[ToloNews] The country’s power utility company, De Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), reactivated the fourth turbine of the Naghlu Dam in the east of Kabul after twelve years, adding 25 megawatts of power for Kabul and its neighboring provinces.
DABS said in a statement that the reactivation took over two months for its employees.
"Over 10,000 customers will get electricity by this turbine," DABS chief Amanullah Ghalib said. "We will work on other projects of a similar nature as well."
The company also inaugurated a substation in Sarobi district, Kabul. Work on the substation began in 2017 and $32.5 million was invested in it.
At an opening ceremony, acting Finance Minister Mohammad Homayoun Qayoumi said the reconstruction of the fourth turbine was done by DABS with a low cost.
"It is something to be proud of--that this big project was implemented by Breshna company employees--and we hope that Sarobi will witness more development projects," he said.
The Naghlu Dam is located 70 kilometers east of Kabul city and is fed by the Kabul and Pashtun-infested Logar rivers. A small part of it is fed by water from the Salang and Panjshir rivers.
The dam was built in 1967 and is 1,155 meters high and produces 100 megawatts of power in total.
[ToloNews] The latest US-Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... negotiations in Doha, which began on December 7, have been paused following Wednesday's attack on a medical facility near Bagram air base that killed two civilians and maimed dozens more.
According to sources, the five days of discussions have focused on the following three issues: a reduction of violence, a ceasefire and intra-Afghan negotiations.
The break in the talks was confirmed by a Taliban front man, Suhail Shaheen, on Thursday, December 12, who said in a tweet that the talks will resume after a few days.
The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, tweeted:
"When I met the Talibs today (Thursday December 12), I expressed outrage about yesterday’s attack on Bagram, which recklessly killed two and maimed dozens of civilians. Taliban must show they are willing and able to respond to Afghan desire for peace," Khalilzad tweeted.
He continued: "We’re taking a brief pause for them to consult their leadership on this essential topic."
Speaking of progress in the talks so far:
"They are apparently talking about whether to agree on a ceasefire before the intra-Afghan talks or after," said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander.
"It will be good that they reach an agreement soon to help the intra-Afghan talks start and to stop the war," said Haji Din Mohammad, deputy head of the High Peace Council (HPC).
"There are some protocol issues to find that who will be the guarantor‐who will vouch for the signatories-- and which country will be there as a witness during the signing of the agreement," said Waliullah Shaheen, a political analyst in Kabul.
"Unless there are firm commitments for moving this process forward, there will be no desirable outcome from this--the people of Afghanistan want to hear a positive response regarding the ceasefire so that this process can move forward," said Najia Anwar, spokeswoman for the State Ministry on Peace Affairs.
Meanwhile, ...back at the cheese factory, there was only one thought in the mouse's mind: I can do this! I can do this! Then the trap sprung... Khalilzad has landed in Islamabad where he has held talks with senior Pak civilian and military leadership.
In Rawalpindi, Khalilzad called on Pak Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and they discussed the security situation with particular reference to ongoing Afghan reconciliation, said a Pak military front man.
Khalilzad also met Pak Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Wormtongue Qureshi ...a Pak political shape-changer. He is undistinguished except for his habit of periodically needing to have his lips reattached... in Islamabad.
Foreign Minister Qureshi assured Khalilzad that Pakistain will continue to "sincerely play the role of controller in the Afghan grinding of the peace processor."
Qureshi noted that peace in Afghanistan is imperative for peace and stability in the region.
He reiterated Pakistain's stance that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict.
#1
Never entered the minds of the 'best and brightest' to train Afghanies to infiltrate Pakland and do the same to them. Recruit on the very basic tribal 'vendetta' level.
[NY Post]
Former Sudan president Omar al-Bashir was convicted Saturday of corruption and money laundering and will face two years at a correctional facility.
Now 75, al-Bashir was spared prison on account of his age, Sky News reported.
His legal team loudly disputed the proceedings. His lawyers were ordered out of the court for interrupting the judge, shouting "this is just politics" before the verdict was handed down, CNN reported.
The former strongman who ruled the country for 30 years was finally deposed in April after a military coup which followed a popular uprising.
Al-Bashir is also wanted in the International Criminal Court for his role in the the the genocide in Western Sudan's Darfur in 2003.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/14/2019 11:51 ||
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Ankara and Moscow plan to sign an agreement to jointly produce missiles, head of The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...Qatar's satrapy in Asia Minor... ’s Defense Industry Directorate Ismail Demir said on Friday, Bloomberg reported.
"We will sign a deal after agreeing over final details regarding joint production or production of some parts in Turkey, and technology sharing," Demir stated, as cited by the media outlet.
"The work to make the first [S-400] system ready for activation by April is under way," the Ottoman Turkish official added. He noted that "Russia has made a proposal to sell a certain number of its Su-35 warplanes at a certain price."
The chief of Turkey’s top defense procurement body informed that Ankara and Moscow had come close to concluding a contract on the supply of another batch of air defense systems S-400.
The talks form part of Turkey’s deal to purchase a second S-400 missile-defense system from Russia and have reached a "quite ripe" stage, Demir said on Friday in Ankara. "The signing of a deal is just around the corner," Bloomberg quotes him as saying.
Demir dismissed concerns that US sanctions could block the supply of spare parts for its American weapons systems, including F-16, as well as CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopter, and the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2019 00:00 ||
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[WashingtonExaminer] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... n students at a Florida Navy station are confined to base following last week’s mass shooting, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Saudi students close to the shooter, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, are at Naval Air Station Pensacola as the Pentagon continues to deal with the fallout of the shooting. Alshamrani killed three sailors before he was shot and killed by law enforcement. He was in the United States as part of a training program for international partners.
"As part of the investigation, the Saudi commander on the ground there, their commanding officer, has ordered them to be restricted to quarters," Pentagon front man Jonathan Hoffman told news hounds during a briefing on Thursday.
"They are restricted in where they can go on the base, that’s been done in coordination with the Saudi government at our request, so they are available to law enforcement who are continuing the investigation."
The Pentagon later said the students would have access to classroom instruction, food, medical staff, a U.S. military imam, and their commanding officer. Navy officials could not clarify whether some students were restricted to quarters only, but did note the Navy itself is not confining them.
"The U.S. Navy isn't detaining International Military Students on base," Lt. Brittany Stephens told the Washington Examiner. "As stated by the FBI, the Saudi Arabian commander of those students restricted them to the base. The students are under direction by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to cooperate with the investigation, which they are doing."
Approximately 175 Saudi students have been limited to classroom training as part of a "safety stand down" as the Pentagon reviews security procedures. Students of other nationalities are not affected by the stand down. The federal government has not blocked any new students from joining the training program but will verify them through a new program the Department of Defense is developing, according to Hoffman.
"So, until that process is complete, we will not see any new students come into the program," he said.
While foreigners usually are not allowed to purchase firearms in the U.S., Alshamrani reportedly acquired the gun used in the shooting through a hunting exception and may have embraced radical ideology as many as five years ago.
#3
The US should get out of the Mideast! I believe we went in to protect the world oil supply before fracking. Let them kill themselves. The Turks will take over and the there will only be one entity to fight. I am tired of the WW1 and WWII believe we will protect the world...
[Rudaw] A strategic bridge over the Great Zab River, linking Iraq’s Nineveh province to the Kurdistan Region province of Erbil, was reopened this week, five years after it was badly damaged in fighting with the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group (ISIS).
The bridge, situated in the disputed town of Gwer, sustained serious structural damage in the early stages of the war in 2014. Although further repairs are needed, it is now thought to be stable enough to withstand road traffic.
"The bridge is partially repaired for now allowing traffic on it," Masoud Nuri, the mayor of Gwer, told Rudaw English.
"The repair of cracks underneath the bridge will continue. The bridge is very large and has sustained four to five major damages to it due to multiple bombings during the ISIS fight in the region," Nuri said.
"This bridge is very strategic and important for the people of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... and Erbil," he added.
Gwer and Makhmour to the south saw fierce fighting between ISIS and the Kurdish Peshmerga between 2014 and 2017.
An estimated six billion dinars ($5 million) has been earmarked by Mosul authorities to fully repair the damage, Nuri said.
The reopening of the bridge will be widely welcomed by motorists and freighters as journey times are significantly cut.
"Vehicles from Mosul to the Kurdistan Region would prefer using the Gwer road and bridge because it is safe, shorter, and easier for them. The same is true for the people of Erbil and the Kurdistan Region," the mayor said.
Gwer sits within areas disputed between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal Iraqi government.
The city of Mosul was devastated by three-years of ISIS rule and the battle to dislodge the jihadist group. Now that the city is being reconstructed, it needs trade routes to the Kurdistan Region.
"Improving our relations with Baghdad will leave a positive impact on the daily lives of the people of the Kurdistan Region and the whole people of Iraq. The Kurdistan Region’s interest is for Iraq’s situation to be stable," Nuri said.
The strategic bridge was seized by ISIS murderous Moslems during an assault in late 2014 but was soon retaken by the Peshmerga, who later helped Iraq forces launch the final Mosul offensive in October 2016 using the road.
Many other roads connecting the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil to Duhok and Mosul were either damaged or shut by the KRG fearing ISIS attacks.
Baghdad officials estimate rebuilding parts of the country devastated by the war with ISIS will cost as much as $100 billion.
Donors from 70 different countries pledged $30 billion to help rebuild during the Kuwait donor conference in mid-February 2018.
The UN has appealed for $482 million for the first year of its two-year Recovery and Resilience Programme and $568 million for stabilization efforts in high-risk areas.
António Guterres ...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years... , Secretary-General of the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... , said at the time that the world "owes a debt" to the Iraqi people who were on the front line in the war against a terror group that threatened the entire world and the international community must now stand in solidarity with the Iraqi people.
The UN’s program will focus on the most pressing areas of need, bringing life back to the areas at high risk of returning to violence and promoting political participation across all Iraqi society.
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12/14/2019 00:00 ||
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[Rudaw] Relatives of a Baghdad teen who was killed and strung up in a city square on Thursday insist he did not shoot at protesters as some witness accounts claim.
Gruesome images emerged on social media on Thursday of an individual being strung up from a set of traffic lights in Baghdad’s Wathba Square, where protesters have been camped out for several weeks.
The incident has been universally condemned by protesters, who have been out on the streets since October 1 demanding jobs, public services, and an end to corruption.
It was alleged that the individual, named by his family as Haytham Ali Ismael, had fired on protesters from a rooftop, killing at least five, before being grabbed by the mob.
Conflicting reports say Ismael, born in 2004, was running away from police, who then stood by as he was attacked by the mob.
Rudaw tracked down Ismael’s grandmother, Sameerah Ahmed, who has been forced to flee after the mob torched the home she shared with her grandson. Ismael’s father had been killed 15 years ago while serving in the Iraqi National Guard and his mother had remarried.
Ahmed insists Ismael did not provoke the attack by shooting at the protesters as some accounts suggest. He had merely gone outside to tell the protesters to move their encampment from outside his grandmother’s home.
"The thing is he went out, told them that they should leave because they have girls at home, that it is inappropriate [for them to continue camping in front of his house]," Ismael’s aunt told Rudaw.
"He told them that they are protesters, that they should be protesting in Tahrir Square, not near families," she added.
The aunt had been weary of male protesters harassing her six daughters.
Ismael was beaten by protesters several times in the weeks leading up to his death, his aunt claimed.
"On the third occasion, he shot one bullet into the air to make them go away," she said. It was then that security forces intervened.
"The emergency [forces] got him out of the house, then handed him over to them [protesters], telling protesters to kill him, to slay him," said Ahmed.
Videos which have surfaced on social media show armed security forces trying to break into the house.
Ahmed says she went to the Civil Defense Forces to ask them to rescue her grandson, but they told her they could not intervene.
"They beat me too. They were saying kill her alongside him," she said, claiming the assailants stole her gold jewelry and millions of Iraq dinars from her home.
According to the autopsy report seen by the family, Ismael was stabbed 30 times, his aunt said.
The family directly called on Moqtada Tater al-Sadr ...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, though lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics... , the firebrand ...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments... Shiite holy man, to protect them. Sadr’s ’Peace Brigades’ ‐ recognizable by their blue caps ‐ have been deployed to the city’s squares to help protect activists.
"I want my son. What has he done? He was just 14 years old," Ahmed said.
[Rudaw] A strategic bridge over the Great Zab River, linking Iraq’s Nineveh province to the Kurdistan Region province of Erbil, was reopened this week, five years after it was badly damaged in fighting with the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group (ISIS).
The bridge, situated in the disputed town of Gwer, sustained serious structural damage in the early stages of the war in 2014. Although further repairs are needed, it is now thought to be stable enough to withstand road traffic.
Continued on Page 49
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami warned the US, UK, Israel, and other regional countries about the consequences of their meddlesome policies against Tehran, adding that they will see their interests on fire if they continue stirring sedition in Iran.
"I tell you ‐ the leaders of America, Israel, Britannia, and the regional enemies who instigate sedition ‐ if you don’t stop sedition, we will set fire to your interests, and this is our last word," Major General Hossein Salami told a gathering in Rey, south of Tehran.
"We tell our enemies: we will chase you, find you, and take Dire Revenge on you," he warned.
General Salami had earlier said that Iran’s enemies were attempting to incite "sedition" in the Islamic Theocratic Republic with the goal of "making up for their successive defeats against the Iranian people".
In remarks on December 4, he said Iran’s enemies sought to portray the chaos in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan, the abbreviation IRGC is a cognate form of Stürmabteilung (or SA), the term Supreme Guide is a cognate form of either Shah or Führer or maybe both, and they hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... as an outcome of "psychological pressure" on Iranians caused by Washington’s maximum pressure campaign.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2019 00:00 ||
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#7
Dire Revenge? I bet he said it just like that. You could hear the Capitol letters enunciated clearly.
Oh, my! Are we shaking in our collective "Great Satan" (trademark applied for) boots?
[Rudaw] The UNHCR will receive $6.2 million of the contribution, the United Nations ...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly... International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) will receive $2.8 million, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will receive $0.4 million and the International Committee of the Red Thingy (ICRC) will receive $4.6 million, according to the statement from the Japanese foreign ministry.
UNHCR Syria Representative Ayaki Ito was quoted in yesterday's blurb as saying that northeast Syria is experiencing a "humanitarian crisis."
"We have witnessed a humanitarian crisis with more than 73,000 people who remain displaced in north-east Syria," he said.
"More than 1.8 million people remain in dire need of humanitarian assistance in collective shelters, IDP sites, spontaneous settlements and host communities. We thank the people of Japan for their timely contribution to help us respond to urgent life-saving needs," added Ito.
[ALMASDARNEWS] Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sayyed His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... said on Friday that the United States and Israel are trying to take advantage of the demonstrations in Leb after they were unable to end the Resistance®’s threat to Israel.
In a televised speech, Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that the Americans are interfering with any movement taking place in the world, and they are quick to try to exploit the popular movements to serve their interests and not to serve the interests of the protesters.
"Americans ride the wave of demonstrations in the world and photograph the world and announce their support for these protests, but in fact, providing aid is to serve America’s interests, and this is a general rule and we saw that in the Arab Spring, Latin America and East Asia, and this is a general American behavior," the Hezbollah leader said.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that the American administration, the Israeli government, and its successors are blackmailing the Lebanese people, saying that "the equation is clear by giving up the power of Leb, and we have made two options between certain hunger and the possible rise."
The Secretary-General pointed out that "what Kraft said is that the demonstrations will continue in Leb and Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... , wherever Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan, the abbreviation IRGC is a cognate form of Stürmabteilung (or SA), the term Supreme Guide is a cognate form of either Shah or Führer or maybe both, and they hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... is and not anywhere that there is corruption."
"And (Kraft) considered that the strikes will continue, and that the Americans see the demonstrations as tools to pressure Iran."
"The Americans assumed that the demonstrations that took place in Leb were against Iran, knowing that nothing related to Iran was raised in the demonstrations in Leb. The slogans were related to economic and demand issues. They assumed, since the first day, that these demonstrations are the revolution of the people in Leb against Hezbollah."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2019 00:00 ||
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#1
Did he come out of the bunker to deliver that speech?
[ALMASDARNEWS] The first mass was held at the St. Antiochian Orthodox Church in the town of Arbeen, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Friday.
According to the SANA report, the mass, which was held in a hall belonging to the church, was presided by the Patriarchal Assistant of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All East, Bishop Lucka al-Khouri.
Patriarchal Assistant of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All East, Bishop John Batash, in a statement to SANA, expressed the great joy for holding the first mass in this church after liberating the city of Arbeen from terrorism.
"The Syrians are determined to return to their cities to rebuild them," Batash said, hailing the victories of the Syrian army in defense of the homeland.
A number of Arbeen’s residents voiced their joy for holding the first mass in it, as Christmas and New Year approached, and after the return of security and stability to their cities thanks to sacrifices of the Syrian army.
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[ALMASDARNEWS] Secretary-General of Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... , said that a one-party government could lead to the escalation of tensions in Leb, during a televised speech from Beirut on Friday.
"If a one-colour [one-party] government is formed under the existing tensions, that [tension] will escalate, roads blocked, demonstrations, protests," said the Hezbollah leader, before asking "how can the one-colour government deal with a crisis on the level of this danger?"
"We hope that there will be consultations on Monday and we hope that those chosen by the majority of votes will be assigned to the government. But the composition process will not be an easy process," he continued. Nasrallah also slammed the US for "interfering" in other countries during demonstrations.
"We find the Americans are rushing to try to exploit and employ these demonstrations, protests or popular movements to serve their interests, not to serve the interests of the demonstrators and protesters," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/14/2019 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.
[ToloNews] The country’s power utility company, De Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), reactivated the fourth turbine of the Naghlu Dam in the east of Kabul after twelve years, adding 25 megawatts of power for Kabul and its neighboring provinces.
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
...Qatar's satrapy in Asia Minor...
...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years...
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, though lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...
