WASHINGTON--U.S. officials believe al Qaeda in Yemen is now collaborating more closely with allies in Pakistan and Somalia We have allies in Pakistain and Somalia? Who?
to plot attacks against the U.S., spurring the prospect that the administration will mount a more intense targeted killing program in Yemen.
Such a move would give the Central Intelligence Agency a far larger role in what has until now been mainly a secret U.S. military campaign against militant targets in Yemen and across the Horn of Africa. It would likely be modeled after the CIA's covert drone campaign in Pakistan. Good news? Or not really...
The U.S. military's Special Operation Forces and the CIA have been positioning surveillance equipment, drones and personnel in Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia to step up targeting of al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, known as AQAP, and Somalia's al Shabaab--Arabic for The Youth.
U.S. counterterrorism officials believe the two groups are working more closely together than ever. "The trajectory is pointing in that direction," a U.S. counterterrorism official said of a growing nexus between the Islamist groups. He said the close proximity between Yemen and Somalia "allows for exchanges, training." But he said the extent to which AQAP and al Shabaab are working together is "hard to measure in an absolute way."
Authorizing covert CIA operations would further consolidate control of future strikes in the hands of the White House, which has enthusiastically embraced the agency's covert drone program in Pakistan's tribal areas. That does not fill me with confidence. It's the way politicians, particularly politicians who have never served, liked to wage war -- push a button and your problems go away.
[Gulf Times] Western European residents will receive promotional material from Yemen this September as the country tries to convince more tourists to visit it. Adventure tourism fever! Catch it!
The Yemeni Tourist Promotion Council has decided to start its promotional campaign in France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom next month before approaching people living in the neighbouring Gulf countries, local Yemeni media has reported. Because the neighbors ain't buying what they're selling
Yemen is on the one hand known for its historic buildings in the capital Sanaa and spectacular nature but it is also one of the poorest countries in the world. Tourism provides a vital source of foreign capital for Yemen. "Come see our historic mud huts! Stay as a hostage in one of them."
According to the Yemeni Ministry of Tourism, 1.1mn tourists visited Yemen in 2009, of those 70% came from the Gulf. The rest came from Somalia ...
Mohamed Shaif, director of Yamanat Tours in Sanaa told The Media Line that the Yemeni government has made efforts to attract more tourists, "but it's not enough. The most important thing is security, if the tourists feel safe they will come," he said, adding: "This is what's important, not only promotion but security."
Ibrahim Al-Attab, managing director of Yemen Explorers Com in the capital, said that tourism was up, but added that he was worried not everyone could afford travel to Yemen with the economic downturn. Yeah. That's why I haven't made it over yet...
"The local tourism is increasing," Al-Attab told The Media Line. "Before people only came for one day, but now they stay overnight because there are good hotels and good facilities."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Lets see, the Bahamas, Monaco, Cayman Islands, and Yemen. It all makes sense.
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
08/25/2010 8:33 Comments ||
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For those of you with daughters... it would be safer to send them on vacation with Joran Van De Sloot than to send her to Yemen.
Posted by: American Delight ||
08/25/2010 9:12 Comments ||
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I can't afford to visit my local city park, which is free, because I can't stand the heat. They expect me to go to Yemen? (Insert donkey laugh here)
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/25/2010 13:22 Comments ||
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"Yemen! Home to some of the finest examples of pre-industrial rubble piles in the known universe!"
(Xinhua) -- The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said they are willing to present their proposal to South American nation leaders to end the armed conflict in the country.
Translation: they're getting their asses well and truly kicked, and the #3's all realize that they're gonna die ...
"Presidents: when you consider it opportune we are willing to explain in Unasur's assembly our vision of the Colombian conflict," the FARC said in a letter published Monday by the Nueva Colombia News Agency's website, which often carries statements from the FARC.
"We want to reiterate to the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, our will to look for a political way out of this conflict," the FARC said in the letter to leaders of Unasur member nations.
In the letter signed by its secretariat and dated August 2010, the FARC said although the Colombian government keeps "the doors to dialogue closed," the FARC are ready to negotiate to end the conflict, an end they have been pursuing for more than 40 years.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos reportedly has rejected any national or international mediation for a negotiation with the rebel group.
Santos also said that conditions are not ideal for a dialogue right now because these groups are still kidnapping, blackmailing and recruiting minors by force.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[Xinhua] The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would not tolerate provocation by the United States and South Korea, Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, said Tuesday.
According to the official KCNA news agency, Kim said the DPRK army and people would "never tolerate" reckless moves by the United States and South Korea to provoke a nuclear war, and would launch a "sacred retaliatory war" of their own style "based on nuclear deterrent" any time.
Kim warned the DPRK army and people would take "the toughest self-defensive measure" and "mercilessly beat back the aggressors and surely accomplish the historic cause of national reunification."
The DPRK would steadily work hard to ensure the support to and solidarity with the countries that support the DPRK's revolutionary cause on the principles of independence, peace and friendship, Kim said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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...Ahhhh, shaddap.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/25/2010 20:40 Comments ||
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[Chosun Ilbo] North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun daily last Sunday ran a long poem hinting at the succession to the Stalinist country's leadership by Kim Jong-il's son Jong-un.
The poem hails and praises the "Songun or military-first doctrine ahead of its 50th anniversary on Aug. 25 and reads in part, "We hear the sound of those vigorous footsteps that have perfectly inherited the mettle and vigor of our general."
"Footsteps" is also the title of a propaganda song apparently written to praise Kim junior which party officials have been teaching farmers since last year. The phrase "perfectly inherited Kim Jong-il's mettle" appears to justify a third-generation dynastic succession.
"Let's follow our party center step by step and defend the party center with our lives forever and ever!" the song continues. "Party center" is apparently code for the succession.
In 1974, the regime began calling Kim Jong-il "party center" when the Workers Party's Central Committee appointed him as successor to his father Kim Il-sung.
A South Korean government official said, "The term 'party center' eventually disappeared after Kim Jong-il became the official successor, but it has come back into use recently."
It now seems highly likely that Kim junior, who is in his 20s, will assume a key party post at an upcoming extraordinary party congress that will be held for the first time in 44 years, North Korea experts speculate.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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If only that fool Kim Jong-nam hadn't lost face by visiting Tokyo Disneyland on a forged passport.
[Iran Press] The South Korean Defense Ministry has threatened to retaliate immediately, should the North Korean military fire across the disputed sea border. What's this? The vitriol's flowing the other way?
South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Tae-Young said on Tuesday that a new military directive had been issued, ordering armed forces to launch a powerful counter-attack if the North's shells land south of Seoul's maritime border.
"If North Korea fires artillery rounds south of the NLL (Northern Limit Line), we will respond by firing toward north of the NLL," Kim said, adding that Seoul will give advanced warnings to the North.
"The order was in line with new combat policy for South Korean troops guarding the volatile sea border," the South Korean minister told a parliamentary defense committee.
The South Korean Defense Ministry also announced that it had detected a massive buildup of troops and military equipment near the North's capital, Pyongyang.
"The massive deployment of troops could be designed to show their military power at home and abroad, or for security," a ministry spokesman told AFP on Tuesday.
Seoul has also linked the deployment to upcoming political events in Pyongyang.
Tension has intensified on the Korean peninsula since the sinking of a South Korean warship earlier in March.
The South, which charges that the North torpedoed its warship, took a step further and held a major four-day military drill with Washington in the troubled region in response to the alleged attack.
Pyongyang, which denies any involvement in the sinking incident, said earlier that the drill posed "a great threat not only to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula but also to global peace and security."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
The South Korean Defense Ministry has threatened to retaliate immediately, should the North Korean military fire across the disputed sea border. What's this? The vitriol's flowing the other way?
I did a double take myself: I was SURE it was a typo.
[The News (Pak)] Supreme Court (SC) issued contempt of courts notice to the Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Geo News reported Tuesday.
Hearing the case regarding the channels' closure, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry remarked, 'It seemed that Pemra Chairman was behind the closure of the two channels and resorted to misstatement in front of the court.'
The Chief Justice said the Pemra Chairman insisted that the channels telecasts were staunched owing to the law and order situation in the city; however, IG Sindh report contradicts his assertion.
He said the matter relates to the court's prestige and hence, the court cannot condone the misleading statements.
Cable Operators' counsel Khalid Anwar said the Pemra submitted two conflicting statements and in these statements, the accusation was also admitted.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[PTI] India and Israel are the only two countries whose aid workers will not be granted special visas by Pakistan to join relief efforts for the millions of people affected by the country's worst floods.
Following a suggestion from Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for easing visa regulations for foreign aid workers, the Interior Ministry decided to issue three-month "relief work" visas for those coming to Pakistan to join relief operations.
A letter sent by the Interior Ministry to the Foreign Office made it clear that this special facility will not be available to Indian and Israeli nationals. Then it's not available to Americans either ...
The Foreign Ministry was also asked to circulate the letter to all Pakistani missions abroad.
According to a standard operating procedure approved by the government, Pakistan missions will grant three-month visas to aid workers joining the large-scale rescue and relief operations across the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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If Pakistan wants to play politics with relief, the US should reciprocate. If the religious or political condition of the caregiver is allowed to be used to refuse them entry to Pakistan, that ALL aid to Pakistan should be withheld. Let Pakistan care for its people. We can use our money to better advantage than to support a political and social agenda we do not approve of.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/25/2010 13:50 Comments ||
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[La Prensa] Peace talks with Israel to be resumed September 2 cannot begin from scratch, and no Israeli dictate would be accepted, Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saab Erekat said on Monday.
"The previous negotiations followed a long road, and we made it to an advanced point in them; therefore, taking backwards and starting from scratch is not possible," Erekat said.
At a press briefing, Erekat said the Palestinian people would not accept Israel's dictates at next week's meeting, which also involves President Mahmoud Abbas and Israelu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Bilateral peace talks were held i 1993 and 2000 in Oslo, Finland; Thaba, Egypt (2001); and Annapolis, Maryland, the United States, in 2007 and 2008. Erekat's statements seemed to refute Netanyahu's insistence since assuming office in March 2009 on considering irrelevant the concessions made by his predecessor Ehud Olmert.
The Palestinian official also mentioned a letter addressed today to the Middle East Quartet (Russia, the United States, the European Union and the UN) saying that the future of negotiations with Israel are also liked to Netanyahu ending the construction of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
September 26th marks the deadline of Israel's ten-month freeze on settlement construction at the colonies.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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Ah well, the show must go on (hopefully somebody will whisper in Bambi's ear that Hildi will gain too much power if there's an agreement.)
[Ma'an] President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree appointing a new chief of staff to replace Rafiq Husseini, who was dismissed in February over a sex scandal, Ma'an learned Tuesday. Make it so, Numbah One!
As you wish, sire sir...
Dr Hussein Al-A'raj previously served as governor of Hebron, undersecretary of the ministry of local governance from 2004 to 2005, and served as the chief of staff of Palestinian Authority civil servants. Bet he knows where some money bodies are buried...
Before working in government, Al-Araj lectured at the An-Najah National University in Nablus in the Faculty of Economy and Administrative Sciences.
The newly appointed chief of staff graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1989.
The former chief of staff was dismissed on 14 February 2010 following the leak of a videotape that apparently showed Husseini propositioning a job applicant for sex in Ramallah. Chick? Guy? Goat?
Two days after is dismissal Husseini told reporters that the videotape was a fabrication and alleged that conspirators, who he did not name, dubbed his voice on the videotape for the purposes of blackmail, both political and financial. He described the videotape as manipulated, noting it was more than a year and a half old, and insisted he informed Abbas of the incident at the time. It's a frame, I tells ya! A lousy dirty stinkin frame!
An inquiry, which concluded in April, cleared him of charges of nepotism, blackmail and corruption, but confirmed his dismissal for "tainting" his office with personal mistakes. Like...getting caught.
The outcome of the inquiry was relayed to Husseini in a letter, who released a statement saying detailing its contents. "I [Abbas] certify that your performance as a chief of staff was excellent and professional, and valuable accomplishments were achieved during your term," Al-Hussein said the letter read. Now...screw.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] British MP George Galloway's charity Viva Palestina will send "the largest convoy to date" to Gaza with aid on 18 September, the group said Tuesday.
The land convoy, named the Viva Palestina Global Lifeline To Gaza, will travel through Europe and the Middle East expecting to arrive in Gaza in early October. Two other convoys from Doha and Morocco will also join the group, organizers said.
The Kia Ora Gaza in New Zealand, a convoy of six hoping to drive three vehicles to Gaza, said they were "on a peaceful humanitarian mission. We are fund-raising to deliver aid to people in Gaza. They are suffering under an Israeli siege which has been condemned by the United Nations, International Red Cross and most other world bodies."
Over 1,000 people in 450 vehicles have joined the convoy, which Galloway has led to Gaza three times.
In January, Galloway was deported from Egypt when tensions rose after the government told the convoy that some of the vehicles would have to enter through an Israeli-controlled port, sparking protests and rallies along the Egyptian border.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Hell, I thought by the headline they were shipping over disgruntled Mexicans to relieve the pressure on us Arizonans...
[An Nahar] Secretary of the Progressive Socialist Party Sharif Fayyad stated Tuesday that the meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and PSP leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed the need not to slip into internal strife over the indictment in the investigation of the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. Wally is a demonstration of the fact that Leb politix has so many sides it's effectively round.
He told the Central News Agency that the meeting was "very positive" and tackled local developments, especially the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and its indictment. Jumblat stressed the need to avoid politicizing the STL and using it for local, regional, and aims especially since the political rhetoric in Lebanon is focusing on the indictment and aiming to create instability over it, Fayyad continued.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The Special Tribunal for Lebanon will issue indictment in the case of former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder in December, according to a European head of state.
An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday quoted the unnamed European President as saying that he has obtained information that the charge sheet for those involved in Hariri's assassination will be issued in December.
"There is plenty of time to take a position on that (STL) resolution, which my country along with other major countries will support," the head of state told An-Nahar, denying any knowledge as to who the charge sheet will name.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that retaliation options in the event Iran was attacked "has no borders and will include the entire globe." "Dat's right! We're a major power! In fact, we're the majorest!"
"We are not worried about any attack and we are ready," Ahmadinejad said in an interview published Tuesday by the Qatari Asharq newspaper.
"Our enemies know how we would react. They are very well aware that Iran would deal a severe and harsh blow," he warned.
Ahmadinejad denied that Hizbullah or any Palestinian faction "take orders from Iran."
Iran, he stressed, "protects and defends" all Palestinian factions and groups that fight Israel.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
"Our enemies know how we would react. They are very well aware that Iran would deal a severe and harsh blow," he warned."
We will rattle our rattles sabers. We will bloviate until you can't stand it. We will overwhelm our enemies with mass amounts of scat.
[IRNA] Advisor to Commander-in-Chief of Iranian Armed Forces Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said on Tuesday that the US and Israel are not in satisfactory situation to commit aggression on Iran but the enemies should not be regarded as entirely weak.
Speaking to a group of university students, he elaborated the current global developments in the face of US and Israeli military threat to Iran.
Safavi said that in 1980, the US was angry with triumph of the Islamic Revolution and encouraged Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to invade Iran. The United States has a record of Iranian bravery and the wise leadership of late Imam Khomeini who mobilized the people to stand up to the US-backed Iraqi-imposed war (1980-1988).
Safavi said that Iranian armed forces are in full combat preparedness to strongly respond to any probable threat or military assault even beyond their geographic borders.
He said that the government plays a vital role in bolstering the combat capabilities of Iranian armed forces at this sensitive juncture.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
"Proper situation" = NORTH KOREA + LEBANON-IRAN-HEZBOLLAH + AFPAK TALIBAN + INDO-PAK-CHINA, etc.
As before, NUC IRAN > will prefer to stay on the geopol, diplom or PR "defensive" for a time while it nuclearizes + devs into a FULL-FLEDGED NUC POWER [read, LR Strategic Nuclear Weapons, MilSys]. IRAN'S GOVT WILL PREFER THAT IRAN WILL ATTACKED ANDOR INVADED, hence 2010-2020/2025 = IMO the real threat from any NUC IRAN, etc. will be intentional transfer or proliferation of ADVANCED NUKE-WMDS MILTECHS TO VARIOUS MILITANT GROUPS, ala NUCLEAR MILITANCY-TERRORISM.
VARIOUS NET > HEZBOLLAH at this time is repor prioritizing international covert $$$ support for its own + collusory Radic Islamist actvities, NOT PER SE NEW 9-11's = HIGH-CASUALTY/PROFILE TERROR STRIKES [all-out Terrops] AGZ THE US, BUT THIS CAN CHANGE ON A DIME IFF THERE IS REGIONAL WAR INVOL IRAN - HEZBOLLAH NEW FOCII THEN WILL "PROTECTION OF ISLAMO-MUSLIM GOVTS-STATES + ESPEC PROTEC OF ISLAMIST-CONTROLLED STRATEGOC OR NUCLEAR WEAPONS".
KIMMIE + REGIME's HOLD on power is repor becom incrwasinly shaky as caught between DESIRE TO PERMAN PRESERVE DYANSTIC POWER VERSUS DIRE NEED FOR NATIONAL REFORMS
[Iran Press] An Iranian lawmaker says the Bushehr power plant's imminent start-up proved the "shallowness" of the United States and Israel's military threats.
Despite the US and Israeli intimidations that they would strike the Bushehr power plant, the nuclear reactor will go online and this proves "the shallowness of such threats," said the Spokesman for the Social Commission of Iran's Majlis (parliament) Javad Zamani on Monday.
The Iranian lawmaker also hailed the resistance and patience of the Iranian nation, saying such "endurance led to such a big victory", Zamani added.
"The Iranian officials came across a lot of problems all the way through the reactors' completion, but their patience and resistance helped them achieve this victory," he further explained.
The Majlis representative further criticized Russia's delay in launching the reactor.
"Russia is not a reliable side and it only completed the Bushehr project under Iran's pressure," he noted.
Iran began loading nuclear fuel into the Bushehr nuclear power plant on Sunday under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency and senior officials from Iran and Russia.
According to Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi, the plant's fueling process will be completed by September 5.
The United States and Israel have accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons under the guise of peaceful nuclear work, a claim vehemently rejected by Iran.
Iran insists that all its nuclear activities have been under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty reserves the right to continue its uranium enrichment program.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2010 00:00 ||
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Gee, let's see: Do I really care if several hundred square miles of Iran gets contaminated with reactor fuel?...
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.
[Gulf Times] Western European residents will receive promotional material from Yemen this September as the country tries to convince more tourists to visit it.
(Xinhua) -- The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said they are willing to present their proposal to South American nation leaders to end the armed conflict in the country.
[Xinhua] The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would not tolerate provocation by the United States and South Korea, Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, said Tuesday.
[Chosun Ilbo] North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun daily last Sunday ran a long poem hinting at the succession to the Stalinist country's leadership by Kim Jong-il's son Jong-un.
[Iran Press] The South Korean Defense Ministry has threatened to retaliate immediately, should the North Korean military fire across the disputed sea border.
[Ma'an] British MP George Galloway's charity Viva Palestina will send "the largest convoy to date" to Gaza with aid on 18 September, the group said Tuesday. 
[An Nahar] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that retaliation options in the event Iran was attacked "has no borders and will include the entire globe."
[Iran Press] An Iranian lawmaker says the Bushehr power plant's imminent start-up proved the "shallowness" of the United States and Israel's military threats.
