[Tolo News] Military spokesperson Ahmed Mohammed Ali said that the armed forces thwarted two suicide kaboom attempts on Sunday targeting army troops in northern Sinai.
Ali posted on Facebook that the first attempt was a microbus laden with explosives targeting a camp near the city of Sheikh Zuwaid. The vehicle went kaboom! when shot at by troops He added that the DNA analyses of the terrorists' bodies are underway in order to identify them.
He also said that there was simultaneous attack attempt on troops on the Gora-Sheikh Zuwaid Road, where a silver Hyundai Verna car without license plates was parked to explode while the troops were passing. The car also went kaboom! when it was shot at.
North Sinai has become home to frequent attacks against the military since the ouster of President Mohammed Morsy. Most attacks have been drive-by shootings at military checkpoints by assailants on cycle of violences, who quickly speed away before authorities can pursue them.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 19:16 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
[Rooters] Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed on a cooperation pact with Iran on Sunday, an Afghan official said, while continuing to resist signing a long-term security agreement with the United States. That certainly didn't take long.
Karzai struck the deal with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran in a move that will be greeted with suspicion by his U.S. ally, which is trying to convince him to sign the security accord governing any post-2014 U.S. presence in Afghanistan.
"Afghanistan agreed on a long-term friendship and cooperation pact with Iran," Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said. "The pact will be for long-term political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, regional peace and security." He said a formal document would be prepared and signed soon. Probably tomorrow afternoon.
In August Afghanistan signed a strategic cooperation pact with Iran covering mainly security issues, but Faizi said the proposed new agreement would have much broader scope. What? Multiple, intersecting Red Lines!
Many Afghans believe such a bargain with Iran, at odds with the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution, may harm Afghanistan's uneasy relationship with its Western allies. The U.S. bilateral security pact is a decade-long agreement that would provide a legal basis for about 8,000 U.S. troops to stay on after the NATO-led combat mission ends next year.
Its future was thrown into doubt last month when Karzai said he would sign only if new conditions were met, and then only after Afghanistan's elections in April. After the elections and the cheques had cleared.
Iran has long opposed NATO's presence in Afghanistan and is the only country to have asked Karzai not to sign the agreement.
Rouhani reinforced that message after meeting Karzai. "All foreign troops should be withdrawn from the region," he posted on his official Twitter account. "(The) security of Afghanistan should be entrusted to the Afghan people." Splendid idea, forget the SOFA. Who needs it. Mount up, we're leaving.
[Tolo News] Fayeq Wahidi, Deputy front man of 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... , on Saturday has said the U.S. pressure on the Afghan government would not impact its approach to the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).
The finalization of the BSA has been stalled since President Karzai said he would not sign the accord until after the April elections, and only if the U.S. met certain preconditions, despite a Loya Jirga recommending the pact be signed as soon as possible.
Officials in Washington have said the agreement must be signed before the end of the year.
Wahidi said the U.S. thinks that putting pressure on Afghanistan would force the government to sign the pact, but that this was a "miscalculation."
He said that the Afghan government knows that the U.S. can meet Kabul's demands.
"We believe that the security pact will have benefits, but the demands for the signing of it from President Karzai are legitimate," Wahidi said. "So it's good that the United State chooses cooperation but the artificial pressure will not have any impact."
Karzai has said he will not sign the accord unless progress is seen in the Taliban grinding of the peace processor and U.S. raids on Afghan homes cease.
U.S. officials have warned that if the BSA is not signed, no foreign troops would remain in Afghanistan after 2014 and some 4.1 billion USD in military aid funding would be frozen.
"If the agreement is not signed, it could cause a capital flight from Afghanistan," economic expert Nazir Kaberi told TOLOnews.
"The signing of the agreement will have more impact on Afghanistan's economy than other sections," MP Kamal Naser Osuli said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Remind me again about what it is precisely we, in America ,NEED in Afghanistan.
It isn't Oil. It isn't Tajiks and Pisstuns, and Yarks. It isn't Turbans and moslem shitoons and Barf. It isn't their Educational institutions and their friendly large dogs. What exactly IS it?
We want to sell all the Afghan Heroin they manufacture and grow to Iran? Come on, tell me.
Its their beautiful women? No? Don't you like fat girls in dusty black bags ? The camels then? No. The donkeys ?
The exotic smells of the bazaar..
#2
Remind me again about what it is precisely we, in America ,NEED in Afghanistan.
Iraq was "the bad war." Afghanistan was the "good war." Unfortunately, the usual military industrial complex fed quagmire evolved and drone zapping became an entertaining, Oval Office alternative to round ball. Once UBL was bought and paid dead and the political capital harvested, the new wore off rather quickly. Believe me when I tell you there is absolutely nothing there which directly, or even remotely impacts our national security.
I really am good at killing people.
~ BHO
#4
Leave now. No $, and only breakage if we have to come back via Arc-Light from DG.
Drink-up!
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/08/2013 9:34 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Karzai is trying to figure out how to keep his skin, any power he might have, and all the boodle he's acquired over the years from the U.S. What's happened to the stand-alone police force and army that we trained or did that turn out to be a myth?
[Pak Daily Times] US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday said he had received assurances during a visit to Kabul that a long-delayed deal allowing US troops to stay in Afghanistan after 2014 would be signed "in a timely manner". After meetings in the Afghan capital, Hagel told reporters that Defence Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi "assured me the BSA (bilateral security agreement) would be signed in a timely manner" Betcha a dollar that translates to sometime next year.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
quit begging them to allow us to keep their security, pay them boodle, and suffer deaths on their behalf. Give em one minute to sign or we begin drawing down to zero troops, zero dollars and zero help
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/08/2013 9:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Crawl to Pathan tribesmen, tnan come to ME and threaten Israel.
[Al Ahram] After Omar Al-Bashir's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) came to power in 1989, Sudan has not undergone political travails over the past 25 years as difficult as the ones it is experiencing now.
Based on a key demand on the Sudanese street, however, many believe that change will come in the form of a regime shakeup, one that would get rid of the old guard and the ruling party.
One of the first and foremost indications of such change was the stepping down of First Vice President Ali Osamn Taha, the second man in command and a staunch figure in Bashir's regime, last week.
Taha engineered the Naivasha Agreement that ended years of civil war between North and South Sudan, and ultimately led to their partition.
And although details around Taha's sudden exit were not fully disclosed, he himself revealed that he had left without dispute or disagreement with the government, believing himself to be a proponent of the batch of changes promised by Al-Bashir in 2011.
Sudanese opposition and activists, nonetheless, do not view Taha's stepping down as real change. They cite the possibility of his return in the 2015 elections as a presidential hopeful and political heir to Al-Bashir, who declared he did not want to run himself.
However, you can observe a lot just by watching... an editor-in-chief of one of the prominent local papers said in a special interview that the "time for Taha to become president has passed; he is paying the price of the peace agreement."
"I find it hard to believe that he would be Bashir's successor according to the balance of power in the country at this point," he continued.
In that vein, prominent National Congress Party (NCP) leader Mahgoub Abdel Salam told Ahram Online: "The in-place programme aimed to salvage the country has undergone several changes since 1989."
"But an impending change is behind the current panic; some faces are fixed, and do not change, including Abdel Rahim Hussein, who worked between the presidential office and the interior ministry."
Others were reshuffled only to hold posts in other ministries. "Those have remained in power for 24 years, representing the face of the salvationist government -- such as Taha when adopting the slogan of unity between the Islamists and the military."
"Even though the absence of Taha from the political stage is hard to believe, if proven true it would entail a kind of transformation and could usher in a new era."
Taha's safe exit paves the way for a successor, one who many believe was being long groomed for the position. Minister of Presidential Affairs General Bakri Hassan was an agreed-upon candidate within the ranks of the NCP, and even nominated by Taha himself.
Hassan is the last remaining officer from the RCC, which was formed by 15 officers who staged a coup d'etat in the late 1980s. Besides that, he is Bashir's close confidante and former fellow paratrooper, seen also as the guardian of the command council.
Whether evident consensus over Hassan is a mark of a peaceful transition of power in Sudan is up for question. However, you can observe a lot just by watching... a high profile source confirmed that Bashir "did not trust any other military man but Hassan."
A criticism pointed at the current scenario is that changes are being made from within the palace, not outside it. Other considerations must also be taken into account, which might tip the power balance.
A recent division within the ruling party has shaken up those in power, set off by the resignation of Deputy President Ghazi Salah Eddin following the crackdown on peaceful protests in September, and which led to the deaths of over 100 people, according to Amnesia Amnesty International reports.
The anti-government protests fretted the regime, as many observers claimed in interview with Ahram Online, particularly because the regime employed Janjaweed mercenaries -- the same used in Darfur -- and did not resort to its usual forces.
In the midst of protests, more than 30 of its top members presented a memo to the president criticising the government's decision to remove subsidies on fuel and other basic commodities, saying it "harshly" impacted Sudanese citizens.
Another consideration to be made is the upsurge of reform movements and oppositional coalitions such the Reform Now Party, initiated by Salah Eddin. Others formed anti-government campaigns, such as "We're Fed Up" and "Change Now."
Eddin, for one, believes his party will play a huge role in future politics in Sudan. He also thinks that the Sudanese tribes are another player that cannot be neglected, and whom, like Islamist powers, would refuse any hint of a power vacuum in Sudan.
Such changes come in the wake of difficult economic conditions, especially as the inflation rate reached 45 percent in October 2013, according to official figures, while fuel prices are expected to spike by 90 percent.
What has led to the further deterioration of the situation is the refusal of Gulf States and neighbouring African countries to provide financial support for the current government to help it out of the crisis.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
[Al Ahram] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it. announced the resignation of First Vice President Ali Taha on Saturday, state media reported; the first move in a cabinet reshuffle to be announced later in the day.
Taha held the country's second-highest political position as first vice president and was the main negotiator in Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 which brought an end to the Sudanese civil war.
"(He) resigned to make space for the youth and there are no conflicts between us," state media quoted Bashir as saying.
Bashir is currently holding a meeting with the office of the ruling National Congress Party leaders to approve the cabinet reshuffle.
Taha had announced in November that the government plans to carry out a major cabinet reshuffle, a move apparently aimed at appeasing protesters after fuel price increases provoked the country's worst unrest in years.
The government cut fuel subsidies to ease a financial crunch aggravated by the secession of oil-producing South Sudan in 2011. Dozens of people were killed and more than 700 placed in durance vile Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! when protests erupted after pump prices doubled overnight.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
[Al Ahram] Assistant to the head of media affairs of the Salafist Nour party Nader Bakkar criticised the Moslem Brüderbund after Brotherhood loyalists held a demonstration outside his residence and reportedly rolled their eyes, jumped up and down, and hollered poorly rhymed slogans real loud offending him and his family.
"This was not a protest but an incitement of insults and offense," Bakkar said, adding that he has always opposed protests in front of any politician's personal residence.
Bakkar told Ahram's Arabic news website that he was surprised that such inconsiderate behaviour came from a group that purports to be religious.
Bakkar also noted that he and the Nour party had known about the protest since Friday, but they have chosen not to inform the police. "I could have called the police, given that the protesters stayed for over an hour under my house, but I did not do that because it's not how I deal with things," explained Bakkar.
Bakkar argued that the protest came in response to the Nour party's announcement that it would vote yes on the post-Morsi amended constitution, the final draft of which was submitted on Tuesday to interim president Adly Mansour.
The Nour Party has come under strong attack from some Islamists, particularly the Moslem Brüderbund, for supporting the 3 July transitional roadmap, which included the ouster of Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... , amending the 2012 constitution and holding new elections.
On 8 November, the Nour party issued a statement accusing the Moslem Brüderbund of leading a smearing campaign against the Salafist group and "the icons" of the party's mother movement -- Salafist Calling.
A week earlier, a group of Moslem Brüderbund supporters protested against Sheikh Yasser El-Borhami, one of the co-founders and prominent figures of the Salafist Calling, during a religious lecture in Alexandria.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[Pak Daily Times] Egyptian appeals courts ordered the release Saturday of 21 women and girls tossed in the slammer Please don't kill me! over a protest in support of the ousted Islamist president, in a case that sparked a public outcry, after reducing their sentences.
To chants of "God is greatest" from supporters in an Alexandria courtroom, the 14 women -- initially tossed in the slammer Please don't kill me! for 11 years -- were ordered freed after receiving one-year suspended sentences. The girls, whose case was heard in a separate court, were put on three months' probation after having initially been sentenced to juvenile detention.
The initial sentences shocked even supporters of the military-installed government when they were handed down last month, and images of the white-clad defendants also galvanised the Islamist opposition.
All 21 were convicted of taking part in a violent protest demanding Islamist president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... 's reinstatement following his overthrow by the army in July.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[Libya Herald] A group of 220 Libyan soldiers flew to Turkey this morning to start three and half months of military training.
The soldiers are the first group of a total of 3,000 troops who will be trained at the Egirdir Commando School, near the city of Isparta, as part of an agreement between the two countries.
The Turkish Ambassador to Libya, Ahmet Yakici, and the Libyan Chief of Staff Abdulsalam Al-Obaidi, were present at a departure ceremony at 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... 's Mitiga Airport. Takici said that, with this training opportunity, Turkey was playing a significant role in the reconstruction of Libya.
The soldiers have been accompanied by a number of officers as well as an Imam, according to Libyan news agency LANA.
Further members of the country's Armed Forces are to be trained by the UK, the US and Italia, as part of Libya's efforts to rebuild the national army.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
[Egypt Independent] Cairo Criminal Court cleared on Saturday 155 suspects accused of committing violence during commemoration of the 40th anniversary of 6 October war.
Defendants were accused of assaulting police, damaging public and private properties, rioting, possessing edged-weapons and clashing with citizens and police and armed forces.
Once the verdict was announced, attendees in the courtroom chanted and flashed the Rabaa al-Adaweya salute. Others cried and shouted "down with military rule."
Security troops cordoned off the court in the morning fearing riots.
Qasr al-Nil prosecution had earlier ordered arrest of the suspects pending investigations while a minor was turned in to his family. They were accused of involvement in the riots around Tahrir Square. Suspects were referred to court of urgent matters.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Arab Spring
#1
Much more fair than times ago for rabble rousers.
[THISDAYLIVE] Military authorities are currently investigating the possibility of moles within its ranks who may have aided the recent deadly attack on the 79 Composite Group of the Nigerian Air Force in Maiduguri, by suspected members of Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... sect.
Also Friday, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, while speaking in Lagos said he would not rule out the possibility of the attack being an insider's job.
A military source disclosed to THISDAY that there was an expansive investigation by different structures and units of the military services to unravel the suspected collaboration involving some elements in the force. The source also hinted that some arrests had been made but no conclusive reports have been tabled yet to ascertain the likely culprits.
"We know that there must be some moles for this kind of attack to have been successfully coordinated. As I am talking to you, arrests are being made and investigation is on going," the source said.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-General Chris Olukolade, while responding to THISDAY's enquiry, could not confirm if any arrests had been made within the services. Olukolade however said that the Defence Headquarters was addressing the challenges posed by the latest Boko Haram attack in Maiduguri with a view to forestalling any action that could lead to a reversal of the successes recorded in the war against terror.
He said: "When you consider similar conflicts in other parts of the world like Israel or US operations in Afghanistan and Iraq or the Sri Lankan war, there can be occasional set backs. In this case, the armed forces are doing everything necessary to forestall any future occurrence and as well regain lost grounds.
"This kind of incident only underscores the fact that the reality of terrorism is here and like in other climes mentioned earlier that have experienced it, it does not go away suddenly. That is why it requires collective efforts of all and understanding from the members of the public".
Concerning the possibility of moles, the DDI said: "This incident is unfortunate and regrettable. Nothing is being ruled out in the on going effort of the military to get to the root of the matter including any act of sabotage. Nothing will be spared."
In an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Lagos, Badeh said: "I cannot rule out the incident being an insider job 100 per cent, but we are still looking at the situation. We have visited the area and seen and we have reassessed the situation.
"We have put appropriate measures on ground despite our losses. We are government and its resources are more than that of the bad men. So we have replaced what was damaged and we have resumed work."
On arrests, he said many of the hard boyz were killed at the spot, adding that the locals who were fed up placed in durance vile You have the right to remain silent... about five and exerted jungle justice on them.
Speaking on the possibility of a probe, he said as at now, an interim report had been written to the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, who would in turn brief the presidency. He said: "We were supposed to brief the National Assembly yesterday (Wednesday) but it was postponed to Tuesday next week. For the probe, that one is left for the CDS.
"But for us in the Air Force, we had to replace what was destroyed. We can't stop because if we stop, they (terrorists) will think they have an upper hand. We immediately brought in some more gadgets."
When asked how the hard boyz penetrated the security area and unleashed mayhem he said: "The security we have on ground was to protect against intruders and petty thieves and not to go to war.
"But somehow, we had to go to Maiduguri to fight a war and I know there was security around the airports but when you keep 20 people on ground for security and you have 300 armed persons coming at you, what do you do?
"The whole of the North-east is a war front and these enemies are not the kind you see and identify. They are often among the populace."
On identifying the criminal masterminds he said, "We know several of them were killed as well as several of their vehicles destroyed. Immediately we heard about the incident, we deployed an airplane and he fought several of them and the army was also on ground."
It would be recalled that three decommissioned military aircrafts as well as two Helicopters were incapacitated during the pre-dawn attack on the Air Force base in Maiduguri this week.
Also, two Air Force personnel were maimed while 24 hard boyz died during the exchange of fire.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Boko Haram
[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... Post] Niger's president denied Friday in Gay Paree that his country was a sanctuary for forces of Evil saying many jihadist fighters could have taken refuge in the south of neighboring Libya after French forces ousted al-Qaeda-linked forces of Evil from Mali earlier this year.
President Mahamadou Issoufou put some of the blame on Libya and said he feared the country could become a failed state.
"Our fear is that Libya falls into the hands of Salafist forces of Evil and that the state becomes like Somalia," Issoufou told news hounds ahead of a Franco-African summit in Gay Paree.
Issoufou also called for the creation of multinational African brigades, with the support of Libya, to boost border security in lawless zones where jihadist fighters roam.
"Sadly, we're seeing that the forces of Evil are there and that armed Salafist militia are in Benghazi, with people being killed almost every day. We must stabilize Libya."
He pressed the issue Friday as La Belle France welcomed dozens of leaders for a summit on African security.
Issoufou, whose country has seen a string of attacks this year, including on a French-run uranium mine, said there was no time to lose for countries in the Sahel desert region to pool their resources to create "mixed brigades" that could enter each other's countries to combat Islamist fighters.
"We talk a lot and act very little," Issoufou said. "We (Niger) are fighting to create an organization that brings together Sahel countries so that solutions are in place to face our common (security) difficulties," he said.
"We have to bring together the means of different countries so that there are mixed brigades on frontiers such as on the Libyan border. I'm optimistic," Niger president added.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa
#1
Well obviously De Nail does not run through Niger.
We have a Niger President stating the obvious about my favorite country in the ME and our President is lying about a website and throwing Israel and Saudi Arabia (now there's a pair) under the bus to violate one of Machiavelli's most prominent warnings (never avoid discord in order to avoid going to war, because one does not avoid a war but instead puts it off to his disadvantage) or better yet, if you cannot be liked or respected, at least be feared.
Sad, we have the African National Union and the French doing their best to keep a lid on fanaticism and strife in North Africa and we have a sniveling coward and a fake as commander in chief (I won't capitalize it as long as the empty suit under the desk in the oval office is president)
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
12/08/2013 12:45 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Oops, I meant De Nile
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
12/08/2013 12:46 Comments ||
Top||
[Al Ahram] Militants who launched a brazen daylight assault on the Yemeni defence ministry that killed 56 people were mostly Saudis, Sherlocks said on Saturday.
The finding, in a preliminary report on the inquiry into Thursday's attack, adds credibility to a claim of responsibility by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which was formed from a merger of the jihadist network's Saudi and Yemeni branches.
Investigators said the assailants wore military fatigues and penetrated the sprawling Sanaa complex in the confusion created when a jacket wallah rammed a vehicle into the gate.
They said the bodies of 12 attackers were recovered after security forces regained control of the area.
A hospital in the complex bore the brunt of the assault.
Among the dead were medics from the Philippines, Germany, Vietnam and India. Civilian patients as well as soldiers were also killed, Yemen's supreme security committee said.
On Friday Al-Qaeda said it was behind the assault, alleging that the complex hosted US personnel behind drone strikes against its hard boys.
There was no immediate evidence to support that claim.
Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Bahrain, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi said the findings represent "a possibility, but there is no evidence
"We should wait for the final results of the investigation," he said.
Yemeni analyst Saeed al-Jamhi, who specialises in Al-Qaeda affairs, said the attack reflects "the level of the network's penetration into security and military services" and shows it has access to "high-level information".
The attack followed a spate of hit-and-run strikes on military personnel and officials, as the country struggles to complete a thorny political transition.
But Kurbi insisted that the attacks "do not threaten the transition process".
"Al-Qaeda takes advantage of any political vacuum. I hope this latest attack will press participants to double their efforts to ensure the success of the national dialogue," he said.
Yemen has been going through a difficult political transition since veteran president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... stood down in February 2012 after a year of deadly protests against his 33-year rule.
The transitional process aims to produce a new constitution, paving the way for parliamentary and presidential elections in February, but many hurdles remain.
There are growing demands for the secession of the formerly independent south, in addition to on-off fighting in the north between Shia Musselmen rebels and hardline Sunnis.
The national dialogue that began in March and was originally due wrap up in September has yet to conclude.
"What's important is to finalise the specific task -- agreeing on a constitution, a referendum and elections," Kurbi said.
AQAP took advantage of a decline in central government control during Yemen's 2011 uprising to seize large swathes of territory across the south.
The bully boyz were driven back in June 2012 and the group has since been further weakened by US drone strikes
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Arabia
#1
Ah yes, Yemen. Isn't that the country whose Flag features a Date tree in the middle of nowhere, a Camel seen from behind and two crossed razors ( not meant for shaving your face ) on a field of dull dirty yellow?
The land of no shoes and big noses. The people look strangely like their Camels after a few generations.
How could they ''tell" the assault was by Saudis BTW? Was it the shape or the size of their large noses ( which may have differed somewhat from the local inhabitants ) or something else?
South Koreas Ministry of National Defense said the new zone would include two small islands and a submerged rock historically disputed with China.
Air defense identification zones are not territorial claims, but they mark the airspace that countries feel are important to monitor.
The Souths decision, widely expected after a week of government discussions, marks the latest move in a regional struggle over airspace above the East China Sea. Officials in Washington and across Asia say the competing aerial zones raise the risk of mishaps that could trigger a broader conflict.
South Korea plans to hold talks with related countries in order to prevent accidental military clashes within the expanded zone, the defense ministry said in a statement. The South said the zone, known as an ADIZ, would take effect Dec. 15.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/08/2013 12:11 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Next up? The Extended Japanese Air Defense Zone
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/08/2013 14:08 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Next up, a 'flash conflict' where the Chinesen quickly get their asses handed to them. Champ ends it by separating belligerents and saving the Chinese air force and navy.
#10
Well anyway, Champ won't touch the Chinese, they are absolutely off limits. Here is one man's hypothesis. Not mine, but I'm a believer and follower:
Want to know why the Comex/London price of gold gets hammered down week after week? Because JPM and the other trading houses can manipulate the price by dumping derivatives worth $billions in repeated flash trades since 'oversight' is a joke for them and they have deep enough pockets to pull it off. That creates downward pressure they will use to cover leveraged shorts (making big money) AND allow the Chinese/ME to buy at favorable rates far below the physical demand price based on fundamentals and actual availability.
But it gets better! Guess what the Chinese/Saudis are using to buy gold with at these bargain prices? US Treasuries they accumulated for the petro-dollar trade account. Why? Because they told the US privately that unless we (their deeply indebted prisoner) allow them to buy gold at a discount, they will dump the Treasuries and wreck the bond markets which they could easily do because we have cornered ourselves. But wouldn't that hurt them too you ask? Yes but while they may experience some pain, it will be nothing like the devastation it can create in the US when rates rocket and default occurs because there is no other choice.
I have no qualms about accusing the Champ's evil intent as I am convinced by his own deeds of his desire to wreak the US for his Muslim Broederbond. He gladly went along with the gold demand because it serves to:
1) creates some semblance of control/timing since Treasury/JPM alert their privileged list allowing them to make tons of money and execute their piggyback strategies
2) weaken the USD which is secretly what Obumbler and his demonic handler (ValJar) want because it grinds the US further down the path of self destruction (and by our own hand, no less)
3) ramps up Chinese/ME precious metal holdings while simultaneously draining the Western reserves being sent to China--never to return--thus guaranteeing decades of weakness and/or another world war
All of it will culminate in a global reset as wealth is transferred from West to East for those O'Jarrett really serve. From that standpoint, it is a win-win for the Chinese/Champ and a hose-a-rama for everyone else. Something I am certain they relish since it is the ol' template for Chicago politics and they have deny-ability because it was 'unknowable'.
BTW, if you like your gold and silver, you can keep it.
#13
Wish I could, B. I'm close enough, under normal circumstances, but between the Christmas rush and what we've got going on at work this coming week, I won't be able to get the time off to drive up.
Thank Mrs. B. for me; I hope they have a great time and no RINOs in attendance. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/08/2013 18:18 Comments ||
Top||
#14
So, Besoeker, are you in F'burg?
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/08/2013 21:06 Comments ||
Top||
#15
Maybe we need an F'burg Rantapalooza in the spring (after snow-and-ice-on-I95-season)?
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/08/2013 22:41 Comments ||
Top||
[Pak Daily Times] LAHORE: Tensions gripped parts of the city on Saturday as Sunni scholars and activists from across Punjab protested the murder of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ...which is the false nose and plastic mustache of the murderous banned extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, whatcha might call the political wing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi... (ASWJ) Punjab President Maulana Shamsur Rehman Muaviya by placing his body on The Mall and blocking key roads for more than five hours.
The funeral prayer of Maulana Shamsur Rehman were offered at around 7.30pm outside Masjid-e-Shuhada after successful negotiations between Sunni scholars, led by Mulana Aurangzeb Farooqi, and PMLN leaders and police high ups at CCPO office.
Later, the ASWJ leader was buried in Mian Mir graveyard near his residence.
Adviser to the CM Khawaja Salman Rafique talked to ASWJ protesters and assured them that culprits of the "sectarian attack" would soon be put behind the bars. He also assured them security would be provided to their leaders. It was also decided that the ASWJ head would hold a meeting with CM Shahbaz Sharif to discuss the issue.
Earlier, the ASWJ had refused to offer funeral prayers of the assassinated chief of its Punjab chapter in the absence of a federal government's representative.
Maulana Shamsur Rehman was bumped off at Bait Chowk Shafiqabad police area on Friday in what appeared to be the latest in a series of sectarian killings.
After the killing of ASWJ leader, activists of the party started protests in different parts of the country demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the murder.
Talking to news hounds, ASWJ front man Aurangzeb Farooqi 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... s that no suspect had been incarcerated Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! following the murder.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[15 views]
Top|| File under: Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
[Pak Daily Times] KARACHI: Crime Investigation Department (CID) has warned that more than 10 groups of forces of Evil are operating in the city and involved in sectarian based assassinations.
Chief of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi ... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ... (LeJ) Naeem Bukhari is operating from Wazoo and 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... based chief of LeJ Hafiz Qasim Rasheed from Central Jail Karachi are funding the gangs as well as issuing directives for terror activities, said DIG CID Dr Ameer Sheikh at a presser at his office on Saturday.
While revealing the confessions made by two alleged LeJ Death Eaters, Sheikh Mohammad alias Sher Khan and Sajid Khan Mehsud incarcerated Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! from Sohrab Goth and Orangi Town localities. Two rockets, 10 kilogrammes of explosives, 10 kilogrammes of ball bearings, two detonators, one hand grenade and two pistols were also recovered from their possession.
He claimed that the arrested suspects have so far killed more than 60 persons on sectarian basis including coppers. The officer said that the accused persons were also involved in setting a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization.... armoured personnel carriers (APCs) on fire at Maripur road.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Pakistan
[Pak Daily Times] A large number of members of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ...which is the false nose and plastic mustache of the murderous banned extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, whatcha might call the political wing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi... (ASWJ) on Saturday staged sit-ins and held protest demonstrations against the killing of Maulana Shamsur Rehman Muawiya, the chief of ASWJ's Punjab chapter, bringing the twin cities to a standstill.
The enraged protesters blocked the Faizabad Interchange, the Expressway, the Murree Road and the Kashmire Highway in the capital. The commuters travelling between Islamabad and Rawalpindi faced difficulties owing to the blockade of roads, as vehicles lined-up in long queues on all links roads of the twin cities.
Condemning the liquidation of Maulana Shamsur Rehman, the demonstrators demanded the government arrest the killers within 24 hours.
The protesters also rallied at the Aabpara Chowk to condemn the killing of Rehman. The Aabpara Market was shutdown due to the protest, while roads leading to the market were also blocked by stick-wielding protesters. Some protesters took out their frustration on vehicles by throwing stones and damaging the parked vehicles at the market. Some burnt tyres to block the roads. They were chanting slogans against their leader's murder and for the arrest of his killers.
According to the police, unidentified armed motorcyclists killed the ASWJ leader late on Friday by firing indiscriminately on his vehicle, which left him critically maimed in Shafiqabad police limits, while his driver and a passerby also received bullet injuries. The dear departed was returning home after leading the Friday prayer at the Muhammadi Masjid, Kareem Park, Lahore. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he departed this vale of tears. According to doctors, Maulana Muaviya (50) received several bullets in his head and chest.
After the attack, the ASWJ announced a countrywide protest.
The motorway was blocked causing inconvenience to the general public. Protesters were using bricks and sticks to divert traffic and block roads.
Meanwhile, ...back at the bunker, his Excellency called a hurried meeting of his closest advisors. It was to be his last. They discussed the officers's efficiency rating system... Islamabad SSP (Operations) Dr Muhammad Rizwan said 400 police personnel had been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident. People coming to Islamabad were given an alternate route, he added.
Members of the ASWJ also staged protests in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad ...formerly known as Lyallpur, the third largest metropolis in Pakistain, the second largest in Punjab after Lahore. It is named after some Arab because the Paks didn't have anybody notable of their own to name it after... , 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... 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. and other cities of the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
[Al Ahram] Iraq's top diplomat warned Saturday that the "toxic" proliferation of bad boy groups among Syria's rebels raises the prospect of a jihadist-ruled territory at the heart of the region.
The comments by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari reflect Iraq's fears that the Syrian conflict is imperiling its fragile domestic security, as well as growing international alarm about the risk posed by waves of imported muscle bolstering the ranks of gangs fighting to Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Terror of Aleppo ...
Zebari told attendees at a security conference in small Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain that the increase in radical fighters among the Syrian rebels is leading toward the creation of an ungovernable "Islamic emirate" that the world will have to deal with down the road.
"The most important danger coming out of the Syria conflict for Iraq ... and for the region is the mushrooming of terrorist groups and fronts in Syria," Zebari said.
"These are armies of recruits," he continued. "They're not all Syrians. There are European nationals. Some of them have come as far as from Australia, from Canada, and from many other countries. This is really toxic."
The 11 western European countries with the biggest contingents in Syria are estimated to have some 1,200-1,700 people among rebel forces, according to government and analyst figures compiled by The News Agency that Dare Not be Named. Many others are thought to come from Arab and other Mohammedan countries.
The Iraqi arm of al-Qaeda has muscled into the Syrian conflict too, pushing into rebel-held parts of the north of the country. It earlier this year renamed itself Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in an effort to highlight its cross-border ambitions.
It has recruited significant numbers of imported muscle and has repeatedly clashed with more moderate groups within the Syrian opposition.
The cross-border movement of fighters is believed to have contributed to a months-long spike in bloodshed in Iraq, blamed largely on al-Qaeda's local franchise, with more than 8,000 people killed in boom-mobileings and other violent attacks since the start of the year.
Zebari warned that bad boy groups could eventually consolidate areas under their control inside Syria.
"The day will come, God forbid, when they will have another Islamic emirate" outside the effective control of the government. "Then we have to deal with that threat later on. These are facts. We are not creating stories."
Iraq is officially neutral in the Syrian civil war, and it has repeatedly called for a negotiated political settlement to the conflict. Its Shia-led government has warm ties with Shia powerhouse Iran, the main regional back of Assad.
Zebari sought to make clear that this should not be interpreted as Iraqi support for the Syrian leader.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq & the Levant
And who, pray tell, will bell those particular cats?
[An Nahar] Russian ambassador to Leb Alexander Zasypkin stressed that since the eruption of the conflict in Syria, Moscow had supported Leb's policy of disassociation, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.
He asked: "Why should we ask Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria when two years ago our calls on gangs from northern Leb to withdraw was left unheeded?"
"Moscow backed the policy of disassociation at a time when gangs from northern Leb were involved in the conflict," he remarked.
"Russia backed the United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... ' Security Council's support for the Baabda Declaration," he added.
Moreover, Zasypkin said that Hizbullah got involved in Syria after the gangs' intervention, noting: "We supported the policy of disassociation in order to avert any escalation in Leb."
"We are continuing on demanding that the Baabda Declaration be implemented and respected by all powers," he stated.
"A real war is taking place in Syria and we want stability in Leb," stressed the ambassador.
In addition, he warned that the arrival of snuffies to power in Syria "is the most dangerous development that may happen to Leb."
"Their assumption of any position will mark the beginning of their expansion in all directions, because snuffies seek to expand their power," he explained.
Addressing the turbulent security situation in Leb, Zasypkin said: "We are aware that terrorist attacks are happening in Leb from time to time and we cannot explain them."
"We believe however that some Lebanese authorities, with the support of the international community, can overcome these problems," he continued.
"We combat terrorism wherever it may be and we combat all who support terrorists," stressed the ambassador to As Safir.
Unanimously adopted during a national dialogue session in June 2012, the Baabda Declaration calls for keeping Leb away from the conflict in Syria.
Some Lebanese groups, including Hizbullah and Islamists from northern Leb, have been involved in the unrest.
The Islamists back the Syrian rebels, while Hizbullah supports the Syrian regime.
Last year, at least 14 Salafists ...Salafists are ostentatiously devout Moslems who figure the ostentation of their piety gives them the right to tell others how to do it and to kill those who don't listen to them... , who mostly hail from northern Leb, were killed on November 30, 2012 in an ambush carried out by Syrian regime forces as they infiltrated the town of Tall Kalakh to fight alongside the Free Syrian Army.
President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... has repeatedly urged all Lebanese factions to avoid fighting in Syria and adhere to the Baabda Declaration in order to avoid the spread of the conflict to Leb.
Hizbullah has justified its fighting Syria by saying that it is protecting holy religious sites and takfir ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... i snuffies in the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
Let em come and get killed in Syria and in booms in Leb
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/08/2013 9:16 Comments ||
Top||
[An Nahar] U.S. President Barack Obama Republicans can come along for the ride, but they've got to sit in the back... warned Saturday that an "ideal" agreement to eliminate "every nut and bolt" of Iran's disputed nuclear program was not a realistic goal.
But he argued that the best possible available agreement with Tehran was likely to be better than the alternatives, and it was therefore imperative to try to secure one.
Obama, speaking at the Brookings Institution's Saban Forum in Washington, said a deal was possible that included enough verification safeguards to assure foreign powers Tehran could not build a nuclear bomb.
He indicated that could include a very "modest" option for Iran to enrich uranium as part of a peaceful nuclear program under intense scrutiny by outside observers that would ensure Tehran was kept from "breakout" capacity needed to race to build an atomic weapon.
"If we could create an option in which Iran eliminated every single nut and bolt of their nuclear program and foreswore the possibility of ever having a nuclear program, and for that matter got rid of all its military capabilities, I would take it," Obama said.
"But I want to make sure everybody understands it -- that particular option is not available, so as a consequence, what we have to do is make a decision, as to given the options available, what is the best way for us to assure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon?"
Obama noted likely criticism from Israel of any final deal that did not eliminate all of Iran's nuclear infrastructure as he laid out a pragmatic case for the negotiations.
"One can envision an ideal world in which Iran said 'we will destroy every element or facility and you name it it is all gone.'"
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[13 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Translation: "We got screwed. Oh boy, did we get screwed."
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/08/2013 0:49 Comments ||
Top||
#2
{Obama stated in a speech at the Brookings Institute: }a deal was possible that included enough verification safeguards to assure foreign powers Tehran could not build a nuclear bomb.
Meanwhile the big turbans are going ahead with their nuke program. Champ has been paraded out to sell this traitorous act.
#5
He had to do a deal, for his 'legacy' and this is the best he could do. It'll probably work out OK, for his administration. Somebody else will have to clean up the mess.
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/08/2013 11:38 Comments ||
Top||
#6
He must be thanking the MSM for not raising any fuss.
#8
You mean, to agree to a deal before finding out what is in it? Sounds like they know as much about Nuclear Weapons and Mideast Diplomacy as they do Health Care and IT Projects.
If it makes you feel any better about the largest and most advanced propaganda machine ever deployed, they spend a lot of time covering butt or ingnoring stories with noise. That is time not spent promoting the virtues of big gov and single ruler. In fact they have so discredited themselves that when Iran says the published agreement has almost nothing to do with the real agreement...and people believe the Iranians? Problems.
#9
"It'll probably work out OK, for his administration."
I'm sure that's how the Iranians sold the deal, Bobby - a promise not to do anything like bomb Israel until Bambi leaves office (assuming he does). And he's just stupid enough to believe them.
So won't he be surprised when them back out on that part of the "deal" and bomb Israel and Arabia next year? (Provided those parties don't take care of the problem first.)
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/08/2013 18:28 Comments ||
Top||
[An Nahar] President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... stated on Saturday his rejection of all foreign intervention schemes, adding that illegal arms have become a tool of destabilization in the country.
"The issue of the Lebanese identity has drawn foreign interference and it was only the result of local mistakes," Suleiman said in a speech he gave at an event to unveil the busts of the 12 Lebanese presidents that have ruled the country since its independence in 1943., noting that Saturday's meeting aims at reviving "the cause."
"The cause is the idea of a democratic, sovereign, pluralistic, free and independent Leb."
He elaborated: "Revolutions in the region have turned into crises and led to the awakening of religious identities in the country that are dominant over the Lebanese identity."
"This is a recipe for war."
Suleiman said that the stability of Leb is based on a free contract that ensures "political partnership."
"This opens the door in front of developing the Taif Accord towards establishing a modern civil state."
The president stressed on the importance of neutralizing Leb from regional turmoil.
He explained: "The neutrality of Leb from regional axes and conflicts is reflected in allying with Arabs when they are in agreement only."
"Every time the Lebanese deviate from neutrality, problems that have been concealed since 1958 erupt," he noted.
Suleiman also tackled the issue of illegal arms spread in the country, warning that they are a tool used to destabilize civil peace.
"Tension in the country is a result of the duality of the state and illegal weapons," he stated.
The head of the Lebanese republic said this issue should be approached through dialogue, not through policies of elimination and throwing accusations.
Suleiman also called on politicians to hold the presidential elections on time.
"I urge you not to abandon your duties and representation of the people, and to avoid a vacuum in the presidency."
He pointed out that the 1988 and the 2007 experiences have proved that political "vacuum leads to the deterioration of security and economic conditions."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/08/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"Revolutions in the region have turned into crises and led to the awakening of religious identities in the country that are dominant over the Lebanese identity."
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.
[Tolo News] Military spokesperson Ahmed Mohammed Ali said that the armed forces thwarted two 
[Al Ahram] After Omar Al-Bashir's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) came to power in 1989, Sudan has not undergone political travails over the past 25 years as difficult as the ones it is experiencing now.
Taha held the country's second-highest political position as first vice president and was the main negotiator in Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 which brought an end to the Sudanese civil war.
[Pak Daily Times] LAHORE: Tensions gripped parts of the city on Saturday as Sunni scholars and activists from across Punjab protested the murder of 
Wazoo
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[An Nahar] U.S. President 
