[CNN] In an audio message, a speaker purported to be the Taliban's new leader denies that the Sunni Islamist group is attempting to work toward a grinding of the peace processor with the Afghan government.
"When we hear about different processes including the grinding of the peace processor, they are all the propaganda campaigns by the enemy," the audio message says, "They are spreading their propaganda by spending money, through media and some scholars to only weaken our jihad, but we will not pay attention to any of those including the grinding of the peace processor. We will continue our jihad and we will fight until we bring an Islamic rule in the country."
A Taliban front man confirmed on Friday that Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was named the group's new leader.
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[HINDUSTANTIMES] The Taliban Saturday denied reports of the death of the founder of Haqqani network, its allied krazed killer group blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan.
Some Pak media reported the death of Jalaluddin Haqqani, said to be in his 70s, on Friday when his son Sirajuddin was announced as one of the deputy chiefs of the Taliban following the death of its longtime leader Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... .
"Some media outlets spread reports... about the death of a distinguished jihadi personality... Jalaluddin Haqqani," the Taliban said in a statement posted on their website.
"This claim has no basis. Haqqani... was ill before but he has been blessed with good health for a prolonged period now and has no troubles currently."
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[INDIANEXPRESS] Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, Taliban's newly-anointed chief, may have deceived fellow gunnies for the past two years by claiming to pass orders and messages from Mullah Muhammad Omar even though he would have been aware that his boss had died in 2013, a media report said.
"Yet even by Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... 's standards, his elusiveness in his final years was remarkable. Only a handful of high-ranking Taliban had any access to their leader, and by the middle of 2013 that number had been winnowed to one: Mullah Akhtar Mansour, effectively the No 2 in the insurgency," a report in the New York Times ...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... said.
It said that Afghan and American intelligence indicated that Mullah Omar was probably dead by 2013.
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#1
He must of used a private email sever to keep his secret.
REUTERS] At the Taliban meeting this week where Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was named as the Islamist murderous Moslem group's new head, several senior figures in the movement, including the son and brother of late leader Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... , walked out in protest.
The display of dissent within the group's secretive core is the clearest sign yet of the challenge Mansour faces in uniting a group already split over whether to pursue peace talks with the Afghan government and facing a new, external threat - 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.... Rifts in the Taliban leadership are likely to widen after confirmation this week of the death of elusive founder Omar.
Mansour, Omar's longtime deputy who has been effectively in charge for years, favors talks to bring an end to more than 13 years of war. He recently sent a delegation to inaugural meetings with Afghan officials hosted by Pakistain, hailed as a breakthrough.
But Mansour, 50, has powerful rivals within the Taliban who oppose negotiations, notably battlefield commander Abdul Qayum Zakir, a former inmate of the U.S. prison in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay.
Zakir is pushing for Mullah Omar's son Yaqoob to take over the movement, and a sizeable faction also supports Yaqoob.
Yaqoob and his uncle Abdul Manan, Omar's younger brother, were among several Taliban figures who walked out of Wednesday's leadership meeting held in the western Pak city of Quetta, according to three people who were at the shura, or gathering.
"Actually, it wasn't a Taliban Leadership Council meeting. Mansoor had invited only members of his group to pave the way for his election," said one of the sources, a senior member of Taliban in Quetta.
"And when Yaqoob and Manan noticed this, they left the meeting."
PEACE TALKS IN JEOPARDY
The leadership shura, or gathering, was held outside Quetta, where many Taliban leaders have been based since their hardline regime in Afghanistan was toppled in a 2001 U.S.-led military intervention.
Afghan Taliban leaders have long had sanctuaries in Pakistain, even as Pak government officials have denied offering support in recent years.
Mansour leads the Taliban's strongest faction and appears to control most of its spokesmen, websites and statements, said Graeme Smith, senior Afghanistan analyst for the think-tank International Crisis Group.
But some intelligence officials estimate Mansour only directly controls about 40 percent of fighters in the field, he said.
That could make it difficult for him to deliver on any ceasefire that could emerge from future negotiations.
And Taliban insiders say that by sending a three-member delegation to meet Afghan officials in the Pak resort of Murree earlier in July, Mansour sparked new criticism.
Especially riled were members of the Taliban's political office in Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... , who insisted only they were empowered to negotiate.
"People ... were not happy with Mullah Mansour when he agreed with Pakistain ... to hold a meeting with Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... ," said a Taliban capo based in Quetta.
"The Qatar office wasn't taken into confidence before taking such an important decision."
The Quetta shura has sent a six-member team to Qatari capital Doha to meet with one of its leaders, Tayyab Agha, seeking his support for Mansour, according to another Taliban source close to the leadership.
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[AlAhram] Eight F-16 fighter jets will take to Cairo's skies on Friday in a display celebrating their arrival from the United States.
The flyover is scheduled from 16.00 to 16.30 CLT (GMT+2), according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
The US embassy in Cairo issued a statement on Thursday saying that the delivery of the aircraft on Thursday and Friday comes as part of the US's ongoing support to the country, which includes $1.3 billion in aid this year.
The aircraft "provide a valuable capability that is needed during these times of regional instability" said Major General Charles Hooper, a senior defence official at the US embassy who was quoted in the statement.
"Extremists threaten regional security and these weapon systems provide a new tool to help Egypt fight terrorism," he added.
The eight jets, which were flown to Egypt from Texas, will be integrated into Egypt's air force once they arrive.
Four more are scheduled to be delivered this autumn, according to the statement.
Earlier in July, Egypt received three Rafale jet fighters from La Belle France in a ceremony at a French military base, the first batch of 24 warplanes acquired by Cairo in a 5.2 billion euro ($5.6 billion) deal in February.
They also flew over Cairo in a show to celebrate their delivery.
[Libya Herald] A member of the antigovernment in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... has mourned the death of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... , which the organization confirmed yesterday.
A former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Khaled Al-Sherrif is reported by Al-Watan to have described Omar as a "hero".
He said he had known the Taliban leader personally and that Omar had sought to unite Afghanistan and provide peace and security.
On his social media page, Sherrif is understood to have complained that Omar "lost his eye for the sake of the victory of religion against the Soviets, yet the western media has distorted him".
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Moslems in the western part of Central African Republic are being forced to hide their religion or convert to Christianity under threat of death, Amnesia Amnesty International said Friday.
Central African Republic has been rocked by violence since the mostly MoslemSeleka ...a 'mainly' Moslem rebel force in the Central African Republic that overthrew the govt, imposed a regime of rapine and looting on the country's non-Moslem population, and was then tossed by France. They still exist, getting funding and weapons from somewhere or other, licking their wounds, complaining about the oppression of Moslems, and occasionally raping and looting someone... rebel coalition toppled the longtime president in 2013.
Widespread human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. abuses committed by Seleka led to the formation of a Christian militia known as the anti-Balaka, who have targeted Moslems and sent tens of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries.
Moslems told Amnesia Amnesty International they've been forced to convert or hide practices.
"We had no choice but to join the Catholic Church. The anti-balaka swore they'd kill us if we didn't," said a 23-year-old man in the Sangha-Mbaere prefecture, whose name was not given to protect his security.
A Moslem trader said it was effectively illegal to pray.
"We have to hide, do it quickly, and do it by ourselves," he said.
Amnesia Amnesty International said the bans are happening outside areas under the protection of United Nations ...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society... peacekeepers and renewed efforts must be made to protect Moslems under threat and bring back those who have fled.
"Many of the tens of thousands of Moslem refugees who were expelled from the country in 2014 would one day like to return home, but are waiting until they can do so in a safe and sustainable manner," the report said.
A transitional government was put into place in January 2014. Presidential and legislative elections are slated for Oct. 18.
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[IN.REUTERS] Aug 1 A sister of former al Qaeda leader the late Osama bin Laden ... who has left the building... was killed along with her husband and mother when a private jet crashed in southern England on Friday, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television reported on Saturday.
The Embraer Phenom 300 with four people on board including its Jordanian pilot was flying from Milan's Malpensa airport to Blackbushe airport in southern England when it crashed at a car auction site, the Dubai-based news channel reported on its website.
It identified the three passengers as Sana' Mohammed bin Laden, her husband Zuhair Hashem and Sana's mother, Raja' Hashem. It also published a photo of Sana'.
The bin Laden family is one of the most prominent business dynasties in the kingdom.
A spokeswoman for the British police on Friday told Rooters that there were four people on the aircraft when it crashed, but it did not state their identities.
Without identifying the victims, the Saudi Ambassador to Britannia offered condolences to the bin Laden family on the embassy's Twitter account and said the mission was working with British authorities to investigate the incident and organise the speedy transfer of the bodies for burial in the kingdom.
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Top Russian official quoted by Iranian official press says advanced missile defense system being tweaked - against potential Israeli strike? The sanctions gold from South Africa has already arrived in Moscow. It's a tight schedule, deal signing, U.S. carrier redeployment.... lots of moving parts.
The West has long pressured Russia not to deliver i.ts advanced S-300 missile defense system to Iran, but a senior Russian official on Thursday said the system is being upgraded ahead of delivery to the Islamic republic.
Iran's state-run media PressTV quoted Vladimir Kozhin, Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide on military and technical cooperation, saying that the system is to be modernized before being delivered to Iran. He gave no date for the delivery.
The comment refers to the fact that the original 2007 sales contract for the system was to have it delivered in 2010, but Russia withdrew its intention to sell due to pressure from the European Union (EU), which noted that UN nuclear sanctions banned the delivery.
But now with the Iran nuclear deal it would appear Russia may go ahead on the transaction, after chief executive Yan Novikov of the Russian state arms producer Almaz-Antey hinted as much in comments last month cited by PressTV.
"All restrictions have been lifted by the political authorities. When there is a contract, we will supply the system, including to Iran," Novikov said.
Russia caused a diplomatic stir in April when Putin signed a decree lifting a ban on the delivery of S-300 to Iran; it later retracted and said no date has been set for the shipment.
Iran meanwhile announced that it is planning to unveil its own Bavar 373 alternative to the S-300 in early September.
The transaction is highly significant because experts have warned that the S-300, and likely the Bavar 373 as well, would be able to block an Israeli or American airstrike aiming to take out Iran's covert nuclear program that reportedly is aiming to build a nuclear arsenal.
The development is all the more troubling because the Iran nuclear deal stipulates that the West will train Iran to block sabotage attempts on its nuclear program, meaning a possible Israeli cyber attempt to foul up Iran's march to the atomic bomb would also be thwarted.
[DAWN] Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer... has challenged the PML-N to de-seat his party MNAs and vowed to return to the House in the subsequent bye-election.
"If the PML-N wants to accept PTI MNAs resignations, it should do it instead of acting hypocritically by supporting the party in private meetings and opposing in TV talk shows," he told a news conference on Thursday.
To questions that former ISI chief Gen Shuja Pasha had instigated the PTI to hold a sit-in in Islamabad, Mr Khan stated that if he had been in 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 shoes, he would have immediately called an inquiry that why an army general was conspiring against a government.
"I will quit politics, if proved that I took any money for the 126-day sit-in," he said, adding that if the government would constitute an inquiry, the Asghar Khan case should also be opened in the Supreme Court, wherein it was stated in an affidavit that the ISI had funded the leaders of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, Nawaz Sharif one of them.
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[DAWN] India and Pakistain were locked in a furious verbal duel on Thursday over Monday's Gurdaspur attack, which Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament, was carried out by cross-border faceless myrmidons who forded the swollen Ravi River where it enters Pakistain's Punjab. Pakistain called the Indian claim a threat to peace and security in the region.
"Any effort by the enemies of our nation to undermine India's territorial integrity and security or imperil the safety and security of our citizens will meet an effective and forceful response from our security forces," Mr Singh told the Rajya Sabha.
Persistent jeering from Congress deputies mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's refrain of having a 56-inch chest, muffled his tough words. Monday's incident claimed 10 lives, including the Gurdaspur police chief.
"Preliminary analyses of GPS data indicates that the faceless myrmidons had infiltrated from Pakistain through the area near Tash in Gurdaspur district, where the Ravi river enters Pakistain," the home minister said.
Mr Singh also assured the house that "the government will do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism aimed against India".
Pakistain saw in the statement ominous portends. "The Government of Pakistain categorically rejects the baseless allegations made by Mr Rajnath Singh...Pakistain regrets the unsubstantiated and unwarranted assertion that those involved in the Gurdaspur incident of 27 July, had entered India from Pakistain. Pakistain believes that home minister's provocative comments are a threat to peace and security of the region," a foreign ministry press statement said.
"We have noted with concern a continuing tendency of India to cast blame on Pakistain for any terrorist incident in India. In the Gurdaspur incident, blames were apportioned to Pakistain in the Indian media, even when the encounter with faceless myrmidons was still going on."
The statement from the foreign ministry spokesperson's office recalled that immediately after the Gurdaspur incident, the Government of Pakistain had issued a statement expressing condemnation "in the strongest terms" of the attack.
"Pakistain condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Terrorism is a common enemy of both Pakistain and India. To tackle terrorism, a cooperative approach is required. Blame game and finger-pointing would be unhelpful."
Pakistain urged India to refrain from "casting baseless allegations" and work with Pakistain to eliminate terrorism from the region and create an environment of peace and amity in South Asia.
"If Government of India has any concrete evidence in this case, same may be shared with Government of Pakistain."
Mr Singh said that the same faceless myrmidons were suspected to have planted five IEDs on the railway track near Talwandi village between Dinanagar and Jhakoladi which were subsequently defused by the bomb disposal squad. A night vision device was also recovered from the spot.
"The security forces in the border are alert but the difficult terrain coupled with recent heavy rains, resulting in excess flow in the rivers and canals along the border could have been a factor, in this particular group sneaking into Punjab," he said.
He said that during the last one month, there were five attempts at cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmire sector, out of which four were interdicted and eight faceless myrmidons neutralised.
In the remaining one instance, the faceless myrmidons went back after effective retaliation by the Indian forces.
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[DAWN] Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) has submitted a letter to United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, claiming excesses committed by the para-military Rangers in their ongoing security operation 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... The letter was submitted yesterday by MQM's International Secretariat, and was undersigned by the party's Head of International Relations.
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[DAWN] Senior Advisor to Prime Minister on National Security 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... said on Friday that the government is considering to highlight the issue of Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing's (RAW) involvement in Pakistain with the United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... and other international forums.
Responding to question during the question hour session of the National Assembly, the Advisor said that Pakistain has taken up the issue of RAW's activities in Pakistain with various foreign leaders.
"The Prime Minister will also raise the issue of RAW's involvement in Pakistain at the UN General Assembly," he added.
He said that the foreign secretary had raised the issue with his Indian counterpart during the foreign secretary level talks held in March this year.
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[DAWN] Jamaat-ud-Dawa ...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba... (JuD), a self-proclaimed charity working in Pakistain, announced holding vicarious funeral prayers for the dear departed Taliban chief tomorrow afternoon in an Islamabad mosque.
According to JuD front man Asif Khursheed, the group's central leadership, including Hafiz Saeed ...founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its false-mustache offshoot Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The United Nations declared the JuD a terrorist organization in 2008 and Hafiz Saeed a terrorist as its leader. Hafiz, JuD and LeT are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pak intel apparatus, so that amounted to squat... , will attend the funeral.
Mullah Omar ... a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality... 's death was officially announced by Afghanistan on Wednesday, after a BBC report had cited unnamed Afghan sources saying Omar had died 2 to 3 years ago.
A day later, the Afghan Taliban also confirmed their chief's death saying "his [Mullah Omar's] health condition deteriorated in the last two weeks of his illness" and "not for a single day did he go to Pakistain," contradicting Afghanistan's official stance that Omar had died 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... JuD is a controversial organization, which was added to the banned outfits list by Pak authorities at the start of the year, along with the Haqqani network.
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#1
I will raise one in memory of Blinker at the O-club, any ideas what would be suitable, Goatmilk & Baccardi? Aka Afghan-Libre, or a HekFire - 3 ounces of Everclear, a stalk celery and a quarter gram of Sodium.
[DAWN] MALIK Ishaq, co-founder and leader of a faction of the 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 ... -- by most accounts Pakistain's most active sectarian terrorist group -- lived a violent life and met a violent end on the outskirts of the Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... town of Muzaffargarh on Wednesday.
Questions remain about the way the Lion of Islam leader was killed; the reported details don't quite add up, strengthening the view that he was eliminated in a staged encounter.
There is no argument that extrajudicial killings are unacceptable; eliminating suspects in such a manner creates 'deaders' and serves to further radicalise supporters of Lion of Islam groups.
There is a lesson here that absolutely has to be learned if there is a viable way forward: the feared Lion of Islam spent years behind bars but could not be convicted in court -- not necessarily because he was innocent, but because witnesses were too terrified to testify against him, while the broken justice system could not build a watertight case against him.
To achieve success in countering terrorism and militancy, the authorities must arrest, prosecute and punish Lions of Islam through legal means.
The dysfunctional justice system needs to be fixed and effective protection programmes for witnesses, prosecutors and judges dealing with terrorism cases need to be in place.
In the bigger picture, for a long time, there has been criticism (much of it justified) that the state -- particularly the Punjab administration -- has not done enough to tackle militancy.
There has even been criticism that elements within the Punjab government have hobnobbed with sectarian figures.
Hence, is Malik Ishaq's killing the first clear sign that the Punjab leadership has decided to pursue a more proactive counterterrorism policy?
It is possible, though some observers feel it is actually the military establishment that has taken the initiative.
Questions also persist about the state's intent in going after Lions of Islam across the board. For example, on the day Malik Ishaq was killed, Rafiq Mengal, a key sectarian leader in 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... , was tossed in the clink Book 'im, Mahmoud! in Quetta and taken into custody after he led a demonstration protesting the Lion of Islam's killing.
Why have cases not already been registered against such elements that publicly display their sympathies and support for operatives of banned outfits?
In order to uproot militancy, amongst other things the state must also prosecute the sympathisers and accomplices of Lions of Islam in political garb.
If the establishment persists with the thoroughly discredited 'good Lion of Islam, bad Lion of Islam' line of thought, the belief that it is being selective in its anti-militancy measures will persist.
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[INDIANEXPRESS] There is great excitement in the media over two aspects of the Dinanagar terrorist strike: One, that hard evidence in the form of GPS coordinates proves the holy warriors came from Pakistain, and that they were in possession of night vision devices with US government markings; two, that the NSA-level talks are going to proceed as scheduled, but "terrorism" is going to be on top of the Indian agenda for discussions.
These are far from the many and urgent issues that are raised by this attack. An investigation is ongoing, and it will certainly uncover significant evidence over time that will point overwhelmingly to Pakistain as the source of this attack. There should be little doubt that this doesn't matter in the least. Pakistain has engaged in terrorist proxy war against India for more than 30 years; the cumulative evidence of this is overwhelming and has been shared with Pakistain and the world; none of this has had any impact. India will have to learn to effectively defend itself.
As far as "talks" are concerned, this is an ongoing charade that will lead nowhere. Great hope is being invested in the NSA talks -- but what results have the recent discussions between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and 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... produced? There have been talks and the disruption of talks for decades.
There are other issues that are far more important. The most significant of these is the degree of visible unpreparedness in a sensitive border district like Gurdaspur, in a state that has itself experienced over 13 years of the most virulent terrorism, and that adjoins another state that is still the target of a 26-year-old Pakistain-backed proxy war.
Even the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team was not wearing rudimentary protection at Dinanagar.
Unless a crisis is immediately at hand, institutions are simply pushed into degeneration and decay, robbed of resources, deeply politicised, or just allowed to deteriorate through sheer neglect. It is useful to recall that Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... Police had been forged, in the late-1980s and early 1990s, into an efficient and fully equipped counter-terrorism (CT) force, with each thana provided adequate capacities -- protection, transport, weapons and the limited technological tools then available -- to respond to any challenge within its jurisdiction.
Clearly, these systems have crumbled and, were it not for the courage of those who fought terrorism at its peak and who still serve in the police, the state's capacity for response would now have been virtually non-existent.
Indeed, even in crisis, security forces face an uphill battle in securing the most basic resources and capacities.
The civilian bureaucracy has been one of the most obstructive entities in this regard, and I recall, during the peak of terrorism in Punjab, I was in constant and abrasive confrontation with the secretariat in Chandigarh and New Delhi. Confronted by continuous ambushes and attacks, we repeatedly asked for bulletproof vehicles, but received no response.
So we went ahead and improvised. Some old and condemned Ambassadors were recovered and bulletproofed, and were found to be extremely successful. Later, audit objections were raised against our efforts. We were bulletproofing vehicles for less than Rs 2 lakh, but were subsequently forced to buy them for over Rs 6 lakh. This is the genius of the bureaucracy.
Significantly, at Dinanagar, the police had to borrow bulletproof vehicles from the army to approach the building under siege.
Again, when the Khalistanis got the AK-47 from Pakistain, Punjab Police was stuck with antiquated . 303 bolt-action rifles. When we asked for comparable firepower, there was uniform opposition from the bureaucracy. One joint secretary in the Union home ministry wrote that no such weapon should be given to a "civil force". There was a misconception that such weapons could be used to quell protests, without realising that not every policeman was going to be issued an AK rifle.
What is not realised is that you don't prepare for terrorism after it has happened. You must be prepared at all times. And you don't just learn from your own experience.
States across India have been attacked by Islamist terrorists. Yet, each state is caught by surprise and pleads that the "Centre had not provided intelligence" or "resources". As if state governments have no responsibility. And when the Centre asks for any dilution of the constitutional allocation of "law and order" to the jurisdiction of the states, there are (rightly) shrill protestations from all chief ministers.
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[INDIANEXPRESS] Days after terror struck Dina Nagar in Gurdaspur, police in border district of Tarn Taran have started verifying the identity of women who cover their faces while riding two-wheelers.
All cop shoppes in the district have been directed to check identities of women who ride bikes with their faces covered.
"The directions have been issued to check the identities of those girls whose faces are covered while riding," Tarn Taran SSP Manmohan Kumar Sharma said on Friday.
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It's hot, they're cranky, and everyone is corrupt -- it's the Arab way.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Several hundred Iraqis erupted into the streets of Baghdad Friday to vent their anger at the chronic electricity shortages, which they blamed on government corruption.
"Thieves, thieves, thieves," chanted the crowd, mostly middle-class Baghdadis, as they marched before dusk in the center of the capital.
Iraq's infrastructure was severely damaged during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein and the country has suffered chronic power shortages ever since.
The government has repeatedly promised an end to the crisis, compounded by myrmidon attacks since 2003, but shortages have continued and private generators flourished as an alternative.
Power from the national grid is on only a few hours a day in most of the country, making life deeply uncomfortable in the searing summer heat.
The government declared Thursday and Sunday national holidays because the temperature broke the 50-degree Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) mark.
"We are demonstrating against a failed government, a government that has disappointed the hopes of the people," said Nahida Ahmad, a middle-aged woman employed at the ministry of culture.
"We have no services; have they no shame? For years, we have been telling them they are failures, they are thieves, they are corrupt. Have they no shame?"
Many of the demonstrators were civil servants who were not afraid to criticize the government.
"We despair of this government we elected and we are tired of being submitted to those cowards," said Dawood Akram, an engineer at the ministry of water resources.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/01/2015 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq
#1
The real cause is that Iraq's infrastructure was severely damaged by the 13th-century Mongol invasion.
#2
What they need is an ultra modern 21st century world power with seemingly endless amounts of money and technical know-how to be in country a number of years and modernize their electrical grid.
[AnNahar] Israel has deployed the Iron Dome defense system to the north on the border with Leb, likely amid fears that Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... could get an infusion of cash and weapons from Iran after the nuclear deal.
In an exclusive interview with FoxNews.com, the commander of Israel's Active Defense Air Wing, Col. Yoni Saada Marom, said that the military drills were not a direct reaction to recent events, but made clear that Hizbullah and other groups close to Israel's borders presented a potentially heightened threat.
"We are dealing with the challenges and scenarios that we think the enemies from the north will bring," Maron said.
The unique defense system locks onto the co-ordinates of incoming missiles targeting population centers and destroys them in mid-air before they can reach their intended target, said FoxNews.
Asked whether he thought Hizbullah is imminently planning to attack Israel, Marom said: "As a military commander I cannot deal with their intentions."
"They can do whatever they choose to do, and I, as a defender, need to be ready for that. I cannot control his mind, but I can defend my country and defend our illusory sovereignty," he added.
Hizbullah leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... said last week that Iranian officials have reiterated that the country's stances towards the party would not change.
He thanked Tehran "for all the moral and financial support."
Critics argue that the nuclear deal with Iran would essentially legitimize the country as a nuclear threshold state. And because it would lift economic sanctions on Tehran, including unfreezing at least $50 billion in foreign reserves, the regime would become flush with cash that could be used to beef up its conventional weapons stockpiles, influence proxies like Hizbullah, and support strongman Bashir al-Assad in Syria.
[ManilaStandard] The Moro National Liberation Front recently elected a new vice chairman following the expulsion of its former deputy whom Nur Misuari had described as a government collaborator.
Sultan Firdausi Abbas, an MNLF founder, revealed the appointment of Sultan Pundama Sani - the Sultan of Guimba in Lanao del Sur - as the group’s new vice chairman replacing Jimmy Labawan, who was ousted by Misuari for insubordination.
According to Abbas, Sani was unanimously elected on the imprimatur of Misuari and other high-ranking MNLF militants during a conference in in Southern Mindanao, as part of the group's reorganization. Abbas said, "The new vice chairman is one of the three living active veterans of the top 90—the first batch of Moro trainees including Chairman Misuari who were sent to train in Sabah, Malaysia, in 1969 by the Union of Islamic Forces Organization under the leadership of Sultan of Bayang, Rashid Lucman, chairman and then Congressman of Lanao del Sur, and Sultan of Dayawan, Macapanton Yahya Abbas Jr., Secretary-General pursuant to the agreement with then Prime Minister Tungku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia in 1969, which was forged in Penang."
Labawan was ousted after Misuari accused him of misrepresenting the MNLF in recent negotiations relating to the resumption of the stalled tripartite review talks of the 1996 final peace agreement between the Philippines and the MNLF.
Posted by: ryuge ||
08/01/2015 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The cash-strapped World Food Program has cut in half food aid to most Syrian refugees in Jordan and says only a last-minute U.S. donation prevented the program from being scrapped.
Friday's announcement raises new concerns about more than half a million refugees who live in Jordanian communities rather than camps. Largely unable to work legally, most urban refugees live in poverty and rely on food vouchers for survival.
Jordan hosts 629,000 Syrian refugees, including about 100,000 in refugee camps.
Of the remaining urban refugees, 440,000 have been receiving food vouchers.
In August, support for the most vulnerable among them, or about 200,000 people, will drop from $28 to $14 per person per month and for the rest from $14 to $7.
The WFP says funding is not secured beyond August.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/01/2015 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
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.
'Decoys will be covered'.... 
REUTERS] At the Taliban meeting this week where Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was named as the Islamist
Top Russian official quoted by Iranian official press says advanced missile defense system being tweaked - against potential Israeli strike?
[DAWN] 
[ManilaStandard] The Moro National Liberation Front recently elected a new vice chairman following the expulsion of its former deputy whom Nur Misuari had described as a government collaborator.
