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Libya's Tripoli govt sacks Hassi
Today's Headlines
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Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 6: Politix
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Afghanistan
33 Insurgents Killed in Latest Offensive in Helmand
[Tolo News] In the latest offensive, at least 33 Taliban Death Eaters were killed and seven others maimed over the past 24 hours in Sangin district of southern Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The recent action of the security forces against Death Eaters was part of Zulfiqar operation continued for about two months in the province.

"One soldier was killed in the roadside mine blast while conducting the operation," the statement said, adding eight mines were also defused.

This year, the Afghan forces will independently fight against the Death Eaters in the summer offensive as the entire security responsibility of the country has been handed over to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336075 views] Top|| File under: Taliban

#1  Helmand Hambo?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 04/01/2015 0:53 Comments || Top||

#2  O.M.G. I had no idea folk dancing could be so eye-crossingly dull. No wonder the Swedes are known for other interests.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 5:41 Comments || Top||


7 Of A Family Killed in Ghazni IED Blast
[Tolo News] Women and children were among seven people killed in a roadside mine blast in southern Ghazni province on Monday night, local officials said. ‎

The incident took place in the unrest Andar district when a vehicle boarding civilians struck a roadside mine, a front man for the acting governor, Shafiq Nang said.

"All the victims were from one family that included three children, three women and a man," he said.

The roadside mine called Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has been one of the major causes of casualties in Afghanistan.

The Taliban and other murderous Moslem groups place these mines to target the Afghan and foreign forces; however, most of the times, the civilians have been hit by these IEDs.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336090 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


15 Taliban Insurgents Held in Maidan Wardak
[Tolo News] At least 15 Taliban Death Eaters including a son of Mullah Sher, a Taliban capo, were tossed in the clink
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
in a joint operation of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) on Monday in central Maidan Wardak province, local officials said.

The operation was conducted in the Jang-e-Payen and Jang-e-Bala areas of Sayed Abad district, the Police Chief Mohammad Khalil Andarabi said.

"We conducted the operation to clear the area from the Death Eaters who killed a number of civilians last week on the Kabul-Ghazni highway. And we have arrested some of them," Andarabi said.

He asked the residents of Sayed Abad to not allow the Death Eaters take shelter in their district.

Mullah Sher is a Taliban capo who was involved in the shooting of 13 civilians last week along the Kabul-Ghazni highway. However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
he is not arrested yet but his son is under the custody of security forces.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336074 views] Top|| File under: Taliban


Africa Horn
Uganda prosecutor in Al Shabab trial shot dead
Joan Kagezi, acting assistant director of public prosecution, was murdered by men on a motorbike as she drove home in a suburb of the capital, Kampala police spokesman Patrick Onyango said. “They were trailing her on a motorcycle … They shot her dead.”

Her current cases included the trial of men allegedly linked to July 2010 suicide bombings targeting football fans watching the World Cup final at a restaurant and a rugby club in Kampala. Somalia’s al-Qaida-affiliated Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s first outside Somalia.

The trial of the accused – seven Kenyans, five Ugandans and one Tanzanian – began earlier this month at Uganda’s high court on a range of charges including terrorism, murder and membership of a terrorist organisation. All but one have also been charged with belonging to the Shabaab. The case was due to resume on Tuesday.

Jane Kajuga, spokeswoman for the office of the director of public prosecution, confirmed the death of Kagezi, lead prosector in the bombing trial, and who also led the prosecution’s anti-terrorism and war crimes section.

“She has been shot dead … but details are so far scanty,” Kajuga told the NTVUganda station.

The state-owned New Vision newspaper said the gunmen had attacked her car as it slowed down for speed bumps, and that the lawyer died on the spot.
"Which spot?"
"That spot!"
Posted by: Steve White || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336093 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab


Clan elder shot dead in Baidoa
BAIDOA, Somalia -- Unknown gunmen shot and killed renowned clan elder in Baidoa’s Boqoleyda neighborhood on Monday night according to officials, Garowe Online reports. Late Ali Abdi Hidow was gunned down along with his wife, with the assailants taking away a colossal amount meant for blood compensation.

Security forces launched search operation in pursuit of attackers.
Never do seem to catch them, either...
Maybe they should get some cross-dressers. It worked in Bangla...
The security situation has been deteriorating over the last few months as suspected Al Shabaab gunmen have targeted clerics aligned with the paramilitary group of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamea in planned assassinations.
Posted by: Steve White || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336077 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
MUJAO Jihadists Claim Deadly Red Cross Attack in Mali
[AnNahar] An international Red Thingy worker was killed and a local colleague maimed when the aid truck they were driving came under fire in northern Mali on Monday, in an attack claimed by the MUJAO jihadist group.
...one of Al Qaeda in North Africa's Mali affiliates, known for drugs and arms trafficking, kidnapping, and the occasional newsworthy attack in southern Algeria and northern Mali, a.k.a. the Azawad. Established in 2011, one faction of MUJAO became known as Al Mourabitoun and related names after merging with Mokhtar Belmokhtar's Masked Battalion in 2013, while the rump organization retains the MUJAO designation. The Black African-led (Hausa) group participated in the Tuareg rebellion along with other jihadi groups, and peaked with the conquest of the Malian city of Konna before being driven into the mountains by a combined French and Mali force in 2013.
The International Committee of the Red Thingy said it was "profoundly dismayed by the death of one of its staff in Mali", after his aid truck was attacked near the northern city of Gao Monday morning. The nationality of the victim was not immediately released.

A member of the national Mali Red Thingy had been maimed in the attack, but was in stable, pH balanced condition, it said.

"The ICRC strongly condemns the attack and calls on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect humanitarian workers," the organization said in a statement.

A front man for the MUJAO group (the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa) said the attack had killed "a driver who worked for the enemy".

"We have achieved what we wanted with this attack," Abou Walid Sahraoui told AFP by phone.

The ICRC staff member, named only as Hamadoun, had been driving a truck from Gao to Niamey in neighboring Niger "to collect much-needed medical equipment for Gao hospital," said Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, head of ICRC's operations for North and West Africa.

ICRC said the exact circumstances of the incident that killed the married father of four remained unclear, but stressed that the truck had been clearly marked with the Red Thingy emblem.

An African military source with the United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
' MINUSMA mission in Mali said the attack happened between Gao and the town of Ansongo and had been "carefully planned".

"It was carried out by at least six terrorists. Shots were fired," the source said.

Divided into rival armed factions, plagued by drug trafficking and infiltrated by jihadist groups, Mali's desert north has struggled for stability since the west African nation gained independence in 1960.

The ICRC's Praz Dessimoz said the humanitarian situation in northern Mali was "worrying".

"The ICRC is concerned about the rise in violence against humanitarian workers, which is preventing them from coming to the aid of individuals and communities in dire need," she said in the statement.

The MUJAO was one of a number of Islamist militia groups that controlled northern Mali for nearly a year before they were routed and pushed north into the deserts of the Sahara by a French-led offensive in 2013.

Extremist fighters have however continued to stage sporadic attacks in Mali's north.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 10:11 || Comments || Link || [336116 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa

#1  "...Mali's desert north has struggled for stability since the west African nation gained independence in 1960." Sounds like it would work as a description of all of Africa.
Posted by: dlr || 04/01/2015 19:58 Comments || Top||


Benghazi hospital receives one dead and 14 wounded after three days of clashes
[Libya Herald] Benghazi's Jalaa Hospital has received one body and fourteen maimed from the Libyan army after three days of festivities in the city.

According to a source from within the hospital, staff administered first aid to four of those injured and sent them home immediately, while the remaining ten were treated for moderate wounds.

The dead soldier was identified as Farag Abdel Jawad Al-Obeidi, who died from wounds received in Sabri.

Meanwhile,
...back at the hoedown, the fiddler suddenly struck a sour note. The dancing stopped abruptly. Everyone looked at Bob...
the deputy director of the field hospital in western Benghazi, Dr Ali Souwih Al-Saiti, has denied the Sunday killing of two doctors at the volunteer field hospital,.. He dismissed the news circulating on social media as "altogether baseless" and "just rumours".

"Doctors Ahmed Al-Ajhar and Milad Al-Tarhuni are alive and in good health," Saiti confirmed.

At the Benghazi Medical Centre (BMC), staff received a shipment of much-needed medicines from the Red Islamic Thingy, enabling the hospital to continue to serve the public.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336086 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Zawia closes university and schools following rocket attacks
[Libya Herald] Zawia Municipal Council has closed the University of Zawia and local schools for three days because of what it says are concerns for the safety of students following random rocket attacks on the town.

On Sunday, a Filipino oil worker was killed and three of his colleagues maimed when a missile hit the car they were travelling in. One of the maimed is said to be at death's door. It is reported that a Libyan and a Sudanese, travelling in separate vehicles, were also injured in the blast.

Pro-Libya Dawn
...aka Fajr Libya, the Islamist operation launched to counter that of General Khalifa Haftar (Operation Dignity). It is made up of the Libya Shield militia (Misrata and Moslem Brotherhood), Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (Moslem Brotherhood), and Tripoli Brigade (close to Abdul Hakim Belhaj, head of Al-Watan party). Financing and moral support come from Turkey and Qatar...
media have blamed Warshefana fighters, which it refers to as the "Army of the Tribes" for this and other rocket attacks. Following Sunday's incident, there were protests in the town's Martyrs' Square with calls for a jihad against the Warshefana.

The closure announcement was made last night. However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken...
one teacher said that even before it was made, Libya Dawn fighters were going to schools and ordering them to close. Another Zawia man said that Libya Dawn supporters were extremely nervous following Sunday's attack.

He denied reports that there had been festivities in Zawia in the past few days between pro and anti-Libya Dawn groups and that this was the real reason for the concerns about students' safety. He also denied reports that cafés and shops, other than food stores and pharmacies, had been closed by the town's Islamist Farouk Brigade. However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken...
he said that it was increasingly difficult to buy bread in Zawia and that prices of other goods had risen.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336074 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Libya's Tripoli govt sacks Hassi
[Iran Press TV] The head of the Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
-based government in Libya has been sacked after an overwhelming majority of politicians backed his ouster.

The General National Congress (GNC), which was reinstated after Libya Dawn
...aka Fajr Libya, the Islamist operation launched to counter that of General Khalifa Haftar (Operation Dignity). It is made up of the Libya Shield militia (Misrata and Moslem Brotherhood), Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (Moslem Brotherhood), and Tripoli Brigade (close to Abdul Hakim Belhaj, head of Al-Watan party). Financing and moral support come from Turkey and Qatar...
seized the capital in July 2014, voted to dismiss Omar al-Hassi for his poor performance.

"The head of the government was dismissed by the parliament in a vote on Tuesday that was backed by the rest of the ministers," media outlets quoted a senior politician as saying on Tuesday.

Mohammed Khalifa al-Guwail, the GNC's first deputy speaker, has now been tasked with running a caretaker cabinet until a new government is formed within one month.

Hassi, a lecturer in political science at the University of Benghazi, had been tasked by the Tripoli-based parliament to form a government last August. However,
a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all...
he faced criticism and came under fire by his critics for failing to fire ministers accused of corruption.

Libya has had two governments and parliaments since summer 2014. The internationally recognized government is based in the eastern city of Bayda, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Benghazi.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336120 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring


Egyptian Coptic church commemorating beheading victims in Libya attacked
A Coptic church being built to commemorate local victims of Isis in the southern Minya Province has been attacked by scores of young Muslims, some throwing petrol bombs. At least seven people were wounded, three of them seriously, the church and grounds damaged and a car burnt out.

The church was being built in the village of al-Our, where 13 of the 21 victims beheaded by Isis in Libya originated. Coptic citizens had bought suitable land, but the construction of the church was controversial, with some local Muslims objecting to its being built at the entrance to the village.
They're objecting to the construction of a Christian church. The location is immaterial...
According to Daily News Egypt, on 27 March scores of Muslims who had attended midday prayers gathered outside the church to protest at its construction, chanting it would never be built. The Muslim protest took place as a mass was being held for those beheaded by Isis.

The men, some of whom were identified as belonging to Muslim Brotherhood, dispersed without incident, but later the same evening some returned with petrol bombs and launched the attack. International Christian Concern alleges some of the attackers fired shots at the church.
The mainstream media would have reported this as a "mostly peaceful demonstration", if they bothered to report it at all...
The priest at the church Fr. Makar Issa said he informed police an attack was imminent but nothing was done.
Sure there was. The police were there at the "mostly peaceful demonstration" with Molotov cocktails and lighters...in hand. How much more could they have done? Oh okay, they could have shot the place up, murdered the priest and forcibly converted the nuns to Islam, but still...
"I called the police many times and asked them to come to guard us but they came late and after their arrival they didn't guard the church," said Fr Issa. "They stopped in the entrance of the village. Even still they allowed the cars of the attackers to enter the village and attack us and the church without any intervention from them to protect us."

The day after the attack Minya's governor met Christians and Muslims to resolve the problem and it was agreed the position of the church would be changed.
But it wasn't about location. And did the governor ask the chief of police to arrest the responsible rioters?
Minya Province has one of Egypt's highest concentrations of Coptic Christians, who form 10-20 per cent of the country's population in the Muslim-dominated country.

Some Muslims harbour suspicions the Christians helped remove President Morsi from power, an event which caused upheaval and violence across Egypt. Following Morsi's removal and the violent dispersal of the Muslim Brotherhood which supported him at least 42 churches were attacked and in impoverished Minya Province three Christians and one Muslim were killed.
Posted by: Steve White || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336074 views] Top|| File under:


Arabia
Saudi tanks crawl south, speculations about ground invasion in Yemen
[IraqiNews.com] According to news reports on Monday, Saudi tanks desert-camouflaged carried by camouflaged carriers are crawling at night toward the southern border of Saudi Arabia, which is leading the air operations against Houthi group in Yemen.

The reports pointed out that the tanks are moving toward Jizan, which is adjacent to the border with Yemen, not just more than 20 miles from the Yemeni territory.

Reuters stated there are speculations about a ground invasion in Yemen.
...or just reinforcing the border, to keep the festivities on the far side, where they belong.
The reports said that Saudi Arabia Egypt talked about the possibility of setting their feet on the ground, while Saudi leaders say that Saudi Arabia enters the Yemeni lands, it will not get out before eliminating the Houthi militias; the ground war will be long and brutal.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 13:08 || Comments || Link || [336127 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Waiting for the Fifth Corp Egytians.
Posted by: Shipman || 04/01/2015 17:29 Comments || Top||

#2  They may advance down the sparsely populated coastal plain, but the Houthis aren't there. Going into the mountains where most people live would be a bloodbath.

I expect the real action around Aden.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/01/2015 20:25 Comments || Top||


Saudi air strike kills 3, injures several in Yemen
[Iran Press TV] Three people have been killed and several others injured in the latest Saudi-led Arclight airstrike on the northwestern Yemeni province of Hajjah.

Earlier on Tuesday night, Saudi warplanes also attacked Ma'rib and hit two targets in the northwestern city of Sa'da.

Meanwhile,
...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac?

Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features.

If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng, he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!...

the United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced that at least 62 children have been killed in 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. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
since March 26, when the Saudi onslaught on the Arabian Peninsula country began.

"Children are in desperate need of protection, and all parties to the conflict should do all in their power to keep children safe," said UNICEF's representative for Yemen, Julien Harneis.

The European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
has also expressed concern
...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended...
over the civilian corpse count in Yemen following days of Saudi-led Arclight airstrikes against the country.

"We are extremely concerned about the impact of the fighting in Yemen which has terrible consequences for the population," said a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a statement on Tuesday.

The EU added that it is distressed by the civilian casualties and that it has strong concerns over Monday's air raid on the al-Mazrak displaced people camp in northwestern Yemen, which reportedly claimed the lives of some 45 people.

"We call on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians, that civilian infrastructure is not directly targeted," the statement added.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336072 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Europe
Eight Bulgarians Charged with Supporting Islamic State
[AnNahar] Eight Bulgarians were indicted Tuesday on charges of supporting the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group jihadist group, the public prosecutor's office said.

Six men from the central cities of Plovdiv, Pazardzhik and Asenovgrad were jugged
Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'!
on Tuesday morning and arrest warrants were issued for another two suspects who were still being sought, the prosecutors said in a statement.

The eight, from the Moslem Roma minority,
Muslim Roma?? Not a combination of words I ever thought to see.
were charged with "supporting Islamic State," "preaching anti-democratic ideology" and "propagating war", the prosecutor's office said.

The arrests are part of an investigation that began with a raid last year on a mosque in Pazardzhik, whose imam is accused of promoting radical ideology.

Seven people, including the imam -- who had been given a jail sentence for promoting radical ideology in his sermons but remained free pending his appeal -- were arrested in that operation.

During searches of the homes of some of the accused and the mosque, Sherlocks confiscated videos with preachings that praised jihadists in Syria and urged other Moslems to join their ranks.

Some of the defendants were also shown posing in Islamic State T-shirts.

The group is suspected of having followers among Moslem communities in Germany, La Belle France and the Netherlands and of helping jihadists travel to Syria and Iraq via Bulgaria and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
.

Thousands of western Europeans have traveled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside snuffies groups such as Islamic State.

The government in Sofia says it has no knowledge of any Bulgarians having traveled to the Middle East for jihad.

Bulgarian law does not currently bar would-be jihadists from traveling abroad.

The justice ministry has proposed adding such a ban to the statute books.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 10:12 || Comments || Link || [336098 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Would-be Jihadist Family Arrested in Spain
[AnNahar] A Moroccan couple linked to jihadist networks were incarcerated
Into the paddy wagon wit' yez!
overnight in Spain, along with their teenage sons, who were about to travel to Syria, the Spanish interior ministry said Tuesday.

The four were arrested in Badalona in the northeast, the ministry said.

"Among those arrested are two 16-year-olds who were planning to leave soon for Syria via Morocco," the ministry said in a statement, adding the pair had planned to leave Badalona Tuesday.

In a later Twitter update the ministry said the boys had been arrested along with their parents and that all four were Moroccan.

The teens had been in contact with jihadist recruitment networks for help in organising their trip, which was to take them into Syria through The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
, according to the authorities.

The ministry said the brothers had been under surveillance since a third brother had travelled to Syria, where he is believed to have "joined jihadists groups linked to Daesh (an acronym for the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group)."

That brother died in 2014.

The siblings arrested in Badalona were "planning to travel to the Iraqi-Syrian conflict zone with the full knowledge of their direct entourage, in particular their mother, whose other son had already died in the same conflict," the interior ministry said.

Several cells accused of recruiting fighters for the Islamic State group have been dismantled in recent months in Spain, particularly in the Spanish north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

According to Spanish authorities, around 100 Spaniards have joined jihadist groups in Iraq or Syria, a relatively small number compared to the thousands of French, British, Belgian and German nationals who have traveled to the Middle East to wage jihad.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 10:11 || Comments || Link || [336088 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


The Grand Turk
Turkey Grinds to Halt after Massive Power Cut
[AnNahar] A massive power cut caused chaos Tuesday across Turkey, shutting down the metro networks in Istanbul and the capital Ankara, with the government saying an outside attack on the system was not ruled out.
There's Iran, ISIS, Syria... golly, lots of possibilities. President Erdogan has been shooting off his mouth lately, as is his wont, and in some cases backing it up with action, as is also his wont.
The power cut, the worst in one-and-a-half decades, began around 10:36 am (0736 GMT) in Istanbul, the state-run Anatolia news agency quoted the Turkey Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS) as saying.

It was confirmed to have hit 49 of the country's total 81 provinces, from the Greek border to those in the southeast with Iran and Iraq.

"Every possibility including a terrorist attack is being investigated," in the outage affecting the country of some 76 million people, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

He added that a crisis desk has been established at the energy ministry.

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz also said the authorities were investigating whether the power outage was due to a technical failure or a "cyber-attack."

"The most important thing for us is to bring the system back to life. This is not something we frequently experience," Yildiz said.

The ministry was quoted as saying by Turkish media that a power cut on this scale had not been seen in 15 years.

Media reports said that the outage affected at least two dozen cities, where telephone and Internet lines were also mostly down.

The blackout trapped people in elevators in Istanbul and rescue teams rushed to subway stations to evacuate stranded travelers.

Traffic lights also were not working in several places in the city, causing huge traffic jams, with officers taking to the streets in an attempt to break the logjams.

Websites warned commuters to take special care of traffic accidents.

The Istanbul tramway, which links outlying areas with the historic touristic heart of the city, also went down, as was the metro in the Aegean city of Izmir.

- Istanbul metro resumes operations -
Around three hours after the power cut struck Istanbul, the metro, tramway and the Marmaray underground system that goes underneath the Bosphorus came back on line and resumed operations.

However private homes were still without power, with reports saying that electricity had been restored to no more than 10 percent of Istanbul.

In the heavily industrialized western city Izmit, near Istanbul, the cuts prevented many factories and workshops from functioning.

There were conflicting initial reports about the cause of the outage, but Turkish grid operator TEIAS said it resulted from a severing of the power lines between Europe and Turkey, and warned it could take hours before electricity is restored.

The Chamber of Electrical Engineers of Turkey, however, claimed that it occurred because some private power suppliers had refused to sell electricity due to low prices.

The DHA news agency said almost all provinces in Turkey were affected by the outage, except the Van province in the east which imports electricity from neighboring Iran.

Conspiracy theories for the outage also did the rounds on the Internet, with the situation the top trend under the hashtag #BuradaElektrikYok (There is no electricity here).

Turkey is seeking to move forward in its bid to create a regional power market by privatizing its power suppliers.

It completed the privatization of 20 power distribution grids in 2013, and no longer owns any.

But power cuts are still common in the country, especially in the southeast, where endemic outages occasionally cause deadly clashes.

The cut comes at a particularly tense period in Turkey ahead of June 7 legislative elections and with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan increasingly polarizing society.

The government is seeking to make peace with Kurdish militants while also dealing with the advance of Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Iraq and Syria up to the Turkish border.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 10:11 || Comments || Link || [336106 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Mossad Work ??
Posted by: Elder of Zion || 04/01/2015 12:43 Comments || Top||

#2  Dunno about the power industry, but in telecoms, we called it "backhoe fade".
Posted by: SteveS || 04/01/2015 12:52 Comments || Top||

#3  Dunno about the power industry, but in telecoms, we called it "backhoe fade".

For those of us not in telecoms, SteveS, please translate into non-technical language, please.

Elder of Zion, why would Mossad bother, when they have sl many more urgent targets?
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 13:17 Comments || Top||

#4  Why would Mossad bother


Practice?
Posted by: Steve White || 04/01/2015 13:28 Comments || Top||

#5  please translate into non-technical language, please

"Backhoe fade" is when a back-hoe digger interrupts service by cutting a cable.
Posted by: Pappy || 04/01/2015 14:04 Comments || Top||

#6  We have similar issues in the power industry, SteveS, but the consequences are more dire.

Whena backhoe accidently hits an underground utility power line, there's more than just 'fading' that occurs.

There are large 'booms', lots of heat, bright flashes and probably the termination of a life or two.

Based on information I can glean, the Turks managed to get a 'backup loop' going to feed the populated areas with some power (although intermittent), but they haven't disclosed where the initial problem occurred. When the 'fault' (whatever it was) occurred, the grid's safety systems operated as they should and shut down major portions of the infrastructure to protect the substations and power lines from damage due to the 'surge' caused by the fault.

This was an interesting occurrence that shut down some pretty major portions of the country. If it was terrorism, it could have been a VERY lucky shot, but most likely was planned with a LOT of system study and/or had comprehensive inside knowledge of the county's grid.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 04/01/2015 14:21 Comments || Top||

#7  Good to know that even Turkish lifts fail to safe.
Posted by: Bob Gray2146 || 04/01/2015 14:44 Comments || Top||

#8  Looks now like a major link between Turkey and the European supply (through Bulgaria) went down somehow.

That is the majority power source for the western 3/4 of the country. The eastern 1/4 gets its power mostly from Iran.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 04/01/2015 16:52 Comments || Top||

#9  Yeah, well whatever, we're still gonna have a pogrom.
Posted by: Shipman || 04/01/2015 17:34 Comments || Top||

#10  The Turks are repor also recovering from an attempted suicide bombing agz an Istanbul police HQ.

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Twitter] ISTANBUL UNDER SIEGE AS MASKED GUNMEN ARE ROAMING THE STREETS AFTER FAILED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ATTACK ON POLICE HQ.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/01/2015 21:59 Comments || Top||

#11  Speaking of backhoes and such...

A runaway tamper, desirous
Of ravishing Miss Miley Cyrus,
Was stilled when she prayed
To Saint Vitus and brayed,
"Don't do this! You might catch my virus!"

Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220 || 04/01/2015 23:19 Comments || Top||


Hostage drama at Istanbul courthouse ends with two captors, prosecutor dead
[Hurriyet Daily News] A Turkish prosecutor departed this vale of tears in hospital late March 31 after a six-hour hostage drama in which security forces killed the man's captors, two suspected members of an outlawed far-left group.

Mehmet Selim Kiraz, the prosecutor in the controversial case into the killing of Gezi victim Berkin Elvan, was taken out of Istanbul's Caglayan Courthouse by security forces after the clash, seriously injured, but died in hospital.

"We carried out the negotiation for six hours. But our security forces launched the operation after gunshots were heard while bandidos gunnies were speaking on the phone during the negotiation," Istanbul Police Chief Selami Altinok said after the operation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him...
congratulated the security forces for the operation, while also noting that Kiraz was shot five times during the episode, with three bullets hitting his head. Erdogan added that the perpetrators stormed the prosecutor's room while "wearing lawyer robes."

Early in the day, a photo was released on social media showing someone pointing a gun at the head of Kiraz against the backdrop of a flag of the illegal organization, which was first shared on Twitter by @aysekosan123, suspected to be affiliated with the outlawed far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP/C). The account was hacked soon after. "This account has been seized. Everything is for the TURKISH people," the hackers wrote in a tweet.

Various Twitter accounts linked to leftist organizations stated that the DHKP/C grabbed credit for the hostage-taking incident.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336076 views] Top|| File under: Commies


India-Pakistan
Peace committee leader killed in Tank
[DAWN] A peace committee leader was rubbed out and two others were maimed Tuesday when unknown gunnies shot up the commander's vehicle in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
's Tank district.

According to Gomal police Station House Officer (SHO) Alamgir, peace committee leader Sherpao Mehsud was on his way from Kot Azam to Tank when assailants targeted his vehicle.

As a result, Mehsud was killed and two of his associates, who were travelling with him, sustained injuries.

The casualties were shifted to District Hospital Tank immediately.

Peace committee members in the country's northwestern region have been targeted by turbans numerous times in the past.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336138 views] Top|| File under: TTP


Iraq
Tikrit Reconquista
Quite a difference between the Iranian-led effort and the Coalition-aided one. How humiliating for the proud Medes and Persians!
All presidential palaces in Tikrit liberated, says Interior Ministry

[IraqiNews.com] The Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday, that the federal police forces have liberated all the presidential palaces in Tikrit and gained control over al-Alam Bridge.

The ministry's front man, Brigadier General Saad Maan said in an interview for IraqiNew.com, "The federal police was able today to liberate the government complex building, the security centers and the 13 presidential palaces.

Maan added, "The forces gained control over the bridge of Alam district," indicating that, "Dozens of jacket wallahs have been killed and a large number of vehicles belonging to the bandidos bandidos hard boys were destroyed and dozens of improvised explosives dismantled."

Yesterday, the federal police forces and the Volunteer Fighters (al-Hashd al-Sha'bi militia) raised the Iraqi flag over Tikrit Great Mosque and the school of medicine, and are now close to the presidential palaces.

The security forces and the Volunteer Fighters managed earlier on Monday to raise the Iraqi flag over Tikrit hospital and the government complex downtown after killing 36 ISIS elements.

Coalition destroys weapons warehouse, 2 ISIS headquarters in Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] A group of ISIS elements tried to disassemble the security cordon in Albu Ajil east of Tikrit to smuggle besieged fighters in the city center. However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth...
the federal police intervened and infected big losses upon them, while attack and retreat battles took place just 500 meters from the center of the province, according to security sources.

The sources said that the international coalition warplanes contributed in the bombardment of ISIS gatherings in Tikrit, Azwiya and Baiji, which resulted in killing dozens of ISIS elements and destroying three weapons warehouses and two ISIS headquarters.

Dozens of ISIL terrorists flee from Tikrit to Mosul
Let those in Mosul ponder what is to come, as relayed by witnesses.
[IraqiNews.com] The gunnies of the ISIL have fled to djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
from Tikrit after being liberated by the Security Forces and the volunteers of Public mobilization.

"Almost about 50 pickup trucks full of dozens of the gunnies arrived at Mosul fleeing from Tikrit after the Security Forces and the volunteers of Public mobilization liberated about 70% of its area fromthe ISIL control", adding that many of the gunnies were injuries taken to hospitals to receive medical cure", A security source told IraqiNews.com.

The source added that "the ISIL gunnies call people for blood donation for the injuries".

Salah-il-Din PC liberated,, Iraqi flag raised in Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] The Anti-terrorism Dept. announced that the Elite Forces liberated Salah-il-Din Provincial Council Building inside Tikrit.

"The Elite Forces of the Anti-terrorism Department liberated Salah-il-Din Provincial Council building inside Tikrit and raised the Iraqi flag over the building", the front man of the Anti- Terrorism Dept. reported to IraqiNews.com.

IAF destroy shelters of ISIL northern Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] The Iraqi Air Force continued bombarding the shelters of the terrorist ISIL located in northern Tikrit city, security source stated to IraqiNews.com.

The source added "The bombardment aims at destroying the shelters of the ISIL terrorist gangs situated between Tikrit University and Qadissiya neighborhood of northern Tikrit city."
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 13:09 || Comments || Link || [336129 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq

#1  Looks like I was wrong yet again, unless the deal is paid off elsewhere.
Posted by: Shipman || 04/01/2015 17:41 Comments || Top||

#2  test
Posted by: Besoeker || 04/01/2015 23:46 Comments || Top||


Baghdad Bagatelles
10 Iranian pilgrims, 2 Iraqis injured by suicide bombing in Taji

[IraqiNews.com] A jacket wallah attacked a bus that transfers Iranian pilgrims in northern Baghdad.

Security source reported to IraqiNews.com that "The suicide bomber let 'er rip at the bus that transferred the Iranian pilgrims to Samrra to visit Al-Askari shrine, in Al-Hamamyat neighbourhood within Taji district of northern Baghdad, causing 10 injuries among the Iranian pligrims and 2 others among the Iraqis"

2 killed, one wounded in tribal conflict eastern Baghdad

[IraqiNews.com] According to a police source on Monday, two people were killed and another was maimed in a tribal conflict in the center of Sadr City eastern Baghdad.

The source said in an interview for IraqiNews.com, "A tribal conflict erupted today between two tribes in Sadr City eastern Baghdad, which resulted in killing two people and injuring a third person," without giving further details.

Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 13:08 || Comments || Link || [336091 views] Top|| File under:


Mosul: ISIS executions and executed
ISIS executes teaching cadre for insulting the group west of Mosul

[IraqiNews.com] According to a local source in Nineveh province on Monday, the ISIS group executed a teaching staff on charges of insulting the group west of djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
The source said in an interview for IraqiNews.com, "ISIS gunnies executed today a teaching cadre near the junction of Tal Afar, west of Mosul."

The source, who requested anonymity, added, "The teachers were executed after being accused of insulting members of the terrorist group and rejecting their practices in Tal Afar."

ISIS executes Nineveh municipality employee in Mosul

[IraqiNews.com] A local source of Nineveh province announced on Tuesday, that the ISIS organization executed an employee of Nineveh municipality by firing squad in downtown djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
The source said in an interview for IraqiNews.com, "Today, ISIS elements executed an employee of Nineveh municipality by firing squad in downtown Mosul."

The source, who asked to remain anonymous, added, "The employee was executed on charges of providing information to security forces about the movements of ISIS elements."

Coalition warplanes kill 10 ISIS militants in eastern Mosul

[IraqiNews.com] On Tuesday, a military source within the Peshmerga forces said, that 10 ISIS Lions of Islam were killed in an air strike by the international coalition in eastern djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
The source told IraqiNews, "Warplanes of the international coalition conducted an air strike on an ISIS site in the village of Barima, located in eastern Mosul," noting that, "The air strike resulted in killing 10 elements of the terror group."

"The Peshmerga forces, backed by the coalition's warplanes, are continuing to advance into the areas of Mosul and destroy the group's military capabilities in the city," the source added.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 13:08 || Comments || Link || [336110 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Iraqi Miscellanies
Iraqi forces kill 36 ISIS militants during clashes in Salahuddin

[IraqiNews.com] On Monday, an informed source in Salahuddin province said, that the security forces managed to kill 36 elements of the ISIS group during festivities in the province.

The source told IraqiNews.com, "Today, army forces and federal police elements backed by al-Hashed al-Sha'bi militia fighters have raised the Iraqi flag over Tikrit General Hospital in central Tikrit," adding that, "The security forces have managed to kill around 36 elements of the ISIS group during violent festivities in the streets and alleys of the province."

Earlier today, army forces backed by federal police elements and volunteer soldiers from al-Hashed al-Sha'bi militia managed to gain control over the residential area of doctors that surrounds Tikrit General Hospital in north of the city.

Australia says coalition forces killed over 9000 ISIS fighters

[IraqiNews.com] On Monday, Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston said, that the international coalition forces are making significant inroads against ISIS with more than 9000 ISIS fighters killed in Iraq.

Vice Admiral Johnston said today to the media in Canberra, that the Australian forces were having success against the ISIS group, and that the U.S.-led international coalition forces killed around 9500 ISIS fighters in Iraq.

"The U.S. assess that the number of IS fighters killed is approximately 9,500,"
In other words, nine and a half months of new recruits for the entire Islamic State, going by Syrian President Bashir al Assad's estimate of 1,000/month shared in a Sixty Minutes interview shown this past Sunday.
"While we are not using body count as a measuring stick, it is a warning to those who might be influenced by Islamic snuffies that there are deadly consequences if they travel to Iraq or Syria to fight," Vice Admiral Johnston said.

Security forces find cache of weapons, rockets, C4 in Jurf al-Nasr

[IraqiNews.com] The governor of Babel announced Monday, that the Iraqi security forces have found a cache of weapons, rockets, and large amounts of C4 in an area in the district of Jurf al-Nasr, located in northern Babel.

Babel Governor Sadiq Madloul al-Sultani stated for IraqiNews, "This evening, a force from the 31st Brigade, in coordination with the national intelligence in the province, conducted an operation in al-Buhairat area in the district of Jurf al-Nasr, located 35 km north of Babel," noting that, "The forces have found a cache of ammunition for light and medium weapons, in addition to large amounts of C4, rockets and IEDs."

US-led coalitions strikers target ISIL positions in Ramadi

[IraqiNews.com] The US-led coalition warplanes launched air strikes on ISIL positions in Ramadi city of central Anbar province.

"The warplanes targeted a convoy in Abu Tibyan district of northern Ramadi city coming from Heet to take part in the ISIL attack on Abu Juleeb district, killing 10 terrorists," security source reported to IraqiNews.com, noting that "The Security Forces supported by the Iraqi Air Force managed to progress in Abu Juleeb district".

Coalition warplanes kill, wound 22 ISIS militants in Kirkuk

[IraqiNews.com] On Monday, a security source in Kirkuk province said, that 22 elements of the ISIS group have been either killed or injured in air strikes by the international coalition in southwest of Kirkuk.

The source, who requested anonymity, informed IraqiNews, "Warplanes of the international coalition have carried out air strikes on a number of sites for the ISIS group gunnies in the area of al-Riyad in the district of al-Hawija, located 55 km southwest of Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
" pointing out that, "The air strikes resulted in killing 12 ISIS gunnies and injuring at least 10 others."

"The air strike was based on accurate intelligence received by the coalition," the source also added.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 13:07 || Comments || Link || [336118 views] Top|| File under:


Iraq forces retake government HQ in Tikrit from ISIL
[Hurriyet Daily News] Iraqi forces have retaken the Salaheddin provincial government headquarters in Tikrit from the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a significant advance in the battle to recapture the city, officials said March 31.

The front man for the Badr militia said members of the Popular Mobilisation units -- pro-government paramilitary forces dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias -- took part in the fighting, after some froze offensive operations last week in response to US-led air strikes.

"Iraqi forces cleared the government complex in Tikrit," an army major general said, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered...
"The government buildings have been under our control since last night (Monday)."

It is the most significant advance in Tikrit since pro-government forces launched an operation to retake the city on March 2, their largest since IS led an offensive that overran much of the country's Sunni Arab heartland last June.

Salaheddin Governor Raad al-Juburi confirmed that the government headquarters had been retaken, saying that Iraqi flags now flew over various recaptured buildings in the city.

Badr front man Karim al-Nuri also said that the government headquarters was recaptured, and that Popular Mobilisation members fought alongside federal police in the operation.

Key Shiite militia forces said they were halting Tikrit operations when a US-led anti-IS coalition began air strikes in the area after weeks in which Iran was the main foreign partner in the operation.

The coalition strikes started last Wednesday, angering Shiite snuffies who accused Washington of attempting to hijack their victory.

The Pentagon conditioned its intervention on an enhanced role for regular government forces, and on Friday hailed the withdrawal from the fight of "those Shiite militias who are linked to, infiltrated by, (or) otherwise under the influence of Iran".

The coalition said it carried out three strikes in the Tikrit area from Sunday to Monday, in its most recent statement on the air campaign.

After giving themselves political cover by declaring that they do not want to work with each other, both sides are still taking part in the Tikrit operation.

The main militias in the Popular Mobilisation forces have played a key role in successful operations against IS in multiple areas north of Baghdad, but they have also been accused of abuses including summary executions and destruction of property.

During a visit to Baghdad on Monday, UN chief the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
said that Iraq must "bring volunteer gangs fighting in support of the government under government control".

"Civilians freed from the brutality of Daesh should not have to then fear their liberators," Ban said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

This article starring:
KARIM AL NURIBadr Brigade
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336073 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  Ban Kai Moon is the Captain Obvious of the week
Posted by: Bill Clinton || 04/01/2015 0:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Iraqi flags now flew over various recaptured buildings in the city

Nice of the Mad Mullahs to allow them to fly the Iraqi flag. For now.
Posted by: Bobby || 04/01/2015 7:27 Comments || Top||

#3  Still engaged. It's not over.
Posted by: Besoeker || 04/01/2015 9:27 Comments || Top||

#4  Noticed they haven't mentioned the main hospital. A bunch of the IS fighters were holed up there.

Al
Posted by: frozen al || 04/01/2015 12:28 Comments || Top||

#5  Fighting in Tikrit continues block by block
Posted by: frozen al || 04/01/2015 13:13 Comments || Top||


Iran felicitates Iraq on Tikrit liberation
[Iran Press TV] Iran felicitates the Iraqi government and people on the liberation of the strategic northern city of Tikrit from the ISIL Takfiri
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed...
terrorist group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday that units of government forces, backed by Shia and Sunni volunteer forces, had managed to retake control of the city.

Later in the day, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham congratulated the courageous victory by Iraq's army and popular and tribal forces in Salahuddin province, and the cleansing of the city and other important areas in the province of Takfiri terrorists.

"The recent victories are considered a landmark in the process of fighting terrorism in the country and herald the cleansing of Iraq's other areas in near future," she said.

"The Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran has placed atop its agenda its effective and unconditional support for the Iraqi government and people in confronting organized and Takfiri terrorism," Afkham noted.

In his announcement, Abadi said Iraqi forces had raised the country's national flag over the Salahuddin provincial government headquarters.
An Nahar points out gently that the Americans have their own opinion on the situation:
The Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group still controls parts of the Iraqi city of Tikrit, which Baghdad announced had been retaken, the U.S.-led coalition battling the jihadists said Tuesday.

"Parts of the city remain under (IS') control and there is still work to be done," spokesperson Major Kim Michelsen told AFP by email.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336105 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq

#1  Wait, they did wut?
Posted by: Shipman || 04/01/2015 17:42 Comments || Top||

#2  Don't mean to bust the IGA's or Shiite Militias' victory bubble, but "liberation" from most or the center of Tikrit doth not liberation from "all" of Tikrit maketh.

just sayin.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/01/2015 22:01 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Roadside bomb injures two Thai policemen
[Bangkok Post] Two policemen were wounded by a bomb blast in Narathiwat province on Monday night.

Pol Lt Marut Nilkosi said attack happened when a police team was patroling on two motorcyles and one pickup truck. As it passed a gas station in Rueso district, about 400 meters from the police station, a home-made bomb planted on the roadside was detonated.
Posted by: ryuge || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336076 views] Top|| File under:


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
IS Executes at least 37 Civilians in Central Syria
[AnNahar] The Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're 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 the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
jihadist group Tuesday executed at least 37 civilians, including two children, in a raid on a regime-held village in Hama province of central Syria, a monitor said.

IS "executed at least 37 people, including women and kiddies, by burning, beheading, and firing on them" in the village of Mabujeh, said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Syrian state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
reported that 44 people were killed and 21 injured in the raid.

Mabujeh, east of the scenic provincial capital Hama, has a population of Sunni Moslems as well as Alawites and Ismailis, minority sects that are offshoots of Shiite Islam.

IS has regularly targeted minority sects in Syria, especially Shiite Moslems it accuses of apostasy, as well as Sunnis who it alleges have violated its interpretation of Islam.

Mabujeh lies near a vital road that serves as the regime's only link between the central province of Homs and the northern province of Aleppo.

IS snuffies have repeatedly tried to sever the route.

In late March, the bully boy group killed 83 regime soldiers in the region in a bid to gain control over the road.

In northwest Syria, the Observatory said Tuesday, at least 32 people were killed in government air strikes on the city of Idlib in the past 48 hours.

Regime forces lost control of the city Saturday to a coalition of Islamist forces led by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra
...the current nom de guerre of al-Qaeda in the Levant, which isn't to be confused with al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant...
Front.

In Geneva, the U.N.'s human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
office said it was worried about the situation in the city.

"We are deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Idlib" after the rebel takeover, spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said at a briefing.

Pouilly said the U.N. was concerned about reports of an attack on a hospital run by the Syrian Arab Red Islamic Thingy in the city.

Syria's Red Islamic Thingy published photos of destruction at its Idlib hospital on Facebook, but did not give details on how it had been damaged.

Pouilly also voiced U.N. concerns over the fate of Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority villages near Idlib city.

One of the leaders of the Islamist coalition that captured Idlib warned Sunday that the two villages would be targeted if the regime bombed Idlib.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/01/2015 10:12 || Comments || Link || [336090 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


New tranche of blocked assets transferred to CBI account
In which Iran gets a great deal of something for even more nothing.
[Iran Press TV] Iran has confirmed receiving another installment of its frozen assets based on an interim deal it signed with the P5+1 group of countries over Tehran's nuclear program last November.

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) announced Tuesday that USD 490 million was transferred to its accounts in Oman as part of the third phase of the unblocking of the country's assets overseas.

It was the fifth installment of a total of USD 4.9 billion which had been agreed to be delivered to Iran in 10 payments, a statement by the CBI said.

Iran received around USD 7.0 billion of its frozen assets in the two previous phases of the agreement.

In November 2013, Iran and the P5+1 group -- Russia, China, La Belle France, Britannia, the US plus Germany -- clinched an interim nuclear deal for a period of six month.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities as a confidence-building measure, and the world powers undertook to provide Iran with some sanctions relief.
Posted by: Fred || 04/01/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336072 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran



Who's in the News
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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2015-04-01
  Libya's Tripoli govt sacks Hassi
Tue 2015-03-31
  A deputy, a relative, an ideologue: key Houthi leaders reportedly killed
Mon 2015-03-30
  One Dead, Two Injured in Shooting at Gate of NSA HQ
Sun 2015-03-29
  Joe Biden demanded Porosheno sack Kolomoisky
Sat 2015-03-28
  Nigeria Recaptures Gwoza from Boko Haram
Fri 2015-03-27
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Thu 2015-03-26
  Yemen's Houthis take over state institutions in Aden
Wed 2015-03-25
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Tue 2015-03-24
  White House: Israel's '50-year occupation' must end now
Mon 2015-03-23
  Yemeni president declares Aden provisional capital
Sun 2015-03-22
  US evacuates troops from south Yemen base
Sat 2015-03-21
  Westgate mastermind confirmed dead in Somalia airstrike
Fri 2015-03-20
  46 killed, 100 injured in suicide attacks on 2 Yemen mosques
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