[Dawn] The Afghan Taliban and the United States have been holding talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday.
The Taliban suspended the talks one year ago, saying Washington was giving mixed signals on the nascent Afghan reconciliation process.
"Senior leaders of the Taliban and the Americans are engaged in talks in the Gulf state on a daily basis," Karzai told a gathering to mark International Women's Day.
But the Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, said no progress had been made since the talks were suspended.
"The Taliban strongly rejects Karzai's comments," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[MAGHAREBIA] The secular Touareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) on Saturday (March 9th) "categorically rejected" a request by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to disarm as a pre-condition for talks with the Malian government, AFP reported. The statement, signed by MNLA chief Bilal Ag Achérif, also urged for a UN peacekeeping mission to be dispatched to Northern Mali.
Last week, the Malian government set up a reconciliation commission. The MNLA was the only separatist movement with which Malian authorities were willing to negotiate.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Cut them some slack, the USA won't either.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/11/2013 0:33 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] Discontent in Egypt's police ranks has boiled over into an unprecedented strike, with officers saying they will refuse orders until they are no longer used as political pawns, adding to the problems of President Mohamed Morsi.
The duties which a police officer owes to the state are of a most exacting nature. No one is compelled to choose the profession of a police officer, but having chosen it, everyone is obliged to live up to the standard of its requirements. To join in that high enterprise means the surrender of much individual freedom.
--Calvin Coolidge
Accused of excessive use of force by the opponents of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood, police officers say they feel despised by the people when they are simply following orders -- and they will not take any more.
"We are suspending our work indefinitely because we refuse to take responsibility for the mistakes of a government that wants to get involved in political conflicts," police Colonel Hassan Mostafa told Agence France Presse in Port Said.
"All of society is against us, it considers the demonstrators (killed in clashes) to be martyrs, and we don't even have the right to defend ourselves," he added.
The police, particularly the Central Security Forces (CSF), have been engaged in violent and deadly street clashes with protesters, turning the public even more against an already reviled institution long accused of abuses.
The CSF is the branch of the interior ministry used to quell protests.
The police want a law to clearly lay down their powers and duties, and have also demanded weapons to deal with ongoing political protests.
The police "are paying the price of a political conflict. They risk prosecution (over the deaths of protesters) or getting killed" in clashes which have spiked since the end of 2012, General Abdel Tawab Hefni of the police headquarters in Alexandria told the independent daily al-Shorouk.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Egypt's interior minister pleaded on Sunday for an end to "rumors" of police abuse, saying his forces had never fired a single shot at protesters since the start of the 2011 uprising.
Mohammed Ibrahim, who is facing an unprecedented strike by thousands of police officers across the country calling for his resignation, told reporters the media was waging an attack against the ministry and spreading lies.
"We are the ones being hit with stones. We are the ones being hit with live bullets... this is putting too much psychological pressure on officers," Ibrahim said.
"The police is being attacked all day in the media. Why the rumors? Why the attacks?"
He said people were making up stories of torture in police custody and accusing the police of shooting protesters, which is "untrue."
The police have been engaged in violent clashes with protesters across the country for months, and local and international rights groups have accused the force of unlawful killings.
Clashes in the canal city of Port Said in January following 21 death sentences handed down to supporters of a local football team left more than 40 people dead.
"Evidence gathered... indicates that the police began shooting when they came under fire on January 26, but continued shooting after the threat against them receded, killing and wounding a number of protesters and bystanders," Human Rights Watch said in a statement last week.
But Ibrahim insisted that police have never fired on protesters.
"We haven't fired a single shot since January 25. Not a single shot," he said in reference to the start of the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time president Hosni Mubarak.
He said his forces were being attacked and called on political factions to withdraw their people from the streets "so we can tell the difference between a thug and a protester."
Ibrahim said the police were under immense pressure, which is why the officers were on strike.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Huji leader Mufti Abdul Hannan yesterday challenged at the High Court the legality of a magistrate's action that recorded his confessional statement involving Tarique Rahman in connection with August 21 grenade attack.
The HC bench of Justice Abdul Awal and Justice Md Faruque adjourned the hearing of the petition of Hannan that challenged the legality of the magistrate's action until today.
Hannan also filed a petition with the HC on February 17 for expunging his statement recorded by AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, the then additional chief metropolitan magistrate, in 2011.
On February 3, Habibur told a Dhaka court that Hannan in his statement mentioned names of some intelligence and political bigwigs, including Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman, as masterminds of the August 21 grenade assault.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka recorded Habibur's statement on that day.
Hannan was in the dock while Habibur, now an additional metropolitan session judge in Dhaka, was giving his testimony on recording the confessional statement the same day.
Hannan's lawyer barrister Fakhrul Islam told The Daily Star yesterday that magistrate Habibur Rahman recorded the confessional statement of Hannan in a murder case filed under the penal code in connection with the grenade attack.
Habibur, however, placed the recorded statement before the Dhaka court on February 3 in connection with a case filed under Explosive Substance Act 1908, which was illegal, he said.
Although the two cases were filed in connection with the same incident, the magistrate cannot place the statement of one case of any accused in another case before a court, he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Jamaat-Shibir supporters have been continuing their propaganda through social media, now claiming the arms and ammunition recently seized by Indian police were actually being smuggled by the Bangladesh government to wipe out Chhatra Shibir.
A photo titled "Conspiracy of Awami League Unveiled" posted by one "18-party alliance" shows a huge number of AK-47 rifles. The post also gives a long narrative of how the government trained members of Chhatra League, the pro-Awami League student body, to use these arms against Jamaat-Shibir men.
Posted at 5:30pm yesterday on a page named Basherkella Chittagong, the narrative adds the arms and ammunition were coming from Myanmar but the Indian authorities, unhappy with the "commission" offered, seized those.
It may be mentioned the Indian police on Friday said they seized 31 assault rifles, an automatic rifle, a light machine gun and some ammunition in Mizoram as those were being smuggled into Bangladesh from Myanmar via India.
After the main Basher Kella page was blocked by the authorities on Wednesday, the Jamaat-Shibir activists opened many pages like Basherkella Chittagong, Basherkella Feni, Basherkella Dubai and Basherkella Jeddah.
One post on Basherkella Dubai claims committees have been formed in every neighbourhood to wipe out Jamaat-Shibir. The government has supplied Ak-47 rifles with licence to different top-level members of Awami League wings like Jubo League and Chhatra League.
"So now it's time to be ready for an inevitable war. We are going to win this battle, Inshallah," the post said yesterday evening.
Their pages are also flooded with posts against the March 13 Chittagong rally called by Imran H Sarker, spokesperson of the Shahbagh movement.
"Let's resist the atheist bloggers on March 13. We would not let them enter Chittagong," says one post on Media Watch Bangladesh, another Facebook page allegedly run by Jamaat-Shibir activists.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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The top U.N. spokesman says the armistice ending the Korean War is still valid and still in force, despite North Korea's claim that it has been nullified.
Martin Nesirky said Monday that the armistice agreement had been adopted by the U.N. General Assembly and neither North Korea nor South Korea could dissolve it unilaterally.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry last week said it was cancelling the 60-year-old armistice after the U.N. Security Council adopted new sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its latest nuclear test.
The country's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported Monday that the armistice was nullified.
North Korea's mission to the U.N. did not respond to requests for comment.
#1
So if North Korea launches missiles and sends tanks south that is not endingthe armistice according to this official since North Korean can't unilaterally end it. Wow, that's good to hear.
#5
So IIUC, iff the DPRK unilaterally attacks the USN CVN USS "GEORGE WASHINGTON" + BG, DPRK-Uberlord CHINA can't be held formally responsible - ISN'T THAT WHAT CHINA INTENDS ANYWAY???
China is still busy analyzing + setting up all of the Political-Legal, Media, etc. deniable precedents = PR for war where it won't be held responsible for anything ["hard-soft" diplomacy"].
E.g. it keeps publicly or overtly calling for compromise or diplomatic solutions while quietly building up + militarizing the areas of the disputed islands, + while simul also refusing to allow UN or other alternative/third-party international arbitrations on same. IOW, CHINA + PLA IS "POLITELY" GIVING THE US, UNO, + ASEAN "THE FINGER/BIRD".
Mainland China is highly unlikely to agree to any inter-Korean unification unless Beijing's control + sovereignty over Taiwan is assured, + even then any de facto reunification is likely to be conditional in favor of China, i.e. Chinese national security.
#6
...If we only had the stones to do something like this: Next Armistice committee meeting at Panmunjom? Don't show up. When the Norks start screaming, look 'em dead in the eye and say,"Why should we be there? We were back in a state of war the minute you cancelled the armistice."
The Norks would freak.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/11/2013 20:12 Comments ||
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#7
Are their any other UN-member troops left in South Korea (except for good ol' us)?
The last time I checked they had a multinational small company's worth of troops, mostly officers to 'coordinate' things with enough left over for a platoon's worth of ceremonial troops. Something we should have left in Europe after the Wall came down.
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... had hoped to offer considerably more aid to Egypt than the $250 million he announced during his trip to Cairo but was blocked by Congress, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said.
Royce wouldn't say how much Kerry had hoped to announce, but the State Department has been pressing Congress to greenlight $450 million in direct aid since last fall.
"Our approach is not the full-throttle administration approach of delivering all the aid that they wanted to deliver, but rather a measured approach of tying tranches to results as it pertains to the peace treaty with Israel, to cooperation with respect to smuggling [into Gazoo] and with respect to economic reforms to guarantee civil rights and the rule of law within Egypt," he said. "That's the pressure that we're applying."
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Frederick H. Cohn, New York lawyer for Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, recently said in court that he wants to exclude Jews from the jury that will hear Shehadeh's case.
Shehadeh, 24, has been charged with lying about his alleged attempt to join the Taliban or other terrorist organization in Pakistan in 2008, and that he attempted to conceal the fact that he had traveled to Pakistan, when he later attempted to join the U.S. military. Isn't Obama concealing information about the passport he used to visit Pakistan? Guess there's one law for Obama and another law for everyone else.
According to the unsealed criminal complaint, Shehadeh had planned to enlist with a terrorist organization when he traveled to Pakistan on June 13, 2008, but he was denied entrance and had to return to the United States, of which he is a citizen. Shehadeh was questioned on numerous occasions by agents from the Federal Bureu of Investigation and other law enforcement officials. Shehadeh claimed at the time that his visit to Pakistan was to look into attending an Islamic university and to attend the wedding of an acquaintance.
Several weeks after his failed attempt to visit Pakistan, Shehadeh attempted to join the U.S. military, but his application was denied when it was discovered he had concealed his trip to Pakistan.
Shehadeh subsequently moved to Hawaii and eventually admitted to law enforcement officials that his actual purpose in attempting to enter Pakistan was to join the Taliban or some similar terrorist organization.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
03/11/2013 15:23 Comments ||
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#2
Seems to me that Law and Order did an episode on this a while back. The perp wanted to exclude Penny Briscoe (Jerry Ohrbach)'s testimony because he was half Jewish.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
03/11/2013 15:45 Comments ||
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#4
My F-150 averages about 60 mph @ 22.1 mpg between Cracker Barrel stops. I always get a first class cabin seat with plenty of leg room. No long TSA lines, costly baggage check, or firearms restrictions. I love America :-)
Potentially this is a big deal for Pakistan, in every sense. Power blackouts are increasing, demand for electricity and gas rises all the time - and the government is under consistent domestic pressure to find a solution.
And it has to be financed in the face of America's warnings that involvement in the project could attract US sanctions.
Pakistan is dismissive of scepticism about the pipeline and seems confident the hurdles can be overcome and gas will flow in around two years. For Iran, another route out for its gas will clearly be welcome.
Some analysts here believe President Zardari sees this as an opportune time to be assertive, not least on the grounds that the partnership with Pakistan will be crucial to the US as Nato combat forces withdraw from Afghanistan.
[Dawn] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... has said that the federal government is indecisive about peace talks with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain.
Speaking at a function here at the party's central secretariat on Saturday, he said that Taliban had expressed confidence in the tribal jirga and showed willingness to hold talks, but the government was using delaying tactics. Like Taliban the government should also trust the jirga to initiate dialogue without wasting time, he said.
"I don't know why the government is hesitant," he stated, adding that the JUI-F in collaboration with the tribal elders had started efforts for restoration of lasting peace in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The JUI-F hosted all parties conference in Islamabad on February 28 and asked the country's politicianship to give full authority to 67-member jirga to hold dialogue with the TTP. Taliban had welcomed the joint declaration of the APC.
Mr Rehman said that the government should come out of confusion and authorise the jirga to start negotiations with Taliban. He said that the political parties gave full mandate to the jirga to carry out talks with Taliban, but the government's lukewarm response had disappointed them.
"I am confident that tribal jirga can play crucial role in restoration of peace in the region," he said.
The JUI-F chief condemned Saturday's kaboom inside a mosque in 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. , which left four people dead and 29 others maimed. He said that the provincial government was silent over the worst lawlessness in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... . He claimed that the previous Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government had adopted serious measures to control terrorism in the province.
He said that masses had expectation from his party and promised that it would not disappoint the nation if it came into power. He claimed that popularity graph of the party was going up.
On this occasion, former MNA from Kohistan ...a backwoods district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distinguished by being even more rustic than is the norm among the local Pashtuns.... Maulana Mehboobullah Jan, former Senator Noor Sher Afridi and Zafarullah Afridi joined the JUI-F.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Despite multiple tactical operations, the militancy-hit Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency has become a bitter pill for security forces and the civil administration to swallow or throw it up.
Apparently, this 1,000 square kilometers area, adjacent to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... picturesque provincial capital, seems to be battlefield for the snuffies and the security forces, but the latter equates it with the stronghold of underworld, including drug barons, smugglers, kidnappers, snuffies etc.
"There are so many stakeholders and mafias including narcos, myrmidons, smugglers, absconders, kidnappers in Bara. Some elements in political administration and paramilitary forces may have also ganged up with these mafias," said a security bigshot when asked about lingering issue of militancy that plagued Bara since 2004.
Sitting behind a wide table, made of sheesham (an indigenous plant), the official spoke extensively on current situation in Fata, particularly in Bara. The off-the-record discussion arranged in a cozy office lasted for almost two hours.
He was satisfied with the situation in Bajaur, Mohmand, Kurram and Orakzai, Landi Kotal and Jamrud tehsils parts of Khyber Agency and was very confident that there was no chance of resurgence of militancy in these areas at all.
He said night curfew had been lifted from entire Bajaur about two months ago and except few families all internally displaced persons had gone back to their homes. There were no restrictions on the people's movement and they could go anywhere they wanted, he asserted.
Mohmand Agency ... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar... , one of the seven tribal districts, according to him was also fine and all the damaged posts along the porous Afghan border had been reconstructed.
"We have proper border security management in these areas and there is no chance of incursion from the other side of the border," he claimed.
He disclosed that security forces had recovered five tons explosives from a hideout in Bajaur and snuffies had admitted that collection of huge size of explosives took almost three years.
The official was looking upset about situation in Bara portrayed in media particularly Alam Godar incident in January last in which locals claimed 15 non-combatants were killed by security forces in retaliation. The snuffies were using local people very tactfully against security forces to protect their interests, he said.
He said Bara was very complicated, because of its location, demography and involvement of so many players that made task more difficult.
The official took credit for busting Abdullah Azam Brigade, a myrmidon outfit operated in Jamrud tehsil which often attacked convoys on 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. -Torkham Highway. He also said a school's principal was tossed in the slammer You have the right to remain silent... in the same area who had established manufacturing unit of improvised bomb in the government school.
"People always blame security forces for attacks on civilians in Bara which is incorrect. When security forces plan crack down on myrmidons, then hue and cry begins. Should the government pulls out troops and leaves Bara for these mafias," he questioned.
"I can take all IDPs back to Bara tomorrow if local tribes accept responsibilities assigned to them under the Frontier Crimes Regulation, which is law of the area," he replied when asked about timeframe for the return of displaced people.
He also advised the parents to stop their youngsters from joining myrmidon groups and other criminals.
The Fata Disaster Management Authority said 65,435 families (approximately 520,000 individuals) have been displaced from Khyber Agency majority of them living off camps in Peshawar.
The official, who has vast experience about security dynamics of Fata, said the plan had been worked out to plug important routes used by myrmidons. "Major action against snuffies is on the card and it will be very successful," he said.
Additional troops have been deployed in the area and soldiers have been readjusted in 18 security posts set up in areas separating Bara from Peshawar.
He brushed aside that security forces had personal agenda to prolong stay in Fata.
"Total cleanup of Bara including Tirah Valley is not possible in near future but IDPs from Shalobar area will go back to their homes very soon," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistain took suo motu ...a legal term, from the Latin. Roughly translated it means I saw what you did, you bastard... notice of Saturday's attack on Joseph Colony, a Christian neighbourhood, in Lahore's Badami Bagh area and sought by tomorrow a report from the Punjab's Inspector General of police and provincial advocate general over the incident, DawnNews reported.
The apex court's hearing over the case was expected to commence from Monday (Mar 11).
Several protests and demonstration were held on Sunday in various cities of Pakistain including Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad against Saturday's Badami Bagh incident in Lahore which saw at least 125 houses belonging to the Christian community burnt by a mob allegedly enraged over a blasphemy incident.
Members of the Christian community staged protests on Ferozepur road in Lahore. Some enraged demonstrators resorted to stone pelting and broke the windows of buses and stands of the recently-launched Metro Bus service in Lahore. Police also fired aerial shots to disperse the mob but to no avail.
Similarly members of civil society, along with members of Christian and other minority communities staged a demonstration infront of Karachi Press Club on Sunday. Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) activists and politicians also participated in the sit-in.
Police personnel fired teargas shells to disperse the protesting demonstrators.
Similar demonstrations were held in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Spokesperson for Punjab Government, Pervez Rasheed said that those involved in the Badami Bagh incident would be tried under the anti-terror laws.
An initial investigation report over the incident was submitted by Punjab's Inspector General police to provincial Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday according to which timely action by the police had prevented the loss of life.
The report further said that there were only a handful of people behind the incident and that the coppers avoided the use of gunfire and other lethal weapons in order to minimise the loss of life.
At least 131 persons were taken into custody who were suspected of involvement in Saturday's gruesome incident whereas a letter was written to the Lahore High Court's registrar requesting for a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The chief minister was informed that those involved in the incident were being identified with the help of CCTV footage of the attack.
President Asif Ali Ten Percent Zardari ... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has been singularly lacking in curiosity about who done her in ... met with Prime Minister Raja Pervez ASshraf and Governor Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood in Karachi and discussed the situation after Saturday's arson attack. It was decided after the meeting that Rs 500,000 would be paid as compensation to the victims.
Earlier during the day, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf ordered for the provision complete assistance to all affectees belonging to the minority community .
Prime Minister Raja spoke to Minister of State for National Harmony Akram Masih and advisor Paul Bhatti and instructed them to maintain contact the victims of the Badami Bagh incident.
Construction material and other related equipment began to arrive in Badami Bagh area on Sunday for the rehabilitation of the destroyed neighbourhood.
Blasphemy accused
Meanwhile, ...back at the saloon, Butch got the bill for the damage caused by the fist fight, the mirror broken in the shootout, and drinks for everyone...... Sawan Masih, accused of Blasphemy Act behind the Badami Bagh incident was kept in a special cell at Camp Jail in Lahore with the deployment of round the clock armed guards.
When contacted Deputy Superintendent of Jail Abdul Razzaq Khan Niazi told APP that one barrack out of total 23 was already reserved for such cases and the accused were kept in it for their security and safety, adding that no other inmates was allowed to come to this cell except jailers on duty.
He further said, according the jail manual it is the sole responsibility of Superintendent of Jail to fully ensure proper protection to the life of all accused and convicts irrespective of nature of offence. Hence Superintendent Jail, Ejaz Asghar has directed for taking all possible measure for his safety.
HRCP statement
The shocking incident occurred after a Christian young man was accused of blasphemy. It is regrettable that Punjab administration has not learnt any lesson from previous incidents such as those in Gojra and Shantinagar, and has totally failed in providing protection to a minority community under siege, HRCP said in a statement.
Instead of investigating the case, the police locked away Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! Christians while those who went on a rampage and can easily be identified from television footage have gone scot free, the report claimed.
The attack is yet another shameful incident against a vulnerable community and further confirmation of the slide toward extremism in society on the one hand and, on the other hand, the apathy and inaction that has become norm among the police.
Handing out compensation cheques is not a solution, so strong action against those responsible must be ensured, it said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Well, Darth, Satan did just order a fleece scarf from me. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara ||
03/11/2013 19:50 Comments ||
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#3
maybe it's the frozen soul of Hoogo
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/11/2013 19:52 Comments ||
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#4
The Washington Post had that photo on their front page. Will they acknowledge how badly wrong they got that story? Even if (big if) they do, it will be buried somewhere and words never have the emotional impact of a photo for most "readers".
Compare and contrast the treatment that muslim converts receive in the the Islamophobic West.
Five Iranian Christian converts who were detained late last year will reportedly begin trial in Irans Revolutionary Court this week, according to a human rights group following the case.
The five men were among seven arrested in October when security forces raided an underground house church in the city of Shiraz during a prayer session. They will be tried at the Revolutionary Court in Shirazs Fars Province on charges of disturbing public order, evangelizing, threatening national security and engaging in Internet activity that threatens the government, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a religious persecution watchdog group.
[Jpost] Lebanese news outlet says Syrian rebel advance spurs Hezbollah and Syria to try to expand the theater of the conflict.
Hezbollah and Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... 's regime are trying to push the Syrian conflict into Leb as rebel forces continue to advance, according to sources quoted by the Now Leb website.
"President Bashir al-Assad's regime and Hezbollah now realize that it is impossible for them to regain control over Syria, therefore they are looking to cancel Leb's parliamentary elections and cause security instability in 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... , Sidon and other regions," sources told Now Leb.
By canceling the elections, the Hezbollah-controlled government would be able to stay in power until the Syrian conflict dies down, said Lebanese MP Ammar Houri, who was speaking on the Voice of Leb radio station on Sunday.
Houri's Future movement is a Sunni-dominated party led by Sa'ad Hariri and is part of the March 14 alliance, which is opposed to the Shi'ite-dominated March 8 alliance led by Hezbollah.
The report comes as Leb continues to be flooded by Syrian refugees, a circumstance that is further destabilizing the situation.
The number of refugees now tops 336,000 according to the Lebanese Daily Star.
Drawing Leb deeper into the Syrian war, there are increasing reports of cross-border fighting along the Lebanese-Syrian border as Sunnis and Shi'ites move to support their respective communities.
Reflecting this, Sheikh Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... , the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa that his party supports Shi'ites living in Syrian border communities.
"Hezbollah has an obligation to train and arm Lebanese citizens residing in [Syria's] Qussayr villages in order to prevent their displacement to Leb," Now Leb quoted him as saying.
[An Nahar] Syria's National Coalition has for the second time in weeks postponed talks on the formation of an interim government, a senior member of the opposition grouping said Sunday, citing "deep rifts" on the issue.
The meeting was initially scheduled for last month in Istanbul but was postponed until Tuesday this week. It has now been delayed again, with a possible new date between March 18 and 20, said Samir Nashar.
He told Agence France Presse there were "deep rifts" within the opposition over the lineup of a future interim government and the selection of a premier.
"There are too many opinions... and this calls for more time and more consultations," said Nashar.
"The new date has not been agreed but the next meeting could take place between March 18 and 20, most probably on the 20th," he added.
The setback is due to divisions "on the idea of forming a (transitional) government," said Nashar. He did not elaborate.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/11/2013 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
I can imagine it would be hard to get lunatics, psychopaths, fanatics, zealots, true believers, jihadists, reactionaries, sunnis, shias, awalites, and the rational to agree on much of anything except maybe a location for the next spittle flying argument.
I bet when Assad leaves it will be very nasty in Syria for a while...I suppose Vlad the Impaler is counting on that.
Maybe that is the Soviet end game, allow the mess to get so bad, they can step into the breach and everyone will be glad they did?
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
03/11/2013 10:35 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.
[Dawn] The Afghan Taliban and the United States have been holding talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday.
[An Nahar] Egypt's interior minister pleaded on Sunday for an end to "rumors" of police abuse, saying his forces had never fired a single shot at protesters since the start of the 2011 uprising.
[Bangla Daily Star] Huji leader Mufti Abdul Hannan yesterday challenged at the High Court the legality of a magistrate's action that recorded his confessional statement involving Tarique Rahman in connection with August 21 grenade attack.
[Bangla Daily Star] Jamaat-Shibir supporters have been continuing their propaganda through social media, now claiming the arms and ammunition recently seized by Indian police were actually being smuggled by the Bangladesh government to wipe out Chhatra Shibir.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
Mohmand Agency
[Dawn] Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistain took 
President Asif Ali 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[An Nahar] Syria's National Coalition has for the second time in weeks postponed talks on the formation of an interim government, a senior member of the opposition grouping said Sunday, citing "deep rifts" on the issue.
