The United Nations refugee agency today urged Kenyan authorities to reconsider their decision to shut down within the next three months Dadaab refugee camps, a decision that would require some 350,000 Somalis to return to their country and would cause “extreme” humanitarian consequences.
If it's anything the UNHCR knows about, it's festering shithole refugee camps filled with seething ingrates...
“Large-scale returns are still not possible in many parts of the country, in particular to South Central Somalia,” spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Karin de Gruijl, told journalists in Geneva.
The Government’s decision was announced this past weekend following the horrific attack at Garissa University in Kenya earlier this month, the agency said, referring to the 2 April assault on the campus for which Somali-based Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. According to the UN Security Council, which strongly condemned the attack, dozens were killed, scores injured and many held hostage and others unaccounted for, the vast majority of whom were students.
“UNHCR too has been shocked and appalled by the Garissa attack. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and his staff stand in solidarity with the people of Kenya. We reiterate our condolences to the families of all the victims,” said Ms. de Gruijl said today.
Then they had lunch...
Yet forcing refugees back to Somalia would have severe practical consequences,
...like cut the number of terrorist attacks inside Kenya...
and would be a breach of Kenya’s international obligations.
Terrorist attacks are also a breach of international law, just to note...
Kenya has hosted and protected refugees from violence and persecution in neighbouring Somalia for more than two decades, she added.
I think I mentioned 'ingrates' already...
UNHCR is working closely with the Government of Kenya and understands the current regional security situation and the seriousness of the threats Kenya is facing. It recognizes the Government’s obligation to ensure the security of its citizens and other people living in Kenya, including refugees.
“We are thus urging the Kenyan authorities to give the matter further consideration. UNHCR stands ready to work closely with the Government of Kenya to strengthen law enforcement at Dadaab and support other measures to protect refugees and Kenyans alike against possible intrusion by armed actors from across the border,” Ms. de Gruijl said.
UNHCR will also support other measures to protect refugees and Kenyans alike against possible intrusion by armed actors from across the border. In December 2014, a pilot scheme was launched to support people who seek to voluntarily repatriate to one of three relatively safe areas of Somalia, namely Luuq, Baidoa and Kismayo.
“We are ready to work with the Governments of Kenya and Somalia to step up this program where there are opportunities for voluntary repatriation,” UNHCR said, reiterating its commitment to support Kenya in its protection of Somali refugees going forward.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Salaam! Once again, Minnesota,
Bend over and welcome your quota.
(Don't try to give notice,
Just buy some Toyotas
And help them invade North Dakota.)
#4
Maybe the UNHCR should set up the in Somalia. Of course, there are no five star restaurants in Somalia, so that wouldn't be civilized.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
04/15/2015 10:44 Comments ||
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#5
And here I thought that: "Just because they kill your people at every opportunity, is not a just reason to deny them opportunities."; only applied to Jews.
#6
Zenobia: check out Tucson, Az.as a dumping ground. Went to an urgent Healthclinic (operated by the local university) - a few Latinos, no gringos (except me), but many, many female pregnant Somali women.
[Intel Briefs] Closure of dozens of money transfer firms in Kenya believed to have links with Somali based al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... has set mainstream banks expecting to reap immensely of remittance business.
Kenya reached the decision to suspend licences for 13 hawala money transfer firms suspected of having links with Al-Shabaab terror group on Wednesday following the latest attack by al-Shabaab on a Kenyan university that left 148 people dead.
Half of diaspora remittances into Kenya come in through unofficial channels with the hawala system suspected to handle the bulk of this money.
Following hawala closure and the suspension, senders are now expected to revert to conventional means as the government tightens the noose around transfers that are not easily traceable.
The Treasury estimates that Kenyans in the diaspora sent Sh108 billion ($1.2 billion) through unofficial channels last year equal to the sum sent officially.
According to Habil Olaka, Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) chief executive officer, the banking sector is currently looking at ways of further reducing the amount to entice more members of the diaspora to use the formal means.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Bani Walid residents are in the throes of another fuel crisis, its petrol stations not having received deliveries of fuel in ten days.
All seven petrol stations in the town have been forced to shut down, having no fuel to offer motorists. For now residents must buy petrol in Tarhuna or another nearby town.
A station owner was quoted by Bawabat Al Wasat yesterday that the decision to cut off fuel to the town was intentional and had come from Brega Marketing Company, but this has not been verified.
In contrast to the report, Berga is still supplying Derna with petrol despite the Libyan army's efforts to maintain an economic stranglehold over the town.
Bani Walid's swelling population, due to the arrival in March of displaced families from Sirte, Aziziya, Zawia and Warshefana, has only intensified the problems that the shortage has caused residents, the Libya Herald was told.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] Libya intends to ask Russia to provide it with military equipment, Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni has said. It also plans to reactivate Qaddafi-era Russian contracts and to invite Russian companies to bid for new reconstruction projects in the country . . .
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Prominent Shi'ite holy man Mohammed al-Husseini called on Arab Shiites to return to the Arab Nation and to leave the Iranian regime that deceives them and takes them away from their Arab identity in this this crucial time.
Al-Husseini, in his talk to Zaman al-Wasl, said Arab Shiites, or Shi'a, should be loyal to their countries and nations only, not to the Velayat-e faqih (seigniory of Faqih) in Iran and no justification is accepted.
The Shiite Scholar does not agree with the principle that Arab Shiites need to have their own entity and they should never think in that way, as any thought of that direction means treason to their countries and to the citizenship.
Arab Shi'a are good citizens in their countries and they are integrated part of the social structure with Sunni and they should not think of detaching from their countries or seek loyalty to external nations and any deviation of that track should be treated as major treason" the Scholar confirmed his opinion.
The Scholar warns Arab Shiites that their stability and security is guaranteed only in their countries and they should cooperate with their "brothers" in nationality beside being aware of the suspicious calls from the regime of Velayat-e faqih under claims of protecting minorities.
"People in each Arab country, including Shiites have chosen a government and a regime to rule them, and all of them should be loyal to regimes of their countries not to the Velayat-e faqih, because that kind of regime has failed even in Iran" al-Husseini explained to Zaman al-Wasl.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[ALMANAR.LB] Bahrain's Al Khalifa regime forces tossed in the slammer You have the right to remain silent... 21 youth activists in a raid campaign just days ahead of the country's Formula One Grand Prix.
The regime forces, backed by forces of Evil raided houses in several areas across the country, arresting 21 activists, including children, the Bahraini website, Louloua reported.Raid campaign in Bahrain ahead of Formula One Race
The Formula one Grand Prix is to take place on April 17, 18 and 19, at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Human rights watchdogs have voiced concern over severe repressive measures used by the Bahraini regime against pro-reform demonstrators in previous years.
During previous Grand Prix events, foreign and local journalists were barred from covering protests, with some deported from Bahrain for attempting to do so without permission.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[ALMANAR.LB] Hezbollah deputy secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... said that Saudi is committing genocide 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... as its campaign targets the civilians and the residential areas in the Arab world's poorest country.
In an interview with The News Agency that Dare Not be Named news agency, Sheikh Qassem stressed that Saudi will pay heavy a price for its involvement in Yemen, noting that the Kingdom's regional position and role as well as its internal conditions will be negatively affected.
His eminence pointed that Hezbollah tough stances toward the Saudi war on Yemen reflect the party's refusal for KSA's policy and highlight its intention to protect the whole region from the consequences of the kingdom's mistake.
Sheikh Qassem considered that the US is a partner in the Saudi war on Yemen but that the Americans, unlike the Saudis, are aware of their goals.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[AA.TR] Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, a leading Bangladeshi politician, became the country's second person hanged for war crimes on Saturday.
His execution was preceded by that of fellow Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... leader Abdul Quader Mollah in December 2013 and could soon be followed by more from the same party, all accused of committing war crimes during Bangladesh's war of independence from Pakistain in 1971.
Bangladesh's Attorney General Mahbubey Alam was quoted by the local daily Dhaka Tribune on Sunday as saying that several of the appeals for those sentenced to death could be dealt with before the end of 2015.
There are currently five Jamaat-e-Islami leaders in jug going through the appeals process to have their death sentences overturned. Two of the most big shots, former party chief Ghulam Azam and AKM Yusuf, both died in jug in 2014.
Also sentenced to death but unlikely to face the penalty after being tried in absentia are Mueen Udden, who is in London, and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, in the U.S., who were both linked to the party's student wing in 1971.
There are several others found guilty by the war crimes tribunal who no longer have links with Jamaat-e-Islami.
According to Imran Siddiqui, a lawyer who represented several of the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, the next case will target Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujahid, the party's Secretary General.
"Unless the court decides to deal with the cases expeditiously, Mujahid's case will maybe be done before the end of the year," said Siddiqui, adding that the party chief >Motiur Rahman Nizami ...During the liberation war of 1971, Nizami formed the Al-Badr Force and acted as its supreme commander. The Al-Badr militia took active part in rape, extortion, looting and killing of Bangladeshis who supported the liberation, including a pre-planned massacre on December 14, 1971, when the Al-Badr militia along with Pakistan Army rounded up hundreds of doctors, professors, writers, and other Bengali intellectuals, and executed them... 's appeal was unlikely to come up until the middle of 2016.
"These appeals take some time because the documents are (voluminous) in nature and there are lots of witnesses," said Siddiqui.
Jamaat-e-Islami have insisted that the war crimes tribunals have been politically motivated and deny that the party was involved in assisting the Mighty Pak Army during the nine-month war which, according to official figures, saw 3 million people killed.
Apart from Mujahid and Nizami, those facing the death penalty include the party's Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam and central executive committee members Mir Quasem Ali and Abdus Subhan.
Having only received their sentences in recent months, their appeals may face a long wait as the court will first deal with Mujahid, Nizami and Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.
Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujahid, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami
Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujahid, the party's Secretary General, will be the next leader to go through the appeals process in order to contest his death sentence.
The son of a politician, Mujahid, like many of the accused, was a senior figure in Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing in 1971. He is also one of the few, alongside Nizami, who has served in government.
From 2001 to 2006, Mujahid was the social welfare minister in a coalition government with Jamaat-e-Islami's allies the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Mujahid was sentenced to death in 2013, accused of being Nizami's second-in-command in the Al-Badr militia, which allegedly worked closely with the Mighty Pak Army. He was also accused of being involved in the killing of academics.
Siddiqui said Mujahid's defense will center on countering specific incidents he was accused of being involved in.
"It will argue on the veracity of the witnesses and question the evidence used against him," said Siddiqui, adding that while Mujahid admits that he supported union with Pakistain, he denies any involvement in violence.
"He says he was never involved in war crimes in 1971," said Siddiqui. "His role was only political."
Motiur Rahman Nizami, Jamaat-e-Islami chief
Of the Jamaat-e-Islami leaders currently facing death, Motiur Rahman Nizami, the party's chief, is the most prominent.
Nizami was the leader of the party's then-student wing, Islami Chatra Sangha, at the time of the war in 1971. He later became a full Jamaat-e-Islami member, rising through the party's ranks to become Secretary General and then Ameer, the top leadership position, by 2000.
He was briefly a member of parliament between 1991 and 1994 and then, between 2001 and 2006, served as the Minister of Agriculture and then the Minister for Industry.
The war crimes tribunal accused Nizami of being the chief of the Al-Badr militia, which allegedly closely collaborated with the Mighty Pak Army during the 1971 war.
In October 2014, Nizami was found guilty and sentenced to death for eight charges of crimes against humanity, including committing and ordering murders and abductions.
He denied however that he had been a member of the Al-Badr forces or had any involvement with the Mighty Pak Army, claiming the charges against him had been fabricated.
Delwar Hossain Sayeedi ...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami... , leading figure in Jamaat-e-Islami
The red-bearded Sayeedi is one of Jamaat-e-Islami's most well-known orators. He initially worked as a religious teacher after the war but later became more involved in politics. In 1996 and 2001, he was succesfully elected as a Jamaat-e-Islami member of Parliament.
Sayeedi was one of the first the court ordered to be hanged but he had his death sentence commuted in September 2014 to life imprisonment, to the distress of the Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.
Alam was quoted in the Dhaka Tribune as saying ""I feel sad for [Delwar Hossain] Sayeedi's verdict. We hoped that he would be sentenced to death."
Sayeedi successfully argued that the case against him had been flawed and contained conflicting witness testimonies.
Unlike the others tried for the war crimes tribunal, Sayeedi had no reported connection to politics at the time of the war. According to information presented in court, he was a shopkeeper.
The court claimed that given his low economic status, he was enticed to join the militias formed under the Mighty Pak Army and was involved in attacks targeting Hindu communities.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] London police has extended Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain ...think of the head of the Barzini clan, only in Urdu... 's bail till July 9, 2015 after he was interviewed for more than five hours by investigating officers on Tuesday.
"I trust the British judicial system. Party workers should remain peaceful during the course of investigation," said Altaf Hussain while coming out of the cop shoppe, DawnNews reported.
MQM chief was warmly received amid slogans as he arrived at his party's London secretariat where he then addressed party workers and media representatives.
"Since the inception of MQM in 1978, I was tried and jugged Book 'im, Mahmoud! thrice in Pakistain and now that I have come to Britannia, here also I have been facing investigations. But all this is nothing in front of the aspirations I am pursuing -- a prosperous and developed homeland for every Pak citizen," said Altaf Hussain.
Talking about the cases pending against him in the UK, Altaf said, "Such problems do not trouble me."
Reading from a document, Altaf said he cannot speak further on the issue as he is currently facing an investigation. However, Switzerland makes more than cheese... he denied any sort of involvement in the crimes associated with him and categorically refused the charges levelled against him.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[FREEBEACON] Russia's announcement on Monday that it will proceed with the sale of advanced missile systems to Iran crosses a so-called "red line" established by the B.O. regime in 2010, according to comments by senior administration officials.Following years of dissent from the United States, Russia announced on Monday that it would proceed with the sale of the advanced S-300 air defense missile system to Iran, which has been vying to purchase the hardware for years.The announcement sparked criticism from the B.O. regime, which has been pressuring Iran since at least 2010 to withhold the sale.Russia's previous ban on selling Tehran the powerful defense system was hailed as a coup by the B.O. regime and promoted by it as an example of President B.O.'s ability to rein in Russian intransigence on the military front.However, the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits... Monday's announcement by Russia threatens to complicate an already fractured relationship with Moscow and throw into further jeopardy the ongoing negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. Experts have warned that the reversal threatens to split the international coalition currently working to halt Iran's nuclear program--a narrative that the White House is working to downplay The Russian executive order effectively "lifts the ban on transit of the S-300 air defense missile systems via Russian Federation territory (including by air), export from the Russian Federation to the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran, and transfer of the S-300 to the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran outside the Russian Federation's territory, using ships or aircraft flying the Russian Federation flag," according to an announcement by Moscow. Russia's decision to arm Tehran with the S-300 system erodes a long-promoted narrative by the B.O. regime about its success in preventing Russian proliferation. One senior B.O. regime official speaking in 2010 described the S-300 sale as a "red line" for the United States that "couldn't be crossed," according to Foreign Policy. "They've made that very clear to us for the last two years that this is not a symmetrical transaction for them and they don't share the same threat assessment as us vis-a-vis Iran," the official was quoted as telling Foreign Policy in a 2010 article focused on "how the Obama team convinced Russia not to sell arms to Iran."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Yawn.
Another day another redline...Hmmm I take the red line to work does that count.
Can I say that Russia crossed my redline?
I do redlines for my office.
I really agree with Inigo, a redline doesn't mean what his excellency thinks it means.
#3
Maybe Obama redlines are to be followed, like the colored lines on the floor in some hospitals, and have nothing to do with being crossed or not crossed?
#4
So Russia agrees to sell missile systems, construction equipment, and grain to Iran in exchange for oil. The head scratcher here is, why does Russia want Iranian oil? Like the market isn't flat and they can't sell their own at good price.
In some universe somewhere this makes sense. (I think what we're seeing here the extent of Russian spite. And being the first in the door with Iran.)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
04/15/2015 8:38 Comments ||
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#5
Russian air defense systems for Iran are ok. US air defense systems for the FSU states are NOT ok. Typical Soviet, Cold War logic.
[AA.TR] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... has harshly condemned the "barbarity" shown by Daesh in its destruction of cultural properties, archeological areas, museums and mosques.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday: "Destroying cultural properties is equal to destroying countries, communities, religions and beliefs.
"Turkey, as a founding member of UNESCO, as a member of UNESCO World Heritage Committee and with its awareness of culture, history and civilization, calls for a stop to these barbaric attacks on cultural heritages."
The ministry described the attacks as "a crime against humanity."
Daesh is recently believed to have destroyed the ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq in what UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova described was a "war crime."
The alleged incidents follow the release of a video by Daesh turbans showing krazed killer fighters apparently destroying ancient artifacts in djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... 's museum on Feb. 27.
The monuments dated back to the 8th century B.C.
The terrorist organization of Daesh controls swathes regions in Iraq and Syria, where it has declared a so-called caliphate after taking the control of Iraq's second-largest city in June 2014.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
The Turk, in irenic sincerity --
Er, ironic commitment to verity --
Condemns with celerity
This dashed rebarbarity,
To slip his tale to our posterity.
[NYPost] Just 15 days before the 9/11 attacks, a well-connected Saudi family suddenly abandoned their luxury home in Sarasota, Fla., leaving behind jewelry, clothes, opulent furniture, a driveway full of cars -- including a brand new Chrysler PT Cruiser -- and even a refrigerator full of food.
About the only thing not left behind was a forwarding address. The occupants simply vanished without notifying their neighbors, realtor or even mail carrier.
The 3,300-square-foot home on Escondito Circle belonged to Esam Ghazzawi, a Saudi adviser to the nephew of then-King Fahd. But at the time, it was occupied by his daughter and son-in-law, who beat a hasty retreat back to Saudi Arabia just two weeks before the attacks after nearly a six-year stay here.
Neighbors took note of the troubling coincidence and called the FBI, which opened an investigation that led to the startling discovery that at least one "family member" trained at the same flight school as some of the 9/11 hijackers in nearby Venice, Fla.
We've been following this story for years. We had a nice summary article here (scroll down), for instance. Very well connected, indeed. Others have been following the story, too; a quick google yielded this, from 2011.
#1
Funny how they left jewelry yet the post seems to emphasize the fridge full of food. You leave food because it goes bad; you leave cars and furniture because they are bulky; you leave clothes because buying extra suitcases is more effort than it is worth. Why would you ever leave jewelry?
[DAWN] The Saudi Minister for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Saleh bin Abdul Aziz, on Monday remained busy soliciting the support of religious parties in his country's conflict with Yemen's Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ... rebels.
The Saudi minister had arrived in Islamabad on Sunday on a previously unannounced trip amid growing doubts in Riyadh and among its allies about Islamabad's support for the offensive against Houthis after a parliamentary resolution called for observing neutrality in the conflict.
Sheikh Saleh's only engagement with government functionaries on Monday was a meeting with his Pak counterpart, Sardar Mohammad Yusuf, who later hosted a reception in his honour.
But for most of the day, the Saudi minister interacted with holy men from Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... .
The meetings coincided with statements by some religious parties that they could send fighters to 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... if the government refused to send troops in support of the Saudi-led operation against Houthis.
There has also been an upsurge in activities by the religious parties for moulding public opinion in favour of the Saudi action and the need for Pakistain to support it.
Jamaat Ahle Hadith held a conference on Saturday and before that Jamaat-ud-Dawa ...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba... brought out a rally calling for Pakistain's participation in the war against Houthis.
In his meetings, the Saudi religious minister has been saying that Riyadh remains confident that Pakistain will support it.
Sheikh Saleh's visit was preceded by a trip by Saudi Chief Adviser on Religious Affairs Dr Abdul Aziz.
A source disclosed that there had been a sudden increase in the number of visitors to Pakistain over the past fortnight.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... tried on Monday to soothe frayed nerves by reassuring 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... and its Arab allies over a parliamentary resolution that had called for neutrality in the 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... conflict.
In a short statement made in the evening, the prime minister reiterated his commitment to security of Saudi Arabia, calling it a strategic ally, but without committing to any military engagement in the Gulf region.
Mr Sharif, who stood in front of the cameras while some of his ministers and advisers were lined up behind him to provide moral support or endorsement, said: "Pakistain does not abandon friends and strategic partners, especially at a time when their security is under threat."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] LAHORE: In a petition filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... government has challenged the Lahore High Court's (LHC) release orders for Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi ...an asset of the Pak govt and a big turban in Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is actually a redundant statement. Zak was the criminal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite what India's provided there is not enough evidence in this world for a Pak court to convict him or even to keep him in the calaboose for very long... , one of the key accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The petition filed by the Punjab Home Department maintains that there was sufficient evidence against Lakhvi but LHC's Justice Anwarul Haq had ignored it and ordered his release on April 10.
The petition requests that the LHC's decision to release Lakhvi be suspended with the top court permitting to restore his detention under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
The Punjab government had previously maintained that Lakhvi were tossed into the calaboose based on 'sensitive information' provided by intelligence agencies.
Lakhvi had challenged his fourth one-month detention ordered by the Okara DCO on March 14, upon which the LHC had ordered his immediate release.
The decision drew sharp criticism from the international community, especially India, which termed the release as an "extremely disappointing development" and asked Islamabad to immediately ensure that Lakhvi does not come out of jail.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] KARACHI: Convicted button man Faisal Mehmood, alias Faisal Mota, who was sentenced to death for the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babar, submitted an appeal to challenge his death sentence on Tuesday at the Sindh High Court (SHC).
Faisal Mota was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in absentia on March 1 2014.
The convict's counsel Advocate Aamir Masoob Qureshi today presented the stance in the application that since the death sentence was awarded in absentia, the court must declare it illegal. Qureshi added that according to Articles 21-L and 31-A of the Anti Terrorism Act 1997, a death sentence cannot be awarded in absentia.
The advocate also added that when a punishment is awarded in absentia, the convict must refer to the trial court according to Article 19(12). However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... his client was unable to refer to the ATC in Kandhkot -- where the sentence was announced -- because the records of the case were at the SHC.
Therefore, the court must dismiss Mota's death penalty and send the case for a re-trial, Qureshi further added in the application.
The application was submitted at a SHC registry, which will scrutinise the appeal before presenting it before a bench.
Mota, said to be a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM), was tossed in the calaboose Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! and detained last month in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... after a raid by Rangers at the MQM's headquarters.
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04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[AA.TR] Turkish officers are participating in the training of 800 Sunni and Turkmen fighters in a camp located in al-Shikhan district 12 kilometers north of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... in northern Iraq.
The fighters receive military techniques including defusing bombs, a commander told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
Mahmud Surchi, a Kurdish commander of the al-Hashid al-Watani, said 550 fighters had completed their training and 800 others would finish theirs in the near future. A further 500 others will join the camp later for military training.
Flags of Iraq and the Kurdish regional government fly in the camp which is being protected by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Many commanders who train the fighters are from the Iraqi army, coalition countries and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... There are 20 Turkish officers that provide military training in the camp, but the number of the Turkish officers is expected to be raised, Surchi said.
He said that 8,000 people, including 180 women, had applied to participate in the training.
The camp is expected to be upgraded to have the capacity to eventually train more than 20,000 people.
A joint military force of the Iraqi army, Peshmerga and Sunni forces are to launch a wide military operation to wrestle control of Mosul from Daesh.
"We are waiting for the operation to start within the upcoming months," Surchi said.
Al-Hashid al-Watani will play a vital rule in Mosul's military operation as Peshmerga forces are expected to be on the front lines in the northern and eastern parts of Mosul, according to Surchi.
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04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Syria said on Tuesday only 6,000 residents remain in the war-battered Paleostinian camp Yarmouk on the edge of Damascus that has seen intensified fighting since 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.... launched an offensive to seize it from rival Lion of Islams.
U.N. and Syrian officials had earlier put at 18,000 the number of inhabitants when Islamic State launched its attack earlier this month. Many have moved to areas mostly southeast of the camp.
"The number of those in the camp is less than 6,000 ... and the exit of people is continuing," Information Minister Omran Zoabi told state media.
The camp was home to some 160,000 Paleostinians before the Syrian conflict began in 2011, refugees from the 1948 war of Israel's founding, and their descendents.
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04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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[EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Western-backed fighters in southwestern Syria, the one part of the country where they are strong, have spoken out this week against al Qaeda, a sign of friction that could lead to new fighting among opponents of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... .
Four years into a civil war, most of Syria's territory is held either by the government of President Bashir al-Assad or by two main jihadist groups: 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.... mainly in the east, and al Qaeda's Syria branch, the Nusra Front, in the northwest.
Western and Arab countries oppose both Assad and the jihadists. Washington, which is leading an international campaign of air strikes against Islamic State, says its strategy is to support what it describes as "moderate" rebels.
Although such Western-backed fighters control comparatively little territory, an alliance known as the Southern Front has an important foothold near the borders with Jordan andIsrael. It has seized a border crossing and a government-held town in recent weeks after weathering a government offensive.
Nusra, which has crushed pro-Western rebels in the north, is also active in the south and has sometimes joined Southern Front groups in battle against government forces, a relationship that has often appeared ambiguous.
But this week, Southern Front groups issued a strong statement condemning Nusra's ideology and rejecting any cooperation with it.
"We must announce our clear position: neither the Nusra Front or anything else with this ideology represents us," said Bashar al-Zoubi, head of a rebel group called the Yarmouk Army, who sent the statement to Rooters.
"We can't go from the rule of Assad to Zawahiri ... Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is... and Nusra," said Zoubi referring to the al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. He said the statement was being issued to clarify the group's position, and denied it was an attempt to win more foreign aid.
Aboul Majd al-Zoubi, head of a Southern Front-linked Syrian Media Organisation, said the aim is to isolate Nusra.
"The door is open for Nusra Front fighters to defect and to join the factions of the Southern Front," he said. "We do not call for confrontation, but the Southern Front is stronger."
The statement appears to have been prompted by incidents including an attempt by Nusra to arrest a Southern Front commander, and tension between the sides at the Nasib crossing with Jordan. The crossing was seized from the government on April 1, with both the Southern Front and Nusra claiming to have played the decisive role in taking it.
The Southern Front groups are stronger than the jihadists in the area, according to several assessments including one provided by a U.S. intelligence official.
But the Nusra Front still has a potent presence, and Islamic State may also be eyeing expansion there. Its fighters staged an assault on an air base in Sweida province in recent days, part of a pattern of attacks beyond its eastern strongholds, which was repelled by the Syrian army.
Bashar al Zoubi said that attack was an attempt by Islamic State to announce its arrival in the area, and that more international support for the Southern Front was needed to help stave off the jihadist threat.
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04/15/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
So-called "Day(s) of Reckoning" are fast approaching, for everybody not just Baby Assad???
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.
[Libya Herald] Bani Walid residents are in the throes of another fuel crisis, its petrol stations not having received deliveries of fuel in ten days.
[AA.TR] 
Bangladesh's Attorney General Mahbubey Alam was quoted by the local daily Dhaka Tribune on Sunday as saying that several of the appeals for those sentenced to death could be dealt with before the end of 2015.
Russia's decision to arm Tehran with the S-300 system erodes a long-promoted narrative by the 
[AA.TR] 
Maulana Fazlur Rehman
[DAWN] LAHORE: In a petition filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Zawahiri
