[Tolo News] President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... urged the Taliban on Wednesday to stop torching schools in Afghanistan.
President Karzai slammed the situation of education in private schools and institutions.
The new school year was officially started by President Karzai banging a bell.
"We are not afraid of your bombs and guns. Come and fight, but don't burn your sons' and daughters' schools. If you torch schools, then it means that you are loyal to foreigners who trained you to torch schools so that they can stay here," President Karzai said.
The new school year begins as more than 400 schools have remained closed and 200,000 students are deprived of education in the country.
About 8.3 million students, of which 39 percent are girls, study in 14,000 schools and educational institutions, Education Minister, Farouq Wardak, said.
The minister said more than 4.5 million children of school age are still deprived of education.
According to the statistics provided by education ministry, fifty percent of Afghan schools still remain without standard buildings.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Something the US should have done early on is to create enormous boarding schools in very defensible areas near larger cities, then require all children, or at least girl children, to be educated there. And to western educational standards.
On graduation, a large number of the best students automatically get jobs with the government and military.
#2
The Australians tried that with their aborigines, in the U.S. I believe that was tried with some of the Indian tribes. The boarding school thing doesn't seem to work well.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/25/2011 10:58 Comments ||
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#4
The boarding school thing doesn't seem to work well.
Heck, the public school system in America isn't too concerned about creating the model citizen with loyalty to something other than one's color, race, or creed.
Harry Potter went voluntarily to a place he considered much better than the alternative, Redneck Jim. Very different than being kidnapped by the conquering unbelievers, who thus flout God's intent and/or The Way Things Ought To Be.
#6
Yes TW, exactly what I meant. WE (USA) could offer a really better place to learn, Until the assholes Bomb it.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/25/2011 20:14 Comments ||
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#7
Very good point, Redneck Jim -- I hadn't thought of it in that way. Most Afghans seem keen to get their children educated, to provide them with opportunities for a better future. Positioned in that way, it would work as well as East Point, for which young men literally walked barefoot through the snow to get to.
[Arab News] The top government official in the one region most likely to send north and south Sudan back toward conflict said Wednesday he believes the northern government is massing military forces outside Abyei in order to occupy the town and claim it permanently.
An American satellite project, meanwhile, has released new images that it said shows a military and police build up near Abyei, a fertile and oil-producing territory that northern cattle herders use to graze their cattle.
Southern Sudan voted in January to break away from the north, and it will become the world's newest country in July. Abyei's future is being negotiated, and both sides are trying to stake claim to it.
Observers fear the fight for Abyei could re-ignite conflict. North and south Sudan ended a two-decade war in 2005.
"Satellite imagery confirms reports of the deployment of large numbers of northern forces as well as newly fortified encampments," said Charlie Clements of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. He is an adviser to the Satellite Sentinel Project, an effort that was begun by actor and Sudan activist George Clooney to prevent war.
"This should be sounding alarms about the human security of all civilians in Abyei," said Clements.
Recent media reports from northern Sudan indicated that the Khartoum government's Ministry of the Interior recently deployed about 1,500 police to several areas in northern Abyei, including around the oil fields of Diffra.
The southern military front man, Col. Philip Aguer, said the north's minister of defense visited the troops on Monday, meaning that the 1,500 are soldiers and not police.
The Sudan Armed Forces front man denied at that time that northern troops had been deployed, but the satellite images identified a new compound consistent "with a military outpost of company strength" less than 45 miles (75 kilometers) north of Abyei town.
"Increased reinforcements inside Abyei are exacerbating an already dire situation, not contributing to a solution," said John Bradshaw, executive director of the Enough Project, an anti-genocide group that participates in the satellite initiative.
The spokeswoman for the UN peacekeeping mission to Sudan, Hua Jiang, said the UN has conducted patrols north of Abyei and has observed "additional elements deployed." She would not give further details.
Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir met last week to discuss the future of Abyei, which had been promised a self-determination vote to be held at the same time as the south's independence vote.
The two leaders did not announce any progress on Abyei.
The Abyei referendum was not held due to a dispute between northern and southern leaders over who was eligible to vote. Two populations warily coexist in the fertile land: the Ngok Dinka farmers, who are loyal to the south and want independence from the north, and the Arab Misseriya cattle herders, who graze their herds in Abyei.
Both governments have historically used the populations as proxies to further their own interests in Abyei.
"Of course the Misseriya are being instigated by the (north's) National Congress Party," said Deng Arop Kuol, the chief administrator in Abyei. "The military build up ... has no other explanation other than occupying Abyei." The south suffers from other violence as well. Aguer, the southern military front man, said the north bombed two sites in southern land on Monday, in the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal. The bombs landed between southern army installments and villages, he said. No casualties were reported.
The Abyei region has seen a wave of attacks over the last month, violence that sent an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 people fleeing south, according to UN reports. Three weeks after fleeing, most have not returned.
Kuol and senior southern political and military leaders have repeatedly accused the northern military of backing the militia forces that have razed villages and destroyed police posts around Abyei in the past month.
Images from the satellite project confirm the devastation.
One of the project's photos shows that about 300 huts had been burned to the ground in the village of Tajalei, when militia forces attacked on March 5.
The defense ministers for north and south Sudan met Wednesday and signed an agreement saying the north and south would continue negotiations over future security arrangements after the south's independence in July.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
FYI SUDAN is allowing NATO = COLAITION overflights in support of the NFZ agz Gaddafi.
A former Libyan prime minister said Friday that his country is ready to hold talks with opposition rebels and to accept political reforms, possibly including elections.
"You vote, I'll count," says the little colonel.
"We are ready to discuss what the Libyan people want," he said. "What kind of reform do they want? If it is elections we are willing to discuss about the details. We are willing to negotiate with anyone. These are our people. There is no division between the Libyan people; there is a division between extremists and the Libyan people."
Although U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had indicated on Thursday that he expected the rebels to be part of the talks, Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the opposition rebels, said he has heard nothing about the meetings. "The position of the national council has been clear from the beginning -- no negotiations," he said. "All he has to do is stop bombing and leave the country," Gheriani said, referring to Gadhafi.
A Canadian general will take over command of the NATO mission in Libya. Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said Friday that Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard has been designated to lead the alliance's military campaign in Libya.
#1
CNN + FOX NEWS > looks like our allied Muslim Govts remain apprehensive or reluctant to a formally lead any UN Coalition agz Gaddafi = any fellow Muslim Govt-State???
OWG ISLAMIC CALIPHATE = RISING CHINA = ARE NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE "GREAT POWER" LET ALONE [post-US?]"SUPERPOWER" GLOBAL STATUS BY BEING ISOLATIONIST = USING COVERT "SOFT POWER" EACH TIME, ALL THE TIME.
D *** Ng IT, AHMED, BELUSHI > "WAS IT OVER WHEN THE GERMANS BOMBED PEARL HARBOR... AND IT TAINT OVER NOW! BECAUSE WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH ..................................................................UH, UH, OH YEAH, THE TOUGH GET GOING"!
Russia's former ambassador to Libya has stoked new tension between President Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, after calling the Kremlin's acquiescence to air strikes targeting Libya a "betrayal of Russia's interests". IMO, there is something refreshing about diplomats who talk about national interest.
Q: Ben, in the congressional briefings, Congress was reportedly told that this is not a war If its not a war, whats the right way to characterize this operation?
DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER BEN RHODES: This a military operation that will be limited in both duration and scope. Our contribution to this military operation that is enforcing a U.N. Security Council resolution is going to be limited -- time limited to the front end, and then well shift to a support role. So I think what were doing is were enforcing a U.N. Security Council resolution. Were taking -- were undertaking a military operation to protect the people of Libya. But that military operation is going to be, again, limited in both time and scope, and thats the position we took to Congress, although I wasnt in the precise briefings, so I couldnt --
Q: But its not going to war, then?
RHODES: Well, again, I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone. Obviously that involves kinetic military action, particularly on the front end. But again, the nature of our commitment is that we are not getting into an open-ended war, a land invasion in Libya. What we are doing is offering a unique set of capabilities over a period of days that can shape the environment for a no-fly zone.
#2 Time-Limited, Scope-Limited Military Action
At the White House Press Gaggle today
WENDELL GOLER, FOX NEWS: What is this military action? Weve been asking, is it a war? And if it is not a war --
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY: It is a time-limited, scope-limited military action, in concert with our international partners, with the objective of protecting civilian life in Libya from Muammar Qaddafi and his forces.
GOLER: But not a war.
CARNEY: Im not going to get into the terminology. I think what it is certainly not is, as others have said, a large-scale military -- open-ended military action, the kind of which might otherwise be described as a war. Theres no ground troops, as the President said. Theres no land invasion. I think there is precedent for -- multiple, multiple precedents for this by presidents of both parties in terms of taking this kind of military action. I would point you to the action taken by President Clinton in Bosnia, which was similar in that it involved the establishment and enforcement of a no-fly zone. And Im not sure how Fox describes it or other outlets describe that action, but it is of the similar kind of action -- although this would be, we believe, more limited in time and scope, in terms of U.S. involvement.
On his own admission, rebel leader Abdul-Hakim al-Hasadi fought American troops in Afghanistan and recruited Libyans to fight American troops in Iraq.
How is he different from the Democratic Underground?
Shortly after unrest broke out in eastern Libya in mid-February, reports emerged that an "Islamic Emirate" had been declared in the eastern Libyan town of Darnah and that, furthermore, the alleged head of that Emirate, Abdul-Hakim al-Hasadi, was a former detainee at the American prison camp in Guantanamo. The reports, which originated from Libyan government sources, were largely ignored or dismissed in the Western media.
Now, however, al-Hasadi has admitted in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore that he fought against American forces in Afghanistan. (Hat-tip: Thomas Joscelyn at the Weekly Standard.) Al-Hasadi says that he is the person responsible for the defense of Darnah -- not the town's "Emir." In a previous interview with Canada's Globe and Mail, he claimed to have a force of about 1,000 men and to have commanded rebel units in battles around the town of Bin Jawad.
"I have never been at Guantanamo," al-Hasadi explained to Il Sole 24 Ore. "I was captured in 2002 in Peshawar in Pakistan, while I was returning from Afghanistan where I fought against the foreign invasion. I was turned over to the Americans, detained for a few months in Islamabad, then turned over to Libya and released from prison in 2008."
#2
Yeah, it's true some of these boys may have had a rough-n-tumble past. But you can bet they're on the right side of liberty and freedeom now. Besides, the US State Dept. announced on Monday they consider the rebels to be "civilians".
#3
How is he different from the Democratic Underground?
For one thing, the DU doesn't actually shoot GI's in Afghanistan (or anyone else, for that matter). DU'ers are mainly leftist / anti-American radicals who are frustrated that the country isn't quite as left-wing as they are. But they're basically harmless. Libyan al Qaeda-ists are a totally different matter.
#7
It's hard to imagine that it's only just over a year when Kadafi was stooged hook, line and sinker by these guys as is the West still. Kadafi, a cunning old fox is probably still shaking his head at his own stupidity.
#9
who cares where he fought. We can help him overthrow qaddafy then we know who is next in line too kill there.Not to mention he won't have the weaponry that qaddafy has too fight against anything after this is said and done with with, not too mentio alot of his followers are being killed in the meanwhile in the fighting
Posted by: chris ||
03/25/2011 22:49 Comments ||
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi signed a declaration Monday night decrying what they call attempts by powerful Western countries to equate struggles against colonialism with terrorism.
In the declaration, Venezuela and Libya "reject intentions to link the legitimate struggle of the people for liberty and self-determination" with terrorism, but also adds that they "reiterate the importance of countering terrorism in all its forms."
Neither of the two leaders commented publicly on the document. It does not specifically name any Western country, but Gaddafi mentioned both the United States and Britain during a speech after the signing. It's like he saw this coming.
During many of his 40 years in power, Gaddafi was accused of harboring terrorists and hosting militant training camps while sponsoring terrorist attacks. But the Libyan leader has taken steps in recent years to mend relations with the West, and says his government renounces terrorism and rejects being labeled as a sponsor of terrorist acts. But he got on the UN Human Rights panel!
Chavez, meanwhile, has been accused by Colombia and the United States of supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which has been seeking to overthrow governments in Bogota for 45 years.
The Venezuelan leader denies aiding the FARC. He claims the United States is using Colombia as part of a broader plan to portray him as a supporter of terrorist groups to provide justification for a US military invasion of Venezuela.
Cheered on by hundreds of supporters at a rally held for the signing, Chavez praised Gaddafi, comparing him to Venezuela's most revered founding father 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar. He presented his guest with a gold-plated replica of a sword that once belonged to Bolivar. I wonder how well that's going over lately? Hmm, haven't heard anything from the mainstream media about this. Weird, eh?
"I'm not exaggerating at all. What Simon Bolivar is for the Venezuelan people, Muammar Gaddafi is for the Libyan people. He's the Liberator of Libya," Chavez said, prompting applause from the crowd gathered in Porlamar, a Caribbean resort city. No exaggeration.
"This is a great honor that I have received," Gaddafi said through an interpreter. Two tyrants exchanging platitudes.
Chavez and Gaddafi are strengthening their relationship and finding common ground in their efforts to challenge what they contend is the "imperialism" of wealthy nations and to take on the role of spokesmen for poor nations. Before the rally in Porlamar, they led a weekend summit where South American and African leaders pledged to deepen links between their continents.
Gadhafi, who has ruled Libya since he seized power in a 1969 coup, has sought a higher profile internationally in recent years and is currently chairman of the African Union. Ah, memories.
During his speech at the rally Monday night, he criticized the "imperialism" of some wealthy countries, singling out the United States and Britain, and he repeated his denunciation of last week calling the UN Security Council an elite club where nations such as Libya have no voice. It's like Khadaffy was a prophet or something.
"They do not give any importance to the (UN) General Assembly," Gadhafi said. They think they are above all the nations of the world." That's because the General Assembly includes riffraff like you.
[Maghrebia] The International Criminal Court ... where Milosevich died of old age before being convicted ... (ICC) is investigating Moamer Qadaffy ... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ... and several senior Libyan officials for alleged crimes against humanity, ANSA reported on Tuesday (March 22nd). According to chief ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the cases of the seven Libyan protesters killed by security forces qualify as crimes against humanity. The investigation has centred on "the first 12 days" of the uprising, "during which time the situation was clear, given that unarmed civilians were taking part in the protests", he said. "We are confirming that these people were made shooting targets."
The ICC will present its findings to the UN Security Council on May 4th.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
ION TOPIX > EXPERT: TURKEY IS TRYING TO RE-UNITE FORMER OTTOMAN EMPIRE [States] | ..."ASSEMBLE" [organize= post-9-11] THE ARAB WORLD.
and
* SAME > TURKISH EXPERT: WEST IS TRYING TO CREATE INDEPENDENT KURDISTAN FROM TURKEY, IRAN TERRITORIES | TURKEY, IRAN NEXT TARGET AFTER LIBYA [Gaddafi].
#3
'Thursday's vote in Turkey's Parliament authorizes the government and military to participate in operations in Libya, without specifying what kind on which side.'
#4
Turkey is part of NATO and the no-fly zone is a NATO operation. On top of that Turkey wants into the EU and a few of the larger members of the EU are involved in LIbya. Lastly, Turkey is a democracy with a heavy Islamic nutbag section to their government and although nobody knows much about the rebels they are most likely either democrats or heavily Islamic nutbags.
I know its fun to insinuate that Turkey might go for Khadaffi but they have zero reason to do so that I can tell, except if they think being the Western version of North Korea is a good idea.
#5
Turkey did not make NATO, thats what the kerfuffle is about. The idea was to seperate NATO from the Arab league so they both may take part on booming Libya. Turkey is the lead player on that side of the operation. Therefore, they will separate times, flights, and participation so all of the Arabs have a chance to throw their pointy slippers at Gadaffi.
MANAMA, March 25 (Reuters) - Bahraini opposition activists will hold protests throughout the tiny island state on Friday, defying a ban on public gatherings under martial law declared last week.
It was not clear who was behind the marches,
Other than Iran...
plans for which were circulated by email and internet. Neither the mainstream Shi'ite Muslim opposition group Wefaq nor the Feb. 14 Youth Movement which led protests at Pearl roundabout that were dispersed by riot police a week ago, were involved.
Demonstrators demanding union with Iran political and constitutional reforms, mostly members of the Shi'ite Muslim majority, began mass protests against the Sunni Al Khalifa ruling family last month, drawing strength from the protest movement that has swept the Arab world in recent months.
Troops and police have fanned out across Bahrain and the government has said security is now the priority. It has banned all marches, but security forces have not broken up the funeral processions of civilians killed in the crackdown -- most of which turn into anti-government protests.
Security forces also turned a blind eye last week to a brief protest outside the Drazi mosque after Friday prayers.
Thousands turn out at the Drazi mosque each Friday to hear the sermon of Bahrain's top Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim.
Wefaq, which draws crowds in the tens of thousands when it calls a protest, has distanced itself from the demonstrations on Friday, which were expected to attract mainly young people.
"Wefaq affirms the need to protect safety and lives and not to give the killers the opportunity to shed our blood," it said on Thursday.
Nine demonstrations appear to be planned, across different parts of Bahrain, including one headed toward the airport and one that aims to "liberate" Salmaniya hospital. Security forces raided Salmaniya hospital in the crackdown, removing several tents set up by protesters in previous weeks. Doctors and human rights groups say strict security has hampered medical access and that four medical staff have been arrested.
A funeral is also planned on Friday for Hani Abdulaziz, who died after he was hit by rounds of bird shot fired by police near his home in the Shi'ite suburb of Bilad al-Qadim.
A protest that had been announced in the Shi'ite suburb of Sanabis on Thursday drew less than 100 people, who did not try to move onto the main road. It ended with police firing a few rounds of tear gas and there appeared to be no casualties.
"We're here because we want the end of Al Khalifa," said one protester who gave his name as Ali. "Today we will stay inside Sanabis. Tomorrow, we will go out everywhere.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/25/2011 08:54 ||
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[Iran Press TV] Bahrain's main opposition party has hailed the support of Leader of the Islamic theocracy Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for the popular pro-democratic uprising.
"The Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran's fundamental principles result from its Islamic belief about the imperative of helping suppressed nations regardless of their religious and tribal orientations," a member of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Ibrahim Al Madhoun, was quoted by Mehr News Agency ...And if you can't believe Mehr News Agency who can you believe?... as saying.
Ayatollah Khamenei on Friday described Iran's support for popular revolutions in Arab nations against western-backed dictators as a religious and Islamic duty.
The Leader also criticized the double standards commonly practiced by the West regarding oppressive rulers in Mohammedan countries and their silence on the massacre committed by the state against innocent Bahraini people.
Al Madhoun condemned the "oppressive regimes" that "ignore the nations' rights and their legitimate demand for freedom" and said, "Suppressing and violating the nations' legitimate rights is now happening in Bahrain...with the help of foreign forces."
At least 20 Bahrainis have so far been killed, almost 100 are missing and about 1,000 others have been injured during anti-government protests that began in mid-February against the two-century-long rule of Al Khalifa dynasty.
The Bahraini demonstrators maintain that they will hold their ground until their demands for freedom and constitutional monarchy are met. They also call for a proportional representation in the government.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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[Arab News] Thirty people were maimed in Bahrain's crackdown on protesters last week, including 22 who who are facing investigation over their role and five who are in a critical condition, the government said on Wednesday.
At least 20 people have been killed in Bahrain since the start of protests last month, including four coppers, and human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... groups and doctors have complained that access to medical care has been hampered since security forces raided Bahrain's busiest medical complex last Wednesday.
Bahraini security forces cleared a number of protesters who had set up protest camps in the car park of Salmaniya hospital, and surrounded the hospital, leaving one entrance open.
Politicians from Bahrain's largest opposition group say more than 90 people remain missing since last week's crackdown on protesters demanding democratic reforms. Doctors and dissidents say security forces have moved some casualties out of Salmaniya.
In the first official comment on casualties, a government spokeswoman said 12 patients who were in a stable condition had been moved to the military hospital and would face criminal investigation. Another 10 patients who face investigation remain at Salmaniya as their condition did not allow them to be moved.
"As of today, there are 18 patients remaining in Salmaniya Medical Complex with injuries sustained from recent events, with five in a critical condition," Maysoon Sakbar said. "Admissions to Salmaniya Medical Complex have continued throughout the recent period and at no point have supplies been in jeopardy."
Salmaniya hospital has been at the center of a media war.
Bahraini state television has accused staff at the hospital of discrimination, and said the complex had been occupied by activists and turned into a tool of the uprising.
"For a maximum period of approximately one hour, access to the hospital was limited, but even then emergency cases were still admitted," Sakbar told news hounds.
"At no other point were any patients or staff prevented from accessing the hospital although since the operation there have been delays on exit as a result of checks."
She said the hospital was raided because it had been "overrun by political and sectarian activity."
"This included the spreading of malicious propaganda by several senior members of the medical staff and the blocking of medical care ... endangering lives," she said.
Four medical staff -- Ali Al-Ikry, Mahmood Asghar and Bassem and Ghassan Dhaif -- have been jugged, doctors and opposition politicians say, after criticizing the government crackdown.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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[Asharq al-Aswat] Arab states in the Gulf plan to deport thousands of Lebanese Shiites over their alleged links to Hezbullies and Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard force, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Thursday.
Rather like how the Kuwaitis sent the Paleos packing after that unfortunate incident with Saddam was resolved. They discovered that the Paleos' definition of 'Arab brothers' didn't quite fit them...
How nice: Welcome Home parties all over the landscape. Only where will they put them? Iran still hasn't disbursed the funds promised for rebuilding all the houses and apartment buildings Israel flattened in 2006. The returnees will be bringing their families, who can't sleep in the streets or the tunnels, however nicely electrified.
Al-Seyassah, quoting London-based Arab diplomatic sources, said the measure was being considered because of intelligence reports that Lebanese Shiites activists had been involved in protests in Bahrain and Soddy Arabia.
Based on the assessments by the United States, La Belle France and Bahrain, alleged Hezbullies and Revolutionary Guard agents were leading the protests along with local Shiite holy mans in Bahrain and Soddy Arabia's Eastern Province, it said.
It said Bahrain's decision to suspend flights to Iran, Iraq and Leb and its condemnation of remarks by Hezbullies chief Hassan Nasrallah had "paved the way for the deportation of thousands of Lebanese Shiites from the Gulf."
"No Lebanese Shiite linked to or suspected of being associated with Hezbullies and the Revolutionary Guards will remain in the Gulf," the diplomatic sources said, citing high-ranking Bahraini officials.
Bahrain is preparing to deport 90 Lebanese Shiites, most of them tossed in the clink during the Shiite-led, pro-democracy in the kingdom, and is examining the status of 4,000 Lebanese families living in the Gulf kingdom, the sources said.
Last week, Bahraini authorities carried out a bloody crackdown on the protesters who have been demanding political reforms since February 14 in the tiny Shiite-majority, Sunni-ruled kingdom.
The crackdown came hours after a Saudi-led joint Gulf force rolled into Bahrain to back up the regime, a move condemned by Shiite Iran and the head of Leb's Shiite myrmidonHezbullies who has offered to help the demonstrators.
On top of the suspension of flights to Beirut by its two national carriers, Manama has advised Bahraini citizens to avoid travel to Leb, a popular destination for wealthy Gulf Arabs.
"Due to threats and interference by terrorists," the Bahraini foreign ministry said on Tuesday it "warns and advises its citizens not to travel to the Republic of Leb as they might face dangers threatening their safety."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#1
LEBANESE SHIITES
versus
* WORLD NEWS > BAHRAIN SAYS MEDDLING BY IRAN RISKS "CONFLICT" [War].
* SAME : REPORT: IRAN RECRUITING JIHADISTS TO FIGHT IN BAHRAIN (WEBSITES).
* SAME > MIDDLE EAST UPRISINGS SENDS SHOCKWAVES THRU CHINESE LEADERSHIP.
[Bangla Daily Star] In a rare occurrence, a two-Judge High Court bench on Thursday gave a dissenting verdict on a bail petition filed by three jugged Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami leaders including its Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami in Rajshashi University student Faruk Hossain murder case.
Two other Jamaat leaders are its Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojahid and its Nayeb-e Ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee
Senior judge of the bench Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury granted them bail, saying that the names of the accused were not mentioned in the case, although they were shown tossed in the clink in this case after four months of the detention.
On the other hand, junior judge of the bench Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder rejected the bail petition, saying that the accused should not be granted bail as investigation into the killing case is going on.
Advocate Tajul Islam, one of the counsels for the petitioners, told The Daily Star that the HC bench will send the bail petition to the chief justice for a decision.
After receiving the bail petition with the dissenting verdicts, Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque will constitute a third bench of the HC for disposal of the matter, he said.
Rajshahi University Chhatra League ... the student wing of the Bangla Awami League ... leader Faruk Hossain was killed in a clash between Islami Chhatra Shibir ... the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh... and Bangladesh Chhatra League on February 9 last year.
The same day Rajshahi University Chhatra League President Mazedul Islam filed a murder case with Motihar Police Station in this connection.
Jamaat leaders Nizami, Mojahid and Sayedee in August last year jointly filed a bail petition with the HC.
The HC on August 26 issued a rule upon the government to explain why the petitioners should not be granted bail in the case.
After two days of hearing the HC bench passed the verdict.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] The International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday fixed March 27 for hearing two petitions seeking its permission to arrest former BNP politician Abdul Alim and for interrogating jugged Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami in connection with 1971 crimes against humanity.
The tribunal also fixed April 19 for hearing another petition seeking its permission to interrogate jugged BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in connection with the same charges, tribunal registrar Md Shahinur Islam said.
He told a press briefing at his office Thursday noon that the prosecutors on Wednesday filed the three separate petitions with the tribunal.
The tribunal fixed the dates for hearing after the petitions were placed before it Thursday morning, the registrar said.
He further said the tribunal fixed the April 19 for hearing the petition seeking permission to interrogate Salauddin as it earlier fixed the same date for producing the BNP leader before it in connection with war crime charges.
The registrar informed the news hounds that Salauddin is yet to engage any lawyer.
The registrar, however, said a copy of the petition seeking the tribunal's permission for interrogating Nizami has been served on his lawyers so that they can defend their client during the hearing on March 27.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami
SEOUL, March 24 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Thursday to express concerns about North Korea's grave and extensive violations of human rights, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The 47-member inter-governmental body passed a resolution with 'yes' votes from 30 member countries, expressing grave concerns over North Korea's prevalent and systemic violations of human rights.
"Grave" concerns? How many graves so far for the suffering Norks?
The resolution also calls for allowing the U.N. special rapporteur on the North's human rights to visit the North in addition to beefing up the monitoring of human rights conditions in the communist country.
As if Kimmie and/or Sonny Boy will let that happen...
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Guess they needed a break from drafting all those anti-Israeli resolutions.
#2
We could set up a no fly zone over Nork. Or at least get Nork in line for one. As long as we don't hit Kimmy or Sonny Boy. So where is the paperwork from the UN for one of these here ops.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/25/2011 0:14 Comments ||
Top||
#3
...and then they offered them the chairmanship of the UN Human Rights Council.
#7
ION PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > SOUTH KOREAN DEFENSE MINISTER WARNS OF MORE ATTACKS BY NORTH KOREA. New, likley major provocations agz the ROK allehedly being planned in DPRK to divert from escalating national trubles???
versus
* SAME > INDIA STARTS WAR-GAME IN CHINESE WATERS, wid Singapore in China-claimed SOUTH CHINA SEA.
Nine North Koreans defected on the high seas early Thursday morning by boarding a South Korean ship. It was the second defection at sea since December 2009.
The nine, apparently led by a 37 year old from Ryanggang Province, boarded a rented wooden boat at an eastern port in China at around 2:20 a.m. on Wednesday and travelled to a point 210 km off the coast of Gunsan, where they had arranged to meet with Kim Sung-eun, a South Korean pastor and activist, and Song Sung-kook (37), a North Korean who had defected earlier.
Kim and Song convinced the captain of a 20-ton fiberglass trawler to travel to the meeting point despite concerns over dangerous weather from Gunsan port at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Twelve hours later they were able to dock with the North Koreans. The South Korean ship was then guided back to Gunsan by maritime police.
The group includes three direct descendents of a North Korean freedom fighter, a couple and their six-year-old daughter, and one Pyongyang resident.
"We could not ignore the desperate pleas of church members who defected from North Korea to bring over family members they had left behind in the North," Kim said. "Most of the defectors this time had become disillusioned with the regime."
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
See also TOPIX > UN: SIX MILYUHN NORTH KOREANS NEED [Urgent] FOOD AID.
This has been in the news for a little while, but WaPo is just now getting around to it. Why it's necessary for us to broadcast the quiet help we've been giving people is unclear -- unless, of course, the 'progressive' movement wants such programs shut down.
The Obama administration may not be lending arms to dissidents in the Middle East, but it is offering aid in another critical way: helping them surf the Web anonymously as they seek to overthrow their governments.
Federal agencies - such as the State Department, the Defense Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors - have been funding a handful of technology firms that allow people to get online without being tracked or to visit news or social media sites that governments have blocked. Many of these little-known organizations - such as the Tor Project and UltraReach- are unabashedly supportive of the activists in the Middle East.
But the United States' backing of these firms has the potential to put the government in an awkward diplomatic position, not only with the countries where uprisings are active, but also with economic partners such as Saudi Arabia and China, which are known to block Web sites they deem dangerous.
The technology comes with its own perils: Some of the tools may not always conceal the users' identities. Autocratic foreign governments are constantly updating their censorship and monitoring technology. And, of course, the software can be handy for terrorists seeking to communicate in clandestine ways.
So we should just quit, we can never win...
In Egypt, Mohammad Hamama, a 24-year-old computer programmer, said he learned about the Tor Project's software in January through chatter on Twitter. He downloaded the software and checked on friends protesting in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Still, he worries about the technology's safety.
"I wanted to make sure my Twitter friends were okay during the protests," he said in a phone interview. "But I didn't feel safe at all. I don't know what the government was using to track us down. I was just hoping the Tor browser would be good for me to tweet some things, but I managed to get away without being tracked."
The technology that is now taking off in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya through word of mouth began as tools of digital disobedience elsewhere. In general, these programs work by redirecting users' Web traffic to servers outside their country. That makes it more difficult to identify the users while giving them access to blocked sites.
"What began as an effort to tear down firewalls in China has become something with extraordinary potential throughout the world," said Michael Horowitz, a Reagan administration official who serves as an adviser to UltraReach. "When UltraReach started getting hits in Egypt, the company had no idea how the people there found out about it. But they feel like they can't cut them off now - the company feels like it has a responsibility. But for every dollar that gets spent by companies like UltraReach, there's $10,000 spent by the governments to protect the firewalls."
Federal agencies have funded these companies through grants and contracts. By late spring, the State Department is expected to begin doling out even more money - about $30 million - to technology firms and human rights groups to help and train people to shatter firewalls and surf the Web without being tracked.
Daniel B. Baer, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department, said his bureau is moving as quickly as possible to appropriate the money. More than 60 nonprofit groups and other organizations have applied for awards, which range from $500,000 to $8 million.
Oh Fred, I sense opportunity here...
The department, he said, is unequivocal in its support of a free Internet and the rights of protesters in the Middle East as well as other regions where governments restrict Web use or monitor dissident movements. The department supports about a dozen Web circumvention technologies; the top three attract nearly 2 million unique users a month.
"Right now, there's a healthy focus on the Middle East," Baer said, adding that the United States' support for these organizations - laid out in prominent speeches by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton - should come as no surprise to other nations. "I am sure there are certain folks in the governments of these places that would prefer we didn't fund these technologies - just as they would prefer we don't advocate for human rights in general - but it's our long-standing policy to advocate for Internet freedom."
Recently, some members of Congress have accused the State Department of being too slow in giving out the money.
Oh Fred, I really sense opportunity here...
They have also argued that the department should transfer a large chunk of the funds to the Broadcasting Board of Governors and give it more say in who gets the money. The BBG oversees the Voice of America news service and works closely with several firms that specialize in Web circumvention tools.
Thus making sure that the entire process is bureaucratized to the point that it won't do any good any more.
Many of these U.S.-backed technology organizations are reporting huge increases in the number of people using their tools in Arab states undergoing political upheaval.
The Tor Project, a nonprofit organization that gets money from the State and Defense departments, has seen far more people use its product during the Middle East uprisings. The number of daily sessions jumped from 250 in December to about 2500 in February in Egypt, from 500 to about 900 in Tunisia and from 25 to nearly 300 in Libya.
Andrew Lewman, the organization's executive director, said he helps U.S. and European governments understand how to use Tor for intelligence gathering, and human rights and journalism organizations for free speech. But, he said, he is less generous with restrictive regimes.
"We will always side with people who support access to information. We've helped protesters, journalists, law enforcement and intelligence agencies," Lewman said. He added that he had turned down requests from Middle East governments that wanted to conduct surveillance on their citizens.
UltraReach, which last month began receiving portions of an $800,000 federal grant, has seen the use of its product UltraSurf explode in the Middle East. Horowitz, the company's adviser, said there were nearly 8 million page views from Egyptians using UltraSurf in January, right before Internet access was shut down. In Libya, 4 million Web pages were viewed using UltraSurf in March, he said.
Some of the most popular Web sites that dissidents are visiting with UltraSurf: Gravatar.com, which gives Web users avatars or images that identify them when they post comments on Web sites; Megaupload.com; Yahoo; Facebook; and MSN.com.
A Canadian company, Psiphon, which has a contract with the BBG to help disseminate Voice of America and other U.S. news services in Iran, China and the former Soviet Union, said it also has seen traffic upticks in the Middle East, although its focus is elsewhere in the world.
"We have about 8,000 log-ins in Egypt, and we weren't even promoting in that region. That's compared to about 40,000 to 50,000 log-ins in Iran," said Rafal Rohozinski, Psiphon's chief executive. He cautioned that it is difficult to know how many individuals used his service and that no technology is completely safe.
The products, he added, "may protect your privacy, but they aren't invisible on the Internet." So dissidents, he said, "could be making themselves more detectable effectively sending a signature that can be seen by regimes."
Meanwhile, in Silicon Valley, AnchorFree, which makes money by splashing banner ads atop every Web page accessed through its Hotspot Shield application, says it steers clear of choosing political sides, even though it has contracted with the BBG in the past.
The company reports that each month, 9 million people worldwide use the tool to visit about 2 billion Web pages. The firm, founded by two 20-somethings and co-owned by a former MCI chairman, says that it also has been a main artery for millions of users in the Middle East to get onto Facebook, Google and Twitter.
"We didn't start this company to go against any government," said David Gorodyansky, AnchorFree's chief executive and co-founder. "We're a typical Silicon Valley company, a bunch of young guys with a lot of crazy ideas, and here we are impacting millions of people in the Middle East and helping revolutions in Tunisia and Libya. We didn't set out to do this, but we really think it's cool we're doing this."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/25/2011 11:29 ||
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#1
Any bets on how soon the baboons Freedom Loving People of MME will find a way to use this tech for Jihad combating Islamophobia & Zionist Aggression?
Sulaimani is known as a secular city in the Kurdish region of Iraq, but now young religious clerics are taking a leading role in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations there by leading the protests Friday prayer sessions and speaking out against governmental corruption.
We are especially inspired by the events in the Middle East and Egypt, said Mullah Mohammed Nasrullah, one of the first clerics to lead the Friday prayers at the center of the Sulaimani protests.
Since February 17th, protesters have continuously demonstrated against the Kurdish Regional Government in Bar Darki Sara Square, which they have renamed Maidani Azadi (Liberation Square) in tribute to Cairos Tahrir (Liberation) Square.
Nasrullah, an outspoken cleric, plays an especially significant role in the anti-government demonstration by, for example, calling it a jihad. Although protesters have generally supported this label, some consider this a call for violence, which Nasrullah denies.
I did not call for violence, but for demonstration and the solving of problems, for peace and tranquility, said the cleric.
Nasrullah admits the influence of theologian Sheikh Qaradawi, who led thousands of anti-government protesters in prayer in Egypt.
In Egypt a big Islamic country we saw thousands of people come onto the streets to pray with imams, he said. We want to support our people, who came out in support of the demonstrations. Our country needs us in these difficult times.
Nasrullah says the events in Maidani Azadi are something new for Iraq. It never happened before that people prayed on the streets, but everything thats new also results in problems, he admitted, referring to the temporary detention of some of the clerics who supported the protests.
Many in the square favored the new role of religious clerics in the protests. We feel supported by them, said Nian Farez Mohammed. They have the right to express their opinions.
Osman Ali Achmed, the uncle of 16-year-old Rezwan Ali, who was killed by security forces in the protests, agrees the clerics have a right to join in.
They are a part of the society, Achmed said. If the people have problems, everybody participates, and so do the imams. Mullahs have the right to participate in protests.
Fayiq Gulpi, a Kurdish intellectual who supports the protests, emphasizes that the clerics want change.
Mullahs who lead the prayers are calling on the government to listen to the rights of the people according to Islam, Gulpi said. They prohibited [the government] from oppressing them and [encouraged it] to listen to them and solve their problems. This is a good and positive thing regarding the religious authorities.
But the protesters are not positive about all clerics; some of them do not support the demonstrations and, via government-controlled media, have appealed for calm.
Mullah Bashaer is no Kurd, shouted angry protesters in the square against Mullah Bashaer al-Haddad.
Al-Haddad, who is a Kurdish lawmaker as well, allegedly compared the protestors to the khawarij (seceders or rebels), a designation for extremist Muslims who never compromise. The khawarij fought against the Islamic caliphs, who they considered to be impious.
Protester Barham Achmed Mahmud declared that he has no words for him [al-Haddad].
He is a man who sells his words and he is no longer human, exclaimed another protester, Nian Farez Mohammed, who said that al-Haddad had been bribed to make such statements. We dont listen to him.
Al-Haddad denies comparing the protesters with khawarij and condemns both the violence of the protesters and the government. He is also critical of the arrest of some pro-reform mullahs.
Everyone knows that khawarij are people who tried to impose their demands and caused bloodshed, al-Haddad said. When I tried to use this example, my aim was not to say these people were khawarij.
#1
I think the bottom line is that the Kurds look at where they were under Saddam, look at how they are now, apart from the rest of Iraq, and ask themselves if they like the way things are today more than yesterday?
If there is any discontent, it is probably not directed towards other Kurds, but at the Arabs still living in the North.
[Arab News] Arab politicians and left-wing Israeli activists on Wednesday harshly slammed the approval of two laws targeting the Arabs inside Israel.
On Tuesday night, the Israeli Knesset passed in its final readings the co-called "Nakba Bill," sponsored by Alex Miller of rightist Israel Beiteinu party.
The Admissions Committee Law passed with 35 in favor and 20 opposed
The Nakba Bill would forbid governmentally funded bodies or institutions to spend taxpayer money on events marking Nakba Day (Catastrophe) by supporting armed resistance or racism against Israel. The bill would also bar harming Israeli flags and other symbols of the state.
The Admission Committees Law, sponsored by Israel Beiteinu's David Rotem and Kadima's Shai Hermesh and Yisrael Hasson, would formalize the establishment of admission committees to review potential residents of Negev and Galilee communities that have fewer than 400 families.
The bill formalizes the compilation of such committees, and also legally empowers the committees to reject candidates if they do not meet certain criteria.
Possible reasons for rejection include lack of intent to establish primary residence in the community, lack of economic means to establish a home in the community, if a professional evaluation reveals that they do not fit in with the community's way of life, or do not fit in with the community's "socio-cultural" tenor.
Opponents criticized the bill, saying the initiative had racist components, and would be utilized in order to block Arabs from joining new settlements.
Talab El-Sana, Arab MK of United Arab List part, said that the Arab citizens of Israel would continue to commemorate Nakba Day. He added that Arab-Israelis should not be considered guilty of a crime if they refuse to accept Israel as a Jewish, democratic state.
MK Jamal Zahalka of Balad party said that the "Nakba law won't stop Arabs -- we'll just increase our protests." Zahalka warned that a "civil rebellion" of Arab citizens would break out against the two bills.
"We are ready to go to jail," he said.
The Israeli Abraham Fund Initiatives and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel announced that they intend to appeal the Admission Committees Law to the Supreme Court.
The co-executive directors of the Abraham Fund, Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu and Mohammad Darawsheh said "This law establishes a mechanism of ethnic segregation between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel, under the auspices of the Knesset."
They called that law "clearly unconstitutional."
The Abraham Fund also responded to the Nakba Law, warning that "Knesset members are mistaken to think that one can force the Arab minority to celebrate Israel's Independence Day.
It is important to allow Arab citizens to learn about and acknowledge their painful past. It is also important that mutual understanding of the other's historical narrative exists between the Jews and Arabs in Israel."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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#2
As with the left in the US, they confuse a cut off of government funding with censorship, and unwillingness to fund anti-patriotic causes as racism.
[Ma'an] A member of the central committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Paleostine ... Paleostinian Marxist movement, founded in 1967. It is considered a terrorist organization by more than 30 countries including the U.S., European Union, Australia, Canada, and Antarctica. The PFLP's stated goal is the establishment of a socialist State in Paleostine. They pioneered armed aircraft hijackings in the late 60s and early 70s... denied Tuesday that a senior leader of the party had resigned, despite reports in Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, media.
Jamil Mezher denied that Jamil Mejdalawi resigned from his post, affirming that Majdalawi is still in office.
Mezher told Ma'an radio that these reports are part of "Hamas' attempt to confuse the PFLP's stance against the government's attacks and the role of the Front in supporting the popular movement to end division."
Mezher added that the Front works within an establishment that takes its decisions far from agendas according to which many powers are working. He said these acts will not weaken the Front's determination.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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[Arab News] Iran is under investigation for new attempts to import items from North Korea and China that are banned under UN sanctions against Tehran's nuclear and missile programs, UN diplomats said on Tuesday.
The information emerged on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss a quarterly report on Iran's compliance with four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions imposed on Tehran for refusing to halt a nuclear enrichment program that Western powers fear is aimed at producing bombs.
Iran says its nuclear program is intended solely for generating electricity.
Colombian UN Ambassador Nestor Osorio, who chairs the Security Council's Iran sanctions committee, did not publicly provide details of the two incidents. He did, however, tell the council that both cases were being investigated by the Iran sanctions committee and a UN panel of experts.
Osorio said "the increase in the number of reported sanctions violations is a matter of serious concern."
A Security Council diplomat provided Rooters with details of the investigations of the suspected violations. They involved attempts by Iran to import aluminum powder and phosphor bronze, both banned items.
"The aluminum powder was from DPRK (North Korea) and interdicted by Singapore," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity. "The phosphor bronze was seized in South Korea from a Chinese company."
Another UN envoy confirmed the diplomat's remarks.
The first diplomat said the Chinese authorities cooperated in the seizure of the phosphor bronze. There was no indication that the government was involved or had approved of the attempted shipment, the diplomat said.
The applications of the aluminum powder and phosphor bronze were not immediately clear but the diplomats said Iran was banned from importing both substances due to possible uses in its nuclear and missile programs. North Korea also is under sanctions and forbidden from exporting such items.
'Clear violations'
British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant told the council that the two incidents were clear violations of the sanctions. He also complained about a shipment of Iranian weapons allegedly bound for Taliban cut-throats in Afghanistan.
Another suspected violation by Iran was a shipment of weapons that Israel said was bound for the Gazoo Strip.
On March 15, Israeli naval commandos seized a fat merchantman in the Mediterranean carrying what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said were Iranian-supplied weapons intended for Paleostinian Islamic fascistiin Gazoo.
Israel's UN ambassador, Meron Reuben, sent a letter to the Security Council last week complaining about the shipment and urging the council to "take firm action to prevent arms smuggling to terrorist organizations and to prevent the ongoing illicit transfers of arms from Iran."
In addition to a ban on importing nuclear and missile technology, the council has banned all arms exports by Tehran.
Nigerian authorities complained to the sanctions committee about an Iranian arms shipment it seized last year that Tehran said was a legitimate trade deal with Gambia ... The Gambia is actually surrounded by Senegal on all sides but its west coast. It has a population of about 1.7 million. The difference between the two is that in colonial days Senegal was ruled by La Belle France and The Gambia (so-called because there's only one of it, unlike Guinea) was ruled by Britain... . Nigeria is prosecuting one of two Iranians involved in the arms deal.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2011 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
TOPIX > TURKEY: [Captured] IRAN ARMS CARGO BOUND FOR SYRIA ILLEGAL, BUT NOT DANGEROUS.
Do you believe that the Chinese gov did not know of that intercepted shipment? Wouldn't it be in China's interest to supply Iran AND Saudi Arabia with nukes? I believe they supplied the Saudi with long range nuclear capable missiles in the 1980s against the wishes of US?
Keeping in mind the continuous visits to Moscow by the royals, including Bandar Bush, since 2008 and Riyahd's recently announced partnership in a Yunnan province refinery along with its attendant pipeline through Myanmar, a huge no-no for Washington, do you believe the Saudi have broken from the US?
#3
I never heard the name "Bandar Bush" before, Seeker1, which shows how limited my experience is. ;-)
doyou believe the Saudi have broken from the US?
I always thought the House of Saud used America as a market and as Janissaries. They never loved us for ourselves, but I think neither will they break with us completely so long as we are useful to them. On the other hand, if China is correct in their belief that they will supersede the U.S., then it would be wise for the Saudis to build connections with them, too. On the third hand, I don't think the Saudis would much enjoy a world that had China as hegemon instead of the U.S.
When an admitted al-Qaida operative planned his itinerary for a Christmas 2009 airline bombing, he considered launching the strike in the skies above Houston or Chicago, The Associated Press has learned. But tickets were too expensive, so he refocused the mission on a cheaper destination: Detroit.
The decision is among new details emerging about one of the most sensational terrorism plots to unfold since President Barack Obama took office. It shows that al-Qaida's Yemen branch does not share Osama bin Laden's desire to attack symbolic targets, preferring instead to strike at targets of opportunity. Like the plot that nearly blew up U.S.-bound cargo planes last year, the cities themselves didn't matter. It's a strategy that has helped the relatively new group quickly become the No. 1 threat to the United States.
#1
Instead of being attacked by WHITNEY HUSTON-fan OSAMA + his CORE AL-QAEDA, the USA will prolly be struck = Nuked? by Terrstrikes vee AQIM + LeT + AL-SHABAAB???
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.
Hamid 
International Criminal Court
Popular Front for the Liberation of Paleostine
North Korea
