[Tolo News] Legislators in parliament on Monday claimed that government is arming civilians in some northern regions of Afghanistan in order to help fight bully boys.
According to politicians, the government's move could be useful in some instances but the move could also create bigger challenges for government in the long term.
In response to these concerns, the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) has dismissed the claims saying these allegations are untrue.
"The ministry of interior doesn't provide weapons to the individuals who do not work in the structure of police and it is not part of the policy of the Ministry of Interior. We have enough personnel in the ranks of national police and local police who keep an upper hand in eliminating opponents and threats," MoI front man Sediq Sediqqi said.
This comes as holy warriors expanded their offensive into the north of Afghanistan during the recently launched fighting season. However some officials claim that former Taliban fighters who have laid down their weapons are now trying to rearm themselves.
But some MPs believe that ex-local commanders have the upper hand when it comes to intelligence and feel they could contribute positively to government's attempts to fight bully boys. However, Switzerland makes more than cheese... MPs say a guarantee is needed in terms of these commanders not creating problems further down the line.
"People get arms for sake of their own defense, there is no guarantee that they will not create problems, the whole responsibility lies with the government to main security," MP Rangeena Kargar said.
He is concerned that if such groups are not closely monitored by government, they could create enormous problems in future.
"It is a matter of concern, such individuals and illegal gangs beside contributing to problems could be a reason for the downfall of the system," MP Najia Emaq said.
Currently, more than 350,000 soldiers serve in the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) -- enough to stamp out bully boys, say analysts.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
As perhaps due to ...
* BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Times of India] TALIBAN-ISIS CLASH LEAVES 27 DEAD IN AFGHANISTAN.
The proverbial clock is ticking as to iff the Talibunnies can resist ISIS takeover or Al-Nusra-style alliance, + when jihad will begin in earnest in Central Asia.
[Tolo News] A number of MPs have raised issue over a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Afghan and Pak intelligence services. The critics have objected to both particular facets of the agreement as well as to the overall process through which the pact emerged.
Referring to comments made by the head of the National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... (NDS), a group of politicians on Monday expressed outrage at the possibility that the intelligence sharing agreement was never put up for discussion by the National Security Council.
In addition to frustrations about the lack of inclusive debate over the merits of the agreement prior to it being forged, MPs 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 about the level of discord among leaders when it comes to the MoU. Reportedly President Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. , Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah ... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun... and NDS Chief Rahmatullah Nabil have disagreed over a number of points in the accord.
Parliament's Internal Relations Commission, Internal Security Commission and Defense Commission were directed to review the MoU this week in the presence of the national security advisor and NDS chief.
"In short, I would say that there are serious concerns on four articles of the MoU, such as the training of military cadres, joint combat between the two spy agencies against the enemy, combating separatists alongside common borders and the issue of the Durand Line," Internal Security Commission Chair Mirdad Khan Nejrabi told TOLOnews.
MP Ali Akbar Qasimi, the deputy head of Parliament's Defense Commission, suggested that there should be legal repercussions for those who sought to arrange the MoU in secrecy. "Consultations weren't conducted on the recently signed MoU, and those pushing for the agreement to be signed were trying to keep it secret," he said on Monday. "Fortunately, the MoU was disclosed, but those who did the deal should be put on trial for treason."
Despite the NDS being a central party to the MoU, some MPs claimed the NDS chief had been shut out of the decision making around it. "The things that were recommended by the NDS chief weren't included in the MoU," Internal Security Commission deputy Abdul Hai Akhondzada said. "It was prepared in line with the demands of the National Security Council and even the Chief Executive is now is disagreement."
MP Abdul Qayoum Sajjadi called for the MoU to be redacted right away. However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi refused the recommendation and urged for a transparent review of the agreement with the National Security Advisor. "We must value the status of the House," Ibrahimi said. "Let the National Security Advisor come to the House and offer his answers so that we can decide in light of the answers."
But not all politicians were appeased, with some, such as International Relations Commission members Dawood Kalakani, who accused the House Speaker of trying to avoid a vote on the MoU. "I think the Speaker of the House made a deal with the government, because the MoU was supposed to be put up for voting today and the majority of the politicians were against it," he said.
The National Security Advisor, NDS chief and deputy NDS chief - who all signed the agreement with Pakistain - are expected to appear in front of Parliament soon, though no official date has been set.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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Wheels within wheels. You wonder just how effective this is going to be but it's good to see some effort.
In a small, heavily guarded compound on the bullet-riddled outskirts of Baidoa, a secretive team is working to undermine Somalia's Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, from the inside.
"We can't just solve this militarily," said Aden Mohamed Hussein, ushering me past the soldiers at the gate. "So far so good... We hope for a domino effect."
Mr Hussein runs a new "disengagement" programme for surrendering al-Shabab members at the camp here in Baidoa, an hour's helicopter ride northwest of the capital Mogadishu, towards the Ethiopian border. Al-Shabab no longer controls the town or, we're assured, the surrounding countryside. But attacks are still frequent and our time inside the compound is strictly limited.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Some of the passages said to have been equipped with railroad tracks, communications rooms
The Egyptian army destroyed 521 tunnel openings on the Gazoo and northern Sinai borders over the past six months, the Turkish Anadolu News Agency reported.
Egyptian army front man Mohammed Samir told the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram on Monday that border guards had demolished the tunnel openings over the past half-year, including 63 that had been constructed one to 2.8 kilometers from the borders.
Some of the tunnels, he said, were equipped with railroad tracks and communication rooms, Samir said, adding that the Egyptian army's Engineering Authority would reveal its plans to end the tunnel problem at some point in the future.
The campaign to demolish the tunnels is part of Egypt's offensive against bad boy groups believed to be operating in Sinai. It is also part of an effort to eradicate the smuggling network linking Gazoo to Sinai, of which the tunnels are a vital part.
The Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, organization, which rules the Gazoo Strip, is an offshoot of Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund, a bitter rival of Egypt's military regime.
On May 13, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said that at least 80 percent of the tunnels between the Sinai and the Gazoo Strip have been destroyed, and that nearly 200 Death Eaters were tossed in the clink Please don't kill me! in massive security operation.
Sissi said the buffer zone with neighboring Gazoo had been expanded to three kilometers in certain locations, and that security forces have destroyed 150 terror bases, according to a Falesteen newspaper report quoted by media watchdog group Middle East Monitor.
[AlAhram] Rafah Crossing has been closed since March, preventing many Paleostinians returning to Gazoo
Egypt is due to temporarily open its border crossing with the Paleostinian Gazoo Strip later this week after almost three months of closure, Egyptian state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
has reported.
Rafah terminal, which is the only passage to the Paleostinian territory not controlled by Israel, will open Tuesday and Wednesday.
The crossing will only be operating in one direction, for outbound traffic, allowing stranded Paleostinians to return to the impoverished enclave.
Egyptian authorities have kept the frontier mostly closed since the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013, citing security concerns in the Sinai Peninsula where troops are battling an Islamist insurgency.
Egypt tightened its grip on the Rafah crossing further since October 2014, following a suicide kaboom in neighbouring Sinai that killed 33 members of the Egyptian security forces.
Authorities accused Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, which rules the Gazoo Strip, of involvement in terrorist activities in the Peninsula.
Hamas leaders have distanced themselves from violence in Egypt and say they have no armed presence outside Paleostinian areas.
Abu Dhabi -- The Federal Supreme court in Abu Dhabi has sentenced an Emirati to 10 years in prison for aiding terrorist groups and trying to damage national unity. The court also ordered the seizure of items in his possession and to shut down and block his social media accounts.
He is accused of breaching public order by disseminating information about terror groups on the website, and abusing or insulting the stature and prestige of the country.
In this case, the public prosecution said that 29-year-old defendant had created and run an account using the name Ibn Al Wahidi on Al Fidaa Islamic Network, knowing it was connected with terror networks. He used this account to spread terrorist ideas which could have spread hatred and damaged national unity and peace.
The accused also posted information in favour of terrorist groups, Al Qaeda, Nusra Front and Daesh, with the intent of attracting new members and promote their ideologies. He also provided these terror groups with money to help them achieve their goals.
During the trial, his lawyer argued that social isolation was behind his actions. “It is a possibility that the defendant hid behind the account to be an online hero. This shows that he needs psychological help and treatment.”
"He's a sociopath. Or a psychopath. Or just an idiot. We don't know. But he needs help and treatment. Unless he's an idiot. Then he needs a spanking."
He opened an account on the said website “out of curiosity and did not personally write anything on it”. “Statements attributed to the defendant were written by someone else ... The phrases had been copied from another website and then pasted onto this one,” the lawyer said during the trial.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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[Dhaka Tribune] From now on, any open or secret activities of Ansarullah Bangla Team, believed to be an al-Qaeda proxy in Bangladesh, will be considered as anti-state after the government yesterday imposed ban on the radical Islamist outfit.
Following the decision, Ansarullah activists will not be allowed to hold meetings, processions or preach its ideologies. Such activities would be termed anti-state and the law enforcers would take legal action under the Anti-Terrorism Act, police say.
HT to Hotair.
Russia is so desperate to hide its military involvement in Ukraine that it has brought in mobile crematoriums to destroy the bodies of its war dead, say U.S. lawmakers who traveled to the war-torn country this spring.
The U.S. and NATO have long maintained that thousands of Russian troops are fighting alongside separatists inside eastern Ukraine, and that the Russian government is obscuring not only the presence but also the deaths of its soldiers there. In March, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow told a conference, "Russian leaders are less and less able to conceal the fact that Russian soldiers are fighting -- and dying -- in large numbers in eastern Ukraine."
Hence the extreme measures to get rid of the evidence. "The Russians are trying to hide their casualties by taking mobile crematoriums with them," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry told me. "They are trying to hide not only from the world but from the Russian people their involvement."
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/26/2015 14:39 ||
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#1
I can relate ...
Unlike Putin = Mama Russia, the US prefers to attack-n-burn-down its own National Archives to CYA its butt from its own "unknowns".
ANDOR SEND A SSSSHHHHH ... CCCCCCC "BURN" NOTICE".
#2
If Russia has troops in the Ukraine, and they are dying in large numbers... that really doesn't speak highly of the quality of Russian troops does it?
[DAWN] THE rise of the self-styled Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... in the Middle East has been marked by its ruthlessness on the battlefield and resultant occupation of territory in Iraq and Syria, as well as its manifest brutality. Yet with the declaration of the 'caliphate' last year, an even more disturbing dimension became apparent: IS's desire to expand across the Moslem world, and perhaps beyond. The Death Eater outfit's latest success has been the capture of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra; reportedly, hundreds of people have been massacred in the aftermath of the IS takeover. Where its expansionism is concerned, two senior foreign military figures have recently stated publicly that IS now has a presence in both Pakistain and Afghanistan. Gen John F. Campbell, NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... 's commander in Afghanistan, has said IS is recruiting in that country as well as Pakistain while separately, Gen Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, commander of Iran's ground forces, has also observed that the group is present in these two countries.
Where Afghanistan is concerned, as the NATO general himself pointed out, some estranged Taliban fighters may be "rebranding" themselves with the IS label. In Pakistain, the situation is slightly different. Here, pro-IS graffiti, the distribution of literature praising the outfit (such as that found at the site of the recent massacre of Ismailis 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... ), as well as the pledging of allegiance of some breakaway factions of the banned TTP to 'caliph' Baghdadi are all being described as 'evidence' of the so-called caliphate in Pakistain. However, a lie repeated often enough remains a lie... these do not constitute concrete proof. After all, how difficult is it for an armchair Death Eater, or sympathiser, to ensure pro-IS wall-chalkings? Also, anyone with a computer and printer can produce and distribute literature in praise of the 'caliphate'. As for local hard boyz pledging themselves to Baghdadi's cause, this may simply be a ruse to raise their profile.
Having said that, these developments cannot be ignored either. For it is also true that there are many in this country's intricate web of Death Eater and Death Eater groups that identify with the twisted worldview of IS -- especially its virulent sectarianism and Death Eater interpretation of Islam. And considering IS's rapid advances, local supporters may well be emboldened to emulate these 'successes'. So while it would be premature to say IS has arrived in Pakistain, it would also be wrong to completely ignore attempts to create a presence in this country. After all, IS 'recruiters' have been locked away Book 'im, Mahmoud! elsewhere in the subcontinent, for example in Bangladesh. The state must keep a close watch on groups that share the IS ideology. This can primarily be achieved on the intelligence front, with the state monitoring local hard boyz and sympathisers for any attempt to establish links with fighters in the Middle East. Pakistain already has its plate full dealing with the menace of militancy. It certainly does not need a lethal new player added to the mix.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] KARACHI: The 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... police chief claimed on Sunday that the police seized weapons "stolen from NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... containers" from 11 suspects who were accompanying former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza on Saturday.
Speaking at a presser, Additional Inspector General of Police Ghulam Qadir Thebo also claimed that the police prevented a possible bloodshed at the Sindh High Court on Saturday by arresting armed supporters of the former home minister.
"Commandos of the special security unit, under a strategy and in a professional manner, enjugged Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! 11 armed supporters of the former home minister and prevented the bloodshed," he added.
On Saturday, masked and armed coppers in civvies beat Dr Mirza's guards at the SHC building and then turned to journalists covering the violent episode. They smashed parked vehicles and snatched cameras from journalists.
The city police chief told news hounds that the police got information that Dr Mirza was coming to the SHC for his bail extension. "We had also received reports that holy warriors were also accompanying him," he said.
He said that contingents of police were deployed there and when the former home minister went inside the SHC, 11 suspects "attacked" the police, but the SSU commandos overpowered and arrested them.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Adviser to 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... on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz ...Adviser to Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs, who believes in good jihadis and bad jihadis as a matter of national policy... told the first bigwigs' meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process that enemies of Afghanistan are enemies of Pakistain.
Aziz said Pakistain will be able to tackle challenges through mutual cooperation, enabling the country to move forward on a path of peace, prosperity and progress.
"Afghanistan holds immense significance for us, not only because we share a common border or ethnic affinity, but also because together we can usher in a new era of regional connectivity and regional cooperation in line with the vision of transformation decade enunciated by President Ashraf Ghani ...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. .. ," Aziz said.
The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, a joint initiative of Afghanistan and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... which began in November 2011, aims to provide a platform for the discussion of regional issues, and to encourage security and economic cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbours.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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[Rudaw] ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- The total number of Anbar refugees in the Kurdistan region has exceeded 1.7 million, and Anbar officials have called on the Kurdistan Regional Government to open a corridor for another 500,000 refugees fleeing the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... Muhsin Osman, a member of the migration committee of the Iraqi Parliament, told Rudaw on Monday the refugees had been left homeless and that the central government has not allowed the refugees to seek asylum in Baghdad or nearby areas. At the same time, Kurdish MPs in the Iraqi Parliament have urged the KRG not to receive the newly displaced Anbar families.
"Has Baghdad not thought about how the Kurdistan Regional Government can supply their needs?" Osman said.
Osman added he believes the burden of these new refugees on the Kurdistan region will worsen the region's economic crisis. "It is better the Iraqi government open new camps for the latest Anbar refugees in Baghdad," he said.
Meanwhile, ...back at the the conspirators' cleverly concealed hideout the long-awaited message arrived. They quickly got to work with their decoder rings... Masoud Haider, an Iraqi Kurdish MP of the Gorran Movement, told Rudaw on Monday, "The Anbar representatives in the Iraqi Parliament have been attempting to convince the Iraqi Parliament and through them the Iraqi government to transfer some 500,000 Anbar refugees to the Kurdistan refugee camps in Erbil, Sulaimani and Duhok, but we are against such an attempt."
"In order to provide their basic necessities, we would need more than $1.4 billion dollars and the KRG does not have this huge amount of money," he added. He continued by saying the KRG does not have enough money to provide even the monthly salaries of its employees and civil servants.
On Sunday, Anbar province Governor Suhaib Ismail officially called on Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to open a safe corridor to transfer Anbar refugees to the Kurdistan region, the Al-Mada Iraqi newspaper reported.
Ismail reportedly called on Abadi to transfer the refugees through the Baghdad airport to the Kurdish cities of Erbil and Sulaimani.
#1
That's a big increase in population. They might be needing some lebensraum.
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/26/2015 7:48 Comments ||
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#2
Sunni refugess = Shia apathy. The "Iraqi" government is now simply the Shia government. Iraq has fractured without the US troops to hold it together. We should have simply divided it peacefully when we had the chance. Bush and Obama both f'd up the opportunity.
#3
The Kurds have been noting how the Iraqi "national" govt is doing nothing for these reguees and sending them to Kurdistan. They are also refusing to pay the Kurds their back salaries.
I would happily pass them on to Turkey and let them deal with them.
Posted by: frozen al ||
05/26/2015 13:15 Comments ||
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#4
Months ago I did read that the Iraq central government was still paying salaries of its employees - in IS-occupied Mosul. Made no sense at all, unless the central government is a Potemkin village of sorts.
FTA: "the central government has not allowed the refugees to seek asylum in Baghdad or nearby areas." That is THE issue - why isn't that the headline and topic of this article? Even the news currently being reported out of the former Iraq makes no sense.
[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] A front man for the Iraqi government says U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has been given "incorrect information" following his criticism of its security forces over the fall of Ramadi to ISIS.
Saad al-Hadithi said Monday that the Iraqi government was surprised by Carter saying Iraqi forces lacked the "will to fight" during the Ramadi battle.
Al-Hadithi added that the fall of Ramadi was due to incompetence mismanagement and poor planning by some senior military commanders in charge of Ramadi.
Carter made the comments in an interview aired Sunday, which included him criticizing Iraqi forces for fleeing and leaving weapons behind.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Ash Carter could have said that the govt and the Generals and Colonels are crooks and cowards and that the troops consequently have little motivation to fight. That would have made it more explicit.
Posted by: lord garth ||
05/26/2015 7:29 Comments ||
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The parallel, it burns! The uppity wannabe regional hegemon puts on the airs of the sole hyperpower, as the French say. I recommend the cut direct.
Remember boys, this is the same U.S. administration that will do 'nothing' to stop you from getting the bomb...
[AnNahar] The United States has done "nothing" to help Iraq's army battle jihadists in Ramadi, according to a senior Iranian general involved in the fight against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group.
Qassem Suleimani, the Revolutionary Guards' commander of foreign operations, hit out at Washington after Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said Iraqi forces "failed to fight" in Ramadi, which has fallen to IS.
"Mr. (Barack) Obama, what is the distance between Ramadi and Al-Asad base where US planes are based?" Suleimani said in a speech late Sunday in the southern province of Kerman carried by state news agency IRNA.
"How can you be in that country under the pretext of protecting the Iraqis and do nothing? This is no more than being an accomplice in a plot," said Suleimani.
Shiite Iran has military advisers in Iraq and Syria and provides financial and military support to the governments of both countries in their battle against Sunni myrmidons.
According to Iranian media, Suleimani has been active in Iraq, particularly at the end of March when Iran-backed Shiite militias helped to recapture the city of Tikrit.
Ramadi, located about 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad, fell to IS on May 17 despite US air strikes and the presence of hundreds of US military advisers at the Al-Asad air base in the same province.
In his remarks on Sunday, Carter said that the US-led air campaign against IS, which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria, was still working.
He said Iraqi forces had "showed no will to fight" even though they outnumbered their opponents, leading to Baghdad's worst defeat in almost a year.
But Suleimani argued that the United States had "no will to fight Daesh", using an Arabic acronym for IS.
He said the jihadists, who control several oil zones in Iraq and Syria "export their oil via countries belonging to the international coalition" led by Washington.
The struggle against IS was a matter of "national interest", Suleimani said.
On Sunday, General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, commander of Iran's ground forces, asked parliament for additional funds to fight the jihadists, who are also present in Pakistain and Afghanistan.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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Towns located up to seven kilometers from the border of the Gaza Strip will be evacuated according to predetermined, mapped locations which will make room for the proper defense management without harming citizens.
Ten months after Operation Protective Edge, the Israel Defense Forces, the National Emergency Authority and the local authorities in the South are in the final stages of formulating a plan to evacuate the residents of the South in the event of another Gaza conflict. The program, entitled "safe distance," will provide an evacuation plan for all communities within a seven-kilometer radius of the Gaza Strip.
Each community will be informed of its evacuation plan and in that way residents will know where to go and who will be hosting them before there is a need to evacuate. The distribution of evacuation maps is already under way. The military will be the one with the authority to determine when it is time to evacuate.
The purpose of the program is to is to prevent misunderstandings about the beginning of the evacuation and the methods of evacuation of the border settlements. The program will provide buses to those wishing to leave to the North, the South or tent housing in the Southern region and provide some space for security forces while avoiding causalities on the home front.
The army will be responsible for the actual evacuation of residents to safety and to protect the communities during the battle. The goal is to prevent the looting of houses and to report in real time to the residents whose houses are damaged by shelling. Local authorities will be responsible to keep track of the residents and of whom to contact if the need arises.
The local authority is to determine which residents will serve as officers who will remain in the community during the operation. If a family refuses to leave it will be the responsibility of the local authority and not the army. The National Emergency Authority will be responsible for coordination between the different groups and to shorten the line of communication between the army, the local authorities, and the residents. Funding will be provided by the government only.
Local governments have been asked to promote the issue of local emergency teams. The local teams will be responsible for the evacuation operation when the time comes and will be responsible for those unwilling to leave their homes.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
First step to setting up a DMZ?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/26/2015 11:33 Comments ||
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Gaza -- Israeli occupation authorities have allowed the entry of 660 trucks loaded with aid and goods for the commercial and agricultural sectors through the Karem Abu Salem crossing.
Most of which will be diverted to the war effort.
Raed Fattouh, Head of the Coordination Committee for entry of goods in the Gaza Strip, said that 55 trucks will be loaded with construction materials to rebuild bunkers and 150 trucks will be loaded with gravel to rebuild bunkers for roads infrastructure, in addition to pumping quantities of fuel.
Karem Abu Salem is the only commercial crossing through which goods and fuel enter the Gaza Strip, and the occupation authorities close it on Friday and Saturday of each week.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under:
#1
I wouldn't have thought that the Israelis had that many cell phone/GPS tracker units installed that quick. Then again I don't know how long they've been working on this.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
05/26/2015 8:46 Comments ||
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[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Syrian rebel forces are using Nazi-era artillery weapons, most likely looted from the stocks of 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... 's army.
In a video posted online this week, fighters from the armed opposition group Ahrar al-Sham ...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014... can be seen loading a dusty howitzer during an attack on Ariha, one of the last government strongholds in the northern province of Idlib.
It appeared to be the 10.5 cm (4.1in) leFH 18 model favoured by the German army during the Second World War. The weapon can fire 32lb artillery shells a distance of just under seven miles.
Nic Jenzen-Jones, the director of arms and munitions technical consultancy Armament Research Services, said: "The Syrian Army was known to operate limited numbers... It is likely that the howitzer shown was captured from a Syrian Army base or museum.
"In times of internal civil conflict, it is not uncommon to document legacy arms and munitions in the hands of combatants, especially combatants with limited access to more modern systems."
In 2012, rebel forces in Aleppo captured a cache of 5,000 StG 44s, a Nazi weapon considered to be the first modern assault rifle.
How the assault rifles fell into Syrian hands in the first place is more of a mystery. Mr Jenzen-Jones suggested they could have been donated to the Syrian army after being captured by Soviet troops on the Eastern Front during the Second World War, or perhaps handed over later by East Germany itself.
During four years at war with Mr Assad's army, rebel forces have often had to rely on looted or smuggled weaponry. They have been pleading for international help -- particularly weapons -- ever since the 2011 uprising against Assad's rule devolved into an outright civil war.
Moderate rebels have long blamed the West's failure to bolster their forces for fuelling the rise of violent jihadists such as the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Rebels probably could sell those to collectors and make enough to buy AKs plus ammo for them.
[Ynet] Iran's state news agency is reporting the Islamic Republic will raise gasoline prices by some 40 percent as a result of cutting subsidies. Some good news for a change.
Fighting multi-front existential wars against an expansionist foe with real duffers for allies quickly gets expensive, donchaknow.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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Rebels in Syria recently showed media a tunnel they built, which the rebel conducting the tour said was constructed with advice from tunnel builders in Gaza.
"We asked for the advise from our brothers in Gaza. They told us that they have been using wooden planks. They even sent me a video and we did it exactly the way they do it," the rebel said.
The rebels in the tunnel said were planning to launch attacks against Syrian President Bashar's Assad's forces from their tunnel.
In the video, posted on the internet on May 12, and released by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute, the journalist is given a tour of the 700 meter tunnel on Mount Arbaeen dug by the Islamic "Aharar Al-Sham."
The journalist was shown a cache of explosives which he said was set to be used to target the regime forces who were standing in large concentrations above the site.
"Allah willing, you will witness an earth-shattering kaboom earthquake tomorrow," he added.
During last summer's Operation Protective Edge, militants in Gaza made extensive use of tunnels in their combat with IDF forces, and in attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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The United States and Turkey have agreed "in principle" to give air support to some forces from Syria's mainstream opposition, Turkey's foreign minister said, in what if confirmed could mark an expansion of US involvement in the conflict.
US officials acknowledged ongoing discussions with Turkey about a range of options to step up the fight against Islamic State, but said no decisions had been made.
"We're in ongoing discussions with the Turks across all lines of counter-ISIL efforts. Our understanding is no decisions have been made," said one US defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Washington has so far refrained from committing to enforcing a "safe zone" for Syrian rebels, as it could be seen as a declaration of war on the Syrian state.
And boy howdy we wouldn't want to see a war within Syria, now would we...
The air support would protect Syrian rebel forces who have been trained by a US-led program on Turkish territory, said minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The long-delayed scheme is meant to send 15,000 troops back to Syria to fight Islamic State militants.
Cavusoglu did not go into details on what "in principle" meant or what kind of air power would be provided or by whom.
"They have to be supported via air. If you do not protect them or provide air support, what is the point?," Cavusoglu told the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper during a visit to Seoul. "There is a principle agreement on providing air support. How it is going to be provided is in the responsibility of the army."
Turkey has said that any support program must be part of a comprehensive strategy which includes battling forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Washington has maintained its opposition to Assad, but said that the goal of training is only to defeat Islamic State militants.
Cavusoglu reiterated that while fighting Islamic State is prioritized, the "regime must also be stopped."
The minister also dismissed media speculation that Turkey and Saudi Arabia had agreed on a joint operation in Syria.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/26/2015 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Thousands of local fighters have recently left al-Nusra Front, according to Free Syrian Army front man
While Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... forces have been gaining control of territory in northern and central Syria, the US terror-listed group al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... Front has all but disappeared from the southern provinces of the country, an opposition front man said Monday.
According to the Free Syrian Army ... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund... front man, who covers the Daraa province in southern Syria from a base in Amman, Jordan, the number of Nusra fighters in the provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, adjacent to the Israeli and Jordanian borders, has diminished in recent weeks from 3,000 to no more than 700 fighters.
"A large number of them defected and joined other opposition factions," the front man told The Times of Israel in a Skype conversation from Amman. "There were differences in religious orientation, since they [Al-Nusra] are Death Eaters, and we are moderate Sunni Moslems."
That should make life interesting for all involved...
Last July, Syrian opposition sources had informed The Times of Israel that as many as 6,000 Al-Nusra Front fighters traveled south to Daraa and Quneitra, fleeing the Islamic State which had captured the Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria.
Moderate oppositionists active along the border with Israel have tried to convince Nusra fighters to leave the area and advance toward Damascus. They have also launched an educational and religious campaign to draw local fighters away from Death Eater ideologies.
I'm having trouble picturing how that would be done...
According to the opposition front man, 80-90% of al-Nusra's fighters are locals who share the basic goals of the other rebel units, differentiating the group from the Islamic State which is more active in the north and is mostly composed of imported muscle.
ISIS is nastier, which would attract those seeking the "most authentic" jihadi experience, for those romantics with no previous experience with such things.
Tactical differences which had pitted Al-Nusra against other local opposition groups have largely been resolved, he said.
Aligning, or not, with Al Qaeda being merely a tactical thingy?
Al-Nusra fighters have now moved northward from the town of Muzayrib to Tel al-Jabiyeh, northwest of Nawa.
The claim by the front man could not be immediately verified by The Times of Israel.
Last month, the Free Syrian Army joined forces with al-Nusra in combating Jaish al-Jihad, a group affiliated with the Islamic State and led by Abu Musab al-Fanousi, in the town of Qahtaniya, located some 300 meters from the border with Israel.
The front man said the Free Syrian Army and al-Nusra have regained control of the town, pushing Jaish al-Jihad fighters 40 kilometers (25 miles) south to the town of Jamlah, where the IS-affiliated group Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade is based.
According to the front man, the jihadist group maintains a presence in the nearby villages of ash-Shajarah, Bakkar, and Ein Dhakar in the southern Golan Heights, along the Israeli border.
There's a map at the link which you may find more useful than I, dear Reader. Or not, as the case may be.
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.
laid down their weapons
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Rebels in Syria recently showed media a tunnel they built, which the rebel conducting the tour said was constructed with advice from tunnel builders in Gaza. 
