[CSMONITOR] Provisional results of Afghanistan's presidential runoff election have finally been released. But while the numbers show former World Bank official and finance minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai a winner in a landslide, his opponent, Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... , has been positioning himself for weeks to reject the outcome, complaining that he suspects electoral fraud and tampering by members of the independent election commission could have skewed the outcome.
Election results were delayed to allow for more auditing — something Mr. Abdullah welcomed — but in an interview on July 2 he also said that if fraudulent votes were winnowed out, the result would be "very different from what is perceived at this stage." At that time, Mr. Ghani was felt by many to be in the lead.
The results released today give Ghani just under 4.5 million votes, 56.4 percent of the total, with Abdullah's share 3.46 million, or about 43.6 percent.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
56% to 44%? That's a 'mandate' even Champ would envy!
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/08/2014 13:46 Comments ||
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[Tolo News] Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... 's running mate Mohammad Mohaqeq spoke with TOLOnews following the release of preliminary results from the runoff election Monday night. He said his team would not accept the results, which gave their opponent Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai a sizable lead, unless their demands are honored and fraudulent votes are pulled from the count.
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced on Monday the first installment of publicly released results from the June 14 runoff. The preliminary figures put Ashraf Ghani ahead by over one million votes, garnering about 56.4 percent of votes, while Abdullah trailed with 43.5 percent.
Mohaqeq warned that if their team denounces the results, so to will people in various provinces, and then the government and the election commission will be responsible for the consequences.
"We want to say to the people of Afghanistan that if our conditions aren't accepted and the assigned commission doesn't reach an outcome and our condition that invalid votes be distinguished from genuine votes is not accepted, we will not accept the results and consequences will follow and responsibility will be on the government, the rigging commission and rigging team," Mohaqeq said.
Abdullah's team has entered into talks with Ashraf Ghani's camp about de-escalating the tensions that have risen around this year's process since Abdullah accused top election officials and the Presidential Palace of engineering fraud. Although Abdullah remains officially estranged from the election commission's process, and asked for the preliminary results to be withheld until fraud complaints were resolved, election officials have pushed on for the most part according to schedule. The preliminary results were announced only four days later than originally scheduled.
The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) is likely to be the last hope for the Abdullah team if they want to see fraud investigations impact the current results spread between them and their rivals. The ECC will recommend to the IEC how many votes should be invalidated before the final results are announced.
However, man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... Mohaqeq 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 ECC under the leadership of Abdul Sattar Saadat, who was appointed by 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... . "The designation of Sattar Saadat as head of Electoral Complaints Commission was a big mistake, Karzai must not designate the elements that break national unity, we are against his work at the concerned institution," Mohaqeq told TOLOnews.
In response, ECC Chief Saadat has maintained that he was appointed to his post by the members of the commission on the basis of the law and not on the demands of any particular individuals.
Meanwhile, ...back at the fist fight, Jake ducked another roundhouse, then parried with his left, then with his right, finally with his chin... the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) also showed signs of concern with the announcement of preliminary results. "The election process must return to a normal routine before the preliminary results are announced and both candidates must be involved in the process," FEFA front man Fahim Naeemi said. "Efforts should be made to discard fake votes from genuine votes, preliminary results must not lead to fighting, because it would have devastating impact on Afghanistan."
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[Al Ahram] Bahrain's foreign ministry said Monday that US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Tom Malinowski, is "unwelcome" in the Sunni-ruled kingdom and should "leave immediately." The ministry accused Malinowski of "meddling in Bahrain's internal affairs" by meeting "with a particular party to the detriment of other interlocutors", in an apparent reference to the Shia-led opposition, according to a statement carried by BNA state news agency.
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[ABCNEWS.GO] Authorities say an airline passenger was tossed in the calaboose Into the paddy wagon wit' yez! in Michigan after being found with a knife inside the bottom lining of a shoe in his carry-on luggage.
The Transportation Security Administration says the knife was found Sunday during security screening at bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit ... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang... Metropolitan Airport in Romulus.
The TSA says the knife should have been placed in checked luggage.
Airport front man Brian Lassa line (LASS'-uh-leen) says the incident happened about 7:30 a.m. at the airport's North Terminal.
He says airport police arrested and then released the man while the Wayne County prosecutor's office decides on charges.
Lassaline says finding the knife in the man's carry-on luggage shows "the security screening process working as it should" and says the incident didn't present a threat to public safety.
Authorities haven't released the man's name.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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#2
Can't take over a plane with a knife these days. Sure you might kill one, perhaps two people before you were beaten to death with carry on luggage but you could probably ramapage and kill one or two with a pen or set of keys if you were determined.
[Gulf News] Visiting troops on the front lines in North Wazoo tribal region Monday, Pakistain army chief General Raheel Sharif "once again emphasised on the officers and men to eliminate all local and foreign murderous Moslems and their sanctuaries".
According to a blurb issued by the military's public relations wing, the army chief talked to "valiant troops in the middle of operation in Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... ," the main town in North Waziristan.
Alluding to the end objective, he affirmed that murderous Moslems "will be chased and hunted down across the country till their final elimination."
He lauded the troops for their "courage, dedication and high state of morale" and expressed his satisfaction over the progress achieved so far since the start of the operation on June 15
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) commended the entire chain of command for their determined efforts in planning, preparation, mobilisation and execution of the operation.
"He acknowledged and appreciated the support of the entire nation and avowed that Inshallah (God willing) with unflinching national resolve and clear direction, we will accomplish our mission and rid Pakistain of the scourge of terrorism," the Inter-Services Public Relations said.
General Raheel Sharif especially paid tribute to Shuhada (soldiers killed in battle) and those maimed.
Paying tribute to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) for their sacrifices to restore writ of the state, he acknowledged the national spirit and support for them from across the country.
The general reaffirmed that the army will not abandon tribal brethren in their hour of need and all possible assistance will be rendered to the government and various organizations in bringing maximum relief to IDPs.
The COAS also assured of the army's role in rebuilding and restoring normality in the restive North Waziristan region after the completion of the operation.
According to the latest official report 572,529 IDPs have been registered since the evacuation of the civilian population from North Waziristan began after the launch of the operation.
Camps for the IDPs have been set up in neighbouring Bannu district and other places in northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... province, where Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... 's 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) party runs the regional government.
Khan, speaking to tribal elders during a visit to Bannu on Sunday, urged the Pakistain army to allow foreign aid agencies to do relief work for the displaced families.
The PTI leader said the required no-objection certificates should be immediately issued to NGOs so that they could bring relief goods from abroad.
Khan said he along with the provincial chief minister would talks to the army chief to permit donor agencies' access to IDPs.
In an interview to BBC, Khan described the events of the last few weeks as an "unfolding human tragedy" and emphasised that without NGOs assistance his party's government in the region would not be able to cope with the situation.
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] IT has not gone unnoticed that ever since Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched, details emerging about the operation are completely one-sided. Few details are appearing from the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain and those trapped in the area. The ISPR has been constantly issuing blurbs making various claims, such as killing scores of turbans, on a daily basis. But my clandestine trips to Mirali and Miranshah ... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas... and the ordinary people that I met in Bannu show a different picture.
I met 65-year-old Zahir Shah from Miranshah in Bannu who was with his family in a truck. He had one of the most heart-rending stories to narrate about his difficult journey. "It feels like the Day of Judgment. I may seem alive to you but inside I am dead. No warnings were given about the impending operation. The kabooms started suddenly and I had to leave two of my sick children behind. I handed them over to Shawwal Scouts belonging to the Afridi tribe requesting them to bury my children should they die."
Shah's version appears to have some basis because some local journalists and I had managed to slip into Dattakhel, a village west of Miranshah in North Wazoo Agency, and were present on June 15 when a curfew was imposed unexpectedly and the operation was launched without a proper announcement. The aman jirga and the tribal maliks had been meeting officials for nearly a month to delay the operation. However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... this did not happen.
According to Shah and other IDPs, Miranshah Bazaar, a source of livelihood for many, has been completely destroyed. "Air strikes have killed many civilians including women and kiddies and hardly any terrorists. Ordinary civilians have also been shot at sight," claimed Shah. Though Shah said this with authority, his claim — like those of the military — cannot be independently verified.
I was in Mirali nearly 20 days ago. There I saw a house reduced to rubble and I could smell decomposing human flesh. A bystander claimed that the house was bombarded at 1:30am in which 24 members of a family were killed. A girl of about seven to eight years of age survived. Noor Behram, a journalist friend, also undertook an arduous 26-hour journey from Miranshah to Bannu with his family when the operation began unannounced. "There was no way to get out. Roads were closed. We walked all the way to the Sadgai checkpoint on the Bannu-Miranshah Road. My wife and children traversed hidden paths; climbed mountainous tracks all day and night to somehow reach the checkpoint, which is a mere 25-minute drive by car from Miranshah. But it took us 26 hours to reach the checkpoint."
Behram also spoke about the ordeal he and the other IDPs have faced at the hands of security forces during registration. First is the seemingly never-ending wait with thousands of men, women, children, senior citizens and invalids waiting for their turn. Then, everyone goes through a body search, their CNICs are checked, they are cross-questioned and are handed chits which basically say that they are not Taliban and are going to Bannu.
And there are numerous such tales. Mohammad Saiyyid said that air strikes nearly flattened his house. "I was picking bits of rubble when my wife screamed at me and said leave all this, let's take whatever remains of our essential belongings, grab the children and get out of here. We thought we were the only ones but when I turned to look at my house for the last time I saw a sea of people behind me with their belongings and their families. We went uphill and covered a path of many kilometres. Women in our households observe strict purdah, to see them like this in the open..." Saiyyid couldn't speak further.
After hearing everyone's stories, I cannot help but recall Operation Rah-e-Nijaat launched in 2009 in South Waziristan. At the time, the army claimed that within two months the operation would end. It has been five years and the operation is ongoing. Thousands of Mehsuds were displaced and are now living a difficult life in Tank, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan ... the Pearl of Pashtunistan ... with some of them subsisting on leftover rotis. The Taliban are present in South Waziristan where they are engaged in an insurgency against the state.
A Taliban capo Gilamand Mehsud called me up and admitted that their men have been killed and injured but not in the hundreds as claimed by the army. "So far nine men have been killed and five injured," asserted Mehsud.
However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... my sources tell me that four days ago, six bodies were found lying in Mirali Bazaar and by their appearance they seem to be Taliban. So far neither the army nor the Taliban have claimed them.
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ...Currently the Interior Minister of Pakistain. He is the senior leader of the Pak Moslem League (N) and a close aide to Nawaz Uncle Fester Sharif. He is noted for his vocal anti-American railing in the National Assembly. However (comma) Khan told the U.S. ambassador that he was in fact pro-American but he and the PML-N would have to be critical of US actions in order to remain publicly credible. Khan cited his wife and children's US citizenship as proof, which means he's lying to one side or the other and probably both. He wears a wig, but you probably guessed that. since hair doesn't grow naturally in that shape or texture... has indicated that some of his cabinet colleagues nursing grudge may be covertly spreading propaganda against him.
In a belated explanatory note released to media here on Monday, he said his recent meeting with 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... and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ...Pak dynastic politician, brother of PM Nawaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab... had focused on national and political matters and had nothing to do with his reported differences with the PML-N leadership.
"How can I raise any personal issue when the country is engulfed in a quagmire of problems. It neither happened in the past nor will it happen now," he added.
He said the meeting was not meant to lodge a complaint against any minister. Neither any minister is interfering in his ministry nor can someone meddle in it. "As a matter of fact my terms with not only parliament but also with the entire parliamentary party are pleasant in nature."
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Federal Information Minister Pervez Rasheed said on Monday that the military operation against Lions of Islam in North Wazoo tribal agency was launched after the complete failure of peace talks between the government and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP).
Talking to a private television channel the information minister said that the economy of Pakistain was improving and would not be affected by the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation.
Rasheed said that due to the strategy adopted by the government there had been a decline in terrorist activity in the country and added that the Pakistain Army was conducting its operation with success and would continue till the elimination of last terrorist in the region.
"The residents of areas under Taliban control were not able to run their businesses nor send their children to schools. They could not even vaccinate their children against 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... ," added the information minister.
Rasheed admitted that internally displace persons (IDPs) living in camps had to face hardships as there could not be any alternate to their peaceful abode.
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] LAHORE: Pakistain Awami Tehrik chief Dr 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... says his agenda is different from that of 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.... chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... .
Talking to news hounds here on Monday, Mr Qadri said election rigging in 'four constituencies' was not an issue for him, a reference to Imran Khan's demand for verifying thumb impressions of voters in four National Assembly constituencies. Rather, he was working for ridding the masses of the 'exploitative system' in vogue in the country.
He said as 'mullahism' had damaged the country the most there would be no room for extremism, militancy and terrorism in the 'post-revolution Pakistain'.
He said those who were crying that "the country is passing through a critical phase" were themselves responsible for the ills Pakistain was faced with and they plundered the country instead of developing it.
The PAT chief said he was ready to offer any sacrifice to eliminate the corruption culture from the country as "revolutions always demand sacrifices".
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The United States stuck to its position Monday that uniting Iraq's sectarian factions was the only way to repel advances by Sunni jihadists, despite the deepening dysfunction of the country's political system.
Washington is looking on with increasing dismay as political structures set up under the U.S. occupation are increasingly unable to fill a political vacuum exploited by Islamic State (IS) turbans who have seized vast tracts of the country.
On Monday, bickering in Baghdad led to the delay of a key parliamentary session to select a new government until August 12 -- likely meaning any fresh administration will not be in place until well after that.
Last week, Iraq's Kurds further rattled the political structure by confirming plans for an independence referendum, in a blow to hopes of a unified federal government.
The White House on Monday admitted it was disappointed in the developments, but did not see an alternative to its position that the only solution in Iraq was political.
White House front man Josh Earnest said that IS posed an "existential threat" to Iraq.
"To confront that threat, the country will need to be united," Earnest said.
"I don't think anybody's tried to minimize ... the difficulty of making these kinds of decisions and reaching these kinds of agreements.
"But to be blunt about it, reaching those agreements and making those difficult decisions are necessary for Iraq to survive."
Top U.S. officials have delivered a series of hints that they believe that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who they blame for exacerbating sectarian divisions with strongman rule, must step aside.
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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[Gulf News] A crucial parliament session kickstarting the government formation process was delayed and an Iraqi general was killed on Monday as solutions to the country's worst crisis in years appeared increasingly distant.
The developments highlighted bickering among politicians despite calls for unity to see off an offensive by murderous Moslems that has overrun swathes of territory and which the security forces have struggled to repel.
The swift advance has displaced hundreds of thousands, alarmed the international community and heaped pressure on incumbent Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki as he bids for a third term in office.
But the government formation process, which international leaders and top holy mans have urged be expedited, was dealt a blow when a parliament session scheduled for Tuesday was postponed due to persistent disunity.
Multiple officials and a politician, all speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... , said the meeting had been rescheduled for August 12 because MPs could not agree on a new speaker.
More than two months after elections in which Al Maliki's camp won the most seats, though not a majority, parliament has yet to begin the process of choosing the country's top three positions, which according to an unofficial deal are split between the Shiite Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities.
A session last week ended in chaos, with MPs trading heckles and threats before some of them eventually walked out, forcing an adjournment, with the UN's special envoy warning that further delays risked plunging the country into "Syria-like chaos".
Despite telling AFP in a 2011 interview he would not seek a third term, Al Maliki vowed last week he would not bow to mounting international and domestic pressure to step aside and allow a broader consensus.
Iraqi forces have largely regrouped after the debacle that saw soldiers abandon their positions and, in some cases, even weapons and uniforms as murderous Moslems led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (Isil) group conquered second city djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and advanced to within about 80km of Baghdad.
But while Iraq has received equipment, intelligence and ground help from the United States, Russia, Iran and even Shiite militias it once shunned, languishing government efforts to push back the turbans were dealt a blow by the killing of a senior general on Monday.
Major General Najm Abdullah Al Sudani, the commander of the army's 6th division, "was killed by hostile shelling in Ebrahim Bin Ali," Lieutenant General Qasim Atta told AFP by text message.
Ebrahim Bin Ali is in the Abu Ghraib area, just west of Baghdad, near where security forces have been locked in a months-long standoff with murderous Moslems who have seized control of the city of Fallujah.
Security forces have for more than a week also attempted to wrest back the Sunni stronghold of Tikrit from a loose alliance of Isil fighters, other holy warrior groups and former Saddam Hussain loyalists but have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Iraqi forces have been hamstrung by a lack of combat experience and dearth of intelligence in Sunni areas, due largely to distrust of the Shiite-led authorities among minority Sunni Arabs, analysts say.
"The army and the police are seen as sectarian... and therefore the Sunni community doesn't provide support or, crucially, intelligence to the security forces," said John Drake of the AKE Group security company.
"If you don't have good intelligence on the ground, your strikes are not precise, they involve collateral damage and casualties ... making everything worse."
While most observers have argued Baghdad was not about to fall, violence and suicide kabooms have continued.
The latest struck a cafe in a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood in western Baghdad Sunday, killing at least four people and wounding 12, officials said.
An Isil-linked Twitter account posted on Monday a picture purported to be of the jacket wallah, apparently a Lebanese national, posing in front of the black flag of the turbans before his operation, holding a sword and surrounded by assault rifles and rocket launchers.
The authenticity of the image could not immediately be verified.
And while government forces were still looking for a major victory, Isil jihadists appeared to be brimming with confidence.
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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Sell some antiquities into the black market, as they've been doing in Syria to raise funds, destroy others as an offense against Islam, like the Taliban did the Bamiyan Buddhas when they ruled Afghanistan, and the House of Saud has been doing for decades to Muslim shrines and buildings in the various places the Prophet Mohammed lived. The taqfiris allow no evidence of history that contradicts their claims.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
FREEREPUBLIC Artic says they have destroyed the tomb of Jonah [Younas].
#2
Time to start planning to hide the contents of the Iraq Museum again before the rabid Sunnis get control of Baghdad. Good luck with that. Insecure heathens.
#3
Maybe they can get the Iranians to protect some of the Shiite treasures - after all, that Maliki's new bedtime partner. Other religions - well, I hope they've been photographed.
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/08/2014 13:38 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] Arab Israeli politicians and community leaders met to call for calm in Arab cities Sunday, even as riots in several locations reignited for a third evening.
The High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, an umbrella organization representing Arab civil society and municipal politicians, held the meeting in 'Arara in the Wadi Ara region Sunday afternoon, after Arab Israelis burned tires and clashed with security forces over the weekend to protest the death of Paleostinian teenager Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16.
Police made 31 arrests and said more were expected.
On Sunday evening, rioters faced off against police in Tamra; near Nazareth; and at other locations in the lower Galilee, hurling stones, shooting fireworks and setting tires on fire.
Around 35 Paleostinians and 13 coppers were lightly maimed over the weekend events.
Peaceful demonstrations have also been taking place in all major Arab cities since Abu Khdeir's killing on July 2.
"The situation in the Arab towns and in Wadi Ara is very worrying," said Muhammad Athamneh, head of the Kfar Qara regional council, according to the website of Kul Al-Arab daily. "The youth are still at the entrance to the Arab towns and we must take responsible decisions to ensure the safety of Arab towns."
Athamneh called on parents to rein in their children and not disrupt "public order" by congregating.
Mazen Ghanayem, mayor of the Galilee city of Sakhnin and head of the Follow-up Committee's national committee, said that an emergency meeting was scheduled between Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Arab leaders Sunday evening. He said that President Shimon Peres has made a number of phone calls to Arab leaders "in order to restore things to normal."
According to Kul Al-Arab, the media was closed out of the meeting, attended by Islamic movement chief Raed Salah and his deputy Kamal Khatib, so members could discuss "secret propositions."
[Al Ahram] Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi said on Sunday a referendum on the independence of Iraq's Kurdish region would lead to a "catastrophic" break up of the country, which is facing an onslaught by Sunni Islamist holy warriors.
The comments from Sisi, leader of the most populous Arab nation, indicate a growing fear in the region that the division of Iraq could further empower the turbans who have declared a "caliphate" on land seized in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
"The referendum that the Kurds are asking for now is in reality no more than the start of a catastrophic division of Iraq into smaller rival states," Egypt's MENA news agency quoted Sisi as saying during a meeting with local journalists.
The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish north, Massoud Barzani ... hereditary head of the Kurdish Democratic Party, maybe a little too close to the Medes and the Persians for most people's tastes... , asked the region's parliament on Thursday to prepare the way for a referendum on independence.
Iraq's five million Kurds, who have ruled themselves in relative peace since the 1990s, have expanded their territory by up to 40 percent in recent weeks as the Sunni Islamist bully boyz seized vast stretches of western and northern Iraq.
Egypt, a traditionally regional diplomatic heavy weight, has been embroiled in domestic turmoil for three years since a 2011 uprising ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... Sisi said he warned the United States and Europe about the ambitions of the Islamic State holy warriors, which have shortened their name from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
"ISIL had a plan to take over Egypt," Sisi said. "I had warned the United States and Europe from providing any aid to them and told them they will come out of Syria to target Iraq then Jordan then Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... ."
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07/08/2014 00:00 ||
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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
Wazoo
Currently the Interior Minister of Pakistain. He is the senior leader of the Pak Moslem League (N) and a close aide to Nawaz 
Massoud Barzani
