[An Nahar] Military leaders have proposed keeping 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... 's combat mission ends in December -- or else pull out all American forces, a U.S. official said Wednesday.
The commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, presented the option last week to the White House, which is weighing the proposal, the official said, confirming reports in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... .
"It's fair to say that the intelligence community, the State Department, the Pentagon, all believe that if we're going to have a footprint in Afghanistan after 2014, it should be about that number," said the official, referring to the 10,000 troop level.
"If that can't be, we also believe it would be most prudent to have nothing," the official told Agence La Belle France Presse, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The option being debated by the White House also calls for a short stay for the proposed post-2014 force, which would be scaled back and withdrawn within two years, the official said.
Such a scenario would allow Obama to tout the end of the longest U.S. war by the time he leaves office in January 2017. But the move could prompt accusations of an irresponsible retreat after repeated vows by Washington to maintain an enduring presence in Afghanistan.
Any future force after December still hinges on Afghanistan's Caped PresidentHamid 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... signing a bilateral security agreement between the two countries, which lays out a legal framework for a U.S. military presence beyond 2014. Karzai has so far refused to sign the deal.
The proposed security pact with Afghanistan would allow for U.S. troops to stay through 2024.
Under the Pentagon proposal, U.S. commanders hope the 10,000 U.S. troops would be joined by 2,000-3,000 forces from other NATO countries, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Military commanders have reportedly told the White House that if Obama rejects the 10,000 troop option, then all American forces should be withdrawn as a smaller force would be unable to provide security for intelligence officers and diplomats.
Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... , known for his long-running opposition to a large military presence in Afghanistan, is believed to favor a contingent of less than 10,000, comprised mainly of special operations forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
"Joined by 2-3000 troops from other NATO countries" > Whom may or may NOT be the Brits.
To wit,
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > BRITAIN TELLS US: "WE CAN'T [militarily] FIGHT ANOTHER WAR LIKE AFGHANISTAN" -TELEGRAPH.
Seems the Brits [minus Scotland?] will now only have enough resources to unilaterally fight or support a "ONE WAR" mil strategy, one where not more than 6000 Brit troops are comitted at any one time agz a "sole" enemy.
IDEALLY, THE UK PREFERS THAT THE UNO + THE USA-N-ONLY-THE-USA BE IN THE LEAD FOR ANY SINGLE OR MULTI-FRONT CAMPAIGN.
More bad news for US Allies in East Asia + Pacific - ditto also for the USA = Bammer Amerika as it may NOT have its single most reliable ally [NATO-EU?] in support of its defense + intervention on behalf of Japan, etc.
FRANCE???
* FYI WORLD NEWS > [Khaleej Times] CAN CHINA BE CHALLENGED"? WASHINGTON HAS NO RECOURSE BUT TO SHARE POWER WID BEIJING.
* RELATED SAME > [Business Insider] SOMEONE JUST SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE JAPAN-CHINA CONFLICT THAT SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF EVERYONE, recently at the 2014 World Econ Forum in Davos, Indonesia.
China = ...
> China + Japan increasingly hate the other???
> Has never formally or finally settled wid Japan its various war + related issues.
> Believes that war may be the only real or pragmatic way to achieve its ambitions = geopol agendas.
> Believes that a mil conflict agz Japan can be EFFEC LIMITED = RESTRICTED TO ONLY THE TWO COUNTRIES.
> That China will be sucessful in any war agz Japan no matter how long or short.
#2
(1) Sounds like they're working towards the endgame scenario we refer to as 'Vietnam'. (Enough that they can bleed you, not enough to stop it. It's the return of 'cost-effective' warfighting, ala McNamara.) I suppose it beats option 'Alamo', but not by much.
(2) Joe Biden can count, or at least somebody explained the concept of big numbers to him.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/23/2014 7:27 Comments ||
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#3
Is it possible to choose "none?"
I hope Karzai has been keeping up on his restaurant skills. He's going to need them when we leave.
P.S.(oes anybody need a new busboy?
Posted by: No Longer Frozen Al ||
01/23/2014 11:12 Comments ||
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#4
Al? No longer frozen?
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/23/2014 14:07 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] An Islamist alliance backing deposed 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... called for 18 days of protests from Friday, as Egypt on January 25 marks three years since the revolt that ousted his predecessor.
The Anti-Coup Alliance said in a statement on Wednesday that protests will last until February 11 -- the day when Morsi's predecessor, long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... , stepped down in early 2011 after an 18-day uprising against his decades-old regime.
Saturday, the third anniversary of the 2011 revolt, promises to be a tense day.
Interim interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim has also called for demonstrations on that day to counter what he said was an Islamist "plot to spark chaos", an unusual appeal from the top police official tasked with enforcing a law that restricts protests.
Morsi supporters have staged regular protests demanding his reinstatement despite a brutal government crackdown that has left more than 1,000 people killed since his ouster in July.
The alliance said the objective of its protests was to "end the military rule which has committed most if not all the awful and shameful crimes since January 25 2011 which peaked during the military coup" that ousted Morsi.
Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was removed by the army on July 3 after mass protests against his year-long rule.
The alliance said its protests will be "non-violent... and peaceful", but their rallies have often turned into street festivities with Morsi opponents and security forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] The Ministry of Information is trying to track the source of pro-Qadaffy satellite TV channels, because of concerns that they are spreading rumours that jeopardise the security and stability of the New Libya.
The main Egyptian satellite network, NileSat has denied that it had any contract with any Qadaffy-linked channels, deputy information minister Lamia Bu Sidra told the Libya Herald.
"The Egyptian company was very cooperative" said Bu Sidra, adding, "and the ministry is still working hard to follow the path of the channels, which is not easy".
NileSat is a leading satellite broadcaster with 700 TV channels and 100 digital radio channels being distributed by its three satellites. Until July 2011, when Cairo court ordered it to stop, NileSat used to host the former regime's 14-channel TV output.
The Cairo court ruling that led to that blocking of the Qadaffy channels, two and a half years ago, said the decision had been made because it had been established that "the Libyan government-linked channels spread false information about the revolution in Libya against Muammar Qadaffy ... who had more funny outfits than Louis XIV... 's rule".
For its part, the former regime sought, unsuccessfully to block the output of Libyan rebel satellite stations, principally Al Hurrah, as well as Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Speaking about the recent skirmishes at the Wirshafana region between criminal gangs and state security forces, the Prime Minister admitted at today's presser that errors were committed by both sides.
This was in response to criticism that the forces sent in by the state were too heavy handed, causing harm to innocent civilians in the process of pursuing the criminals.
As a result, Zeidan announced a change of tactics today, saying that the (mainly militia) forces from outside the area would be recalled and that the local police and Security Directorate in Wirshefana will be activated instead.
He said that the operation would now be followed up by the Ministry of Interior but insisted that all those that were wanted by the law would be sought and prosecuted.
Zeidan said that he had met elders and mediators as well as GNC members from the area for discussions and that the new sweep operations would be conducted with local cooperation.
The Wirshafana area has been seen as a hotbed of criminal activity, with carjackings, hold ups and road blocks a regular feature for local and passing traffic.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[Egypt Independent] Two Egyptian Christians who converted to Islam alledge they were taken advantage by the Egyptian Islamic Labor Party of in order to further the pro-Moslem Brüderbund political cause.
After converting to Islam, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, a former doctor at Khanka hospital, and Mohammed al-Shammas, a government employee, say they did not face any major problems with their families, neighbors or even colleagues at work, but the two preferred to leave their jobs and find a new social circle.
They tried to find news opportunities for a job to pay for necessities, like food. During their job hunt they met with a members of the Egyptian Islamic Labor Party, who convinced them to take them to the party headquarters to provide financial and moral help.
There, they discovered the party leaders attempted to take advantage of them politically, in return for shelter and some money to live on.
They were received by Magdy Hussein, head of the party, and Ahmed al-Kholy, head of the Political Bureau of the Party, who provided them with a hotel room overlooking the Nile to stay overnight, and a pledge to provide them with care, and all ways to ensure security and stability until providing an apartment for them, which was achieved only after two days of accommodation at the hotel.
Ahmed, the doctor, says that all that has changed when then refused to wave the Rabea al-Adaweya four-finger sign, in support of the Moslem Brüderbund, and refused to say that 30 June was a military coup, in a presser held for them.
Shammas goes on saying that the party leaders dedicated a whole page about him and his lover companion in the party's newspaper Al-Shaab, hinting they are members of the Pro-Moslem Brüderbund National Alliance to Support Legitimacy.
"All these things were strong motives for us to insist on the rejection of all those methods, and our rejection for compromising our principles. We raise the flag of disobedience in the face of Hussein, which was met with us expelled from the apartment in the middle of the night, and seizing all our personal belongings, and threatening us in case our story was revealed to the media."
The two say they converted believing Egypt was a free country, with freedom of religion. They were convinced by the tolerance of Islam, not love in the currents of political Islam. They wanted to stay away from politics and just work for charities.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[MAGHAREBIA] Members of Libya's General National Congress (GNC) are slated to arrive in Algiers on Wednesday (January 22nd), APS reported. The three-day visit is dedicated to "strengthening parliamentary relations" and co-operation between the two countries, a statement of the Algerian parliament said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[MAGHAREBIA] The Justice and Construction Party quit the Libyan government on Tuesday (January 21st) after failing to win a censure motion against Prime Minister Ali Zidan, AFP reported.
Zidan was "incapable of taking the country where it needs to go", the Islamist party said.
After three weeks of heated debate, the Islamists and their allies were unable to secure the required 120 votes in the 194-member General National Congress to pass the motion.
The party is the political arm of the Moslem Brüderbund. Its ministers held the portfolios of oil, sport, electricity, housing and economy.
Earlier, 99 MPs, including those of the exiting party, signed a petition of protest accusing Zidan of a "crushing failure" in his efforts to assert central government control over former rebel militias.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Egypt said on Wednesday it was "very surprised" by a decision by its longtime U.S. ally to exclude it from a high-profile African summit being convened by President Barack Obama Republicans can come along for the ride, but they've got to sit in the back...
Egypt joins international pariahs Sudan and Zim-bob-we in the short list of African countries not among the 47 invited to the August get-together.
U.S. officials said that Egypt was ineligible to attend because it is suspended from the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... following the military's overthrow of elected 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... last July.
Egyptian foreign ministry front man Badr Abdelbati said the U.S. decision was a "mistake" and displayed a "lack of vision".
"Egypt was very surprised by the U.S. statement about its reasons, especially as the summit is not being held under the auspices of the African Union and is simply a summit between the United States and African countries," the front man said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] A non-governmental group attempting to secure the release of an ailing South African man kidnapped in Yemen by al-Qaeda said Wednesday it had received a fresh ransom demand.
Disaster relief organization Gift of the Givers said it had "received a text message from al-Qaeda" at around 1400 GMT asking why the South African government had not paid the ransom for Pierre Korkie.
The ransom demand is for $3.0 million (2.2 million euros).
When told that South Africa does not "negotiate with kidnappers" or pay ransoms, "they sent us a picture of a bomb belt," said NGO president Imtiaz Sooliman.
Korkie, a 56-year-old English teacher who is suffering from hernia, was kidnapped along with his wife last May in the Yemeni city of Taiz by members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Korkie's wife Yolande was freed on January 10 and has since returned to South Africa to fight for his release.
The couple had lived and worked in Yemen for four years.
A initial deadline of January 17 had been set for the ransom to be paid, but that was later extended by three weeks.
South African deputy foreign minister Ebrahim Ebrahim recently traveled to Yemen and made a television appeal for Korkie's release.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[TRIBUNE.PK] Noor Khan, whose father died in a dronezap in 2011, failed in his attempt to hold British intelligence officials of the GCHQ responsible for the killing because the court ruled that even considering Khan's claims would involve "sitting in judgment" on the US, The Guardian reported.
28 year-old Noor Khan's father was a tribal elder who died during a strike on a local council meeting in North Wazoo.
Khan claimed at a British court of appeal that the staff of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) -- an intelligence and security organization -- were to blame for the death because they had passed on "locational intelligence" to the CIA before the attack.
"However the claims are presented, they involve serious criticisms of the acts of a foreign state," the three court of appeal judges concluded. "It is only in certain established circumstances that our courts will exceptionally sit in judgment of such acts. There are no such exceptional circumstances here."
The court would have to find the CIA implicitly guilty of a war crime before it could consider whether GCHQ had been involved, the court said.
Responding to the ruling, Kat Craig, a human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... worker supporting Khan, said: "It is shameful that the risk of embarrassing the US has trumped British justice in this case.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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North Korean leader Fat Boy Kim Jong-un's elder half-brother, who disappeared from the radar since the execution of former eminence grise Jang Song-taek, has been spotted in Malaysia. The Yomiuri Shimbun on Tuesday quoted sources as saying Kim Jong-nam left his home in Singapore earlier this month and was spotted in a Korean restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.
Until December of 2011, when his father, former leader Kim Jong-il was alive, Kim Jong-nam shuttled back and forth between Beijing and Macau, where his first and second wives lived. He also travelled to Thailand, Austria and Russia and stopped in Pyongyang once in a while.
But after Kim Jong-il's death, he disappeared from view. He apparently moved to Southeast Asia, mainly Singapore and Malaysia. One source said Kim Jong-nam has been staying chiefly in Malaysia since his father's death at Jang's recommendation, with occasional trips to Singapore and China. He is rumored to have secretly visited France last year where his son, Han-sol, is at university.
Another source said a North Korean agent tried to assassinate Kim Jong-nam in Macau in 2011 but failed after a bloody shootout with his bodyguards. That prompted him to leave Macau and move to another Southeast Asian country.
Jang's nephew and North Korean Ambassador to Malaysia Jang Yong-chol, who was summoned back to Pyongyang in December last year, apparently took care of him there.
There are several North Korean businesses in Singapore and Malaysia trying to earn foreign currency for the isolated regime, most of them were under Jang's ultimate control. One of the companies, which is involved in overseas construction and employs 1,000 laborers, was run by an official Jang had hand-picked and sent back millions of U.S. dollars to the eminence grise each year.
Jang installed his nephew as ambassador to Malaysia to keep close tabs on the businesses.
So if you were the nephew, and your uncle just got fed to hungry wild dogs, and the motherland then called you home -- would you go?
One source said North Korean trading companies in Malaysia covered the operating expenses of the embassy and Jang Yong-chol made regular payments to Kim Jong-nam.
The Yomiuri said Kim Jong-nam used Singapore as his home base while traveling in the region but became a virtual recluse after Jang's execution in December. He may now have decided that he is not among the targets of the bloody purge that accompanied his uncle's ouster.
Some pundits believe Kim Jong-nam is still alive and travels freely because he is being protected by the children of high-ranking Chinese officials.
Malaysia and Singapore may be safe for Kim Jong-nam since Beijing wields considerable clout there. There are rumors that China's security detail doubles whenever he visits, and that he moves around switching back and forth between two identical cars to avoid detection.
There is speculation that Beijing is protecting Kim Jong-nam to make him leader of North Korea in case the Pudgy Kim Jong-un regime collapses. But he has denied such speculation, saying China's treatment of him is merely diplomatic courtesy.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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Oh, he's alive.
From the headline, I wanted to ask 'face up or face down?'.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/23/2014 7:08 Comments ||
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[Haaretz] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that European countries are biased against Israel is not true, the head of the European Union delegation to Israel said Wednesday. "Watch our lips, not our hands!"
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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"Tut tut, my good man. We're not biased against Israel. We just hate Jews."
A US official close to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry said both men are disturbed over what is being perceived in their inner circle as "Jewish activism in Congress" that they think is being encouraged by the Israeli government, Israel Radio reported on Thursday.
#2
Their complaint is nothing more than the "Israel firster" nonsense promulgated by the BDS crowd. It's just a more sophisticated form of anti-Semitism. Now that's invaded the highest levels of our government.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/23/2014 8:36 Comments ||
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#3
Opposition to the Mooslim Broederbond comes with a price.
The Obama administration is worried that Israel is riling up American Jews, according to a report in the Israeli press. The allegations are detailed in a story headlined, "'US perceives Israel as encouraging anti-Obama backlash among Jews,'" which appears in the Jerusalem Post.
The Post report reads, "A US official close to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry said both men are disturbed over what is being perceived in their inner circle as 'Jewish activism in Congress' that they think is being encouraged by the Israeli government, Israel Radio reported on Thursday.
"The official has informed Israeli government figures that the president and secretary of state are disappointed over repeated attacks made against them by leading members of the Jewish community in the US.
"According to Israel Radio, Israeli diplomats and foreign officers have warned against this trend. According to officials based in foreign missions, the Israeli government is increasingly being viewed as fanning the flames among American Jews by encouraging them to promote the official government position while making no room for opposing viewpoints."
"Conservative Republicans have no place in New York with their right-wing views because "that's not what New Yorkers are,"
~ Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo says.
[TRIBUNE.PK] 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... Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... group (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq on Wednesday distanced himself from negotiations between the government and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) after the recent bombardment in North Wazoo, Khyber Agency and other tribal areas of the country.
In a blurb issued on January 1 from Darul Uloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak, Haq had stated that he had taken steps to carry forward the agenda of negotiations between the government and the TTP.
Haq also stated that he informed the prime minister about the response of the TTP, but didn't garner any response.
The JUI-S chief said, "I sent a detailed letter to the prime minister to draw his attention back to the issue through an email and courier, and avoided to show the letter to media due the sensitivity of the issue."
"I requested both the parties to ceasefire and keep themselves away from use of power and military operation," he added.
However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... in a later statement, he stated that the military had started shelling in the tribal areas.
Haq, who is also chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistain Council said that he put his life at risk for the 'sake of the country' but did not find any seriousness for negotiations, therefore, in these times of tension he wanted to keep himself detached altogether.
He stated that he respected the media, but refrained from answering any further questions over the matter.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The special branch of Islamabad police has started collecting details of students, teachers and administrators of seminaries, police said on Tuesday.
Police teams are collecting all necessary particulars from the seminaries keeping in view the prevailing security situation.
Besides, the same practice is also being carried out in guest houses and hotels in the city. Particulars of all students will be compiled and updated at regular intervals.
The seminary administrations have been directed by the police not to allow any unknown person to stay on their premises.
The special police teams would continue checking the premises from time to time.
The particulars of all those visiting guest houses, hotels, motels and inns would be obtained and field officers would compile all the relevant details about them.
The Islamabad police have warned of strict action as per law if anyone staying in the hotels and seminaries was found involved in unlawful practices.
According to the last survey conducted about two years ago, there were 685 mosques and 40 imambargahs along with 305 seminaries in the capital city.
Out of the total, 89 seminaries were operated by Barelvi school of thought, 199 by Deobandis, 10 by Ahle Hadith and seven by Shia community.
There were 843 teachers and 29,380 students hailing from Islamabad, tribal areas, AJK, KPK and southern Punjab.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The Death Eater groups, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and some other banned outfits, are operating with "virtual impunity" in Pakistain as the country's civilian and military institutions are either "unable" or "unwilling" to prevent terrorist attacks, says report of an international human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... organization.
"The Death Eater groups such as the ostensibly banned 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), a Taliban affiliate, operate with virtual impunity across Pakistain as law enforcement officials either turn a blind eye or appear helpless to prevent attacks," says Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... (HRW) in its World Report 2014 released on Tuesday.
Talking to Dawn, HRW's country director for Pakistain Ali Dayan Hasan said that in the 667-page report, its 24th annual review of human rights practices around the world, the HRW had summarised major issues in more than 90 countries. He said HRW with its head office in New York had released report about each country in their respective capitals.
"Taliban attacks, amounting to war crimes, have increased in scope and magnitude even as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... 's government has renewed offer for peace talks in the aftermath of atrocities," said Mr Hasan.
The HRW report has come at a time when the Death Eaters have stepped up their attacks across the country and the media has reported that the Death Eaters have already carried out 25 major terrorist attacks in the first 20 days of 2014.
The report says that during the election campaign in April and May, at least 130 people were killed and over 500 were maimed allegedly by the TTP and its affiliates, who had declared elections "un-Islamic" and warned voters to stay away from the rallies of the formerly ruling coalition parties.
Numerous government installations and law enforcement personnel have been targeted by the Taliban. At least 22 polio ...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set... vaccination workers were killed, and 14 maimed in 2012 and 2013 in attacks for which the Taliban grabbed credit, says the HRW.
The human rights organization says "a climate of fear impedes media coverage of Death Eater groups and the Taliban and other gangs regularly threaten media outlets over their coverage". The report alleges that "security forces routinely violate basic rights" in the course of counter-terrorism operations with suspects frequently detained without charge or convicted without a fair trial. "Thousands of suspected members of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other gangs -- who were rounded up in a crackdown in 2009 in Swat ...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat... valley and tribal areas -- remained in illegal military detention at time of writing; few had been prosecuted or produced before the courts", alleges the report.
The HRW report also mentions the security situation in the troubled Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... province, stating that "enforced disappearances and killings of suspected Baloch Death Eaters and opposition activists" continues in the province. "Violence against women and girls -- including rape, honour killings, acid attacks, domestic violence and forced marriage -- remains a serious problem in Pakistain," says the report.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[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... -Fazl (JUI-F) 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 ... on Wednesday 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... over 'innocents' being killed during Pak security forces' Arclight airstrikes in North Wazoo on Sunday, DawnNews reported.
In a statement issued to the media, he said that his party was not in favour of a military offensive and vowed to oppose it in the future as well.
Earlier, Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... , who is also chief of his own faction of the religious Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) party had said that he would no longer act as a government-backed peace broker with the turbans after Arclight airstrikes killed 40 in the tribal agency bordering Afghanistan.
"Killings of innocents and exodus of civilians after the Arclight airstrikes in North Waziristan is regrettable," the statement quoted the JUI-F chief as saying.
"What criteria are adopted to ascertain who is a terrorist and who is not," he inquired.
The air strikes in the North Waziristan and Khyber tribal regions on Tuesday were an apparent retaliation for two major Taliban attacks on military targets in as many days. But security officials said the strikes were carried out on the basis of intelligence reports.
Assailing the government for its failure to come up with a clear stance on the issue, Fazlur Rehman said that people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) were being "sandwiched" from all directions.
The JUI-F chief said that his party would not accept the policy of targeting civilian population in the name operations against Talibs.
He clarified that his party was neither in favour of the operation nor will it endorse such an action in the future.
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[TRIBUNE.PK] Tuesday's attack on a polio ...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set... team in Qayyumabad in 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... failed to dampen the spirit of some polio workers as the drive continued partially in parts of Sindh, including some areas in Karachi on Wednesday.
However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... this time round, the workers wore black armbands, to register their protest. "We will not deter after this cowardly attack and continue the campaign as it is a humanitarian cause," said Lady Health Workers' Association president Bushra Arain. Referring to a recent meeting with officials of the health department and the police, she said a security plan was being devised after which they will also cover 'highly sensitive' areas of Karachi.
"We will not succumb to the threats and attacks," she said, adding that before going to the field, the lady health workers (LHWs) and volunteers had staged a 10-minute protest in front of the basic health centres and hospitals of their areas.
Across the districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, the LHWs erupted into the streets against the killing of their three co-workers in Karachi. The routine polio eradication campaign, which had started on Monday, was partially suspended.
The sit-ins were staged in Hyderabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Thatta, Badin, Benazirabad and other districts. "Our LHWs were killed with impunity, but the government has failed to provide us with security," complained Rukhsana Mughal, who was leading a sit-in outside the SSP Office in Hyderabad.
"It's not about the government or the politicians. The lives of innocent children are at stake," said district health officer Dr Ghulam Mustafa Abbasi. "Provide us foolproof security and give us our unpaid salaries," asked the LHWs. "The workers will not continue the campaign until complete security is provided and the killers are incarcerated You have the right to remain silent... ," declared All Pakistain LHW Employees Association central president Haleema Laghari at a protest, which she led in Tando Allahyar district.
Meanwhile, ...back at the Council of Boskone, Helmuth ordered the space pirate fleet to attack Zemblonia... the 28-year-old, Akbari Sheikh, who is one of the three workers killed in Karachi, was laid to rest in a graveyard in Husri town's Sarmast Colony in Hyderabad Rural. "I only want that the killers of my wife and all polio workers are arrested so that innocent children are not deprived of the vaccination," said her husband, Jumman Sheikh. On the other hand, the government has announced that it will speed up the anti-polio campaign in the province amid tight security measures. "We will not deter because of such attacks," said Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon.
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] A top European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... official warned on Wednesday that both Israel and the Paleostinians would have a "price to pay" if U.S.-led peace talks collapse.
Speaking to news hounds in Jerusalem, Lars Faaborg-Andersen, the EU's ambassador to Israel, also rebuffed charges by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Europe was showing a pro-Paleostinian bias.
And he warned that persistent Israeli construction on land seized during the 1967 Six Day War was fueling private European moves to boycott products and services linked to the settlements.
"It is obvious, and we have made it clear to the parties, that there will be a price to pay if these negotiations falter," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in July with the aim of securing an agreement within nine months. But the talks have shown very little visible progress, overshadowed by disagreements on security and a flurry of settlement announcements.
Since January 1, Israel has pushed ahead with plans for another 2,791 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, sparking a wave of international condemnation.
By continuing to build up the settlements at the expense of a peace agreement, Israel was likely to find itself more and more shunned by the European public, the envoy warned.
"If Israel were to go down the road of continued settlement expansion and were there not to be any result of the current talks, I'm afraid that what will transpire is a situation in which Israel will find itself increasingly isolated," he said.
"Not necessarily because of any decisions taken at a governmental level but because of decisions taken by a myriad of private, economic actors, be it companies, pension funds or consumers, who will be choosing other products on the supermarket shelves."
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
"If Israel were to go down the road of continued settlement expansion and were there not to be any result of the current talks, I'm afraid that what will transpire is a situation in which Israel will find itself increasingly isolated," he said.
Oh my goodness. We'll have to restrict our trade to Bricks!
Country with record of enmity towards Israel is now assuming more balanced policy in region, enhancing cooperation in various fields such as energy, television. Norway's prime minister is expected to make first visit to Israel this year
The new Norwegian government, which so far was considered one of the most hostile administrations facing Israel, is working towards bracing the ties between the two countries and enhancing mutual cooperation in an array of fields.
The conservative-progressive minority government, which was established some three months ago, included an article in its elections platform that states that the government will change its Middle East policy and implement a more balanced course of action. This is in stark opposition to previous leftist administrations, whose policy was clearly pro-Arab.
As part of the new policy, Norway's Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader Erna Solberg is expected to make a visit to Israel later this year. It will be the first visit of a Norwegian prime minister in over a decade. Solberg was also among the first world leaders to issue a letter of condolences following the passing of former prime minister Ariel Sharon.
#5
My last comment, my point was inferred. Allow me to be a bit more clear.
Russia is moving missiles into Europe's backyard, a 'settlement' - Russians own captured war booty. And the European Parliamentarians are more concerned about Jews completing neighborhoods a 1000 miles away.
----
A different tangent.
What is a settlement? An incomplete planned community. Defined and demarcated. They are not expanding the settlement block, rather building it up to handle population growth. Jews do have kids you know, and the Jews I know like to live near family.
The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) began on Wednesday what may be the final round of negotiations between the two panels if they can come to an agreement on the last annex that would make up a comprehensive peace agreement ending decades of warfare in Central Mindanao.
The peace agreement with the MILF is a cornerstone of the Aquino administration, and the Moro militants themselves have said they want a peace deal before President Aquino completes his term in June 2016.
In his opening statement, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said, It is not farfetched that during this five-day session, we will be able to settle all the remaining outstanding issues on the Bangsamoro Waters and Annex on Normalization that block our way to conclude the talks and eventually sign the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) very soon."
But Iqbal remained cautious. He said that even as a comprehensive peace agreement was signed, it is the Exit Agreement that will formally terminate this negotiation.
(It) will only happen if the two parties satisfactorily complied with their part of the deal; in addition, not until after the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) and the two parties and the Malaysian facilitator finally certify that both parties have fully complied with their obligations in the negotiation, he said.
Government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said, Foremost expectation is the end to the armed conflicts in Muslim Mindanao, and a halt to the recurrence of violence involving the various armed groups, she said, adding that this was also the expectation of areas surrounding the Bangsamoro such as Zamboanga City and the rest of the Zamboanga peninsula, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Norte.
We take special note of Zamboanga City which has yet to fully recover from the trauma resulting from the siege launched by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front. In this regard, we ask the MILF leadership to ensure that their ranks refrain from any provocative acts that generate distrust among the populace, she said.
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
How is the Mindanao Muslim insurgency ended iff neither the MNLF-BIFF nor the pro-Qaeda ABU SAYYAF, etc. are NOT at the peace table???
[CNN] A preliminary session of Syrian peace talks meant to end three years of bloodshed was an important "first, small step," U.N. Secretary-General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon ... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan... said Wednesday after a morning of bitter exchanges.
Speaking to news hounds after the first leg of talks, Ban said a "difficult road" lay ahead, but the time had come for negotiations.
"We did not expect instant breakthroughs from today's conference, but the seriousness and horror of the situation has focused all minds, and there is a determination that all parties will find a way to peace," he said.
"We have a difficult road ahead, but it can be done and it must be done. It is still not too late to end the bloodshed and find the peaceful and democratic future. The moment to act decisively and courageously is now."
Syria earlier had struck a defiant tone, laying a record of atrocities -- rape, arson, even the destruction of Syrian culture itself -- at the feet of rebels and chiding outsiders for trying to interfere.
"This is a Syrian conflict, and it will remain as such," Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told the conference.
His comments came after U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... said the path to peace had to involve the world community, and could not include Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Terror of Aleppo ... , whom he accused of widespread human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... abuses.
"Mr. Kerry," al-Moallem said, "nobody in the world has the right to get rid of the legitimacy of a president or a constitution or a law or anything in Syria except the Syrian people themselves."
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
By definition, Jaawhn is also excluding IRAN which is against the Globalist agenda.
[An Nahar] Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stressed on Wednesday that Hizbullah's interference in Syria is not the problem, pointing out that the region's upheaval is cause by the presence of terrorist ideologies.
"Those claiming that what is happening in Syria is a result of Hizbullah's involvement in the war want to divert attention from the fact that there are foreign terrorist groups in the region," Mansour said during his participation at the Syria peace talks in Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... 's Geneva.
"The region has become a battle field with terrorists' presence and Leb was not excluded from it," he added.
Mansour noted that these recent regional challenges affected Leb's security.
"And this is clear in the dominance of terrorist and Takfiri ...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... ideologies that never had presence before in the region. Leb did not survive these destructive ideologies and organizations and a series of kabooms targeted more that one area in the country," the caretaker FM said.
He remarked that by adopting a dissociation police, Leb wanted to avoid getting involved in the Syrian conflict.
He elaborated: "We knew interfering in Syrian affairs would drag the country into a dark phase and lead to destruction and chaos in the country. Unfortunately, this is what happened and the world is counting the number of victims and the number of imported muscle sent to Syria."
Mansour also talked about the influx of refugees from the neighboring war-torn country.
"Another challenge Leb is suffering from is the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees whose number mounted to a one quarter of the country's population," he stated, calling on the international community to "become aware of the difficult situation the country is going through."
"This is a small country that is carrying a huge burden," he remarked.
He considered that the Geneva summit is a chance to find a solution to the Syrian crisis.
"And we believe that there are no alternatives to it," he said.
Mansour called for the reconstruction of Syria, explaining that it will protect regional and international peace.
"And we call for this summit to be a path towards national reconciliation and dialogue between different Syrian groups. We are looking forward to Syrian people's wisdom and constructive dialogue will get Syria out of its crisis, which will ensure attaining the much needed peace."
"Only the Syrian people decide on the future of their country, without any foreign interference," he insisted.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
That's like saying its Yersinia pestis, not the rats carrying it, that cause the plague. the former would not be there without the latter hosting it.
[An Nahar] The Special Tribunal for Leb began for the first time on Wednesday to hear the testimonies of witnesses in the trial of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's February 2005 liquidation.
The testimonies came after the STL prosecution, the lawyers for victims and defense attorneys of two suspects made their opening statements since the trial was launched last Thursday.
The four Hizbullah suspects -- Mustafa Badreddine, Hassan Oneissi, Salim Ayyash and Assad Sabra - have been indicted in Hariri's murder in what prosecutors say was a suicide truck bombing that killed him and 21 others on the Beirut seafront.
The suspects are being tried in absentia because they haven't been locked away Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! .
The fifth to be indicted was Hassan Habib Merhi, who was indicted later than the other four suspects and is not officially a suspect in the trial that started Thursday but several accusations have been made against him.
His lawyers are attending the trial in observer status.
Wednesday's hearing started with the prosecution listing the names and brief histories of the victims.
Then Abdul Qader Darwish, the brother of Mohammed Darwish, one of the victims of the attack, briefed the court on the emotional suffering of his family after the kaboom.
Mohammed Darwish was part of the Hariri convoy.
The witness said his family and himself had also suffered from medical conditions due to their grief.
Darwish had to eventually identify his brother's body at a hospital, he said, adding the victim "was totally maimed and ripped apart."
The second witness Mamdouh Mohammed Tarraf is the brother of victim Ziad Tarraf, who had worked for Hariri as a personal bodyguard since 1987.
Tarraf said he identified his brother from the shoes he was wearing. His body was burned but his feet were left intact.
A third witness, Robyn Fraser, who worked for the STL Office of the Prosecution between August 2009 and August 2011.
Senior Trial counsel, Alexander Milne of the office of the Prosecution, focused on various surveillance camera footage taken near the area where Hariri was assassinated.
He showed footage taken from the Suleiman Franjieh tunnel leading towards the Phoenicia and Monroe Hotels.
This footage focused on a white lorry, suspected of being the Mitsubishi vehicle that was carrying the explosives used in the liquidation.
The testimony revealed that the lorry had arrived at the scene about an hour before the attack where it headed off on a road near the Monroe Hotel before once again being captured on the same camera, located at the exit of the tunnel, an hour later and presumably headed to the location where the attack was to take place.
The Prosecution then showed footage taken from a camera on the corner of the Phoenicia Hotel that also captured an image of the lorry.
It was stated during the testimony that the time stamp on the footage of the cameras can be placed manually, thus leading to findings that the time on the various footage was not accurate in line with the liquidation.
The liquidation took place at 12:55 pm on February 14, 2005.
The camera at the exit of the Suleiman Franjieh tunnel was found to be two minutes slower than actual time and the camera at the Phoenicia Hotel was found to be 48 minutes faster.
The Prosecution will focus on Thursday on footage taken by a surveillance camera at the HSBC Bank near the scene of the crime.
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[An Nahar] The booby-trapped Kia car that went kaboom! Tuesday in Haret Hreik came from the Sabra area in Beirut, which lies on the outskirts of the southern suburbs and hosts a Paleostinian refugee camp, a report said on Wednesday.
The Kia took off from outside the al-Rabih residential complex in Sabra and headed towards the Chatila roundabout, LBCI television said.
It then took the airport road and passed opposite the headquarters of Ghobairi Municipality and the Sahel Hospital, the TV network added.
The driver of the explosives-rigged car normally stopped at the army checkpoint in Ghobairi before continuing his journey, according to LBCI.
He then headed to Haret Hreik and made his way slowly due to traffic jam in the area.
While in Haret Hreik, the driver passed by the al-Hasanayn Mosque and the municipality building before crossing the segment of al-Arid Street which was targeted by a previous suicide kaboom on January 2.
The car then blew up in the middle of the road outside the Sibai Center while the engine was still operating, LBCI added.
Citing reports, the TV network said "the group of the Paleostinian Ahmed Taha has links to the suicide kaboom."
Three people were killed and around 35 others were maimed in the suicide kaboom on Tuesday morning, the second such attack to target the same street in one month.
Later on Tuesday, the Internal Security Forces announced arresting the man who stole the Kia, saying he was also behind stealing a car that went kaboom! in Bekaa's Hermel.
The robber was identified as Nabil Ahmed al-Moussawi.
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Kia Came from Sabra Wrong.
According to Kia Motors, the name "Kia" derives from the Sino-Korean words ki ("to come out") and a (which stands for Asia), it is roughly translated as "arise or come up out of Asia" or "rising out of Asia".
[An Nahar] A "suspicious" man placed in durance vile Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! by the Internal Security Forces on Wednesday in the Beirut southern suburb of Haret Hreik has turned out to be a renowned Lebanese rapper.
"He raised suspicions due to his beard and was taken for interrogation while his car was inspected and it did not contain any explosives," al-Jadeed TV reported.
It identified the man as Hussein Sharafeddine -- a graduate of the Lebanese American University, a rapper and a civil society activist.
Sharafeddine goes by the rap nicknames of Double A and Abou Ali and is a member of a band called The Banana Cognacs.
The Dahieh area has been rocked by three deadly suicide kabooms this month, two of them in Haret Hreik.
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[An Nahar] Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem dubbed the country's opposition "traitors" and foreign "agents" as a peace conference opened in Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... on Wednesday.
"They claim to represent the Syrian people. If you want to speak in the name of the Syrian people, you should not be traitors to the Syrian people, agents in the pay of enemies of the Syrian people," Muallem said in a strongly-worded speech as the meeting got under way in the lakeside city of Montreux.
He fired a broadside at the reform-shy Gulf monarchies which back the revolt against the regime of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... , which began after a crackdown on peaceful Arab Spring-inspired protests in 2011 and has morphed into a sectarian war.
"It is regrettable to me and to the people of Syria that representatives of states in this room are sitting with us today, while blood is on their hands -- countries that have sent weapons ... encouraged and financed terrorism," Muallem said.
"They have not looked at their own glass houses before throwing stones," he said.
"The mask has fallen and we can see the real face of what they want -- to destabilize Syria .. by exporting terrorism -- to hide their barbaric behavior," he thundered.
Syria slams the role of foreign Sunni Islamist fighters who have flocked to the war-torn country -- though Assad is backed by Shiite Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah -- and says it is locked in a "war on terror".
"Who told you that Syria wants to go back 1,000 years," he said, warning against extreme Islamism.
"It will not stop in Syria," he said.
He singled out Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi only they haven't dumped him yet... for backing the opposition.
"All of this would not have happened if it had not been for Erdogan -- they did not know that magic would turn against the magician one day -- terrorism has no religion," he said.
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[An Nahar] The Syrian opposition leader Wednesday called on Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now... to hand over power to a transitional government, as U.N.-led peace talks opened in Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
"I call on (the regime delegation) to immediately sign the Geneva I communique (setting out) the total transfer of powers from Assad, including for the army and security, to a transition government," Ahmad Jarba, president of the Syrian National Coalition, told the delegations gathered in the city of Montreux.
"We completely agree with the decisions of Geneva I which you have all agreed upon," he said, referring to a pact sealed in June 2012, which assented to the establishment of a mutually agreed transitional government.
The Syrian regime of President Bashir al-Assad has contested that the peace talks, which will continue later in the week in Geneva, would not set the scene for a handover of power.
But Jarba insisted the Geneva I deal was "the preamble to Bashir al-Assad's resignation and his trial alongside all the criminals of his regime".
He revealed the Syrian opposition was going to present a detailed timetable, complete with deadlines, to the next phase of the negotiations due to open in Geneva later in the week.
"If Assad remains in power in any way, that would mean that the Geneva II process is diverting from its path," Jarba argued.
"We seek reassurances that we have a Syrian partner in this room, and that this partner can transform itself from a delegation in Assad's name to a delegation in the name of Syria."
Later in the day, Jarba called for an international inquiry into allegations of mass torture and killings of people detained by the regime.
"We have to stop this spiral of violence. We do call for an international inspection to visit places of detention and see the facts of torture that our citizens face every day," he told the end of the first day of a peace conference in Switzerland.
"We must work together for a Syria, which will be a pluralist country excluding no-one, not excluding any ethnicity Alawites, Druze, Christians and others," Jarba told world leaders gathered in Montreux.
"We have suffered enough from the murders, the bombardments and this bloodshed has continued for far too long."
He was speaking after the publication of a report alleging the "industrial-scale" torture and murder of 11,000 detainees by the regime of Assad.
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01/23/2014 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Joe 
[Libya Herald] The Ministry of Information is trying to track the source of pro-Qadaffy satellite TV channels, because of concerns that they are spreading rumours that jeopardise the security and stability of the New Libya.
[TRIBUNE.PK] 
Wazoo
Nawaz Sharif
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
[TRIBUNE.PK] Tuesday's attack on a 
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
