[Pak Daily Times] Senior Afghan officials arrived in Pakistain to initiate peace talks with the Afghan Taliban following a breakthrough in negotiations during last month's summit in Britannia, officials from both countries said on Wednesday.
The delegation was in Pakistain to meet former Taliban No 2 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a man seen by Kabul as the key to restarting peace talks with the Taliban, said a front man for Afghanistan's High Peace Council, Mohammed Anwar Eshaaqzai. Eshaaqzai was unable to say if the group had already met Baradar or would do so in coming days. Baradar has been held in some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location in Pakistain since Islamabad announced in September that it would release him in order to facilitate the Afghan grinding of the peace processor.
"The Afghan peace council has arrived in Islamabad accompanied by some other foreign and Interior Ministry officials," a Pak official with knowledge of the peace talks told Rooters. "This is a followup of what was decided in London and they will meet officials in the ministries of interior and foreign," the official said. British Prime Minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... hosted Afghanistan's Caped PresidentHamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... and 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... in London last month to discuss ways to kickstart the stalled process.
Karzai formed the Afghan High Peace Council in 2010 to pursue a negotiated peace with the Taliban, who have been leading an insurgency since being ousted from power by US-led forces in 2001. Baradar is a long-time friend of the reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and Afghanistan believes he is still powerful enough to persuade the gunnies to lay down their weapons and make peace.
He was the Taliban's deputy leader and one of their most influential commanders until he was tossed in the slammer Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! in Pakistain in 2010. Pakistain announced his release last month but Baradar remains in the country under close supervision.
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11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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[USATODAY] Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... said Wednesday that the U.S. and Afghan governments have agreed on terms for a security arrangement that could clear the way for a long-term U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.
The agreement must be reviewed by a loya jirga, or tribal council, that Afghanistan's Caped PresidentHamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... has convened this week in Kabul. The council could raise objections that might delay or even prevent a signing.
"We have agreed on the language that would be submitted to a loya jirga, but they have to pass it," Kerry said.
The military coalition's mission will wind down at the end of 2014, when most U.S. forces are supposed to leave. The security agreement is designed to provide a legal framework for an American presence after that.
The United States has said a post-2014 mission would include advisers for Afghanistan's young military and a counterterrorism force that would be authorized to target al-Qaeda and its affiliates.
"There is no combat role for United States forces," Kerry said of a follow-on force.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
We are putting together an agreement that has to be ratified by a tribal council. Please note the term tribal. It is the big red arrow pointing to the obvious fact that these people are not going to develop a nation or any other structure that could be called stable. This proposed agreement means that the US will continue to pour $$billions down this rat hole for years to come. It is beyond stupid. Get out, stay out, nuke from orbit if necessary.
[An Nahar] The head of the U.S. military's Africa Command held talks with Tunisia's Prime Minister Ali Larayedh on security cooperation, notably to stem arms trafficking, the government said Wednesday.
The meeting with General David Rodriguez "was an opportunity to discuss the security issue, ways of cooperating and how the United States can support Tunisia, in terms of equipment and training," Larayedh's office said.
The talks focused on "supporting efforts to combat trafficking, particularly of arms, and on ways of helping Tunisia to secure its borders."
Since Arab Spring uprisings swept the region, Tunisia has witnessed a sharp rise in activity by armed Salafist groups and in weapons trafficking.
Deadly violence blamed on hardline Islamists has rocked Tunisia since the 2011 revolution, with an attack on the U.S. embassy last year heightening international concerns about the country's deteriorating security.
The largely empty southern desert region has also become a key transit route for Libyan weapons being smuggled across the Sahara since the downfall of strongman Muammar Qadaffy ... who had more funny outfits than Louis XIV... .
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[An Nahar] U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... on Wednesday accused the Moslem Brüderbund of stealing Egypt's revolution, in some of his toughest comments yet about the party that took power in the nation's first democratic election.
In a speech to a forum on enhancing links between private sector businesses and diplomatic security agencies, Kerry said "the best antidote to extremism is opportunity."
"Those kids in Tahrir Square, they were not motivated by any religion or ideology.
"They were motivated by what they saw through this interconnected world, and they wanted a piece of the opportunity and a chance to get an education and have a job and have a future, and not have a corrupt government that deprived them of all of that and more," the top U.S. diplomat said.
"They tweeted their ways and Facetimed their ways and talked to each other, and that's what drove that revolution.
"And then it got stolen by the one single-most organized entity in the state, which was the Brotherhood."
Since Islamist president Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Time principle, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... was ousted by the military in July a year after coming to power, the United States has repeatedly said that he had failed to live up to calls for an inclusive, transparent government.
And Kerry in August defended the army's action to remove Morsi, saying it had moved as a bid at "restoring democracy."
But as the military-led interim government has moved only slowly towards new elections, the U.S. in October suspended a part of its $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt.
Kerry vowed earlier this month during a brief, surprise visit to Cairo that the United States would work with Egypt's interim leaders and called on them to press ahead with reforms.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Its difficult to believe Kerry really came into a sense of clarity. Probably the Saudis gave him a push.
Posted by: lord garth ||
11/21/2013 0:08 Comments ||
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Moslems don't do Democracy. They prefer stinky old boots and a big mustache.. It has something to do with their inner being.
#4
Susan Rice and ValJar ain't gonna be happy with Lurch
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/21/2013 9:09 Comments ||
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For a group of people who issue cooked statistics and manipulates the media to suppress truth, I'd think that a representative of President Asterisk would be careful about using the word 'steal' in connection with an election.
That is amazing rational thinking for someone with a long history of irrational oblique thinking.
Of course, the idea that Muslim Brotherhood stole the Egyptian revolution is not an original thought, every Egyptian I talked to when I was in Libya thought the same. Most Libyans and most Egyptians I knew LOATHED the Brotherhood. The Libyans lived in fear of the Brotherhood usurping the Libyan independence. And most were joyous when the military took over and the Brotherhood showed their true colors.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
11/21/2013 11:31 Comments ||
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That is amazing rational thinking for someone with a long history of irrational oblique thinking.
[Libya Herald] 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... was relatively quiet today with schools, state organizations and many government offices as well as ordinary businesses and shops closed following the call last night by Sadat Elbadri, head of the Tripoli Local Council (TLC), for the three-day strike over the Gharghour carnage to continue until Friday. It should have ended yesterday.
El Badri also called for renewed protests against the presence of all militias in Tripoli to take place at Martyrs Square on Friday after Jummah prayers.
His call followed the breakthrough in getting militias to quit the capital with the announcement on Sunday night by Misrata leaders that all its forces would depart the city within three days. The last brigade met the deadline today.
The Misratan decision was a response to the rising public anger in Tripoli following last Friday's massacre.
Speaking to the Libya Herald today, Salah Abugrain, TLC security coordinator, confirmed the call for further protests, stating they was needed because not all militias had pulled out of Tripoli.
"The protest will take place after Jummah prayers at the Martyrs Square. This will continue until the implementation of Law No. 27," Abugrain said. "So far, there has been no confirmation about brigades from any other towns leaving Tripoli, other than those from Misrata and Ghariyan."
Law No. 27 ordered the removal of all gangs from the capital.
Earlier today there were reports of Zintan's Qaaqaa and Al-Sawaq brigades pulling out of the capital voluntarily, but it did not happen. Their vehicles were seen in the bases late this evening.
Meanwhile, ...back at the barn, Bossy was furiously chewing her cud and thinking... the protests in Algeria Square continued during the day as demonstrators demanded the implementation of the Law No. 27 and that those responsible for the Gharghour slaughter be brought to justice. A number of meetings also took place today both in Misrata and Tripoli to reduce the tensions in the wake of the Gharghour tragedy and the Misrata pull-out.
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11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The biggest fear of Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's regime prior to his ouster on Feb. 11, 2011 was the escape of dozens of Jihadists from Egyptian jails, late vice president Omar Suleiman ... Now former Vice president of Egypt. From 1993 until his appointment to that office in 2011 he was Minister without Portfolio and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID)... said in a recording released on Tuesday.
"Jihadis view the society as an infidel one. Their (escape) from prison is very dangerous. I am afraid of the jihadis who refused the initiative to halt violence," Suleiman said in the recording published by Egyptian news website Youm7.
The former intelligence chief is believed to have made the statement during a meeting in the presidential palace a few days after the deadly violence took place in Tahrir square. The violence was later known as the "Battle of the Camel" because camels were used by anti-revolution forces to attack protesters in Tahrir.
Suleiman, who died on July 2012 in a hospital in the United States, noted in the recording that jihadist prisoners were linked to foreign groups and particularly al-Qaeda and are "exploiting the revolution's youths to cause chaos and impoverish Egypt."
Mubarak's closest deputy was also reportedly saying that ousted President Mubarak was willing to respond to the protesters' demands at the time of the January 2011 uprisings.
"The youth's revolution has its advantages. But we (must not) forget our history. The word 'leave' does not (match) with people's morals," he said in reference to protesters' chant against Mubarakdemanding he leaves and exits power.
He also added during the January 2011 uprising "foreign parties were supporting the revolution to threaten the country's security."
Suleiman was also reportedly discussing amending Article 76 of the Egyptian constitution, which addresses presidential elections. He said there needs to be an amendment in which "the president remains for two terms and that would enable a real decentralization of power."
The intelligence chief also warned about holding early elections in the absence of security which could lead to "massacres."
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[The Hindu] Based on inputs from surveillance teams, the Chhattisgarh police have jugged Please don't kill me! many suspected operatives of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India.
According to Director-General of Police (DGP) Ram Niwas, surveillance inputs suggested that the alleged SIMI members were hatching a plan to sabotage meetings of Bharatiya Janata Party's prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and other important leaders.
Among those arrested so far are Sheikh Azijullah, Mohinuddin Qureishi, Abdul Wahid Khan, Umer Siddqui, Sheikh Habibullah, Roshan Sheikh and Raju Mistry.
Mr. Niwas said some telephone numbers were kept under surveillance over a period of time, recorded conversations analysed and suspected persons tracked. Mr. Niwas said the men were observed travelling secretly to many locations around the city.
From a series of telephone conversations, the team discovered that the SIMI activists were discussing Mr. Modi's scheduled rally locations. "They spoke in Arabic in the telephone conversation [...] and we confiscated [a] few letters which were sent to other [intelligence] agencies [to confirm their association with SIMI]," Mr. Niwas said.
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[Pak Daily Times] The Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) inquiry committee has so for failed to collect concrete evidence against Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... .
One of the members of the FIA investigation team which was tasked with probing the high treason case, told Daily Times: "They have recorded the statements of many persons, directly or indirectly involved in the promulgation of November 3, 2007 emergency, but so far no concrete evidence could be collected against Pervez Musharraf regarding high treason." The investigation officer also admitted that they could not collect solid evidences due to the non-cooperation of several officials during the investigation, saying the team had no power to compel them in this regard.
"There is need of special court's assistance to get solid evidences in high treason case and we are filing a very brief complaint against the former army chief," he added. A four-member FIA committee comprising Khalid Qureshi, Azam Khan, Hussain Asghar and Maqsoodul Hassan is collecting evidences against Musharraf in the treason case since July 3. Sources have said that the FIA team had not declared the former military dictator as lone accused in the treason case, and has mentioned 'others' in the complaint. They also said that despite sending three reminders, the defence secretary did not provide details of the meeting of core commanders of Pakistain Army in which the November 3, 2007 emergency was approved.
The FIA official said that they had intimated the Interior Ministry every week about the non-cooperation of the Defence Ministry but Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not take any action in this regard. The sources also said that no FIR would be registered against Musharraf during the trial of that case. On the other hand, Attorney General of Pakistain Muneer A Malik has claimed that Sherlocks have solid evidence against Musharraf in the high treason case and he might face capital punishment or life imprisonment.
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11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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[Pak Daily Times] Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday said the United States has promised that it will not carry out drone strikes in Pakistain during any peace talks with the Talibs in the future.
Briefing a session of the Senate's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Aziz said a team of government negotiators was prepared to hold talks with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain's (TTP) former chief Hakimullah Mehsud on November 2, the day after he was killed in a US drone strike in North Wazoo. He said Mehsud had been sent a list of negotiators, and that the ex-TTP chief had himself added the names of two holy mans to the list.
However, ars longa, vita brevis... Aziz said the grinding of the peace processor had been on hold since Mehsud's killing and that the negotiations had been badly affected by the November 1 drone strike. The foreign affairs adviser said the US has now assured that no drone strikes would be carried out during any peace talks. However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... he did not clarify when had the US given this assurance. Aziz also told the committee that the drone issue was raised by 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... in his recent visit to US and he called it totally against the illusory sovereignty of Pakistain.
However, women are made to be loved, not understood... the US administration replied that it would target those people who targeted US installations elsewhere in the world. The US also told Islamabad that Hakimullah Mehsud was in the target list of its radar system, which was why he was targeted. However, some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them... the senators questioned the promise made by the US about halting drone strikes if Pakistain re-started peace negotiations with the TTP.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
So we need to up the tempo now until the talks start?
[Pak Daily Times] The Pakistain Ulema Council (PUC) on Wednesday urged speedy and fair trial of those responsible for the killing of innocent people in Rawalpindi last Friday.
Addressing a presser at the National Press Club, PUC Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi called for arresting all the culprits.
He announced that a "Condemnation Day" will be observed on November 22 to denounce the plans of some evil forces to fuel sectarian hatred in the country. He called for imposing a ban on the use of loud speakers in mosques and sacred places of all religions.
The PUC will appear before the judicial commission set up over the Rawalpindi incident and provide evidence, he added. Ashrafi said the whole nation was expecting the religious scholars to play their role in restricting hate material. He appealed to Learned Elders of Islam and mashaikh belonging to all schools of thought to show tolerance and acceptance, and create an atmosphere of harmony and understanding.
"The enemies of Ummah and Islam had succeeded to strike only because of slackness on the part of the local administration," said Ashrafi, who is also a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology. "To prevent the flames of sectarianism and hatred flare up any further all of us need to make every effort to calm down the emotions."
He appealed to the people to show restraint and not get swayed by any kind of adverse instigation or incitement to resort to violence. He said a counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operation be launched forthwith to eliminate the terrorists.
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11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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[Pak Daily TimePrime 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... on Wednesday talked tough on Muharram 10 violence in Rawalpindi that killed a dozen people and injured more than 50, charging the law enforcement agencies with 'criminal inaction' over 'unacceptable crimes'.
"Speech inciting hatred, firing, torching properties, stone pelting and killing innocent people are unacceptable crimes. Criminal silence of administration as well as police on the propagation of sectarian hatred through loudspeakers and graffiti cannot be tolerated," Nawaz told a meeting called at the Prime Minister's House to review post-violence situation. He ordered an immediate ban on wall chalking as well as use of loud speakers for hate speech in the country.
The prime minister said what happened in Rawalpindi was 'criminal negligence' and law enforcement agencies should not have shown such slackness. "Police should have taken pre-emptive action to avert the incident," he said.
The prime minister made it clear that any one-sided action by the administration would not be tolerated. He directed police to fix responsibility by holding a fair and neutral investigation into the Rawalpindi incident. "Hate speeches and killing people are equally criminal. I want strict action against those who have no regard for law and order," he told the meeting.
The prime minister also came hard on social media and accused it of playing 'negative role' during the festivities. He directed the authorities concerned to prepare a draft cyber law to tackle such matters 'within days'.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Khan Baig admitted the failure of local police authorities as he briefed the meeting over the Rawalpindi incident. The IGP said the deadly violence had claimed lives of at least 11 people besides injuries to 56 others. "All deaths resulted due to use of firearms," the IGP said, as he rejected claims that several people were missing after the incident.
Baig said police had placed in durance vile Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! nine 'perpetrators' of the incident. He said the arrests were made after their identification with the help of CCTV as well as video footages obtained from media organizations.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Law Law Rana Sanaullah, DG ISI Lt Gen Zaheer-ul-Islam, DG IB Aftab Sultan attended.s]
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[An Nahar] Awshalim Benjamin is desperate to leave Iraq, where a sack of faded photographs is all that remains of the happy life he and his ancient, dwindling Christian community once knew.
The 74-year-old waits by the phone for the call that will tell him he can finally depart Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... to join his family in the United States -- and leave behind a 2,000-year-old community that has shrunk by more than half since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
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#1
If you like your religion, you can keep it. Period ( unless its an inferior product like Christianity is in a Moslem society)
[Ynet] New US-Israel-developed inpterceptor Magic Wand successfully trialed; Defense Ministry says system 'provides confidence in future Israeli capabilities to defeat developing ballistic missile threat'
A new Israeli interceptor being developed in partnership with the United States to counter missiles held by Syria and Leb's Iranian-backed Hezbollah passed its second live trial on Wednesday, officials said.
Magic Wand, which Israeli officials say could be ready for deployment next year after being rushed through production, is designed to shoot down missiles with ranges of between 100 km and 200 km (63 miles and 125 miles).
"The Israel Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency completed a successful intercept test of the Magic Wand Weapon System against a short-range ballistic missile today," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"This is the second intercept test of the Stunner interceptor for the DSWS. The intercept test was conducted at a test range in southern Israel," it said.
It will bridge the Iron Dome short-range rocket interceptor and the Arrow ballistic missile interceptor, both already operational, to form a multi-level shield that the Israelis are developing with Washington's help as a bulwark against Iran and its allies on the Israeli border.
The latest test comes at a time of renewed Israeli threats to attack Iran should it continue to resist international pressure to shut nuclear projects with bomb making potential.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, resumes talks with world powers in Geneva on Wednesday.
Also known as David's Sling, Magic Wand downed a "short-range ballistic missile" in the morning trial in south Israel, the Defense Ministry said.
"The successful test is a major milestone in the development of the Magic Wand Weapon System and provides confidence in future Israeli capabilities to defeat the developing ballistic missile threat," it said in a statement.
The interceptor underwent its first operational test a year ago. It is being manufactured jointly by Israel's state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd and US firm Raytheon Co.
The IDF already drafted an initial corps of warriors and commanders to oversee the system. The IDF is set for immediate operation of at least parts of Magic Wand in case of increased security threats. It will be able to deal with drones and missiles and might be crucial in the conflict with Hezbollah and Syrian forces.
Clients
Rafael also makes Iron Dome, which has been extensively bankrolled by the US Congress. Israel and the United States say Iron Dome batteries downed around 85% of Paleostinian rockets fired at Israeli towns during the Gazoo war a year ago.
Like Iron Dome and Arrow, Magic Wand has drawn interest from prospective foreign clients, especially as it is also billed as being capable of intercepting cruise missiles.
Among potential customers have been at least two former Soviet satellite states in the Balkans which worry about possible future confrontations with Russia, their diplomats told Rooters on condition they would not be identified.
Of more immediate concern for Israel is the Hezbollah arsenal which it believes includes as many as 70,000 rockets and missiles. Though massively outgunned by Israel, Hezbollah fought its troops to a standstill while firing some 4,000 rockets at its interior during the 2006 Leb war.
Magic Wand, once fielded, could also block any ballistic missiles - such as Iran's Shehabs or Syria's Scuds - that might be launched at Israel and missed by Arrow in a future showdown.
Syria's more than 2-1/2-year-old civil war may have sapped Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... 's ability to menace Israel, however.
"He is firing missiles on his citizens, and the number of his missiles, Scuds included, is down to half," the defense minister said.
[An Nahar] Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Israel needs to seek partners other than Washington, ratcheting up tensions with its closest ally as Iran nuclear talks come to a head.
The hawkish, blunt-talking chief diplomat, who returned to office earlier this month after seeing off graft charges, spoke as major powers, including the United States, sought to seal a deal with Iran on its controversial nuclear program.
"The link between Israel and its main strategic partner the United States has weakened," Lieberman said.
"You can understand that. The Americans have got too may challenges -- North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistain, Iran, Iraq, and they've got their own domestic economic problems.
"We need to stop demanding, complaining, moaning and instead seek countries that are not dependent on money from the Arab or Islamic world and who want to cooperate with us in the field of innovation."
Lieberman did not elaborate on what alternative partners he had in mind but he has not hesitated in the past to speak out against Washington when he has considered it to be acting against Israeli interests.
The Israeli government has mobilized all of its lobbying power with the US Congress and public in recent weeks against a potential deal with Iran that it sees as deeply damaging to its own interests.
Israel regards Iran as its main strategic threat and is determined to keep it under crippling economic sanctions, despite mounting diplomatic momentum for a deal.
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11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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#2
"We need to stop demanding, complaining, moaning and instead seek countries that are not dependent on money from the Arab or Islamic world and doesn't condone or engage in Juice hatred.
G(r)imdalf, the enemy is moving. The Ayatollah's forces are massing in the East; his eye is fixed on Tel Aviv. And The West, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin.
[An Nahar] Iran's diminutive President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday commented on the double blast that rocked the Beirut neighborhood of Bir Hassan, stating that whomever thinks terrorism achieves its goals "is mistaken."
"Those who believe through terrorism and liquidations and violence can achieve their goals are mistaken," Rouhani said at a meeting of the Iranian cabinet.
He added: "This time again they are committing a mistake."
"We must say to the attackers that the people of the region have adopted a united stand of solidarity and resilience in front of aggressions and we will not abandon this path."
The Iranian leader continued: "It appears that regimes that could not deliver their intended messages through other means, and that could not get anyone to listen to them ware seeking this through terrorism, violence and fear."
Rouhani offered his condolences to the families of the victims and to the relatives of Iranian embassy's cultural adviser Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ansari.
At least 23 people were killed and more than 145 others were maimed in a twin blast that took place on Tuesday morning near the Iranian Embassy ...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!... in the neighborhood of Bir Hassan in Beirut's southern suburbs.
A security official said the first suicide kaboomer was on a cycle of violence that carried two kilograms of explosives. He went kaboom! at the large black main gate of the Iranian mission, damaging the three-story facility.
Less than two minutes later, the second suicide attacker driving a car rigged with 50 kilograms of explosives struck about 10 meters away, the official said.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades grabbed credit for the bombings, according to the Twitter page of a holy man linked to the group.
"The Abdullah Azzam brigades - the Hussein bin Ali cells - are behind the attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut," Sheikh Sirajeddine Zuraiqat, the group's religious guide, posted on Twitter.
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[An Nahar] Bombs targeting Iran's embassy in Hizbullah's Beirut stronghold point to a confrontation between Tehran and al-Qaeda in Leb, which is paying a heavy price for the war in neighboring Syria, analysts said.
At least 23 people were killed and nearly 150 maimed in Tuesday's double suicide kaboom on the embassy of Iran.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam brigade grabbed credit for the attack.
"It is a direct confrontation between al-Qaeda on one side, and all those who back the Syrian regime and Iran on the other," said Hilal al-Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut.
"The two blasts are a direct message to Iran that says: 'You are the origin of the problem in Syria, we will face you directly, not by proxy.'"
Iran's embassy is in south Beirut, a stronghold of Hizbullah.
The brigade that claimed the bombings is backed by Iranian financing and weapons. It has sent fighters to support Syrian troops against rebels, including Sunni jihadists.
The attack came after two boom-mobiles in south Beirut in summer. One of them, on August 15, killed 27 people.
"Despite the tight, effective security measures taken by the authorities in Leb, Leb and Syria's (territories) are open to each other via uncontrolled borders. It is not difficult for gunnies to cross over," said Khashan.
The professor pointed to recent reports that "large numbers of fighters from the (jihadist) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda have crossed over into Leb and specifically Beirut".
Army and security forces have in recent months defused several explosives-laden cars.
Political tensions in the country have soared in recent months, as the Syrian war has raged on.
Because of the divisions, Leb has been unable for seven months to appoint a new government that all sides can agree on.
Leb's "fragility" is what allows al-Qaeda to infiltrate the country, Brookings Doha Center director Salman Sheikh told Agence La Belle France Presse.
This was due to the influence of Hizbullah, which has grown stronger in the past three years, while the Syrian conflict has "paralyzed the Lebanese institutions".
As Syria's war has escalated and increasingly involved regional powers, al-Qaeda has been trying to "take advantage... as usual", said Sheikh.
The Sunni bad turban group "comes in and does some horrible things", trying to benefit from "the Syrian vacuum," he added, comparing the situation to that of Iraq.
The rebels fighting to topple Assad are backed by Gulf states, chiefly Iran's regional rival 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 Qatar.
The kingdom's media has been waging a fierce campaign against Iran over its role in Syria, while Tehran has adopted Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Horror of Homs... 's accusations against Riyadh and Doha that they back "terrorists" in Syria.
Francois Burgat, former head of the French Institute of the Near East, said the Beirut blasts were "a sign of the demoralization and rage of bad turbans... over the involvement of Hizbullah and Iran on the side of the Syrian regime."
Hizbullah and Iran's involvement in the war have played a "defining" role in the struggle, helping Assad's troops to advance towards Damascus and Aleppo.
As Sunni-Shiite tensions escalate, there are fears of the return of violence similar to the country's 1975-1990 civil war.
"Al-Qaeda vs Iran: the face-off in Leb," read a headline in the An-Nahar newspaper, warning such a confrontation risks pushing the country to the brink.
"This latest terrorist (act) represents a... dangerous turning point" that throws Leb "into an open regional confrontation," it said.
Khashan said the consequences of Tuesday's attack would affect Syria as well as Leb.
"Al-Qaeda wants a security vacuum, but that benefits neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia," he told AFP.
According to Sheikh, the Lebanese "have no interest in this becoming an intra-Lebanese civil conflict".
He explained that while it was the Arab-Israeli conflict that led the Lebanese to all-out war in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Syrian conflict is pushing Leb in that direction today.
"We may get there in the future... (But) we are not there yet and we have to hold our breath," Sheikh said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Iran is forcefully deporting Afghans by the thousands in violation of its international obligation to protect refugees, a rights group said Wednesday in a report.
The Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... report included stories of fathers deported without being given a chance to tell the families they leave behind. It said a 12-year old boy was left without money at the border, forced to beg for bus fare to Afghanistan.
Millions of Afghans fled to Iran and Pakistain in the 1980s to flee a bloody anti-Communist insurgency. At the peak of the war, roughly 5 million refugees lived in Pakistain and nearly 4 million in Iran. Currently, Human Rights Watch estimates about 2 million Afghans still live in Iran as unregistered refugees - some having returned to Afghanistan only to come back once again to Iran driven back by lack of jobs and a deteriorating security situation in their homeland.
But Iran has refused to register many of them, said Faraz Sanei, Human Rights Watch researcher for Middle East and North Africa. Roughly another 840,000 Afghans live in Iran as registered refugees.
Sanei said the report's authors spent more than a year on Afghanistan's western border with Iran interviewing refugees as they straggled across the border, some telling horrific tales of beating and abuse.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Syria's over 1,000 tonnes of chemical weapons and precursors could be destroyed at sea if no country agrees to dispose of them on its soil, the world's chemical watchdog said Wednesday.
"This possibility has been looked at for some time already," Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) front man Christian Chartier told AFP of destroying the chemicals at sea.
"It's still being looked at and is one of several solutions envisaged by member states and as long as a decision has not been taken, it remains a possibility," Chartier said.
The OPCW's Executive Council on Friday approved a final roadmap for ridding Syria of its arsenal by mid-2014, with a plan on how to destroy them out of the country, on land or at sea, to be approved by December 17.
The world is in agreement about destroying Syria's chemical weapons as part of a U.S.-Russia deal aimed at heading off strikes on the Damascus regime after deadly chemical attacks in August.
But despite consensus on destroying the chemicals outside war-wracked Syria, no country has yet been found ready to have them destroyed on its soil.
Belgium said on Monday that it was not favorable to destroying the chemicals on its soil. Albania also rejected such a possibility on Friday after a string of protests.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Lebanese branch of Abdallah Azzam Brigades, which claimed responsibility for two blasts at the Iranian embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, was established by Iranian intelligence services after 2003, a Middle East counter terrorism expert said.
Speaking to Al Arabiya News Channel, Mustafa Alani, a senior advisor and program director in security and terrorism studies at the Gulf Research Center, said the Lebanese branch of Abdullah Azzam Brigades is named Ziad al-Jarrah Battalion.
Al-Jarrah was the Lebanese citizen behind one of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. He was the pilot of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed into a field in Shanksville, Penn.
Abdullah Azzam Brigades also operated a branch in Gulf Peninsula named Yusuf al-Uyayree Battalion, suspected behind the 2010 attack on a Japanese tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had previously threatened to block the strait if the United States or Israel attacked its nuclear facilities.
Alani, the counter terrorism expert, said the Abdallah Azzam Brigades was originally formed by Saleh al-Qaraawi in 2009 as an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Iraq. It then embraced the previously existing Ziad al-Jarrah Battalion.
Qarawi is a Saudi citizen holds number 43 in the list 85 most-wanted terrorists issued by the Saudi Interior Ministry in 2009.
Qarawi had moved between Iran, Afghanistan and Waziristan, a mountainous region of northeast Pakistan. He was arrested in June 2009 after returning to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan where he was reportedly wounded in a drone strike.
After Qarawi's arrest, Majid bin Muhammad al-Majid, took over the Abdullah Azzam Brigades. Majid, a Saudi citizen, is the wanted number 70 in Saudi Arabia's most wanted terrorists.
Majed al-Majed previously worked with Osbat al-Ansar, a terrorist group that operates in Lebanon.
The brigades' name was linked to several operations, including a 2005 attack on two U.S. warships at the port of Aqaba in Jordan, Jordan.
In 2011, and amid a wave of uprisings across the Middle East, Abdullah Azzam Brigades issued a statement urging Saudis to rise up against their monarchy and threatened attacks against the kingdom.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
REALLY???
I am shocked I tell you shocked.
I would have never thought the Iranians would bomb a major Mosque in Lebanon to terrorize and rub out opponents of Hezbollah.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
11/21/2013 11:35 Comments ||
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[BREITBART] "So, 4000 rubes are dead. Cry me the Tigris. Another 30,000 have been seriously wounded. Boo f*cking hoo. They got what they asked for--and cool robotic limbs too."
Thus begins a virulent anti-American soldier screed titled "F*ck the Troops," written by Politico Magazine reporter Ian Murphy during the Iraq War. His current offering for Politico, "How I Punked Scott Walker," appeared yesterday as the number two profiled story in the website's new magazine. It describes Murphy's failed attempt to upend the Wisconsin Governor's historic battle against public service union collective bargaining rights.
Murphy's May 2008 column appeared as the intense combat of "the surge" was winding down. As Murphy said
"...our soldiers are lauded by all as saints. Why? They volunteered to partake in this savage idiocy, and for this they deserve our utmost repsect. I think not... stop sucking off the troops. They get enough action raping female soldiers and sodomizing Iraqi detainees."
Murphy goes on to question young Americans' service in defense of their country:
As a society we need to discard our blind deference to military service. There's nothing admirable about voluteering to murder people... but what kind of world would we rather live in: one where fools are admired for being fooled and murderers are extolled for murdering, or one where we have the capacity to step back and say, "I don't care who told you to do what and why; you're still an asshole!"
Murphy admits that he is not certain about particular basic facts surrounding the authorization for the use of combat troops in the Iraq War because "I was doing a lot of heavy narcotics back in '03."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/21/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Seems to me that Ian "F**king" Murphy needs to be visited by a few "good"old boys and made to understand that words have consequences.
Then arrest what's left of his ass for trying to fix an election.
#2
When the next civil war comes around, this is some of the cannon fodder the Left is going to be expecting to use to keep their ill gotten power. One could see his unit political commissar may have to use Ian was an 'example' to encourage others to move forward. It'll save every else from wasting ammo.
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.
David Cameron
Nawaz Sharif
[An Nahar] U.S. Secretary of State 
Pervez 
Wazoo
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
North Korea
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Lebanese branch of Abdallah Azzam Brigades, which claimed responsibility for two blasts at the Iranian embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, was established by Iranian intelligence services after 2003, a Middle East counter terrorism expert said.
