[Hurriyet Daily News] The head office of the Turkish weekly newspaper Nokta was raided by police on Sept. 14, upon a court order, to confiscate all issues of its last edition amid accusations that it "insulted" President Tayyip Erdogan. Its news chief Murat Capan was taken into custody.
Following reactions by journalism associations, an interesting response came via a tweet by Emrullah Isler, a MP for the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) and a former deputy prime minister. Using wordplay based on the magazine's name Nokta (Point), Isler tweeted: "That rag of rubbish attempted a point operation against Erdogan, but this nation will place a point on it and its criminal masterminds on Nov. 1." Isler also implied that Fethullah Gulen - the U.S.-resident Islamic ideologue who was once a close ally of Erdogan but is now an archenemy - was behind the publication.
There is due to be a re-election in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Its news chief Murat Capan was taken into custody.
I wonder what ever happened to our former resident troll Murat.
The author specializes in "Conflict resolution" studies. 'Nuff said...
[DefenseOne] This week, the Washington Post published a story about a new U.S. plan to use lethal drone strikes in Syria to destroy ISIL capabilities on the ground. Shhh. The story is about a secret program. Mum's the word.
The desire to do something—anything—to destroy the capabilities of a group so luridly destructive is understandable, but our haste to show results will likely result in a hollow victory at best. I seriously doubt this commander in chief gets the idea of "victory"
Proponents of lethal drone strikes argue they are an effective way of reducing operational capabilities and that they make Americans safer. Good sales pitch, and for the first part they are prolly correct. As Joe Stalin once said, "when a man is giving you a problem, remember: no man, no problem..."
Critics of the program argue that the risk of civilian casualties is too high and constitutes a human rights violation. They add that the secondary effect of radicalizing bystanders outweighs any tactical successes. Just don't mention that the notion of radicalizing bystanders who witness death from above has been disproved over the years.
I offer an additional, simpler critique, based on 14 years of experience analyzing and working with programs designed to reduce conflict, insurgency and violent extremism worldwide: there’s no evidence that drone strikes work. But you just said they reduce operational capability.
On the contrary, ample evidence shows drone strikes have not made Americans safer or reduced the overall level of terrorist capability. The strikes amount to little more than a waste of life, political capital and resources. More at the link. As a personal opinion, death from above may make sense in the early going, but, this fella is right. Nothing has been stopped from the air.
[DAWN] IMRAN Khan's call for a military-led anti-corruption drive in 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.... and PPP senators lashing out against what they termed the selective focus on corruption in Sindh are likely to build political pressure on the PML-N government to take accountability more seriously. To begin with, the PPP senators appeared to speak more sensibly than the PTI chief. While acknowledging the need for accountability in Sindh, the PPP senators took issue mostly with the use of anti-terrorism laws and the federal government bypassing the Sindh government in corruption investigations. Yet, theirs was a clearly partisan stance: at no point did any of the senators see fit to call up the Sindh government to take governance and accountability issues more seriously and to demonstrate an immediate and clear public stance against corruption. So commonplace have allegations of corruption against the PPP government in Sindh become that it is remarkable no one within the party has yet spoken out against it. That silence only underlines the deep and continuing problems within the PPP.
Mr Khan's demand, however, is beyond the pale. Punjab needs accountability as much as Sindh, 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... and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... do. There are ways and means to build public and parliamentary pressure on the PML-N governments at the centre and in Punjab to take accountability more seriously. Why then does a national politician leading what is effectively the second-largest political party in the country need to call upon the military to take up what is a politician's job? Is Mr Khan admitting that his party is incapable of using the instruments available to it in the Punjab Assembly and parliament to try and unearth the truth about the so-called mega-corruption campaigns that the PTI frequently alleges are taking place? While the PTI cannot by itself ensure that the relevant provincial and parliamentary committees probe corruption allegations, any attempt by the PML-N government to block such moves would be a public-relations setback. Unhappily, it still appears that Mr Khan regards democracy more as an electoral process than a progressively stronger set of civilian institutions.
To be sure, when it comes to accountability and corruption, the PML-N has remained largely disinterested. Whatever the senior party leadership may claim, the 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... now appears to be fully military-run with minimal civilian input. As for the power sector, signs of incompetence and possibly corruption are growing. The fiasco over the Nandipur power plant; the inability to ensure new and adequate gas flows for the upcoming winter; stalled reforms; opaque pricing mechanisms -- the power sector that was the sole focus of the prime minister himself in his first months in office has not shown the fruits of competent, professional management. 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... frequently talks of transparency and accountability -- but has he really done much on either of those fronts?
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] The apex committee at the centre that met after a gap of nine months has, after some stocktaking, finally agreed to broaden the fight against violent extremism and take the battle to the source. That includes choking terror financing, madressah reforms and intensifying action against sectarian outfits.
Surely these are critical steps needed to win the battle against extremism. One wonders why it has taken so long for the federal and provincial governments to realise the urgency of moving beyond the military operations. Then there is also the question of commitment to take tough measures.
It is apparent that the push has come from the military leadership, which is spearheading the current counterterrorism campaign. One cannot agree more with Gen Raheel Sharif ..Pak chief of army staff, meaning he pulls the strings on the Nawaz Sharif puppet to make it dance and sing and not do much at all.... in his assertion that the gains achieved in the battle against the Death Eaters in the tribal areas could be reversed if the military action is not accompanied by action on all aspects of NAP. So far the outlook appears grim.
Although NAP can hardly be described as a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy, even then only a few of its 20 points are being implemented and that too partially. The major responsibility for the lacklustre approach lies with the federal government, though the provincial governments cannot be completely absolved of blame. There is still no mechanism in place to implement the measures agreed upon at the apex committee meeting.
It is true that choking terrorist financing is the most critical part of the battle. But it will not be an easy undertaking, considering the massive inflow of funds to sectarian groups and radical madressahs from external sources, particularly those in Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and the Gulf countries.
Over the last nine months the government has hardly moved against those outfits and radical seminaries that thrive on external financial support. The interior minister a few months ago informed parliament that only a few madressahs have been receiving foreign funding, while there was no mention of the donors -- perhaps because of 'brotherly relations' with the countries concerned.
There is also a large inflow of donations from individuals and expatriate Paks to religious institutions, part of which is believed to be diverted to bad boy and sectarian networks. The apex committee has decided to make it obligatory for madressahs to get their accounts audited and reveal their sources of funding. It is certainly a step in the right direction, but some tough measures need to be put in place against those who defy their legal obligation. That will certainly be a major test for the federal and provincial governments.
It is true that terror financing is not restricted to religiously motivated violence alone, but is also used to support ethnic-based groups and criminal gangs operating under the patronage of some political parties. Action taken by the Rangers against the alleged financiers has helped curtail violence 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... , but that is not enough.
Terror financing is also linked to the burgeoning black economy and criminalisation of politics that is not confined to Karachi alone. One hopes that action is extended to other parts of the country. There is need to reinforce the laws to check terror financing, but more important is the implementation of the measures approved by the apex committee.
Another important decision taken by the apex committee is to intensify the crackdown on radical sectarian outfits. Despite the fact that terrorism in the country has mainly been in the form of sectarian and religious violence, banned outfits have continued to operate with impunity under new banners.
Although law-enforcement agencies have cracked down on some factions, some others have been spared, perhaps due to political expediency. While the chief 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 ... , Malik Ishaq -- who backed one group in the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ...which is the false nose and plastic mustache of the murderous banned extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, whatcha might call the political wing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi... -- as well as some other top leaders of the LJ, have been killed, the leader of the other faction of ASWJ, Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, roams around freely, apparently under the security agencies' protection.
A major reason for 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.... government's reluctance to act against the group is the upcoming local government elections in the province; that would defeat the objectives of the action plan. It remains to be seen if this changes after the apex committee's decision to act without discrimination. In this context, the recent statements by some provincial ministers denying that Punjab is the hub of violent sectarianism are most perturbing.
Belatedly, the civil and military leadership seems to have realised the need to clamp down on hate speech and hate literature that incite violence along religious lines. It is mostly radical holy mans who instigate mob attacks on Christian and other religious communities on false charges of blasphemy.
The suggestion for the government to appoint prayer leaders in mosques has merit. Although such a radical move may not be possible in the current situation with the administration having little capacity to exert control over each and every mosque in the country, the holy mans inciting sectarian violence must be brought to justice.
Religious extremism is so deeply entrenched in society that it will not be easy to root it out. Religion is capable of many different interpretations. The problem arises when Death Eaters and bad boyholy mans appropriate the function of religious interpretation. This situation has to be reversed. It is going to be a protracted struggle that can only be won through strong commitment and resolve.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
A Sunni-KSA-vs-Shia-Iran confrontation can still very easily occur in the ME + Persian Gulf, + despite the KSA being Amerika's ally + post-P5+1 Nuke Deal Iran now also being nominally the US' OWG Co-Superpower sibling.
#3
JFM, if you mean it as "they agree with ISIS on ideology", then yes. However, that doesn't mean they want ISIS to come and interfere in their business.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Russia's renewed deployment of both men and advanced hardware in Syria is, I believe, another indicator that the Assad regime is losing hope of forming an Alawite state, or what has been referred to as a "mini Syria".
The Russian deployment of soldiers, or 'advisers', and modern equipment is explained by Moscow as a means to prop up the global fight against ISIS in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.
But the reality is that the Russians are looking to prop up what is left of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... 's "useful Syria" -- or the "mini" Alawite coastal state -- which is seen as the endgame for Damascus should it fail to regain all of Syria.
The Russian move is also tacitly intended to deny Tehran a monopoly in any future settlement of the Syrian crisis.
The Latakia area seems to be teetering as opposition forces group and edge closer, travelling through the al-Ghab valley.
Regime troops aided by local Alawite militias trained by the Iranians, and supported by Iraqi, Afghani and Lebanese militias and recruits, look destined to fail in defending Assad's heartland of Latakia in the long run.
But for the option of a "mini Syria" state to remain viable, then the coastal areas need to remain intact.
And Russia under President Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... is expert at keeping loyal enclaves protected, as we saw in the Crimea region, and later in Eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin's renewed effort in Syria also acts as a counterbalance to an active Iranian agenda, which is seen as a policy to extend its foothold in the Mediterranean through propping up a weak Syria without a strong central army.
Washington, though still firm in its policy of fighting ISIS being its sole priority in the Middle East, sees no issue in allowing Moscow space to promote what it has long called for.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/16/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Suppose they get 10 - 15K troops there with air support = East Moscow?
#5
The Russians are fighting for prestige (supporting their client) and an actual port in the Med (not just an anchor roadstead off Cyprus). That and it's time for the snow to begin in Donets (so let's cool that off)(joke).
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/16/2015 7:58 Comments ||
Top||
#6
They're fighting to keep the Tranzis from taking over Damascus.
#10
^ Not with Climate Change™!! They'll be fighting in their skivvies, or so I'm told
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/16/2015 21:01 Comments ||
Top||
#11
Presuming that MSM-Net Artics are correct + that Assadian Syria is "emptying" due to its people fleeing into the EU, WHAT ME MUSLIM COUNTRY OR ETHNIC GROUP(S) IS GOING TO TAKE THEIR PLACE ONCE BABY ASSAD IS GONE???
I doubt it'll be US Ally ISRAEL as the latter + IDF must military go through Obama/US BFF Co-Superpower Iran's Sphere of Influence in Lebanon [includ Hezbollah], Syria, + now even Gaza-WB, ALL WHILE NOT RISKING THE IRE + THREAT OF MILITARY RESPONSE FROM IRAN + KSA-LED ARAB LEAGUE = MUSLIM WORLD.
That leaves Co-Superpower Wannabe, Neo-Ottoman TURKEY, andor the CHECHENS???
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.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
