Afghanistan government has blamed the United States and its western allies for most of the corruption in the war-ravaged country. If it wasn't for all this kool kash, we'd be right as rain!
Presidential Spokesman Omer Waheed says Afghanistan's foreign partners have paved the grounds for creation of economic mafias.
"Our international partners provided the ground for some people in Afghanistan to become unbelievably rich. Some people (have) become an economic mafia in Afghanistan," Waheed said.
He says security deals between US-led forces and private security firms operating in Afghanistan top the corrupt contracts.
"One of those is private security companies who have earned billions of dollars in contracts and are threatening sustainability of peace here in Afghanistan," he said.
The remarks come two days after Afghanistan officially launched the process of disbanding all domestic and foreign private security firms operating in the country.
On Saturday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered all security companies to be disbanded by the end of this year.
Kabul has confirmed the presence of 52 foreign private security companies, including notorious American security firm Xe Services LLC — formerly known as Blackwater.
Most of the security contractors are believed to have close ties with Afghan warlords and are also accused of contributing to the rising number of civilian casualties in the country.
Omer also described the level of graft in the Afghan government as nominal compared to the extent of corruption in the Western contract system.
Afghanistan is under intense foreign pressure to end widespread corruption in the country.
Kabul blames Washington and its NATO allies for the corruption in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
No money, no corruption. Food for thought. A-holes.
Two Jamaat-e-Islami leaders yesterday withdrew from the High Court a writ petition that challenged the first amendment to the constitution and some sections of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973 under which the war crimes trial is being held.
Jamaat assistant secretaries general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and Abdul Quader Molla jointly filed the writ petition on August 16 seeking HC's directive to stop proceedings of the trial against them under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act.
Petitioners' counsel Abdur Razzaq told an HC bench that his clients had asked him not to proceed with the writ petition.
Following the court order, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said there is no legal bar now to proceed with the trial of the 1971 crimes against humanity and war crimes under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.
He said the Jamaat leaders might move the same writ petition to another HC bench in future.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press] North Korea has developed a special stealth paint to camouflage its warships, tanks and fighter planes from foreign reconnaissance satellites and aircraft.
"Modern warfare is stealth warfare. We can say that victory or defeat will be determined by how we carry out stealth warfare," the Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il as saying in a confidential manual used by the North's military.
The 2005 manual, which was smuggled out of the country, describes how the tactic helps conceal facilities or equipment and how to make military units look as if they are moving when they are not in order to deceive South Korean and US reconnaissance.
According to the Monday report, radar-reflecting materials have been used to conceal long-range military equipment.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
According to the Monday report, radar-reflecting materials have been used to conceal long-range military equipment.
They're probably wondering why nobody ever thought of this before.
On Monday, German prosecutors announced that they have charged a 28-year-old man, suspected to have ties to an Islamist terror cell, with planning to murder US soldiers and civilians in Germany.
The German citizen, identified as Salih S., was charged on August 12 with "supporting a foreign terrorist organisation" and "membership of a foreign terrorist organisation."
Salih S. is said to have become a member of the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), an al Qaeda affiliate, "at the latest in May 2007." He is supposed to have also provided equipment to a member of the Sauerland cell, which in March was convicted of mounting what the court called the biggest terror plot in German post-war history. "This included three GPS devices, night-vision goggles and three compass watches as well as other equipment," the statement said.
S. was arrested in Turkey in November 2008 but released in February 2009 on bail. He was taken into custody again in June this year on the basis of a German arrest warrant and extradited in July. He is also suspected of travelling to an IJU camp in Waziristan in March 2007 to receive training after which he took part in "several combat missions" for the group.
It's a good sign. If you're a terrorist or a nation with bad intentions.
The U.S. Second Fleet, which trains and certifies all strike groups before deployment and employs 348 active and reserve military personnel, civilian employees and contractors, is in jeopardy as the Department of Defense continues to trim its budget. Bad idea. But this is the Obumble administration ....
#1
They are cutting in just the wrong direction: static resources instead of dynamic operations. That is, if you live in a nice house and go on expensive vacations, you don't save money by selling the house, first. Instead, you cut back on your vacations, first.
Right now, the US military is deployed to over 100 countries, where in most cases they expensively sit on their thumbs and do nothing. In truth, their "critical missions" are probably fewer than a dozen duty stations. So by pulling back to the US, or redeploying to one of those dozen duty stations, a heck of a lot of money is saved. *And* our operations are more effective.
[Kashmir Times] Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), today threatened to intensify the ongoing public protests if the crackdowns against the people were not put to an end immediately.
In a statement, he strongly condemned the re-introduction of crackdown, identification parade, arrests of youth and humiliating behaviour with women by police and forces. Geelani also appealed the people to foil such tactics of the government.
He asked the people to come out of their houses and not to allow the police and forces to conduct the crack down and other related actions. "I appeal the people to come out collectively out of their houses and protest and foil the attempts to arrest the youth," Geelani said.
He asked the men to remain on the forefront by forming a defence wall and by keeping the women behind so that forces personnel do not reach to them.
"Those in the crackdown must beat tin and raise slogans. Those outside the crackdown must also raise slogans and move to the area under crackdown. Doing so has become inevitable to save the youth from arrests and protect the honour of women," the Hurriyat (G) chairman said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I see a chia-head crackdown start point
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/24/2010 18:59 Comments ||
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#2
DAILY TIMES.PK > AL QAEDA SHIFTS TO PAK URBAN AREAS, to protect from US Drone Attacks. "Urban Areas" by most accounts = KARACHI + ONLY KARACHI???
and
* NEWS KERALA > INDIA REMINDS PAKISTAN OF TALIBAN "RED LINES" [limits of anti-Indjuh Govt. Power-sharing wid Talibs, as originally described by India during July 20th Kabul Conference].
[KT NEWS SERVICE] The Awami National Conference (ANC) today expressed deep concern over the an onymous threats letters to members of the Sikh community asking them to leave the Kashmir valley.
In a handout issued here from Srinagar , the ANC president, Begum Khalida Shah, aunt of Chief minister Omar Abdullah and sister of New and Renowable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah, had expressed her deep anguish and sorrow over the conspiracy being hatched to harm the traditional communal harmony in the state.
She has expressed her dismay at the Sikh Community being threatened through posters.
"In a similar ploy our Pandit brethren were made to leave the valley,'' she said, adding,'' Now similar plots were being hatched to scare our Sikh brethren and force them to leave the valley.
Begum Shah has expressed her solidarity with the Sikh community and assured that ANC would not allow any such conspiracy to succeed.
The ANC President has appealed to all the people not to allow any such nefarious designs to succeed and uphold the rich tradition of the Hindu-Muslim and Sikh unity at all costs and defeat all communal forces bent upon undermining the rich traditions of Kashmiriyat.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq - A Member of the Iraqi parliament, representing Al-Iraqiya List, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has announced today that the Sadrist movement, led by Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, has expressed support for Dr. Allawi's nomination for the post of prime minister in the next Iraqi government.
"The Sadr Movement has expressed their approval to nominate Dr. Iyad Allawi for the new prime minister's post and the formation of the future government, whilst our negotiations with the Movement have reached advanced phases and their resultss have been positive and fruitful," MP Ziyad Al-Darb told Aswat Al-Iraq News Agency.
Al-Darb said that Al-Iraqiya List's contacts with Al-Fadeela Party, led by its Secretary General Hashim Al-Hashimi and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), led by Ammar Al-Hakim, "are expected to be settled within one week from now."
The Iraqi political arena is witnessing continuous differences in viewpoints among the main lists that won the nationwide elections that took place in Iraq in March, 2009, particularly regarding their competition to win the new prime minister's post and the formation of the forthcoming government, mainly between the largest two winners in the elections, Al-Iraqiya Bloc and the State of Law Bloc, despite fact that none of the two blocs have achieved the parliamentary majority that assign it to form the new government alone.
The new parliament's sessions have been postponed several times, an event that was considered as "violation of the constitutional period allowed in this respect to elect a new parliament speaker, his two deputies and a new President."
With regards to the nomination of outgoing Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, for a second prime minister's term, MP Al-Darb said, "The new U.S. Ambassador, Jeffrey, has a new vision that differs from his predecessor, Christopher Hill, towards the political process in Iraq..He wishes to see the unification of Al-Iraqiya bloc with the State of Law bloc in one united coalition to form the new government, whoever the prime minister might be; and he does not oppose the formation of the next government by Al-Iraqiya bloc."
Speaking about the intention of the assignment of the new prime minister's post for the Shiite sect and no other sect, Al-Darb said, "The Constitution had not included a condition that the prime minister's post be assigned for a certain sect..It has reiterated that the winning list of the largest number of votes, in this case being Al-Iraqiya, is to form the new government."
Regarding the situation of the National Alliance between the State of Law and the Iraqi National Alliance, Al-Darb said, "The Alliance had been fragile and it had failed to present a certain candidate for the new prime minister's post."
A source, representing the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council had told Aswat Al-Iraq last Friday that the Sadr Trend had been exerting efforts to convince the nomination of the leader in Al-Iraqiya Alliance, Mohammed Allawi, to hold the new prime minister's post, if both alliances would agree on his nomination.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- Israel is implementing a scheme expiring in 2020 aimed at judaising the holy city of Jerusalem, a senior official of the Arab League said on Monday.
Ambassador Mohammad Sebeeh, the Arab League Secretary General Assistant for affairs of Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories, warned in a statement, made today on the occasion of the 41the anniversary of torching the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque, of continuing Israeli measures designed to judaize the ancient city.
He urged the Arab states to honor pledges made at the Sirte (Libya) summit for the holy city, alluding to the USD five million pledge to support the Palestinian natives of Jerusalem, vis a vis Israeli schemes to build more residences for Jews and hinder bids by the Arab natives to secure housing.
Conditions nowadays are much more difficult compared to those that existed in 1969, when Al-Aqsa mosque was set afire, said Ambassador Sebeeh. Israel now is taking public steps to judaize the city, with aid of its army and the intelligence to enforce a de facto situation in the face of the Palestinians, he said, referring to the Israeli government explicit aid to the expansionist Jewish settlers.
The mosque was set alight in 1969 despite existence of a balance of powers on the international arena and widely acclaimed Palestinian struggle, and since then Israel has not stopped taking moves to change the identity of the city, he said.
Sebeeh urged Arab and Muslim peoples, the educated elites, unions and civil associations to confront the Israeli schemes, and indicated at various Israeli practices that served this policy, namely excavation works, recurring expulsions of Palestinian leaders and ordinary citizens from Jerusalem and demolition of the natives' houses.
"Jerusalem is a red line and there will be no peace without it, for Jerusalem is the city of wars and peace," he said, emphasizing significant status of the city, which hosts some of the holiest shrines for the three heavenly religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. (end) bna.rk KUNA 231936 Aug 10NNNN
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
For additional readings and justification for not building a mosque on ground zero, see the above article entitled "Arab League Warns....."
[Iran Press] The acting Palestinian Authority chief has warned that it will quit peace talks with Israel, should the Tel Aviv regime continue its settlement activities.
In a letter to the European Union, Mahmoud Abbas said that "if Israel resumes settlement activities, we cannot continue with negotiations."
Abbas wrote the letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton dated August 21, AFP reported on Monday.
He noted that Israel's ongoing settlement activities, home demolitions, evictions, land confiscations and ID revocations would undermine talks.
Abbas said he had warned US Middle East envoy George Mitchell that the talks could be stopped by a resumption of settlement activities.
On Friday, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted mediation to revive direct talks in Washington on September 2.
Israel is carrying out settlement activities in the occupied territories, especially in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), despite international calls to stop such activities.
Ashton's spokesman Darren Ennis announced the EU was drafting a response to the letter, saying "our focus is on making sure the talks take place on September 2."
The European Union is part of the Middle East Peace Quartet alongside the United States, Russia and the United Nations.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Abbas wrote the letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton dated August 21, AFP reported on Monday.
On Friday, Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted mediation to revive direct talks in Washington on September 2.
Backing out after only 24 hours. That must nearly be a record, even for the Palestinians.
#2
A Pali leader quitting talks with Israel is not news.
A Pali leader engaging in good faith with Israel and actually attempting to make progress in that part of the world that would benefit both sides of the conflict, especially without making sure his Swiss bank account is replenished first....that's news.
(Xinhua) -- An Iranian atomic official said Monday that a tripartite committee was formed to monitor safety of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"A tripartite committee comprising Iran's nuclear security system, Russia's nuclear security system and manager of the project has been formed to ensure security of Bushehr power plant, " Nasser Rastkhah was quoted as saying.
"The committee is assigned with checking all different aspects of the security of the power plant," said Rastkhah who is the chief of country's nuclear security system.
The committee will be accountable to the Iranian nation, to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to the international community about the safety of the Bushehr power plant, he told IRNA.
He added that all parts used in the power plant have been inspected for three time so far and that in the coming days comprehensive tests will be conducted in the reactor to make sure that optimum safety standards are available in the power plant, according to the report.
"We are trying to observe the highest security standards in the reactor," he was quoted as saying.
After years of delay, Iran and Russia started on Saturday to load fuel rods to a reactor at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran.
On Saturday, Iran and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the basis of which the two sides agreed to establish a joint company to observe the safe use of the facilities in Bushehr power plant.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi on Monday warned the enemies not to "play with fire" by attacking Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Vahidi made the remarks in the opening ceremony of the production lines of two home-made, high-speed assault boats.
He advised the enemies of Iran "not to play with fire" because in that case, Iran's reaction to any kind of stupid acts will be unpredictable, the report said.
"Iran's reaction to any kind of attacks by enemies will not be limited to a small region," he was quoted as saying.
In August, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen said the United States has a plan in place to attack Iran, if it is necessary.
The United States and Israelis have refused to rule out the possibility on launching unilateral military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Iranian military officials have dismissed the threats, saying Iran has prepared defensive plans to face any threats by the enemies.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
See also HAARETZ > IRAN: IFF ATTACKED OUR RESPONSE WILL BE WIDE-RANGING + UNPREDICTABLE.
and
* YNETNEWS > US NUCLEAR EXPERT: IRAN NUCLEAR CLOCK IS TICKING [UWisc Prof. Gary Molhin claims that Iran already has enough low-grade EU for TWO NUCBOMBS, + may have enough for ONE ADDITIONAL = THREE tote NucBombs by end of Summer 2011]???
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/24/2010 19:43 Comments ||
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#6
TOPIX > IRANIAN GENERAL: TEHRAN SHOULD HIT ENEMIES OUTSIDE OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
versus
* SAME > US: IRAN'S NEW WEAPONS DON'T WORRY US, but post-Nuc Iran-led/started ME Arms race does.
AND
* SAME > HEZBOLLAH: IRAN CAN EQUIP LEBANESE ARMY + NASRALLAH PITCHES ARAB, IRAN MILITARY AID, NUCLEAR REACTOR, for Lebanon + LAF. Also says the US can still allowed to equip/arm the Lebanese Armed Forces despite error-prone orginal premises of US for doing same.
IMO read, HEZBOLLAH [Iran] + LEBANON SHOULD USE US-SUPPLIED MILTECHS TO QUICKLY ACHIEVE PAR OR MIL SUPRIORITY AGZ ISRAEL.
IRNA -- The IRGC Navy commander said here on Monday that Iranian missile boats' speed of 35 knots is higher than that of the US warships.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard's Corps (IRGC) Navy, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi made the remark on the sidelines of a ceremony held this morning to unveil Seraj 1 and Zolfaqar speedboats at the marine industries complex of the Ministry of Defense.
The deterrent and devastating power of the Islamic Republic's armed forces will be very high in case of any aggression by the enemy, the commander said. The current equipment of the IRGC Navy are more complicated and developed than those of the past years, he stressed.
The commander further announced that the Iranian home-built missile boats are speedwise unique in the world, particularly compared with the American warships' maximum speed of 31 knot.
The inauguration of the productions lines for the Seraj 1 and Zolfaqar speedboats comes a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled Iran's home-built bomber drone.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
I'd like to see one of those toys outrun a missile.
#3
Big deal. An extra 4 knots is only an advantage if you are running away.
Also, the following weapon systems are a lot faster than 35 knots:
All of them.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/24/2010 0:17 Comments ||
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#4
Keep in mind that a dozen speed-boats firing ASM's would put a whole-lotta hurt on a CVBG. All it takes is ONE getting through the SAM umbrella - which isn't a low-grade probability at all.
And a dozen speed-boats with three or four fanatic crew members each is a heck of a lot cheaper and easier to produce than a DDG.
And I'm betting they won't have a dozen of these, they'll have a hundred.
They're also a heck of a lot cheaper than the Harpoons we'd be shooting at them and very likely to be able to dodge them, assuming the Harpoons would even track such a target.
#5
The USN aren't dummies, and I can imagine some weapons systems that would grotesquely mess up area targets, and on a budget. For example, an air dropped fuel/air explosive would be a mother over water.
It's called the BLU-96, nicknamed "Hades" bomb. It is the next best thing to a nuclear detonation, short of a MOAB.
#8
Helicopters would be good. A few quick, light, maneuverable models with lots of missiles and maybe something like a 50-cal with lots of ammo would be nice. Probably doesn't even need to be anything armored. An Apache would probably be too much and too slow. The folks running the boats couldn't attack when they are running at speed, and the ones that are stationary could be ignored.
[Al Arabiya] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defied calls to fire one of his closest aides and appointed him envoy to the Middle East instead, suggesting that for now he may have the upper hand over his critics.
Media reported on Monday that Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaie, the target of frequent criticism from inside the hardline establishment since he became chief of staff last year, was taking one of four new foreign policy posts.
News of the appointment came a day after Ahmadinejad and the head of parliament met and said they would put aside differences that have exposed deep divisions among hardliners and prompted a warning from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"We are all one family and have one big mission. Administering the country is the focal point," Ahmadinejad said.
Rahim-Mashaie, whose daughter is married to Ahmadinejad's son, has become the focal point for infighting among the hardliners who rule the Islamic Republic.
A year ago Khamenei forced Ahmadinejad to sack him from the post of first vice-president amid fierce criticism from many conservatives who were particularly offended by his suggestion that Iran was a friend to all nations, including the people of Israel.
But the president managed to hang on to his charismatic political ally by making him chief of staff, a post in which he has remained a constant target of criticism.
That reached a crescendo earlier this month when Mashaie publicly upheld the idea of an "Iranian school" of Islam, which many religious conservatives considered highly controversial.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2010 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Kashmir Times] Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), today threatened to intensify the ongoing public protests if the crackdowns against the people were not put to an end immediately.
Aswat al-Iraq - A Member of the Iraqi parliament, representing Al-Iraqiya List, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has announced today that the Sadrist movement, led by Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, has expressed support for Dr. Allawi's nomination for the post of prime minister in the next Iraqi government.
