that Russia refused to deliver to the Islamic Theocratic Republic.
The Fars news agency published on Friday the first images of the long-range Bavar-373 missile defense system, saying that it is meant to carry the message of self-sufficiency of Iranian armed forces to the world.
Last February, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said the missile is expected to be ready by March 2015.
He said the infrastructure for manufacturing Bavar-373 were prepared and the "bottlenecks" in the project were removed.
Under a contract signed in 2007, Russia was obliged to provide Iran with at least five S-300 defense systems.
However, alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... Moscow refused to deliver the system to Iran under the pretext that it is covered by the fourth round of the United Nations ...where theory meets practice and practice loses... Security Council sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear energy program.
Over the past years, Iran has attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.
On August 24, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani unveiled two marine cruise missiles, Ghadir and Nasr-e Basir, as well as two unmanned aerial vehicles, Karrar-4 and Mohajer-4, during a ceremony in Tehran.
The Islamic Theocratic Republic has so far designed and manufactured a variety of indigenous missiles, including Sayyad-2, Khalij-e-Fars (Persian Gulf), Mehrab (Altar), Ra'd (Thunder), Qader (Mighty), Nour (Light) and Zafar (Triumph).
Iran unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range combat drone, the Karrar (Striker), on August 23, 2010. Since then the country has manufactured a variety of other high-tech surveillance and combat unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Islamic Theocratic Republic has repeatedly assured its neighbors that its military might poses no threat to other countries, insisting that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
....Commentators have noted the only real threat to deployment of the Bavar-373 is the current embargo on Estes D-class motors.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/30/2014 7:12 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Beat me to it, Mike.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
08/30/2014 10:06 Comments ||
Top||
#3
It's a two stage system, one is called the ballista and the other is called the catapault designed and by top men. Top men!
[Iran Press TV] About 75 members of a UN peacekeeping force besieged by Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed... Lions of Islam in Syria say they are ready to use force to defend themselves.
The UN peacekeepers, all from the Philippines, are stationed in the Golan Heights and are trapped in two separate defense bases established by the UN.
Sources say Lions of Islam have surrounded the UN bases, demanding that they surrender their weapons and the bases.
This comes as foreign-backed Lions of Islam in the region are holding a separate group of 43 peacekeepers from Fiji. Talks with the gunnies are underway to free the hostages.
The United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Security Council has strongly condemned the assaults against the peacekeepers. A number of countries including Iran have also slammed the abductions in Golan.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: al-Nusra
[Foreign Policy] ANTAKYA, Turkey �-- Abu Ali, a commander of a moderate Syrian rebel group in northern Syria, proudly shows a black laptop partly covered in dust. "We took it this year from an ISIS hideout," he says.
Abu Ali says the fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which have since rebranded themselves as the Islamic State, all fled before he and his men attacked the building. The attack occurred in January in a village in the Syrian province of Idlib, close to the border with Turkey, as part of a larger anti-ISIS offensive occurring at the time. "We found the laptop and the power cord in a room," he continued, "I took it with me. But I have no clue if it still works or if it contains anything interesting."
As we switched on the Dell laptop, it indeed still worked. Nor was it password-protected. But then came a huge disappointment: After we clicked on "My Computer," all the drives appeared empty.
Appearances, however, can be deceiving. Upon closer inspection, the ISIS laptop wasn't empty at all: Buried in the "hidden files" section of the computer were 146 gigabytes of material, containing a total of 35,347 files in 2,367 folders. Abu Ali allowed us to copy all these files -- which included documents in French, English, and Arabic -- onto an external hard drive.
The laptop's contents turn out to be a treasure trove of documents that provide ideological justifications for jihadi organizations -- and practical training on how to carry out the Islamic State's deadly campaigns. They include videos of Osama bin Laden, manuals on how to make bombs, instructions for stealing cars, and lessons on how to use disguises in order to avoid getting arrested while traveling from one jihadi hot spot to another.
But after hours upon hours of scrolling through the documents, it became clear that the ISIS laptop contains more than the typical propaganda and instruction manuals used by jihadists. The documents also suggest that the laptop's owner was teaching himself about the use of biological weaponry, in preparation for a potential attack that would have shocked the world.
The information on the laptop makes clear that its owner is a Tunisian national named Muhammed S. who joined ISIS in Syria and who studied chemistry and physics at two universities in Tunisia's northeast. Even more disturbing is how he planned to use that education:
The ISIS laptop contains a 19-page document in Arabic on how to develop biological weapons and how to weaponize the bubonic plague from infected animals. Not mentioned here is on Tuesday, the terrorist group [ISIS] offered her [captured American Aid worker] freedom in exchange for $6.6 million and the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist with ties to al Qaeda, who is serving an 86-year prison term in the mental health unit at the federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas. Today's elevation of the UK's terrorist threat level to "Severe" was reportedly based on "no specific intelligence." If permitted to speak freely, I'd wager the lads at Porton Down might have a slightly different take. Interestingly [or possibly not] I've seen nothing from the UN on the discovered laptop.
Posted by: Besoeker ||
08/30/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
[Ynet] The United States has delivered the first shipment of weapons to Leb to help bolster its military as it faces a growing threat from Islamic snuffies amid the fallout from neighboring Syria's civil war.
The weapons were displayed at the Beirut military air base on Friday after arriving earlier this week. The shipment included anti-tank artillery, mortars and rifles. A sample of the weapons was placed on a white satin-covered table with camouflage netting.
Earlier this month US Ambassador David Hale announced the deliveries and said they were in response to a request from the Lebanese armed forces for emergency assistance after Islamic snuffies overran a Lebanese town near the Syrian border, killing and kidnapping soldiers.
Since 2006, the US has given Leb more than $1 billion in military assistance.
[AnNahar] More than three million Syrians have fled the civil war ravaging their country to become refugees -- a million of them in the past year alone, the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... said Friday.
"Syria's intensifying refugee crisis will today surpass a record three million people," the U.N.'s refugee agency said in a statement, adding that the number did not include hundreds of thousands of others who fled without registering as refugees.
Less than a year ago, the number of registered Syrian refugees stood at two million, UNHCR said, pointing to reports of "increasingly horrifying conditions inside the country" to explain the surge.
It described "cities where populations are surrounded, people are going hungry and civilians are being targeted or indiscriminately killed."
The increasingly fragmented conflict raging in Syria has claimed more than 191,000 lives since erupting in March 2011.
In addition to the refugees, the violence has also displaced 6.5 million people within the country, meaning that nearly 50 percent of all Syrians have been forced to flee their homes, UNHCR said.
Over half of all those who have been uprooted are children, it lamented.
- Enormous strain on neighbors -
Most of the Syrian refugees have found their way to neighboring countries, with Leb hosting 1.14 million, Jordan 608,000 and Turkey 815,000.
The strain on the host countries' economies, infrastructures and resources is "enormous", UNHCR stressed, adding that nearly 40 percent of the refugees were living in sub-standard conditions.
The agency said its work to help the Syrian refugees now marked the largest operation in its 64-year-history.
"The Syrian crisis has become the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of refugees and the countries hosting them," U.N. refugee chief Antonio Guterres said in the statement.
"The response to the Syrian crisis has been generous, but the bitter truth is that it falls far short of what's needed," he added.
Donors have handed over more than $4.1 billion to help those affected by the conflict, but UNHCR said another $2.0 billion was needed by the end of this year alone to meet the urgent needs of the refugees.
David Miliband, former British foreign secretary and the current head of the International Rescue Committee, was quick to react to the new refugee tally.
"The three million refugees from the Syria conflict represent three million indictments of government brutality, opposition violence and international failure," he said in a statement.
"This appalling milestone needs to generate action as well as anger," he said, also calling for "greatly increased efforts" to reduce the suffering of civilians left inside Syria.
Action: require the refugees to provide manpower to help defend their refuge by becoming soldiers in this existential war for the Arab world. Sunni, Shiite, or other, they all chose against the taqfiris when they fled, and their families will suffer equally should that refuge be overrun. Any Fifth Columnists found among them -- or among the refugee population as a whole -- to be summarily shot, of course. Trials are for peacetime.
- Fleeing Syria 'last resort' -
UNHCR meanwhile decried that "increasing numbers of families are arriving (in neighboring countries) in a shocking state, exhausted, scared and with their saving depleted."
"Most have been on the run for a year or more, fleeing from village to village before taking the final decision to leave," it added, pointing out that for most of the one in eight Syrians who have become refugees, crossing the border was a last resort.
More than half of those arriving in Leb had fled at least once before crossing the border, while one in 10 had fled more than three times, UNHCR said, adding that one woman claimed to have moved no fewer than 20 times before crossing into Leb.
Meanwhile there are worrying signs that the journey out of Syria is becoming more difficult, the agency said.
Many people are being forced to pay bribes at a growing number of armed checkpoints along the borders, and those crossing the desert into eastern Jordan are being forced to pay smugglers hefty sums to take them to safety, it said.
The agency also voiced deep concern for several hundred Syrians trapped inside the remote al-Obaidi refugee camp in Iraq after U.N. agencies and other groups were forced to abandon their offices and warehouses as the region became overrun by Islamic State jihadists.
"National partners are continuing to provide supplies and maintenance, but the situation is volatile," it said.
[AnNahar] Talks were underway Friday to release 43 Fijian peacekeepers taken hostage by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights, the Pacific nation's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said.
Bainimarama said the peacekeepers were believed to be safe and his government was working closely with the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... to secure their release.
"The latest information we have is that they are safe and I can say now that the negotiations for their release have already begun," he said in a statement.
"I want to assure the families of the soldiers we are doing everything possible to secure their safe return."
Bainimarama said Fiji was "united as a nation in praying for their safe return".
"These men are peacekeepers, not combatants in the Syrian conflict, and there is no need for them to be detained," he said.
The Fijians, who were on duty in a U.N.-patrolled zone, were taken hostage by about 150 Syrian rebels on Thursday.
About 75 Philippine peacekeepers who refused to surrender were involved in a tense standoff with gangs in the same area, Philippine officials said.
[JPOST] The organization calling itself the Islamic State has risen from the fog of war in Syria and Iraq in recent months and drawn the attention of the world with major victories on both sides of the Euphrates River that have claimed swaths of territory for its declared caliphate, or Islamic State.
Now in the organization's new English language publication, Dabiq, aimed at young Moslems in western states, the bad boy organization declared, "Islamic State will do everything within its means to continue striking down every apostate who stands as an obstacle on its path towards Paleostine."
Denouncing the ineffectiveness of other Arab states and organizations in carrying out the "will of Allah," the magazine vows that, "Its [Islamic State's] actions speak louder than its words and it is only a matter of time and patience before it reaches Paleostine to fight the barbaric Jews and kill those of them hiding behind the gharqad trees -- the trees of the jews."
The Islamic State recently brought attention to the large and growing number of westerners in its ranks with the video of American journalist James Foley's execution, at the hands of a masked IS krazed killer speaking English in a British accent.
The shocking video and revelation that the American hostage's killer might be a British citizen turned jihadist led a man hunt to identify the man. Assessments by Britannia's two intelligence and security agencies led to the positive identification of 23-year-old British-born Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, nicknamed "Jihadi John" by his colleagues.
Western countries are well aware of the issue. "I don't think this video changes anything. It just heightens awareness of a situation which is very grave and which we've been working on for several months." British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC.
Now the Islamic State is producing a slick new magazine in English which caters to potential recruits around the world to answer the "call to Hijrah," migration to the Islamic State.
The publication does away with the often poetic translation of Arab prose found in other jihadist propoganda and writes in plain English that young Moslems in Europe or the United States can relate to.
The publication's second issue opens by telling its readers, "The first priority is to perform hijrah from wherever you are to the Islamic State. From the state of the infidel to the state of Islam."
Al-Qaeda has an English language publication of its own titled Inspire, but the Islamic State's new periodical demonstrates the movement's prowess in creating an image for itself with graphic illustrations and a slick format. Captioned high quality pictures show Islamic State jihadists, or mujahadeen, in the field and graphically gruesome executions of the movement's enemies.
In everything it does, Islamic State's writers justify the movement's terrorist activities and krazed killer strategy with the movement's overall aspiration to establish a caliphate, or state ruled by the movement's strict interpretation of Islamic Law.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2014 10:50 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
They are choosing...unwisely.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/30/2014 12:50 Comments ||
Top||
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Money? No, my New Jersey constituents provide me with plenty of money. I have other needs.... 
[ARABNEWS] Pakistain's Prime Minister 
[Tolo News] Deputy head of the largest Islamic training center, Darul Uloom Haqqania Madrassa located in Pakistain, called on the Taliban to fight against the Afghan government and foreign troops on Monday during an exclusive interview with TOLOnews..png)
Wazoo
[Iran Press TV] Iran has finished manufacturing a homegrown missile defense system, which is as powerful as the S-300 system that Russia refused to deliver to the 
[JPOST] The organization calling itself the Islamic State has risen from the fog of war in Syria and Iraq in recent months and drawn the attention of the world with major victories on both sides of the Euphrates River that have claimed swaths of territory for its declared caliphate, or Islamic State.
