[Tolo News] A number of Afghan politicians on Wednesday condemned the recent remarks made by controversial Pak holy man Maulana Fazlurrahman in which he called for war to continue in Afghanistan until all foreign troops withdraw from the country.
The firebrand ...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments... holy man has long been associated with the Taliban, but his remarks last week have received significant attention because they were made just as President Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. arrived in Pakistain to meet with military and intelligence officials about reconciliation talks with the Taliban. Fazlurrahman was a member if the Pak delegation in the meetings with the Afghan president.
"We believe that the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is not permissible and defensive efforts will continue against it, we demand the internal security of Afghanistan," Fazlurrahman told news hounds just a couple hours after sitting down with Ghani.
The MPs on Wednesday called for the Afghan Council of Religious Scholars to rebuke the Pak holy man's stance, and criticized the national unity government for remaining silent in the wake of the remarks.
Others took aim at Pakistain, which many in Parliament and in the Afghan intelligence services have claimed offers covert support for the Taliban, al-Qaeda and other hard boy groups in the region. Many of the MPs remember the 1990s when the Pak military did not try to hide it's support for the Taliban in Afghanistan.
"There are brothels in Pakistain that pay taxes to the Pak government, the British laws still dominate that country, and foreign bases also exist in Pakistain; all infidelities exist there so how does this holy man dare justify war in Afghanistan," Laghman MP Naqibullah said.
The government in Kabul and its NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... allies, many of which provide significant financial aid to Pakistain, have asked Islamabad repeatedly to crack down on bully boyz and help get them to the negotiating table. But the rhetoric used by Pak officials, often supportive and peace-minded, has rarely been backed up by action.
"This indicates clear interference in Afghanistan and in contradiction to international charters," Afghan Parliament Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said in response to the holy man's comments. "The people of Afghanistan are doubtful about Pakistain's independence and how he dares to come and teach us about Jihad."
This wasn't the first time that a Pak holy man tried to justify war in Afghanistan. Previously the head of the Pak Ulema Council had also tried to legitimize war in Afghanistan and declared it Jihad against foreign invaders.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Ulema Islami
#1
Until the muslim world teaches tolerance of other religions there will never be peace!
Posted by: Paul D ||
11/20/2014 6:08 Comments ||
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[DAWN] Former president Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... insisted on Wednesday that Afghanistan would not allow itself to become the battleground in a proxy war between India and Pakistain after the imminent departure of US-led troops.
Speaking in New Delhi, Karzai angrily rejected warnings by his one-time counterpart in Islamabad Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... that India and Pakistain could coopt allies among Afghanistan's main ethnic groups to effectively wage war against each other, saying such claims were "hurtful".
"Of course Afghanistan will not allow a proxy war between Pakistain and India," Karzai said in an address to a thinktank, saying he was "sure" India wouldn't allow such a scenario either.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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GAROWE, Somalia -- Amidst damaging political deadlock, Somalia donors gathered for a summit discussing New Deal Compact for Reconstruction and Development on Wednesday, Garowe Online reports.
More than 140 countries attended the two-day high level partnership forum on Somalia that is being co-chaired by Federal Government of Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and United Nations under-secretary general for political affairs Jeffrey D. Feltman.
Go for amnesty while you're at it...
Speaking at the event, President Mohamud noted that New deal Somali Compact became a testament to the partnership between the war-ravaged horn of Africa nation and the international community. He added that his administration laid the basic building blocks of state reform, developed legal frameworks, re-structured key institutions, developed the path for political reform and put in place the architecture for linking international support to Somalia priorities through the New Deal Compact.
He also cured cancer, ended poverty and stopped the heartbreak of psoriasis...
On his side, D. Feltman told participants that Somalia can't afford to relapse into anarchy and division.
The political infighting between President and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed was also raised in the two-day ministerial forum on Somalia, with the donors asking the two to bring the dispute to an end.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[MAGHAREBIA] Mauritania just approved an increase in the time allocated for Islamic and religious education (IMCR) in secondary schools.
As a result of the decision by the education minister, religion will now be a compulsory subject for the baccalaureate.
The November 4th move, which was welcomed by pupils and civil society organisations, aims at initiating young people into a moderate, middle-ground form of Islam, teaching the virtues of the religion and avoiding false interpretations that lead to extremism.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Egyptian popular music singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim received death threats after the release of his song in which he mocks and condemns the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Death Eater group, the Arabic website for the Al Arabiya News Channel reported.
ISIS supporters attacked Abdel Rahim on several social media platforms, Al Arabiya.Net reported, adding that they issued several fatwas, or edicts, decreeing his death.
To which Abdel Rahim responded: "I will leave it to God."
The veteran artist received a phone call Tuesday morning from a man who spoke in a "Levantine accent," he told Al Arabiya.Net.
After questioning Abdel Rahim about his song, the man warned the singer he could be "assassinated" for mocking the Death Eater group and its self-proclaimed emir, His Supreme Immensity, Caliph of the Faithful and Galactic Overlord, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ...formerly merely the head of ISIL and a veteran of the Bagram jailhouse. Looks like a new messiah to bajillions of Moslems, like just another dead-eyed mass murder to the rest of us... .
In his song, the singer addresses Baghdadi as a bored "Emir of criminals" and describes ISIS turbans a "bunch of crazies."
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday added to its terror list a Libyan Islamist group accused of involvement in the September 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador and three other Americans.
The Security Council slapped sanctions on Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libyaand Yemen, with the Libyan versions currently most active. Tunisia's Shabaab al-Tawhid started out an Ansar al-Sharia and changed its name in early 2014. It still uses the old name now and then, probably because the stationery's not all used up and the web site hasn't expired yet... for its ties to Al-Qaeda, diplomats said, with an arms embargo, assets freeze and global travel ban targeting the holy warriors going into force at the request of Britannia, La Belle France and the United States.
The measure targets Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi and its sister group Ansar al-Sharia Derna, which both have links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other violent hard boy outfits.
In October, Ansar al-Sharia Derna pledged allegiance to the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS), the Islamist group that has seized control of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Since 2012, the Benghazi wing has operated several training camps mainly to help gangs in Iraq and Syria and to a lesser extent in Mali, according to the request filed by the three countries.
Twelve of the 24 jihadists who attacked the Algerian In Amenas gas complex in 2013 trained in the camps of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi, Libya's second city, documents said.
More recently, the group has conducted several attacks on Libyan security forces, it added.
Ansar al-Sharia Derna also took part in the 2012 attack on the US mission and is operating camps in the northeastern Derna and Jebel Akhdar regions to train fighters for Iraq and Syria.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in September told a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that the group should face sanctions as part of efforts to prevent Libya from sliding further into violence.
Diplomats said the blacklisting of Ansar al-Sharia would help sideline hardliners at a time when 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... is engaged in dialogue with various Islamist militias and the government on restoring order in Libya.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Ansar al-Sharia
#1
Won't the UN ever learn you do not negotiate with fanatics? Negotiations are a stalling tactic to them keep you at the conference table and continue to kill people while you sit.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday called on regional ally Egypt to back a reconciliation agreement reached between Gulf states and Qatar following months of tensions linked to last year's removal of Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi.
In his first public comments since reaching the accord with Qatar, King Abdullah asked that Egypt support the agreement, which he hailed as "a new page" in relations. "I appeal to the people and leadership of Egypt to seek with us the success of this step in the march of Arab solidarity," he said in remarks carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Mr. Big speaks, and youse guys better listen...
King Abdullah said Saudi Arabia looked forward "to the start of a new phase of consensus" among Arab nations. He voiced hope for "security and stability for our people amid these circumstances and challenges" facing the region.
He said his country fully supported Egypt in the Gulf agreement with Qatar. Details of the agreement, which also involved Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, have not been made public.
King Abdullah said that his country was keen to resolve the dispute in the face of challenges facing Arab and Muslim nations.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
I imagine that Egypt will restore relations with Qatar only after all major Muslim Brotherhood figures have left the country.
WASHINGTON -- North Korea's main nuclear reactor is believed to have been shut down for more than two months amid signs Pyongyang may be preparing to restart the nearby reprocessing facility to extract weapons-grade plutonium from spent fuel, a U.S. think tank said Wednesday.
Satellite imagery shows that the 5-megawatt reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been closed for about 10 weeks, longer than what is required for routine maintenance, according to 38 North, a website run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
The assessment was made based on the continued absence of two key indicators of reactor operations: vented steam and discharged water. Neither was seen in imagery from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3, said 38 North in a report.
"New evidence is accumulating that suggests the shutdown may have allowed the North to remove a limited number of fuel rods, possibly failed, from the reactor, and Pyongyang may be preparing to restart the Radiochemical Laboratory," where spent fuel rods are reprocessed to extract weapons-grade plutonium, 38 North said.
It is not clear why the reactor was shut down, but speculation has focused on such possibilities as routine maintenance; more serious problems, possibly with the cooling systems; a partial unloading of fuel rods, possibly defective; and the removal of the entire core, the report said.
Remove the fuel rods so as to extract the plutonium?
Evidence from the most recent imagery seems to reinforce the hypothesis of a partial unloading of fuel rods, the report said. Those rods would be transported underground from the reactor to the spent fuel cooling pond and then moved to the reprocessing facility by vehicles.
The shutdown assessment could run counter to that of South Korea's government. Seoul's foreign minister, Yun Byung-se, said he believes the reactor was up and running.
It was not clear if Seoul still stands by the assessment.
With regard to the reprocessing facility, there was little activity throughout the summer and into the fall. However, on Nov. 4, steam was seen rising from a large cooling tower at auxiliary buildings just southeast of the plutonium separation building. Such steam is consistent with activities before commencing operations.
In the same image, three vehicles -- two trucks and one unidentified vehicle -- were seen on the road in front of the door to the reprocessing complex building, to which spent fuel rods are transported for reprocessing. Satellite imagery also showed piles of gray material outside the old pilot fuel fabrication facility, which may indicate that a chemical process is taking place, possibly related to the production of new rods for the 5-megawatt reactor.
38 North said Pyongyang may also be trying to mask indicators of reactor operations. The imagery taken on Oct. 28 indicates that the North may be building a new pipeline running from the pipe that carries hot water and steam from the reactor turbine building to the river, a move that would complicate future efforts to monitor reactor operations, 38 North said.
"Observing the white froth from the steam and water discharged into the river helped private analysts determine that the reactor restarted in August 2013 as well as the short period when it has been shut down over the past year," it said. "Without this indicator, determining what is happening at the facility will become more difficult."
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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At the UN General Assembly in New York last September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set aside time for a critical meeting. But it wasn't President Barack Obama he was keen to see. It was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Since Modi came to power in May, ties between Israel and India have been in overdrive, with the two signing a series of defence and technology deals that have underscored their burgeoning commercial and political relationship.
The same month as the UN meeting, Modi's cabinet cleared a long-delayed purchase of Israeli missiles for its navy. In October, India closed a $520 million deal to buy Israeli anti-tank missiles. And last week, a jointly developed aerial defence system passed a major trial, which India called a "milestone".
India is steadily catching up with China as it buys more Israeli defense and cyber-security technology, an area where China is limited since the United States frowns on Israel dealing too freely with Beijing in defence matters.
[BBC] Days after a Pentagon report accused Pakistain of harbouring Death Eaters who wage war against Afghanistan and India, its army chief is in the US meeting top military officials and Congressmen.
Raheel Sharif's visit, the first by any Mighty Pak Army chief in four years, comes at a time when the US is in the final stages of its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Officials say the US may not need Pakistain's ports and roads as before to sustain its Afghanistan operations, but the engagement between the two nations will continue.
The relationship took a heavy blow following the US raid in Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... to kill the late Osama bin Laden ... who is no longer with us, and won't be again... , but efforts have been made over the past year to rebuild the military ties.
Mr Sharif, after taking over the post last year, has overseen a major military operation against Islamists in the tribal areas of Pakistain, a long-pending US demand.
Experts say Islamabad is using this as a way to extract a commitment from the US regarding enhanced engagement and continuation of military aid to Pakistain post-2014.
Signs of thawing relations between Afghanistan and Pakistain have helped create some positive vibes in the US towards its uncertain ally.
But there still remains a huge trust deficit.
Many officials and members of Congress have openly expressed frustration at Pakistain's efforts to combat murderous Moslem groups like the Haqqani Network, who pose a direct threat to US interests.
Earlier this year the US had to free five top Taliban fighters from the Guantanamo Bay prison to secure the release of one of its soldiers, Pvt Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, who was allegedly in the captivity of the Haqqani Network.
The deal left many Pentagon officials cringing. They believed Sgt Bergdahl could have been snatched from the Haqqanis if the Pak Army had extended its cooperation.
"They placed a higher value on their relationship with the Haqqanis than they did on their relationship with the United States, " said former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sedney.
Incidents like these have led many in Congress to question the effectiveness of this strategic partnership.
With the ongoing military operation against Death Eaters in North Wazoo, the army chief has tried to convey that Pakistain no longer discriminates between murderous Moslems and it has no favourites.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Dont trust Pakistan as they have more jihadi organistions than any other country in the world.
Some of the army still live in Zia's mindset.
Once this country shows/teaches religious tolerance then build a relationship.
In the meantime fund/support multi religious India and keep Pakistans jihadi ideology out of Afghanistan.
Cut aid till they mend their ways which wont be soon seeing what the Foreign minister said recently that not all American enemies are theirs!
Posted by: Paul D ||
11/20/2014 6:02 Comments ||
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#2
Till we purge the State Department. Can leave the janitors and night watchmen.
#3
It would be nice, when the last Americans are out of Afghanistan, to raid Pakistan and destroy their nukes.
When they complain ask them how long they covered for the man that killed 3000 Americans and how lucky they are that we don't blow the living hell out of them as accomplices.
#4
Since Pakistain is a failed state AND a collection of ethnic groups, religions, and barren lands that no one else wanted, I would say the discussion is moot. Pakistan will continue to devolve into utter and complete anarchy and when it no longer has a functioning government, there is no need for diplomatic relations with a collection of tribes, jihadist groups, and genuine nutjob fanatics.
[DAWN] Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif said Pakistain's operation against holy warriors in the country's tribal region was affected by Indian troops' continuous violation of ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary (WB), said a report published by BBC Urdu.
An official in Washington told BBC Urdu, on condition of anonymity, that during his first visit to the United States, the army chief had said that heavy firing by Indian troops along the border and statements issued by their leaders were affecting Pakistain's campaign in fighting against extremism.
Gen Raheel told US officials that Pakistain has deployed 140,000 troops on its Western borders after getting assurance that there would be peace with India on its Eastern borders which did not happen.
However, you can observe a lot just by watching... there was no word on Gen Raheel's statement by the US, but experts often say that the US now avoids interfering in India-Pakistain matters.
Frequency of ceasefire violation along the LoC and working boundary has increased during the past several weeks. Pakistain has also established diplomatic channels to communicate with India over the issue. More than 19 people have bit the dust on both sides as a result of the cross-border conflict.
Gen Raheel was expected to meet US congressmen on Wednesday (today) where he would brief them on the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb ..the Pak offensive against Qaeda in Pakistain and the Pak Taliban in North Wazoo. The name refers to the sword of the Prophet (PTUI!)... in North Wazoo. Issues related to US-Pakistain long-term strategic partnership post-withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan would also be discussed during the meeting.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Number of Polio cases rises to 12 in Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... this year as another case has been surfaced in district Killa Abdullah on Wednesday, health officials said.
Despite repeated claims by the Balochistan government, polio ...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set... cases are being reported from different parts of the province.
The latest victim of the crippling virus was identified as 14-month-old Bahadur, a resident of Daman Ashezai in Chaman, Pakistain's bordering town with Afghanistan.
According to health officials, Bahadur had received four dozes of the anti polio vaccine. But, he fell prey to the crippling disease. This case has surfaced days after a three-day anti polio campaign in 11 districts of Balochistan.
Children below the age of five years were administered polio drops. Most of the cases were reported from Quetta and Killa Abdullah districts. However, by candlelight every wench is handsome... one case was reported from Balochistan's Zhob district.
Balochistan remained polio-free for almost more than two years before the first polio case was reported in July this year from Maizai Addah area of district Killa Abdullah.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The controversial interview of Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz ...Adviser to Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs, who believes in good jihadis and bad jihadis as a matter of national policy... with BBC is continuously under criticism by his political opponent and opposition in the upper House of the Parliament, which has sought an explanation through a calling attention notice on Wednesday.
Aziz had told BBC Urdu that Pakistain was not going to target krazed killer groups that do not "pose a threat to the state".
The statement received harsh criticism by political rivals and on social media. The country's premier spy agency has long been accused of harbouring the "good" and "bad" Taliban narrative.
Pakistain's Foreign Office (FO), however, tried to clarify that the statement was reported out of context. "The advisor made the statement in a historical context," FO spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said in a statement on Tuesday.
The calling attention notice was moved in the Senate today by Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) leader Farhatullah Babar.
"Attention is drawn to a matter of sufficient public importance namely the Advisor's interview to the BBC on Nov 17, 2014 admitting the selective nature of operation against krazed killer groups, taking on some while leaving others," said the notice.
The statement by the Advisor Foreign Affairs is a reversal of the stated policy of across the board action against all turbans reiterated recently also by the security establishment, the calling attention notice added.
"A disturbing distinction has been made between turbans challenging the state of Pakistain and those, using Pakistain's soil, launch violent operations against other states in the region. It exposes Pakistain to the charge that it is running with the hare and hunting with the hound in the fight against krazed killers."
"This highly disturbing admission at the highest level of policy formulation of turning a blind eye to non-state actors bent upon destabilising foreign states through violent means is a matter of sufficient public importance and calls for urgent attention," it said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
I like the PPP but its the Pak army that dictates good and bad taliban not the govt!
Posted by: Paul D ||
11/20/2014 5:52 Comments ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The U.N. human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... committee adopted on Tuesday two resolutions strongly condemning Iran and Syria's human rights record, Al Arabiya News Channel's correspondent reported.
The non-binding measures now go to the full Assembly for a vote expected next month.
More than 120 member-states voted in favor of a resolution condemning "the grave deterioration of the human right situation" in Syria, with a mere 13 states rejecting and 47 abstentions, the correspondent reported.
As to Iran's rights record, 78 countries endorsed the resolution, 35 voted against while 69 abstained.
Syria's Ambassador Bashar Jaafari criticized the resolution as biased and politically-motivated, Agence La Belle France-Presse reported.
"They align themselves against Syria as long as Saudi oil runs through their veins," he said.
The resolution condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria's nearly four-year war and deplored the use of torture in detention centers throughout the country.
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11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The new Iraqi governmentâs strategy of enlisting Kurds and local tribes in the fight against Islamists is yielding results, the U.N. envoy for Iraq told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has made it a priority to pay salaries, arm and train fighters from local tribes and communities and provide legal guarantees for volunteers, envoy Nickolay Mladenov said.
âThis strategy is bearing fruit,â Mladenov told the 15-member council.
âCommunities are beginning to push back.â
The massacre by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group of 322 members of the Albu Nimr tribe spurred cooperation with the government in its campaign to defeat the militants, he said.
Mladenov called on all militia groups who are not aligned with the Islamist militants to enter talks with Baghdad on resolving differences and joining the governmentâs anti-Islamist campaign.
Also Tuesday, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein called for a campaign led by Muslims to undermine the ideology of ISIS, saying this may ultimately be more effective than air strikes. Because yap-yap is always more effective than boom-boom.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
The ISIS/ISIL repor may have enough weapons to fight on for another two years.
* WORLD NEW > [Khaama Press] > UN: THE WORLD MUST ACT TO PREVENT ISIS FROM TAKING CONTROL OF PAKISTANI NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
IIUC, the UN is fearful of an ISIS, PAK Taliban Alliance or merger, wid the new ISIS-TTP entity still allowed to engage in formal Govt-sharing in Islamabad - THE ISIS GOING POLITICALLY LEGIT IN NUCLEAR-ARMED PAKISTAN???
[Ynet] Hundreds of people from Haredi sector respond to calls on social media to accompany Master Sergeant Zidan Saif on final journey: 'We won't be ungrateful, we will show out gratitude to those who sacrificed our lives for us'.
The Druze police officer who lost his life in Tuesday's terror attack is being honored by the ultra-Orthodox community, which was hit the hardest in the deadly terror attack on a synagogue, and the community is urging Haredi youths to attend the young officer's funeral service.
The ultraâOrthodox community determined Wednesday that Master-Sergeant Zidan Saif, the Druze policeman who died from wounds sustained in Tuesday morning's synagogue terror attack was a "Righteous Among the Nations", and many urged their public to attend his funeral, even arranging free transportation from the Jerusalem International Convention Center.
Continued on Page 49
Thanks to 3dc for the cool dozer pic, now added to the Burg archive!
[IsraelTimes] Shortly before dawn Wednesday, a powerful kaboom ripped out the walls of the home of Abdelrahman al-Shaludi, a 21-year-old Paleostinian from East Jerusalem who rammed his car into Israeli pedestrians in a murderous terror attack.
Consequences.
In demolishing the home of the Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, terrorist behind last month's attack, which killed a baby and a woman before police shot and fatally maimed him, Israel renewed a controversial policy aimed at deterrence but one which may further inflame tensions.
The blast, which rocked the densely populated Silwan neighborhood on a steep hillside just south of Jerusalem's Old City, marked the restart of a policy of demolishing the family homes of Paleostinians responsible for anti-Israeli attacks.
[Ynet] Jerusalem's municipal planning committee authorized 50 homes in Har Homa and 28 in Ramot; Paleostinians accuse Israel of trying to 'cause more tension, push towards further escalation.'
Of course they do. They see no connection between their refusal to bargain for peace and Israel's decision to move ahead as if there won't be peace.
Israel on Wednesday approved the construction of 78 new homes in two settlements on West Bank land adjacent to Jerusalem, likely to aggravate Paleostinian anger at a time when violence has flared, including a deadly attack on a synagogue.
Jerusalem's municipal planning committee authorized 50 new housing units in the Jewish neighborhood Har Homa and 28 in Ramot, a municipal spokeswoman said.
Jerusalem has seen unrest in the past few weeks over access to the city's most sacred and politically sensitive site, holy to both Jews and Moslems. On Tuesday, two Paleostinians killed four rabbis and a [Druze] policeman at a Jerusalem synagogue, the worst attack in the city since 2008.
The Paleostinians have also been angered by a recent slew of plans Israel has advanced for about 4,000 housing units on West Bank land adjacent to the city.
The Paleostinians want to establish a state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gazoo Strip, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. They fear the Israeli enclaves will deny them contiguous territory.
Consequences happen, especially when one refuses to accept reality.
[Ynet] Itamar Shimoni cites security issues; armed guards to be stationed at kindergartens near construction sites in city; MKs outraged
Ashkelon Mayor Itamar Shimoni announced Wednesday that Arab workers will no longer be allowed on construction sites at kindergartens in the city where shelters are being built, citing the escalating security situation and fear of terrorist attacks. The announcement almost immediately drew fire from MKs, who said it was illegal and racist.
Armed guards will also be posted at kindergartens near construction sites in the southern city, Shimoni said.
Israel's Equal Opportunities Act states that an employer may not discriminate between employees on grounds of religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and more when it comes to hiring, working conditions and so on.
According to Shimoni, however, the decision was made in collaboration with Ashkelon police amnd a donor has agreed to fund the cost of security at the kindergartens.
In a statement on his Facebook page Wednesday, Shimoni wrote: "Despite the fact that the deployment of security guards is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Security, I decided to place armed guards in each cluster of preschools (40 preschools) close to construction sites employing Arab workers, starting tomorrow morning. Also, in kindergartens that are currently having protected spaces built by Arab workers, that work is suspended until further notice."
Israeli media reported that MK Issawi Frej (Meretz) called on the mayor to reverse the decision.
"Shimoni's decision to prevent Arab Israelis from working is racism at its worst form," Frej said. "Using a poor excuse of 'sense of security,' Shimoni wishes to cleanse Ashkelon of Arabs and anti-contaminate the city with racist anti-Semitism."
He further demanded that officials "publicly condemn Shimoni and demand that he overturn his decision, along with all of its consequences."
MK Nachman Shai (Labor) said the order was illegal, and should be immediately rescinded.
"Relations between Jews and Arabs are now being tested, and leaders are commanded to preserve such relations, not tear them apart to the point where it may be impossible to fix them," he said, according to Israeli media.
MK Ahmad Tibi (Ra'am Ta'al) responded to the mayor on Twitter. "Shouldn't he be prosecuted for racisim? Remind you of something?" Tibi wrote.
[Ynet] Local residents express lack of sense of security in wake of terror attack at city synagogue; police to expand civli guard, boost patrols.
A day after the deadly terror attack on the synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood, residents of Jerusalem on Wednesday expressed their fear over the security situation. Guards were stationed at some kindergartens in the city and while others were locked from the inside. Staff members explained that they had been instructed to do so in meetings with municipal officials and security.
A group of parents arrived at one of the kindergartens, which operates from a community center, for a meeting with school staff. They expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... about the presence of Arab employees who work closely with the school. They said that the issue may have a solution and guards were placed at the site.
Moriah Peled, who accompanied her daughter to the kindergarten told Ynet: "I'm not calm, I'm terrified. There are workers here who could do whatever they want to our children. Everything is wide open. They told us that they are taking care of it, but what will be in the meantime?"
There were parents who thought otherwise, however, including Eden Leshem, whose daughter attends the kindergarten next door. "We cannot succumb to this madness," she said. "The Arabs live and work here. They are part of the city."
Even so, in the wake of Tuesday's attack, police have stepped up security at educational institutions in the city and increased patrols. The new directives stipulate that every school has to have a security guard, but the main problem is that preschools are the responsibility of local authorities, and many of them have no security.
Since then, there have been situation assessments attended by security officials in order to determine the most sensitive areas, where security guards will be stationed. At the same time, a plan to place guards at kindergartens on a permanent basis was also discussed, as well as ways to tighten security procedures, such as keeping the doors locked. Furthermore, Israel Police Commander Yohanan Danino, Jerusalem District Police chief Moshe Edri and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat have decided on an extensive recruitment campaign to expand the Civil Guard.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday visited the new operations room for the observation unit at the Jerusalem municipality, which runs observation balloons scattered throughout the city and covers real-time disturbances.
"Spare no effort here," Netanyahu said. "This morning we destroyed the home of a terrorist. It was a significant and important step, and there will be more house demolitions. There will be many more steps."
I'm afraid they will stab me
There was a heightened police presence Wednesday in the Armon HaNatziv neighborhood, located next to the East Jerusalem village of Jabel Mukaber, from where the hard boyz set out to carry out Tuesday's attack. Police and Border Police had set up checkpoints at the entrances to the roads that separate the village from the neighborhood.
Since the murder of teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in early July, residents of the neighborhood, which runs next to the seam line, have had stones and Molotov cocktails thrown at them, and their sense of security has been shaken dramatically.
Dalia Ben-Sheetrit, 53, a resident and owner of a local salon said, "What is happening here is not easy and it is very frightening. I look around me when I drive on some of the roads. I don't walk on foot at all since they murdered that boy. I'm afraid that someone will stab me." Such attacks have happened in the area in the past she added.
"The situation is complex," Ben-Sheetrit continued. "I have Arab friends, even people who live in my building, and we act like a family. I want the peace and coexistence to return. The police and Border Police are active here but it does not restore our sense of security. People in Tel Aviv and even Jerusalem residents who live in neighborhoods that are not along seam line do not understand."
Local residents waiting for a bus no longer stand at the stops, preferring to wait in backyards to avoid stones being thrown at them.
"The residents of Jabel Mukaber do what they want," says Aviram Hefetz, 29. "The stones, fireworks and petrol bombs have become routine and the police don't solve the problem. People here are just afraid."
Hanan, 40, a resident of Jabel Mukaber and mother of three who works in Armon HaNatziv, tried to explain the source of tension in the village.
"People in the village are furious because they killed Mohammed Abu Khdeir and mainly because of what the Jews are doing at Al-Aqsa," she said. "I want to live quietly and peacefully but also the police give us do a difficult life, coming into the village at two in the morning, and our children are afraid."
#1
How debased is an enemy when you know they are capable targeting children's kindergartens? We are by now desensitized to it, but when you think about it this goes against any instinct for human decency. This "religion of peace" seems to be a license for behaving worse than animals. Sadly, it's going to get worse before it get's better.
#2
How debased are our Pro-Palestianinana activisist when they side woith people capable of targetting kindergartens and who havetargetted maternnities?
How debased can they be to side with such scum instead of with the victims of the Islamic State, thçose of Boko Haram or the Blacks of Darfir salughtered by five thousnad a year?
#3
"I'm not calm, I'm terrified. There are workers here who could do whatever they want to our children.
What happens if one of these "workers" does go all Paleo and takes out a dozen or so kids? IMHO that would come down hardest on the non-terrorist arab-Israelis (assuming there are such) because the only answer then would be apartheid or a Trail of Tears.
Civilized people cannot be participants in a system that feeds their own children to the beast.
#4
Yes JFM, and there's the world's financiers, activists and armchair liberals who support Paleo terrorism and decry Israeli sovereignty, and legitimate national protective measures, that any other nation state would be entitled to.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Cyprus has intensified screening procedures at its ports, airports and checkpoints to prevent Europeans from passing through the country en route to Syria to join the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a security official said.
The security official said that since Turkey has tightened security measures to stem the flow of potential jihadis to Syria, it is possible that Europeans could travel to the island of Cyprus, cross into the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, then head into Syria that way.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because he didn't want to publicly discuss sensitive security issues.
The official said the new security measures include tougher police scrutiny at seven crossing points along the 180 kilometer (110 mile), U.N.-controlled buffer zone that regulate people and vehicles traveling across Cyprus' north-south divide.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
[DAILYMAIL.CO.UK] With a deadline for Iranian nuclear deal fast approaching, U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... embarked Wednesday on a frenzy of high-stakes diplomacy in a last-minute push to secure an agreement -- or at least prevent the process from collapsing.
As senior negotiators huddled for a second day in Vienna, Kerry held separate meetings in London. He planned a trip to Gay Paree Wednesday. Kerry was still weighing when he might join the larger effort in the Austrian capital where negotiators are racing against the clock to forge a pact over the next five days to prevent Iran from reaching the capability to produce atomic weapons.
Despite his efforts, though, signs increasingly pointed to Monday's deadline passing without a deal and the negotiations being extended a second time.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/20/2014 00:00 ||
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[4 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Yes, go ahead and give away the farm for a bunch of promises from the Mad Mullahs.
Just like your boss O did with the Chinese on decreasing US carbon footprint on a promise from the Chinese for doing something in 15 years.
You guys are worse than the EUnichs. A pox on your houses.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/20/2014 14:55 Comments ||
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CIA Director John Brennan is considering sweeping organizational changes that could include breaking up the separate spying and analysis divisions that have been in place for decades to create hybrid units focused on individual regions and threats to U.S. security, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said.
The proposal would essentially replicate the structure of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center and other similar entities in the agency — an idea that reflects the CTC’s expanded role and influence since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
U.S. officials emphasized that the proposal is in its preliminary stages, and could still be scaled back or even discarded. Already the idea has encountered opposition from current and former officials who have voiced concern that it would be too disruptive and might jeopardize critical capabilities and expertise.
But if Brennan moves forward, officials said, the changes would be among the most ambitious in CIA history — potentially creating individual centers focused on China, Latin America and other regions or issues for which personnel are now dispersed across difference parts of the agency.
“It’s a major deal,” said a former senior CIA official who has worked with Brennan. Asked for an example of a previous reorganization that was similar in scale, he replied, “I don’t think there has been one.”
#1
From central control to verticals. Not sufficient to change the culture, but it would be helpful for Ops people to have analysts that were dedicated to them. Problem is: silos = tendency for decreased lateral work. Advantage is: breaking up some of the fiefdoms that don't give a crap about other divisions (e.g. ops getting shit on by admin, etc)
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.
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Wazoo
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[DAWN] Number of Polio cases rises to 12 in 
[DAWN] The controversial interview of Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs 
[DAILYMAIL.CO.UK] With a deadline for Iranian nuclear deal fast approaching, U.S. Secretary of State 
